Tang San Battles Meng Yiran

"..."

"..."

This... worked?!

That's not right?

Weren't Thousand-Year Soul Beasts supposed to be dangerous?

This one was already fifteen hundred years old—how had it been dealt with so easily?

Even Zhao Wuji looked at him as though he were a monster.

The Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent was far faster than Soul Beasts of the same rank. In a one-on-one fight, even a Soul Emperor would find it immensely difficult to capture one alive.

Yet Lu Shi had solved it in... just a few moves...

This kid was terrifying!

Tang San gritted his teeth in anger. The one standing among the crowd and receiving their admiration should have been him!

Zhao Wuji cleared his throat, took out a short dagger, and handed it to Oscar, who had just snapped out of his daze and was practically glowing with joy.

"Get yourself together before you absorb it."

Oscar accepted it with both hands, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath to calm himself. Gripping the hilt, he prepared to stab the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

"Do we... really have to kill Soul Beasts?" Xiao Wu bit her lower lip, her large eyes full of reluctance.

There was a reason Soul Beasts had nearly gone extinct in the future.

Soul Beasts already grew slowly. Besides being hunted by human Soul Masters, they preyed upon one another as well. It was perfectly normal for high-level Soul Beasts to eat lower-level ones.

Even Auspicious Beasts, which could help Soul Beasts grow, were eaten every few days.

There was no unity among them.

Xiao Wu was one of the rare Soul Beasts that had never killed anything. She had eaten grass since childhood.

Hearing that, Lu Shi said, "This is a world where the strong devour the weak. Either become strong and eat the weak, or become weak and be eaten by the strong. There's no helping it."

He had lived by that principle for all these years, because in this world, the weak never knew what kind of death awaited them.

Xiao Wu fell silent and said nothing more.

"Do it, Oscar. We shouldn't drag this out."

Zhao Wuji urged.

Oscar nodded. His hand trembled slightly as he raised it, about to drive the dagger into the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's brain.

Suddenly, a hoarse cry rang out. "Stop!"

Immediately afterward, two figures sprang out from the direction the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent had flown from and came to stand before them.

One old and one young, both holding Snake-head Canes.

The old woman's gaze was sinister and shrewd. Deep wrinkles crisscrossed her face, and her white hair was combed impeccably neat. Six Soul Rings rose and fell around her body.

Soul Emperor Snake Granny.

Beside her stood a pretty young girl in dark purple clothes adorned with snakeskin patterns. Her bearing was graceful and lively. The Snake-head Cane in her hand was somewhat shorter than Snake Granny's, only a little over two meters long, and she too had two century-level Soul Rings.

Meng Yiran.

Snake Granny and Meng Yiran's arrival startled everyone, but when they saw that the other side had only a Soul Emperor, they immediately relaxed.

So she was only a Soul Emperor.

Zhao Wuji was equally unceremonious. He clasped his shoulders and revealed all seven of his Soul Rings.

Snake Granny's imposing manner instantly wilted. She had originally intended to threaten Zhao Wuji.

But the moment she saw those Soul Rings—

A Soul Saint?

Why would a Soul Saint appear in the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest?

Zhao Wuji gave her a glance, his gaze settling on the Snake-head Cane. He more or less knew who the old woman was.

"Is there something you need?"

His voice was remarkably mild, without the slightest provocation.

The Unmoving Bright King's reputation had not been built on combat strength alone. It also came from his boldness, caution, and sharp powers of observation.

He knew whom he could provoke and whom he could not.

If Snake Granny was here, then the Dragon Duke had to be nearby as well. The two were famously inseparable. The Unparalleled Dragon and Snake together could contend against a Titled Douluo, while he was currently only a Soul Saint.

Chao Tianxiang coughed lightly. Faced with a Soul Saint, she was much more polite, and her tone softened as well. "Hello, esteemed Soul Saint. Could you give this Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent to this child? We discovered it first. Otherwise, why would we have tracked it all the way here?"

Seeing that she was being respectful, Zhao Wuji gave Oscar a look, signaling him to stop.

Oscar was somewhat agitated and could not help asking, "Why? We were the ones who found it and defeated it first!"

It had taken so much effort to obtain this rare Soul Beast. No one could accept losing it.

Chao Tianxiang smiled faintly. "Young man, don't be hasty. Look at the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent's abdomen. There are two wounds there, inflicted by my cane. There are wounds beneath its wings as well. I accidentally let this slippery little fellow escape. My granddaughter has just reached level thirty and desperately needs this Soul Ring. As you can see, she inherited my Serpent Cane martial soul, making her especially suited for high-level snake-type Soul Rings."

Zhao Wuji inspected it and found that it was indeed true. But that alone was not enough to make him let it go.

"May I ask if you are Senior Snake Granny, one half of the Unparalleled Dragon and Snake?"

Zhao Wuji asked in a deep voice.

He needed to confirm her identity first.

Chao Tianxiang smiled calmly. "I wouldn't dare claim otherwise. I am indeed she. May I ask the name of this distinguished Soul Saint?"

Though her words were polite, mentioning the Unparalleled Dragon and Snake gave her a little more confidence.

Zhao Wuji gave his name. "I am Zhao Wuji."

Chao Tianxiang's expression shifted slightly. "I was wondering how I could happen upon such a young Soul Saint. So you are the Unmoving Bright King, renowned throughout the Soul Master world."

"You flatter me."

Both sides gave the other ample face.

But neither wished to give up such a precious Thousand-Year Soul Beast. After several exchanges, they ultimately decided to follow the old rules of the Soul Master world.

Each side would send one person to compete, and the winner would claim the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent.

Since Oscar was an auxiliary-type Soul Master, someone else would fight in his place.

Oscar relaxed upon hearing that. Wasn't this a guaranteed win?

With Lu Shi here, it would not matter even if the other side sent a four-ring Soul Master.

"Teacher Zhao..."

He had just been about to recommend Lu Shi when Tang San stepped forward first. "Teacher Zhao, let me do it."

Tang San had certainly not stepped forward now out of camaraderie.

He simply wanted to prove himself.

At Notting Academy, he had been unable to surpass Lu Shi. At Shrek, Lu Shi had shone even more brightly. From the beginning until now, he had always been suppressed by Lu Shi.

Now, an opportunity had come to prove himself before Xiao Wu and everyone else.

How could he possibly let it slip by?!

"Oscar..."

Oscar reached out to stop him, but he was afraid of hurting Tang San's pride.

Tang San turned back and smiled confidently, thinking Oscar was worried about him. "It's fine. Watch me win the Phoenix-tail Crested Serpent back for you."

Turning back around—

"My Soul Power is level twenty-nine. That shouldn't count as taking advantage of you."

At those words, Snake Granny's heart suddenly clenched. She secretly wondered where Zhao Wuji had found so many children, each more outstanding than the last.

Meng Yiran was already burning with fury. That Soul Beast had originally belonged to her, so why should she have to bargain with anyone for it?

Seeing Tang San's broad waist, hunched back, dark complexion, short fingers, and bear-like appearance only annoyed her further.

"Meng Yiran. Martial soul: Snake-head Cane. Level-thirty, two-ring battle Soul Master. You black bear demon, hurry up and start."

"Tang..."

Tang San had originally been announcing his name, but he had not expected Meng Yiran to call him that. His fists clenched so tightly that his nails nearly sank into his flesh.

His arms trembled with rage, his eyes went bloodshot, and he panted like a bull.

He stared fixedly at Meng Yiran.

You have already chosen the path to death!

Tang San immediately lit up his Soul Rings. Countless blades of Blue Silver Grass sprouted beneath Meng Yiran's feet, every one of them writhing like a venomous snake.

First Soul Skill, Entangling, activated.

As long as the thorns injected their venom, he was guaranteed to win.

With a cold snort, Meng Yiran's body suddenly became soft and twisted as though she had no bones. As if coated in oil, she actually slipped out of the Blue Silver Grass, while the Snake-head Cane in her hand smashed directly toward Tang San.

From the snake head atop the cane, a two-foot-long tongue blade shot forth, instantly closing the distance between them.

A deep blue gleam flickered across the tongue blade. It was clearly highly venomous.

Tang San's face darkened. His feet slid as he used Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to retreat.

Since Blue Silver Grass and poison were useless against you, then I'll use Tang Sect hidden weapons!