"…"
Silence fell.
Aside from Ning Tian and Wu Feng, the others stared in shock at the frozen tableau: a Mandala Snake with jaws agape, on the verge of devouring the youth before it, while Su Wen remained calm, unafraid of the danger at hand.
Because up ahead, a giant ape over four meters tall, with defined muscles, a lithe but not thin frame, snow-white fur all over, and a faint purple mark at the corner of its eye had appeared at some point. It had seized the Mandala Snake by the tail and, with a disdainful look, yanked it back hard.
"Hiss!!!"
The Mandala Snake was in agony, but Gale held its tail like a toy. The youth's calm face receded in its pupils. Fear spread as the pain coursed through its body. It knew it had provoked the one existence in this team it should never have messed with…
Gale swung it like a hemp rope, playing with it in his hand, the air splitting with shrill whistles.
"Gale."
Su Wen frowned.
"Roar~"
Gale nodded, lifted the snake by the tail, smashed its head into the ground, then hammered a fist down. With a wet thud, the Mandala Snake spat black blood and passed out cold.
Just like that, a Mandala Snake was crushed into unconsciousness.
In the team, Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao stared blankly.
Especially Tang Ya—when she came to, her face flushed. No wonder Bei Bei's expression had been odd when she boldly said he'd cover them. So this is why…
Huo Yuhao was even more shaken, his eyes wide.
Bei Bei's fierce offense and Soul Elder strength at only fifteen had made him envious. Yet the Mandala Snake that even Senior Bei Bei struggled to kill was handled by Su Wen…
"S-so… broken." Huo Yuhao ran out of words.
The Skydream Iceworm grew even warier, staring at this Wind Baboon with increasing peculiarity.
"Wind Baboon? No! It's as if its bloodline has undergone a qualitative change—the Wind Baboon's mutant strain? And wasn't this guy's martial soul the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor? Why is there suddenly a Wind Baboon?!"
"Over four thousand years, right?"
Bei Bei released his martial soul state, walked over with admiration, and looked Gale up and down. It was well known in the inner courtyard that Su Wen was a beast tamer. His soul beasts were all freakishly strong.
This one must be the legendary Gale.
He's truly cool.
With a bunch of underlings at hand, he didn't even need to act himself—off-the-charts style points.
Summoning-types, man…
Do you want to solo my pack, or should my pack gang up on you?
"About that."
Su Wen smiled.
"What kind of baboon is this? So handsome," Tang Ya's eyes sparkled. She carefully petted Gale's fur, eyes full of envy.
"Wind Baboon," Wu Feng said before Su Wen could.
Tang Ya: "…"
Even more awkward.
"Alright, we still need Ning Tian's third soul ring. In that case… Gale!" Su Wen shot Gale a look. Gale let out a low roar; his massive body moved with wind-like speed, and in a few blinks he vanished into the trees, leaping into the distance along the ancient trunks.
Tang Ya drew a hidden weapon and stabbed it into the dying Mandala Snake's neck, ending its life.
A faint purple soul ring rose; she sat cross-legged to absorb it.
…
A few minutes later—
A bulky black ape over three thousand years old crashed down from the trees. Gale followed, stepping onto it and giving Su Wen a low roar.
"A Mountain Ridge Heavy Ape—leans toward… strength."
Su Wen looked to Ning Tian. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul did not always grant fixed skills; a few soul beasts could give unique abilities. For example, Ning Tian's second soul skill was—Dispel, and for her third, she chose Strength.
She gave a sweet smile.
"Mm."
She stepped up decisively, blade in hand. It took some effort, but she finished the kill.
She began absorbing the soul ring.
Watching both of them absorb soul rings at once, Bei Bei's mouth twitched.
Both were advancing to Soul Elder, but one was fifteen and the other had barely turned eleven. Tang Ya struggled with a two-thousand-year ring, yet Ning Tian picked a third ring over three thousand years—close to four thousand…
Su Wen remained calm.
As the young mistress of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, Ning Tian had consumed heavenly treasures to the point of nausea. Forget whale glue—she had eaten rarer things too. Her body's tolerance had long surpassed ordinary limits.
Three thousand years was nothing; even five thousand was doable. The former was safer; the latter carried some risk.
Fwoosh~
Bored, Gale drilled wood and raised a wisp of smoke and fire.
He sat his massive body down, finding a little fun in the dull wait.
Bei Bei initially wanted to warn him that sparks in the Star Dou Great Forest could easily attract soul beasts, but then he remembered Su Wen seemed to have another Dreadclaw Bear. He opened his mouth, then said nothing. In the outer regions, there were probably very few things that could threaten Su Wen.
He smiled wryly and sat back down, his gaze returning to Tang Ya.
"You've gotten this strong?"
Wu Feng, bored while Ning Tian absorbed her soul ring, plopped down beside Su Wen. Her fair, delicate face leaned in, crimson eyes full of surprise and curiosity.
Back when they first met, she'd been several levels below him and got beaten so badly she felt her ribs might have been broken—nearly traumatized. But now… the gap seemed even wider, like a chasm. She could hardly see Su Wen's back.
Su Wen ignored her, continuing to circulate the golden core within his body.
"Got any tips?" Wu Feng leaned even closer. Her moist breath tickled his cheek.
"Yes." Su Wen opened his eyes and looked helplessly at Wu Feng, who had practically climbed into his lap. "Dream less. Train more."
"Tsk~~~"
Wu Feng scoffed and pulled back.
She lay down, staring up at the sky, bored.
But Huo Yuhao noticed that the girl's ears seemed red.
"Jealous?"
In the spiritual sea—
The Skydream Iceworm chuckled.
"Mm…" Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. Avenging his mother was his priority, but as a teenage boy, he naturally had some restlessness in this area.
"Back in the Extreme North, I was known as a little flirting ace. Even one of the Three Kings—the Ice Empress—was totally taken with me. Unfortunately, I had to leave to explore the world back then. I wonder how little Ice is doing now." The Skydream Iceworm snickered.
"By the way, when you get your second soul ring, head to the Extreme North," Skydream said with a grin. "There's a chance waiting for you there."
"Okay…" Huo Yuhao etched it into his heart.
He nodded slightly.
Advanced chapter here: p-atreon.com/Sajaboyzzz
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