Mandala Snake

Tang Ya had just risen to her feet when a fierce gust struck from behind. She instinctively dodged aside.

A dark green snake tail brushed her hem and lashed into the campfire, sending sparks flying.

"It's a Mandala Snake! Watch out!"

Bei Bei's expression changed. He grabbed Tang Ya by the wrist and pulled her behind him.

In the bushes, a Mandala Snake covered in dark green scales that gleamed with a cold light fixed its slit-pupiled eyes on the four of them.

A Mandala Snake—and a thousand-year-old one at that.

Tang Ya gritted her teeth and raised both hands.

"First Soul Skill! Blue Silver Entanglement!"

"How dare you ambush me! You'll make the perfect third Soul Ring for me today!"

Blue Silver Grass instantly wrapped around the Mandala Snake, but one twist of its body snapped the grass apart.

The Mandala Snake sprang forward, moving so fast it left only an afterimage as it lunged straight at Tang Ya's face.

Tang Ya had no time to dodge. The snake's jaws were about to close on her shoulder when—

Boom!

"First Soul Skill, Thunder Dragon Claw!"

"Teacher Xiao Ya, get back!"

A flash of blue-violet lightning slammed into the Mandala Snake's head and blasted it away.

Crackling blue-violet electricity covered Bei Bei's right hand. Beneath his feet, three Soul Rings—two yellow and one purple—slowly rose.

The Mandala Snake shook its head after taking the blow, then opened its jaws and sprayed a stream of dark green venom at them.

Where the venom struck the ground, the grass instantly blackened and rotted, hissing as white smoke rose from it.

"Yutong!"

At Ye Tianming's shout, Dai Yutong immediately understood.

A Yellow Soul Ring slowly rose beneath her feet. Her Spiritual Power spread silently, turning everything within thirty meters into a three-dimensional image in her mind.

At that same instant, she shared the image with Ye Tianming, Bei Bei, and Tang Ya through Spiritual Sharing.

Ye Tianming's vision blurred. Every movement the Mandala Snake made, down to the pattern on each scale, appeared clearly in his mind.

Beside him, Bei Bei and Tang Ya froze for a moment. Neither had experienced Spiritual Detection before.

"Is... is this Yutong's First Soul Skill?"

"Everything around us seems to have slowed down. I can even see clearly behind me, where my eyes can't reach."

"What I'm seeing goes completely beyond anything I imagined!"

"This is the sight of a god!"

Bei Bei marveled wildly to himself.

Tang Ya was no less astonished.

Was this what a rare mutated spiritual attribute could do?

While Tang Ya and Bei Bei stood stunned, Ye Tianming had already shot forward.

"Found you!"

The purple Soul Ring beneath Ye Tianming's feet flashed. His figure blurred into a streak of azure and vanished from the spot.

"Second Soul Skill, Azure Dragon Cloud Soar!"

The next instant, Ye Tianming appeared above the Mandala Snake. Azure dragon scales covered his right arm, and his five fingers curled into claws as he raked fiercely at its head.

"First Soul Skill, Azure Dragon Hundred-Crack Claw!"

Boom!

Scales shattered instantly. The Mandala Snake let out a piercing hiss and thrashed wildly. Its tail swept across the area, snapping several trees as thick as bowls.

Bei Bei recovered then and pressed the attack. His Thunder Dragon Claw struck the snake's belly again and again, driving it steadily back.

Tang Ya seized her chance. Blue Silver Grass lashed out once more and bound the Mandala Snake's head tight, keeping it from spraying any more venom.

"Brother Tianming, now!"

Ye Tianming did not hesitate. His third Soul Ring blazed purple. He spread his five claws, gathering azure lightning in his palm, then sent a bolt bursting from his fingertips.

"Azure Dragon Thunderclap Claw!"

The lightning struck the Mandala Snake seven inches below its head. It struggled a few times before its huge body crashed to the ground, barely clinging to life.

Ye Tianming returned to Dai Yutong's side and spoke to Tang Ya, whose eyes were shining.

"Go finish it off. This thousand-year Mandala Snake is no use to either of us."

Stars seemed to sparkle in Tang Ya's eyes, and she nodded vigorously.

"Then thank you, Brother Tianming!"

Tang Ya drew the dagger she carried and drove it into the Mandala Snake's head. After a bout of twitching, it went completely still.

A deep purple Soul Ring slowly rose from the Mandala Snake's corpse.

Tang Ya immediately sat cross-legged and drew the purple Soul Ring into her body.

Bei Bei stood nearby, watching the two children before him—especially the azure-clad boy who had broken through the snake's armor in one move and wielded his power with such control. Wonder shone in his eyes.

It took Tang Ya nearly half a day to absorb the Soul Ring. When she opened her eyes again, a purple Soul Ring had joined the others beneath her feet. She had broken through level thirty and stepped into the ranks of the Soul Elders.

"I did it!"

Tang Ya bounced twice on the spot in excitement, then took Dai Yutong's hands and showered her with praise.

"Wow, little Yutong, your First Soul Ring is incredible!"

"Without your First Soul Skill, we'd never have taken down that Mandala Snake so easily."

"And Brother Tianming, your second Soul Ring is already a thousand-year one!"

Dai Yutong blushed as Tang Ya held her hands and praised her. She waved her free hand repeatedly.

"No, Tianming and Big Brother Bei Bei did most of the work."

Ye Tianming, meanwhile, stared fixedly at Tang Ya's hands around Dai Yutong's.

"It's nothing... Just a thousand-year second Soul Ring."

Tang Ya was still holding Dai Yutong's hands and cheering when Bei Bei noticed the look darkening in Ye Tianming's eyes.

Bei Bei hurried to Tang Ya's side and pulled her away, then said in a low voice, "Ahem, Teacher Xiao Ya, rein it in a little..."

Tang Ya finally caught on. Seeing Ye Tianming's dark expression, she gave an awkward smile.

"Um, sorry. I got too excited and didn't notice."

Ye Tianming shook his head and said slowly, "It's fine..."

Dai Yutong walked over to Ye Tianming, took his hand, and said softly, "Oh, Tianming, Sister Tang Ya didn't mean anything by it."

Then, while Ye Tianming was distracted, Dai Yutong darted forward like a chick pecking at rice and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Afterward, Dai Yutong stood like an ostrich wishing she could bury her head in the ground. She kept her head lowered, but did not let go of Ye Tianming's hand.

Ye Tianming froze, then touched the spot where she had ambushed him. He remained stunned for a full minute.

A little way off, Bei Bei and Tang Ya huddled together, whispering and casting strange looks at Ye Tianming and Dai Yutong.

But Ye Tianming had no attention to spare for the two gossiping furiously in the distance.

All he could feel was his CPU overheating again.

What just kissed me?

What happened?