Blue Silver: Myriad Manifestations!! You Still Dare Hiss?!

Bei Bei's eyes flashed. He no longer dared to hold anything back.

"Second Soul Skill, Thunderous Might!"

With a low shout, countless lightning serpents burst from his body and spread into an electric net, engulfing the pink poisonous mist and burning it away.

At the same time, the sole purple Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.

"Third Soul Skill, Thunderous Wrath!"

As the amplifying Soul Skill took effect, Bei Bei felt violent power flood every limb and bone.

"Battle drives me completely mad!"

With another low shout, Bei Bei tangled with the Mandala Snake like a tyrannosaur.

Lightning and pink shadows crossed through the forest as they fought with breathtaking ferocity.

Bei Bei swung his Thunder Dragon Claw, viciously targeting the Mandala Snake's weak points.

Its kidneys, the vital spot behind its head, its neck—nothing was off-limits. Bei Bei even tried to gouge out its eyes with his Thunder Dragon Claw.

Although his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon was of dragonkind and gave him some advantage over snake-type Soul Beasts, there was still a gap between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters.

Before Soul Masters reached the level of Seven-Ring Soul Sage, Soul Beasts of the same level were generally stronger overall.

And this thousand-year Mandala Snake corresponded precisely to the Soul Elder level.

Thus, even with Bei Bei fighting at full strength, neither side could gain the upper hand.

Tang Ya hid in the bushes, burning with anxiety as she watched.

She wanted to help many times, but Bei Bei and the Mandala Snake were locked in such close combat that she dared not throw a Hidden Weapon even with her Purple Demon Eye active, much less use a Soul Skill. She was afraid of hitting Bei Bei.

"I'm one of the outer academy's twin stars—Thunderbolt Bei Bei!"

Bei Bei roared. Finally, while taking a sweep of the snake's tail head-on, he drove his claws deep into its body.

"Hiss—!"

The Mandala Snake cried out in pain, a cold gleam flaring in its eyes.

In a fury, it opened its blood-red maw and blasted Bei Bei with another cloud of pink poisonous mist.

Bei Bei's expression changed slightly, and he dodged aside. Before he could steady himself, Tang Ya's startled cry rang out behind him: "Watch out, Bei Bei!"

Before her words had faded, something unexpected happened.

The protrusion on the Mandala Snake's forehead suddenly shone with dazzling light. Then it burst open with a bang.

Countless tiny pink poisonous needles shot out. Concealed within the mist, they came at Bei Bei in an overwhelming barrage.

Huh?

Caught off guard, Bei Bei flailed his Thunder Dragon Claw and barely knocked away most of the incoming needles, but a few still struck him.

Before he could catch his breath, another sharp rush of air sounded. The Mandala Snake closed on Bei Bei as if it were cheating and swept its tail at him again.

"Argh—"

Bei Bei flew backward.

Naturally, the Mandala Snake had no intention of letting a beaten foe off easy and moved to press its advantage.

Just then—

"Blue Silver Entanglement!"

In an instant, countless slender Blue Silver vines burst from the ground beneath Tang Ya's feet and shot toward the Mandala Snake, wrapping around its body.

Hmm?

The Mandala Snake looked down at the "grass ropes" binding it, contempt flashing through its eyes.

Just as I thought...

Tang Ya's face turned pale.

Her Blue Silver Grass could not even pierce the Mandala Snake's defenses, so her second Soul Skill, Parasitism, was naturally useless too.

The Mandala Snake bared its great maw and charged straight at her.

Tang Ya's footwork shifted rapidly, her figure splitting into afterimages as she activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

She retreated while flinging countless Hidden Weapons. Crisp clinks rang through the forest without pause.

Are you trying to tickle me?

Amusement flickered in the Mandala Snake's eyes. It gave a remarkably human yawn, as though it were about to fall asleep.

"Mandala Snake, how dare you hurt Xiaoya!"

Like an enraged lion, Bei Bei roared and charged forward, once again tangling with the Mandala Snake.

Deep in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Tang Qi wove through the trees as though taking a leisurely stroll.

Meanwhile, with him at its center, a vast, invisible "net" spread in every direction.

This was one of his Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul's special abilities. Using the Blue Silver Grass found throughout the forest as a medium, he expanded his range of perception severalfold.

Haji Huo, come into the bowl, heh heh heh.

Suddenly, he halted on a thick branch.

Someone's hunting for a Soul Ring?

There was an unwritten rule in the Soul Master World: when one party was hunting for a Soul Ring, no one else was to approach or interfere. Whatever their reason, anyone who intervened would be seen as provoking the hunters.

Better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Tang Qi was about to turn away when a faint trace of information entered his mind.

Of the Soul Masters fighting, one had a lightning attribute, while the other carried the aura of Blue Silver Grass, which shared his lineage.

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow.

Could it be those two Tang Sect recruitment fools?

He hesitated no longer. Changing direction, he sped toward the source of the battle.

As time passed, Bei Bei's mental strength and Soul Power were nearly exhausted.

He faltered for an instant. The Mandala Snake seized the opening, sending a cloud of pink poisonous mist straight at his face.

Bei Bei felt the world spin. At that critical instant, a Blue Silver vine wrapped around his waist and yanked him backward.

Bei Bei staggered to a stop. He and Tang Ya stood one behind the other, watching the Mandala Snake with equally grave expressions.

"If those poisonous needles on its forehead hadn't caught me off guard, how could a mere thousand-year Mandala Snake have held me, Thunderbolt Bei Bei, off for this long?"

Bei Bei slammed a fist into the ground. He panted heavily, his voice thick with frustration and resentment.

After speaking, he glanced back at Tang Ya almost involuntarily, and a hint of blame rose in his heart.

If Xiaoya had accepted me sooner, I could have learned the Purple Demon Eye. Then the Mandala Snake's poisonous needles wouldn't have caught me off guard.

But the moment the thought arose, Bei Bei slapped himself.

No, no, no! How could I think that?

Tang Ya did not notice anything strange about Bei Bei.

Her gaze remained fixed on the Mandala Snake. A moment later, she suddenly spoke.

"Bei Bei, you should go."

"If you hadn't been helping me hunt for my third Soul Ring, you wouldn't have been hurt this badly. I don't want to owe you anything."

Bei Bei jerked his head up, stunned.

Just then, the Mandala Snake, whose eyes had been blazing with malice, seemed to sense something terrifying.

Its body stiffened, then began to writhe restlessly.

"Blue Silver: Myriad Manifestations!"

A clear voice rang out from the forest.

The next instant, everything changed.

The surrounding trees seemed to come alive. Countless stalks of Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground and turned woody in the blink of an eye.

They swept toward the Mandala Snake in a vast wave, wrapping around its three-meter-long body and locking it in place.

"Heh heh heh—"

"You innately evil Soul Beast! How dare you run amok before a merciful and holy successor of the Sea God like me? You've truly found your path to death!"

Before the words had faded, a figure descended from the sky like a god and slammed into the middle of the clearing.

Earth and stone shattered. Waves of air rolled outward.

His short pink-and-blue hair whipped in the wind as the youth stood proudly.

Tang Ya stood rooted to the spot, her beautiful eyes wide. She stared at the woody Blue Silver Grass that had erupted all around her.

So big! So thick!

Was this... still Blue Silver Grass?

She instinctively looked up at the tall figure. At that very moment, Tang Qi turned toward her.

Their eyes met, and Tang Ya trembled. For some reason, she felt an urge to kneel before him and draw close.

Meanwhile, the Mandala Snake squirmed uncomfortably in the grip of the Blue Silver Grass.

It could not help hissing at Tang Qi in warning.

Hmm?

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow.

You still dare hiss? This is no ordinary Mandala Snake anymore. It needs a heavy-handed response!