"Ten... ahem."
Gu Yunxiao hurriedly cleared his throat and corrected himself. "I'll definitely be back within three years."
He had meant to joke that he would be gone for ten years, but Gu Mingli's gaze immediately turned murderous, and another cold gaze watched him from the shadows.
There was no doubt about it: if Gu Yunxiao dared say "ten years," he would never make it out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"You're not allowed to lie to me! Otherwise, I'll... I'll ignore you for a month... half a month!" Gu Mingli threatened.
"I won't. I'll definitely come back."
"My home is here, and so is my family. How could I possibly not come home?"
Gu Yunxiao smiled faintly.
Only after hearing that did Gu Mingli relent.
"Then hurry up and leave. Once I change my mind, I won't let you go even if you hit me."
With that, Gu Mingli walked beneath a nearby tree, her head drooping, utterly dispirited.
She dared not look at Gu Yunxiao, afraid she would be unable to bear parting with him and rush over again.
Gu Yunxiao could see it too, and sighed helplessly to himself.
Then he called, "Uncle Tian."
Whoosh-
A black light flashed, and Di Tian immediately appeared before Gu Yunxiao, bowing respectfully. "Young master."
"Uncle Tian, sorry for the trouble, but please keep a close eye on her."
"Mingli is rather impulsive. She might well try to sneak out."
Gu Yunxiao spoke softly.
"Hmph!" Nearby, Gu Mingli pricked up her ears. Hearing his words, she huffed, feeling somewhat-no, very unhappy.
"Yes, young master."
Di Tian nodded, his expression solemn.
Although Gu Yunxiao's standing was above that of the Auspicious Beast, her importance to the Soul Beast Clan was just as irreplaceable.
Nothing could be allowed to happen to either Gu Yunxiao or the Auspicious Beast.
Gu Yunxiao nodded slightly, then said one last thing to Di Tian. "Uncle Tian, I'm leaving now. All of you take care of yourselves here in the Star Dou Great Forest."
"All right."
A hint of a smile appeared on Di Tian's imposing face.
Although he placed great importance on etiquette, Gu Yunxiao's genuine affection for Ferocious Beasts like them also made him happy from the bottom of his heart.
"Bi Ji, Zi JI, you must take good care of the young master. You must not neglect him in the slightest." Di Tian glanced at Bi Ji and Zi JI.
"Mm."
The two women nodded and vanished, following Gu Yunxiao from the shadows.
As Gu Mingli watched Gu Yunxiao's retreating figure, the reluctance in her eyes deepened. She instinctively raised a paw, only to lower it again.
In a clearing in the Outer Zone of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
A thousand-year Mandala Snake flicked its tongue, its slit pupils gleaming with a dark, cold light as it stared fixedly at the boy before it.
The boy was around fifteen years old. Crackling electricity wreathed his body, making him look like a lord of lightning.
His left arm was a size thicker than his right, covered in blue-violet scales. His hand had also transformed into a dragon claw, flashing with electricity.
Beneath his feet were three Soul Rings: yellow, yellow, and purple.
A three-ring Soul Elder!
To have reached such a level at his age was enough to show his exceptional talent.
His martial soul was none other than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, renowned ten thousand years ago.
Even today, it still enjoyed considerable fame.
At that moment, the boy faced off against the thousand-year Mandala Snake, not daring to relax his guard for an instant, lest it escape.
"Bei Bei, you can do it!"
Not far from the boy and the snake stood two other figures. One was a girl of fourteen or fifteen, cheering him on.
Beside her was an ordinary boy who was even younger, dressed in gray cloth clothes. He was thin, his skin an unhealthy, sallow yellow.
At that moment, the boy watched Bei Bei fight the Mandala Snake with envy written all over his face.
A three-ring Soul Elder... when will I reach that level?
"Second soul skill, Thunderous Might!"
Just then, Bei Bei shouted as he fought the Mandala Snake, and his second Soul Ring lit up.
Countless serpentine arcs of electricity swelled simultaneously, transforming into lightning arrows that flashed through the air and formed a dense net of thunder and lightning around the Mandala Snake.
Just as the electric net was about to close, the Mandala Snake spat out a cloud of pink mist, and a rich, sweet fragrance spread through the air.
This was the Mandala Snake's poisonous mist. It was so deadly that even the slightest contact could be fatal.
Bei Bei decisively retreated. A light flashed briefly in his left hand, and a small porcelain bottle appeared in his grasp. He took out a pill and swallowed it.
Then he tossed the porcelain bottle toward the other two in the distance.
The girl caught the bottle and quickly took out two pills. After swallowing one, she handed the other to the boy beside her. "Yuhao, this pill can neutralize the Mandala Snake's venom. Take it now as a precaution."
"All right."
Huo Yuhao nodded and swallowed it at once.
"These pills are made using a method unique to the Tang Sect. They can neutralize not only Mandala Snake venom, but also the venom of many other highly poisonous soul beasts."
"Besides using poisons and neutralizing them, our Tang Sect also excels in cultivation methods, secret arts, and hidden weapons. Bei Bei and I will teach you all of those in time."
"Yuhao, you need to work hard too. We'll revive the Tang Sect together."
The girl smiled faintly, very fond of this little brother who knew how to grill fish.
Especially now that he had joined the Tang Sect and become one of its members.
As the Tang Sect's sect master, she naturally had to take good care of Huo Yuhao.
"Teacher Tang Ya, I'll definitely work hard!" Huo Yuhao nodded firmly, determination written all over his face.
"Mm."
Tang Ya smiled and nodded. "Our Tang Sect also has quite a history with Shrek Academy, the finest academy on the continent. We receive one guaranteed admission slot every year."
"Bei Bei and I are already students at Shrek Academy, so we don't need that slot."
"So that guaranteed admission slot is yours."
"Shrek Academy!" Huo Yuhao's eyes lit up, filled with longing and boundless yearning.
Huo Yuhao's reaction came as no surprise to Tang Ya.
"Shrek Academy is a sacred place for soul masters. Its teachers are the best on the continent."
"It's also where all the genius and monster soul masters gather. Geniuses are everywhere there; only monsters are rare."
"Yuhao, once you get in, don't let them knock you senseless right away."
"The more you say that, Teacher Tang Ya, the more motivated I feel!" Huo Yuhao's gaze remained firm, without the slightest hint of retreat or discouragement.
Tang Ya nodded in satisfaction, her face filled with gratification.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
"Thunderous Fury!"
Meanwhile, Bei Bei had unleashed his full power, determined to take down the Mandala Snake.
With his strength, dealing with this thousand-year Mandala Snake was no problem.
However, the Mandala Snake was very fast, and it was no fool either.
Knowing it was no match for Bei Bei, it chose to dodge and circle around him, searching for an opening and biding its time to launch a sudden ambush.
Bei Bei also realized what the Mandala Snake intended, and his expression darkened slightly.
For a time, the two sides reached a stalemate.
"Bei Bei, I'll help you!"
Tang Ya moved to step forward and help.
Bei Bei shook his head, firmly refusing. "Xiao Ya, this beast is sinister, cunning, and extremely troublesome. Leave it to me."
"Keep watch over our surroundings to stop other soul beasts from ambushing us, and protect Yuhao while you're at it."
"All right..."
Tang Ya had only just answered when her expression suddenly changed, and she hurriedly shouted, "Look out, Bei Bei! The Mandala Snake is getting away!"
Before you continue