The Little Flying Snake Is Coming!

Lin Yuan sidestepped.

The Mandala Snake's fangs brushed past the hem of his clothes and snapped on empty air. Its body swept by him, stirring a foul wind. Lin Yuan steadied himself and glanced back at the snake.

The Mandala Snake landed, coiled, and raised its head again. Its scarlet tongue flickered, and its tiny ruby eyes fixed on him. A faint, sweet, fishy scent hung in the air.

The corner of Lin Yuan's mouth curved upward.

"What a coincidence. We run into each other even here."

He looked down at Guga in his arms. The little fellow had poked out half its head. Its bead-black eyes stared at the huge snake, its tiny brows drawn tight.

"Such a big snake, Guga!"

"Scared?"

"No, Guga! Guga's stronger than it, Guga!"

Lin Yuan laughed.

"In that case, I'll do a good deed for once."

The Mandala Snake lunged a second time. Its body sprang forward, stretching into a dark green line through the air. Clear venom dripped from its fangs, and a foul wind struck his face.

This time, Lin Yuan did not dodge. He stood where he was and watched the snake's head draw closer.

Just as its jaws came down, Guga moved in his arms.

A dark blur leaped from Lin Yuan's embrace. Guga landed and seized the tip of the Mandala Snake's tail with both stubby hands. The sight was bizarre: a snake nearly four meters long held by its tail by something smaller than its head.

"Guga!"

Guga spun in place, pushed off with both short legs, and used the force of the spin to fling the Mandala Snake away like a whip.

The snake arced through the air and hurtled straight toward the open patch of grass.

On the grass, Yu Xiaogang was pulling Tang San along, still explaining the properties of Lone Bamboo. Luo Sanpao waddled behind them, his plump body bouncing with every step.

"So, although Lone Bamboo has a low age, it makes up for that with stability. If we truly can't find a suitable Soul Beast, it isn't out of the question—"

The light above him suddenly dimmed. He looked up on instinct. A dark green snake was dropping from the sky, its head aimed straight at his face.

"Ah—"

He had no time to dodge. The Mandala Snake bit into his shoulder. Its fangs pierced his flesh and injected clear venom into his body. Yu Xiaogang screamed and toppled to the ground, his face turning purplish-black before their eyes.

"Luoluo!" Luo Sanpao rushed up to bite the Mandala Snake, but its tail swept him aside. His plump body flew into a tree trunk. With a cry, he dissolved into purple light and returned to Yu Xiaogang's body.

"Teacher!" Tang San caught him.

Behind the oak tree, Guga patted its stubby hands, chin raised in triumph.

"Bad man, Guga! He tried to kick Guga a few days ago. Guga remembers him, Guga!"

Lin Yuan looked down at it.

"You recognized him?"

"Recognized him, Guga! The bad man who kicked Guga. Guga holds a grudge, Guga!"

Lin Yuan laughed, picked Guga up, and stepped back into the deeper shadows of the trees. He had no intention of showing himself. Yu Xiaogang was his enemy, but he had no conflict with Tang San for now. There was no need. Besides, all he had to do was watch this play out.

On the grass, the Mandala Snake released its bite and dropped to the ground. It coiled, sprang, and raised its head again.

Yu Xiaogang lay on the ground, his lips purple. He struggled to speak.

"Xiao San... the Mandala Snake's venom is extremely potent. It causes paralysis and severely damages the nerves. It's one of the most terrifying poison-type Soul Beasts. Its body is exceptionally tough; ordinary blades can hardly wound it. Only its mouth and eyes are weak points. But the Mandala Snake guards both well, and it's incredibly fast..."

He gasped for breath, his voice growing weaker.

"Many rings and bones, hit hard in one burst. Few rings and bones, turn tail and run. You don't have a single Soul Ring yet. Run..."

Tang San did not run.

He laid Yu Xiaogang down and turned to face the Mandala Snake. Though his young face showed some alarm, his eyes remained steady. He drew a deep breath and swept his left hand across his waist. A thick white radish appeared in his palm.

The Mandala Snake lunged. Without looking back, Tang San flung the radish over his shoulder.

Thump. The white radish struck the snake's head, knocking it slightly off course.

Then came a second. A third. A fourth.

Tang San's left hand kept sweeping across his waist, sending white radishes flying one after another. Each struck the Mandala Snake precisely, keeping it from closing in. Even as his left hand threw, his right had already gripped a Sleeve Arrow.

He ran out of white radishes. Thoroughly enraged, the Mandala Snake sprang forward with its jaws wide and its fangs gleaming coldly. A foul wind struck his face as it came at him like lightning.

Tang San raised his left hand. A dark streak shot out without a sound, straight for the snake's left eye. It was a Sleeve Arrow he had made. The Hidden Weapon technique was simple, but its strength lay in concealment. The snake lowered its head, and the Sleeve Arrow struck its hard scales in a shower of sparks.

It had not pierced them.

Its scales are too hard. Tang San was startled, but his feet kept moving. As the Mandala Snake lowered its head to dodge the arrow, he stepped into Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track and slipped sideways, avoiding its head-on strike. His right hand swept across his waist again, and the short sword Grandmaster had given him appeared in his palm. The blade was one foot and two inches long, its sheath a clear blue from end to end, its edge gleaming coldly.

The Mandala Snake missed and began to coil back. Its jaws had not yet closed.

Tang San turned and thrust his sword.

The short sword entered through the snake's mouth, pierced its lower jaw, and struck a vital point. The Mandala Snake convulsed violently. Its tail lashed wildly, snapping two trees as thick as bowls. Tang San pulled the sword free, leaped back, and landed beside Yu Xiaogang.

The snake twitched a few more times, then gradually fell still.

A yellow Soul Ring slowly rose from the Mandala Snake's body and rippled in the air.

Deep in the trees' shadows, Lin Yuan leaned against a trunk with his arms crossed.

"Not bad."

Guga poked its head out from his arms, looked at the dead snake, and tilted its head.

"Snakey died, Guga."

"Mm."

"The bad man got bitten so badly, Guga. Will he die, Guga?"

"No. He's hard to kill."

"Guga's hungry, Guga."

"We'll eat when we get back."

"Braised pork, Guga?"

"...We'll see."

"Guga wants five servings, Guga!"

Lin Yuan looked down at it.

"You certainly remember that."

"Guga remembers! Braised pork is tasty, Guga!"

Lin Yuan turned and headed toward the edge of the Soul Hunting Forest. On the grass behind him, Tang San crouched beside Yu Xiaogang, took a small porcelain bottle from his waist, shook out a pill, and slipped it into Yu Xiaogang's mouth. Then he looked up toward the place where Lin Yuan had disappeared.

There was nothing in the woods.

As he lowered his gaze, his eyes caught the muddy ground by his feet.

Two tiny footprints lay there, far smaller than a normal child's. They were shallow, leading from deep in the woods before turning back a short distance away.

Tang San frowned and stared at the footprints for a long while.

Only the wind stirred the leaves with a soft rustle.