After entering the forest, Qian Xunji flew on for a while before finding somewhere to land.
For the forest actually contained a watery marshland.
"How are you? Are you hurt?"
Qian Xunji set Ah Rou down from his arms and asked.
Ah Rou shook her head.
"I'm fine."
After confirming that Ah Rou was unharmed, Qian Xunji surveyed their surroundings. Mist still shrouded everything, leaving him unable to see what lay around them.
Although they had shaken off the Long-Armed Wind Apes, Qian Xunji did not let his guard down.
Only by remaining vigilant at all times could one survive in a Soul Beast forest. Judging by how those Long-Armed Wind Apes had not dared enter this forest, Qian Xunji deduced that an even more terrifying Soul Beast must lurk here.
Just then, the mist suddenly churned. Qian Xunji immediately grew alert, and a dark shape seemed to flash through the mist.
"Watch out!"
Qian Xunji shielded Ah Rou behind him and spoke in a low voice.
Yet a long while passed without anything happening.
Qian Xunji even began to wonder whether his eyes had deceived him. However, he failed to notice that the surrounding mist seemed to have thickened, with faint traces of barely perceptible pink mist mixed into it.
"This is no place to linger. We should leave first!"
Qian Xunji was just about to take Ah Rou away when he staggered.
To his shock, Qian Xunji discovered that the flow of his Soul Power seemed to have slowed considerably. His vision was also somewhat blurred, and his mind felt sluggish.
What was going on?
There was something wrong with this mist!
"Third Soul Skill! Angel Judgment!"
Qian Xunji barely hesitated before immediately unleashing his third Soul Skill.
Dazzling radiance emerged from Qian Xunji's body, forming a blazing white sphere of light that rapidly expanded outward.
The sphere drove away all the mist!
As the light faded, the surrounding mist cleared completely, finally revealing their surroundings.
Qian Xunji looked around and immediately spotted an enormous black python Soul Beast coiled on a tree branch, flicking its forked tongue.
Qian Xunji realized that the dark shape he had glimpsed flashing through the mist earlier must have been this Soul Beast!
The enormous python Soul Beast also seemed not to have expected this human Soul Master to possess a Soul Skill capable of dispersing the surrounding miasma.
"A Bewildering Barrier Nether Python!"
Qian Xunji spoke the Soul Beast's name.
The Bewildering Barrier Nether Python was a dual-attribute Soul Beast possessing both dark and poison attributes!
The age of this type of Soul Beast could be determined by the pink poison lines on either side of its face. The longer the lines, the older it was, and the poison lines on either side of this Bewildering Barrier Nether Python were already about half a meter long.
At the very least, it had reached the level of a ten-thousand-year Soul Beast!
At this moment, the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python was staring greedily at Ah Rou behind Qian Xunji.
As a fellow Soul Beast, it could naturally tell that Ah Rou was a Soul Beast. A Soul Beast capable of taking human form must have reached a hundred thousand years in strength.
Normally, it would never have dared provoke a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. But faced with a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast that had taken human form-and had only just transformed-this was an opportunity dropped straight from heaven!
Ah Rou also saw the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python's greed for her and immediately hid behind Qian Xunji.
Her Soul Power was only rank 10 now. Without Qian Xunji, she would be no different from a dish served up on a platter.
"First Soul Skill! Angel Blade!"
Fifteen small swords of light appeared around Qian Xunji before shooting toward the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python.
The Bewildering Barrier Nether Python plunged headfirst from the tree into the water, and the tree it had occupied instantly exploded into pieces.
Almost simultaneously, a wave bulged across the surface as the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python rushed toward Qian Xunji.
"Hiss!"
The water broke open as the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python soared into the air. Its hideous jaws opened, and a mouthful of poisonous mist shot toward Qian Xunji like an arrow.
Qian Xunji grabbed Ah Rou and hurriedly leaped aside. The poisonous mist arrow struck the ground, instantly corroding a deep pit into it.
Rustle, rustle!
The Bewildering Barrier Nether Python's scales flared outward and trembled continuously. Wisps of pink mist emerged, then merged into the mist gradually spreading toward them from all around.
Qian Xunji's gaze sharpened. In this environment, the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python was truly like a tiger given wings!
Had his Soul Skills not possessed dispersing and purifying effects, an ordinary Soul Master entering this forest would probably have been poisoned without even realizing it, becoming food for this Bewildering Barrier Nether Python before figuring out what was happening.
"Third Soul Skill! Angel Judgment!"
The sphere of light appeared again, driving away all the mist spreading toward them!
Under that radiance, the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python let out pained hisses as well. As a dark-attribute Soul Beast, it was naturally countered by Qian Xunji's attribute and Soul Skills!
Black mist rose from its entire body as the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python swiftly submerged and vanished!
"Fourth Soul Skill! Angel Defense!"
A phantom appeared and merged with Qian Xunji, enhancing his defense, attack, agility, and all other aspects as he guarded against a surprise attack from the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several sounds of rushing air rang out. The mist churned, and several poisonous arrows shot toward him.
Qian Xunji dodged repeatedly.
Just as Qian Xunji was dodging, the mist behind Ah Rou abruptly parted. The Bewildering Barrier Nether Python burst out, its blood-red maw gaping wide as it lunged straight at her.
The Bewildering Barrier Nether Python's target had been Ah Rou all along. Its earlier attacks on Qian Xunji had been entirely intended to leave him no time to look after her.
Before those enormous jaws, Ah Rou would probably be swallowed whole in a single bite.
Outside, watching this scene, Xiao Wu could not help clenching her little hands, even though she knew her mother would be all right.
"First Soul Skill! Angel Blade!"
Qian Xunji's voice rang out.
Fifteen small swords of light appeared. This time, rather than shooting outward as before, they swiftly combined into one enormous sword of light!
Under Qian Xunji's control, it shot forward.
The enormous sword of light appeared before Ah Rou in an instant, and the lunging Bewildering Barrier Nether Python crashed headfirst into it.
Carried by its momentum, the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python was split in two from head to tail. The two enormous halves of its corpse flew past Ah Rou and slammed heavily into the ground.
At that moment, Qian Xunji also flew over to Ah Rou's side.
Qian Xunji was about to speak when a cloud of pink mist suddenly rose from the Bewildering Barrier Nether Python's corpse.
Within each half of the bisected corpse lay half of a translucent pink bead, and the mist was spraying out from those halves.
Caught completely off guard, Qian Xunji and Ah Rou both inhaled a large mouthful.
Qian Xunji hurriedly sealed his mouth and nose with Soul Power while covering Ah Rou's mouth and nose.
Only after the pink mist gradually dispersed did he withdraw his Soul Power.
Qian Xunji was just about to question Ah Rou when he noticed something unusual about her.
A pink flush had crept over Ah Rou's pretty face. Her eyes were hazy, and she toppled headfirst into Qian Xunji's arms.
"What's wrong?"
Just as Qian Xunji opened his mouth, a primal urge suddenly surged from the depths of his heart.
Qian Xunji tried to suppress that urge, only to discover that the harder he suppressed it, the more fiercely it surged.
What was going on?
Greatly alarmed, Qian Xunji hurriedly circulated his Soul Power, trying to dispel this abnormal sensation.
To his shock, it did not work at all!
"Mm..."
A faint pant sounded, and then Qian Xunji felt a pair of arms wrap around his neck.
He looked down and saw that it was Ah Rou, her face deeply flushed!
"W-what's going on?!"
"Ah!"
Unable to attend to Ah Rou, Qian Xunji hurriedly sat cross-legged and circulated his Soul Power again, trying to dispel this abnormal sensation.
By then, Ah Rou, who had fallen to the ground, had already crawled over and wrapped her arms around Qian Xunji once more.
At that moment, the mist spread over them again, concealing their figures.
"N-no, we can't, Ah Rou!"
Qian Xunji's voice rang out, filled with intense struggle. Then sounds that made faces flush and ears burn came from within the mist!