That was no vine or branch. It was a camouflaged snake's head!
Upon hearing Xiao Wu's voice, the creature dropped its disguise.
It opened its bloody maw and lunged straight at Ye Fan.
"Holy shit, did I do anything to you?"
Facing the oncoming snake's head, Ye Fan's hair stood on end, his entire body tensing.
"Bind!"
God's Tongue activated at full power.
The runes on Ye Fan's tongue began glowing gold.
Like tadpoles, the runes swam into the empty air before him, invoking his word spirit.
The precise effect of a word spirit had to pass through Ye Fan's mind before it could take form.
In other words, it depended on his imagination.
In that lightning-flash instant.
The simplest restraint Ye Fan could imagine was capturing it like an ordinary snake-conjuring a huge hand to seize it.
But this ability had little effect on snakes.
Especially one as thick and powerful as this.
Although it activated successfully, the Mandala Snake's speed slowed for only an instant before it hissed and continued its attack.
Ye Fan swiftly retreated, aiming both hands at a large rock nearby.
"Come!"
The rock in the distance shook twice, then flew swiftly toward him under his control.
As the Mandala Snake approached Ye Fan with its jaws wide open.
Ye Fan sent the rock flying straight into its path.
With a crack, the Mandala Snake caught the rock between its jaws.
The Mandala Snake's bite force was terrifying.
The basketball-sized rock failed to last even two and a half seconds before it was bitten to pieces!
But Ye Fan did not stop. He continued invoking his word spirit.
"Fear... descend!"
This time, Ye Fan combined it with his ability to project his inner voice, activating two word spirits at once.
In an instant.
In the Mandala Snake's eyes, Ye Fan suddenly transformed into a five-meter-tall great strength vajra bear.
It roared furiously, poised to chew the snake up like a spicy snack stick!
Hiss!!
The Mandala Snake hissed in terror and instantly recoiled.
At that moment, Xiao Wu arrived, seizing the moment while the Mandala Snake was stunned.
Her flying kick struck the Mandala Snake's head, sending its body reeling backward.
"Ye Fan, are you all right?!"
Xiao Wu's worried voice rang out.
"I'm fine. Fall back first."
Ye Fan waved a hand and pulled her back with him.
All of this had happened within a few short breaths.
Even now, Ye Fan felt a lingering chill of fear.
The difference between a hundred-year soul beast and an ordinary wild animal was not merely a matter of strength.
Its intelligence was utterly overwhelming, too.
Especially with camouflage like that. Had Xiao Wu not noticed something amiss, he would inevitably have been injured.
"What happened?!"
Hearing the commotion, Tang San, who had gone out to gather fruit, hurried back.
Upon seeing the huge snake before Ye Fan, even Tang San struggled to remain calm.
This soul beast was different from the gale demon wolf they had encountered earlier.
The sense of danger emanating from this creature was incredibly strong!
Seeing Tang San return, Yu Xiaogang hurriedly addressed him.
"That soul beast is a Mandala Snake, and judging by its length... it's already over four hundred years old!"
Upon discovering that the soul beast was a Mandala Snake, Yu Xiaogang was both shocked and delighted.
This was practically heaven's will!
"Little San, this soul beast is an excellent match for your blue silver grass!
"Not only is its age suitable, but if my theory is correct, it can also imbue your martial soul with a poisonous trait!"
By then, Ye Fan and Xiao Wu had also retreated to join them.
Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Ye Fan gave him a speechless look.
So this thing was a Mandala Snake... what a coincidence.
I nearly lost my damn life just now, and this horny bastard Gang was still thinking about finding Tang San a soul ring.
You've already signed your own death warrant!
And he really was a "theory" grandmaster.
At that thought, he began complaining quite "openly" in his mind.
[If you're so fond of poison, why not find a poisonous plant soul beast? Wouldn't that be a better fit for blue silver grass?]
Acquiring Entanglement would also waste a soul skill slot for nothing.
Hearing Ye Fan's words, Xiao Wu and Tang San instinctively nodded.
Ye Fan struck while the iron was hot, continuing to sway Tang San.
[In my opinion, if weak blue silver grass wants to grow stronger, it has to absorb powerful attributes... things like elemental energy, light, and darkness.]
After all, aside from the poisonous attribute bestowed by the Mandala Snake he absorbed at the start.
The Man Faced Demon Spider's poison that Tang San absorbed later existed only within the Eight Spider Soul Bone.
Even the Cave Demon Spider's poison had not been passed on to Tang San.
This showed that, as his blue silver grass martial soul gradually grew stronger, Tang San's bloodline was actually rejecting these things.
Ye Fan wanted to rule out the Mandala Snake.
Although Entanglement could waste one of Tang San's soul skill slots.
Upon closer thought, the guy had never used that rubbish soul skill in the later stages anyway.
Twin martial souls with eighteen soul rings meant eighteen soul skills. A mere Entanglement hardly mattered.
Yu Xiaogang probably thought the same way.
Later on, Tang San opened fights with hundred thousand year soul skills or the Sea God's combat techniques.
If, this time, Tang San absorbed a plant with negative attributes, drastically changing his martial soul and making his blue silver emperor martial soul impure.
Then his blue silver grass would never be accepted by the Blue Silver Grass Clan, and he would never awaken his blue silver emperor bloodline.
Heh heh heh...
After listening to Ye Fan's words.
Tang San looked at the Mandala Snake nearby, which was slowly regaining its composure, and hesitated.
He said to Yu Xiaogang, "Teacher, I'd still like to find a plant-type soul beast. I feel that would suit me better."
Hearing Tang San's words, Yu Xiaogang felt an inexplicable pang of heartache.
His disciple was actually unwilling to absorb this soul ring to prove his theory...
Still, he forced a strained smile onto his face.
Not for any other reason, but because he had suddenly recalled the scene from his dream again and felt afraid.
What if absorbing the Mandala Snake really did make Tang San resent me...
What would I do?
When that time came, the person bringing that hammer down might not even be Tang San...
Though there was absolutely nothing wrong with my theory, of course.
Yes.
I'm respecting my disciple's choice!
In an instant, Yu Xiaogang resolved his inner conflict and struggled to his feet beside the rock wall.
He looked at Tang San with approval.
"You can think independently and boldly express your own ideas. Little San, you're doing wonderfully...
"All right, then. Since you don't want it, let's leave this place first and avoid any pointless expenditure."
They swiftly fled the area, running back the way they had come, but the Mandala Snake pursued them relentlessly.
It was as though it had been born solely for Tang San!
But Ye Fan knew.
This creature was seeing red after being toyed with...
It was just a snake that couldn't take a joke.
As he ran, Ye Fan took the compound bow from his back, nocked an arrow, and shot at the Mandala Snake behind them.
Before you continue