Chapter 28: Alone
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing's voice reached them, and everyone, without a moment's hesitation, unleashed their spirits.
Shi Yi had also summoned Little Yi; after all, for Little Yi, this was a delicious meal.
At Zhu Zhuqing's low shout, a nimble figure swooped down from the air, unfazed by the sight of a thousand-year-old soul beast. Its sharp claws and its first soul ring simultaneously illuminated, unleashing its Netherworld Thrust.
"The mist sprayed by the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscreeper is non-toxic."
The moment Shi Yi finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing's sharp claws, carrying a sharp gust of wind, were about to cleave at the crest of the crest. The crest seemed startled, its head tilted, and it suddenly opened its mouth, spewing a dense, multicolored mist at Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing instinctively wanted to retreat, but then, remembering Shi Yi's words, she went for the crest. However, a moment of hesitation caused her claws to miss the vulnerable part of the crest, landing instead on the scaly body.
The clashing of claws and scales resounded, slowing the Cockatiel's forward momentum.
"Little Ant, clamp it," Shi Yi whispered softly.
Little Ant, who had been summoned long ago, had been lying in ambush not far below Zhu Zhuqing. The moment Zhu Zhuqing struck the Cockatiel, its two sturdy forelimbs instantly clamped down on the entire snake. The force was so immense that the snake twisted into a Z-shape, followed by a deep, sharp hiss.
The sound could tell the pain the snake was enduring.
"Such immense power! A single strike severed the Cockatiel's spine. A special Thousand-pound Ant capable of materialization... a pure power-based spirit master." Zhao Wuji thought to himself, looking at Little Ant before resting his gaze on Shi Yi.
"It's done," Oscar's excitement was palpable, and he took two or three steps towards the Cockatiel.
Xiao Wu stood beside Tang San, head bowed, her large eyes filled with reluctance. She whispered, "Xiao San, do we really have to hunt the spirit beast?"
Shi Yi, standing nearby, rolled his eyes at Xiao Wu's words. She could condense spirit rings, but how could a normal spirit master advance without them? Did spirit beasts not kill spirit beasts?
Tang San's words brought back memories of their previous encounter. He said nothing, only slightly shaking his head, pausing Xiao Wu's words.
Zhao Wuji pulled a short blade from his waist and handed it to Oscar. "The night is long, dreams are many. Go ahead. Stab it just below the crest. You'll pierce its brain, and the spirit ring will be yours."
Just as Oscar was about to strike, a hoarse, sharp voice suddenly rang out, "Stop!"
Immediately afterwards, two figures leaped out from the direction the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake had flown from and appeared before the crowd.
They were one old, one young, both women. The older woman looked to be in her sixties or seventies, her white hair neatly combed. Despite her age, she was incredibly energetic. Her face, though wrinkled, was rosy like a baby's. A gleam flickered in her eyes. In her right hand, she held a three-meter-long snake-headed cane, and six spirit rings pulsed rhythmically.
Accompanying the old woman was a beautiful young woman with short hair, appearing to be sixteen or seventeen years old. She wore a sharp outfit that hugged her well-developed figure. Her large, deep brown eyes fixed intently on the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake in Xiao Yi's hands. She also held a snake-headed cane, though it was shorter than the old woman's, only two meters long. The spirit rings on it were only two hundred years old.
Xiao Yi was also somewhat surprised by the two of them.
Then, according to the rules of the martial arts world, Zhao Wuji and Chao Tianxiangpan made their way. After a brief exchange of words, they decided to have a duel to determine the fate of the spirit beast.
Zhao Wuji took a quick look. Choosing Ma Hongjun or Zhu Zhuqing clearly risked losing, but Dai Mubai was out of the question. As for Xiao Wu and Tang San, while they were suitable, they didn't know how to handle the situation. If anything went wrong, they'd be in big trouble.
Finally, Zhao Wuji's gaze settled on Shi Yi.
"Go up there and fight," Zhao Wuji pointed at Shi Yi.
"Me?" Shi Yi, having been lost in thought, snapped back to reality and asked in surprise. His gaze subconsciously fell on Tang San, who stood nearby.
Tang San's expression was impassive, as if he had nothing to do with the situation. "This..." Shi Yi hesitated. His indifference to many matters wasn't just because he didn't want to meddle in other people's affairs. He also didn't want to overly alter the plot. The more variables there were, the less he could see.
"Stop talking nonsense. Go!" Zhao Wuji glared at Shi Yi.
Helpless, Shi Yi slowly stepped forward, muttering to himself, "It seems my very existence is an uncertainty."
"Xiao Yi, I'm counting on you," Oscar whispered to Shi Yi. After spending some time together, Oscar had come to appreciate Shi Yi's theoretical knowledge. He understood the significance of flying for a food-type spirit master like him.
Shi Yi smiled and nodded. Since he couldn't refuse, he had no choice but to move forward.
The girl on the opposite side had already emerged, and the others on both sides slowly retreated, giving them ample space to fight.
"My name is Shi Yi, a Level 27, Second Ring Battle Spirit Master," the girl said coldly. "Meng Yiran, Martial Spirit Snake Staff, a Level 30, Second Ring Battle Spirit Master."
"Weapon Spirit Master, and a sister at that." Shi Yi smiled faintly, but shook his head inwardly.
Beast Spirit Spirit Masters are undoubtedly more powerful than Weapon Spirit Masters in their early stages. This is due to the scarcity of available spirit skills, and the fact that most Weapon Spirit Masters can't master their Weapon Spirits quickly enough. Unless, of course, you've traveled through time with a copy of the Dugu Nine Swords, like Tang San.
In this world, most weapon spirit masters may never fully comprehend the weapon spirit in their entire lives.
Meng Yiran frowned slightly at Shi Yi's smile. She felt contempt in Shi Yi's smile, and the anger in her beautiful eyes became even stronger.
Shi Yi stood quietly in place and did not even call back Xiao Yi, still letting Xiao Yi look at the Phoenix Tail Cockscomb Snake, which was already running out of energy.
"Ladies first, please." Shi Yi chuckled and slowly raised his right hand.
The Shrek people looked at Xiao Yi, who was still standing there, with surprise on their faces. Oscar to say something but was stopped by Zhao Wuji.
Meng Yiran looked at Shi Yi with some confusion on his face. Although he saw Shi Yi's spirit ring, he did not see Shi Yi's martial spirit. The girl's pretty face could not help but reveal a cautious look.
Seeing that Shi Yi did not move, Meng Yiran, who had been burning with anger in her heart for a long time, could no longer bear it. With a delicate cry, her figure flashed, and Meng Yiran quickly came in front of Shi Yi. The two-meter-long snake staff was wrapped around Shi Yi's head and smashed straight at his head. Not only was the momentum extremely sharp, but the soul power was also full of domineering aura.
Shi Yi didn't dodge, but his eyes kept busy. His mind instantly analyzed Meng Yiran's situation. "For the snake staff, using the Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake as a reference, the first two spirit rings should also be chosen from snake-type spirit beasts. Snake spirit beasts, when paired with a weapon spirit master, can grant the spirit master dexterity-enhancing skills or infuse the weapon spirit with poison. They have average strength, their footsteps don't dig deep into the ground, they raise excessive dust, and their body control is average."
Seeing the snake staff descend, Shi Yi simply raised his hand, and a golden light instantly enveloped his hand. The moment he caught the staff head, he felt the force of Meng Yiran's sudden blow. He squeezed it hard, twisted his body halfway, and before everyone's astonishment, he actually lifted Meng Yiran and staff alike.
"How is that possible!" Meng Yiran was surprised, but then she felt a powerful force, and the next second, she was thrown away, staff and body.
"Is this... Chaos Cloak's ability to leverage the opponent's force? Senior Brother has crafted a new soul guide? He can actually withstand a full-strength attack from a Quasi-Soul Master with his bare hands." Tang San's calm eyes flashed with surprise as he thought to himself.
"Great power, but what's that golden light in that kid's hand?" Zhao Wuji didn't have time to observe it closely.
Hearing the powerful sound of Meng Yiran's flight through the air, Zhao Wuji and Chao Tianxiang both felt a sense of foreboding.
A golden glow shone around Zhao Wuji, and his fifth spirit ring instantly illuminated. An invisible force instantly acted upon Meng Yiran.
Zhao Wuji's controlled gravity cushioned Meng Yiran's landing, and Chao Tianxiang breathed a sigh of relief.
Meng Yiran now looked at Shi Yi with a look of defeat. She had lost, lost to a twenty-seventh-year-old Great Spirit Master, and she didn't even know how she'd lost.
The snake-woman Chao Tianxiang sighed and said to Zhao Wuji, "We lost. Thank you, Brother Zhao."
"You're welcome, Sister Chao. There are many spirit beasts in this Star Dou Great Forest. If I hadn't had urgent matters to attend to and needed to return to the academy tomorrow, I would have given you this mere thousand-year-old spirit beast." Seeing Chao Tianxiang's politeness, Zhao Wuji followed suit.
"Let's go, Yiran. Grandma'll find you a new one," Chao Tianxiang said helplessly. But Zhao Wuji was right; finding a suitable thousand-year-old soul beast in the Xingdou Great Forest was quite easy.
Meng Yiran didn't respond, her gaze fixed on Shi Yi. "You...what's your martial spirit?"
Seeing the defeated look on the girl's face, Shi Yi scratched his head awkwardly and said, "Why don't we just not tell you?"
Meng Yiran remained silent, her gaze fixed on Shi Yi, as if to say that if Shi Yi didn't tell her, she wouldn't leave today.
Chao Tianxiang was also curious about Shi Yi's martial spirit, as he could actually withstand his granddaughter's full-strength attack with his bare hands.
Seeing Meng Yi's silence, Shi Yi pointed helplessly in the direction of Xiao Yi and the Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake, saying calmly, "That Thousand-pound Ant is my martial spirit."
Both grandparents were surprised by this, but the snake woman took it for granted. To be able to wield such power at such a young age, he must be a pure strength-attributed soul master.
"You haven't even used your martial spirit..." the girl muttered, her expression growing even more frustrated.
"Well... it's not like it was useless, is it? After all, the spirit ring has brought me a great blessing..." Shi Yi couldn't help but look a little embarrassed at this.
The Shrek people looked at Shi Yi with strange expressions, unable to tell whether Shi Yi was comforting or deliberately attacking him. He made it sound as if his opponent had no spirit rings.
"Okay, Yiran, it's getting late. We still have to continue searching for spirit rings." Chao Tianxiang quickly interrupted her granddaughter's wandering thoughts.
"Brother Zhao, see you later." Chao Tianxiang hurriedly said goodbye to Zhao Wuji. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid that her granddaughter would be devastated."
"See you later," Zhao Wuji also hurriedly clasped his fists.
Then, Chao Tianxiang and her granddaughter took off, disappearing into the depths of the woods.
"Oscar, what are you still standing there for?" Ning Rongrong urged Oscar, as if eager to see what spirit skills he would gain.
Oscar was overjoyed. He had waited so long for this moment. He quickly darted over to the Cockatiel and unceremoniously stabbed it in the vitals.
Oscar sat down beside the Cockatiel and summoned his large sausage. Enveloped in a pale pink glow, he drew the Cockatiel's spirit ring into his body, absorbing the third spirit ring of his lifetime.
Zhao Wuji glared at Shi Yi and said, "How can you be so careless, boy? Fortunately, I have control skills. If you had gotten that little girl into trouble, you would have been hunted down. I see you're the type who only stirs up trouble."
Shi Yi, hearing this, looked helpless. "You insisted on me. I'm a pure power spirit master, and that's how I fight. I didn't even dare to use my martial spirit. If anything goes wrong, it's your fault."
"Hey... you little bastard," Zhao Wuji glared at Shi Yi, but he had nothing to say.
Seeing Oscar absorb the spirit ring, Shi Yi chuckled at Xiao Yi and said, "Eat."
Xiao Yi also began to gnaw on the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake's remains. Everyone watched as Xiao Yi ate with amazement; it was the first time they had seen a spirit eat.
"I didn't expect a spirit could eat," Ning Rongrong exclaimed, looking at Xiao Yi in amazement.
"If it's a living thing, of course it can eat," Shi Yi smiled.
"Then what does Xiao Yi eat for?" Ning Rongrong continued.
Shi Yi looked at Ning Rongrong as if she were stupid and said, "Of course, it's to gain energy. Xiao Yi's state is no different from that of a human. Based on my years of research on Xiao Yi, I've found that when Xiao Yi isn't eating and when she's eating, her state is completely different. Furthermore, when Xiao Yi consumes the right kind of food, her bloodline awakens and her spirit evolves. My spirit was originally just an ant, but when Xiao Yi first ate the Qianjun Ant, it changed." "
Isn't that like raising a spirit beast that can evolve?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, somewhat surprised.
"That's understandable, but martial soul evolution is not a simple matter. Xiaoyi hasn't evolved since I absorbed my first soul ring."
Shi Yi said softly. This is why he must find the human-faced demon spider. The human-faced demon spider that can explode external soul bones must have a lot of bloodline power, just like a genius among humans.
At this time, the sky was gradually getting dark. Oscar had not completed the absorption, so everyone had to set up camp on the spot.
Shi Yi's Xiaoyi had the ability to perceive, so he followed Zhao Wuji to help Oscar guard the outside, while the others went into the tent to rest.
Zhao Wuji also chatted with Shi Yi out of boredom.
"Why didn't you, as a senior brother, plead for mercy during the day? Even if the relationship is not close, it shouldn't be to this extent, right?" Zhao Wuji asked with some doubts.
Shi Yi smiled slightly and said, "I am a person who respects teachers and respects morality. Besides, I think everything Xiao Wu says is normal. It's better to let her suffer a little, so as not to cause trouble for my junior brother. You can see that my junior brother is also a stubborn person..."
Shi Yi was interrupted by Zhao Wuji before he finished speaking. He looked at Shi Yi suspiciously and said, "Don't try to be smart in front of me. You are not telling the truth, are you? You don't have a grudge against Tang San , do you?"
Shi Yi smiled and said, "Smart is smart, there is no big or small. It's just a small matter. Xiao Wu broke your rules and should apologize. Besides, do you think you, as a teacher, would really do anything to others? If you really go too far, I'm afraid it will be my turn to plead for you. As for whether there is a grudge, you know I can see it clearly. My junior brother is a thoughtful person, and I am also a thoughtful person. So I never think I can get along with my junior brother. I am never willing to accommodate others, nor am I willing to change others."
"So you're a loner?" Zhao Wuji said unhappily.
"Indeed, I always seem to be alone." Shi Yi sighed.
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(End of this chapter)