Chapter 317
I still need to wait for an old friend to decide who will belong to me.
Its massive body, like a frozen giant whip, crashed down onto the ground less than a meter in front of everyone, stirring up a cloud of decaying leaves and dust.
The snake's head drooped limply, and in the very center of its comb, a tiny, almost invisible hole was slowly oozing a trace of pale golden blood.
One second it was a deadly attack, the next it was a silent death.
The stark contrast left everyone speechless, their hearts gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and they even forgot to breathe.
Dai Mubai remained frozen in place, his forward-leaning posture still intact, the golden light in his evil eyes flickering violently.
The Blue Silver Grass vine in Tang San's hand drooped limply. Ma Hongjun's mouth was agape, wide enough to fit an egg.
Oscar's legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud. His face was ashen, and he was panting heavily. The exhaustion from surviving the ordeal made his whole body tremble.
Xiao Wu covered her mouth, her eyes filled with horror.
Flander's concentrated soul power slowly dissipated, and his gaze towards Lin Xia was filled with deep apprehension and a trace of lingering fear.
He didn't even see how Lin Xia made her move!
Lin Xia remained leaning against the ancient tree, as if she had merely brushed off a fallen leaf.
Lin Xia glanced indifferently at the unconscious Phoenix-tailed Crested Snake, her gaze finally settling on the still-shaken Oscar, a slight smile appearing on her lips.
"Do you want it?"
Lin Xia's calm voice rang out, like a stone thrown into a stagnant pool, instantly breaking the deathly silence brought about by the sudden death of the crested snake.
Oscar shuddered, still shaken from narrowly escaping a snake's bite. He looked blankly at Lin Xia, then glanced subconsciously at the large, colorful, lifeless snake carcass on the ground. His Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty, his eyes filled with the emptiness of surviving a close call and bewilderment at Lin Xia's words.
"This...this soul beast...is it useful to me?"
Oscar's voice was dry and strained, with a noticeable tremor. He instinctively looked at Flander, seeking confirmation.
Lin Xia nodded slightly, her gaze falling on the bright red crest on the head of the Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake and the pale red membrane that slightly contracted on both sides of its back. Her tone was as if she were appraising an item.
"A thousand-year-old phoenix-tailed crested serpent. Its pale red wings are a sign of its thousand-year evolution. Judging from its length, it is between six and eight meters long, and its cultivation level is between 1,300 and 1,800 years. Oscar, you're perfect."
He paused, then turned his gaze to Oscar, with a knowing look that revealed his understanding of the mysteries of Soul Masters and Soul Rings.
"If you obtain this spirit ring, your third spirit skill will definitely be related to speed. It may either assist others in increasing their speed or grant yourself a speed boost. The Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent has a single attack method, is difficult to grow, and those over a thousand years old are rare. You are lucky today."
Oscar's eyes lit up with immense surprise, and a sickly blush rose on his pale face.
He looked at Flanders again with pleading and longing in his eyes.
Flander's expression was complicated.
Lin Xia's intervention saved Oscar, demonstrating her unfathomable strength and accurate judgment of the characteristics of spirit rings.
He pushed up his crystal glasses, a hint of struggle flashing in his eyes behind the lenses, before finally nodding almost imperceptibly.
With the dean's approval, Oscar could no longer contain his joy and almost shouted it out.
"I want it! Lord Lin, I want it!"
His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
However, the calm smile on Lin Xia's face did not widen; instead, it took on an elusive quality.
"can."
Lin Xia's voice remained steady, but it was like a bucket of cold water being poured over her head.
"But I can't give it to you now."
"what?"
Oscar's ecstatic expression froze instantly, replaced by utter astonishment. Not only him, but everyone was stunned.
Dai Mubai frowned, his evil eyes flashing with golden light, clearly puzzled.
Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes narrowed slightly as he warily scanned his surroundings.
Ma Hongjun opened his mouth wide, looking at Lin Xia and then at the snake carcass on the ground.
Flander's face also darkened; Lin Xia's fluctuating attitude filled him with intense unease.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.
Just as this deathly silence and confusion spread, Lin Xia's gaze turned to the depths of the dense forest behind them, as if piercing through layers of giant trees and vines, landing on a distant yet precise location.
He added casually, his voice clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"I'm waiting for an old friend to decide who will take over."
"Old friend?"
This word exploded in the hearts of the Shrek members like a drop of water thrown into a pot of oil.
Deep within the perilous Star Dou Great Forest, what kind of being is the "old friend" Lin Xia speaks of?
Friend or foe?
How can one decide the ownership of a thousand-year-old soul beast?
Countless questions instantly filled everyone's minds, and the air suddenly tightened, becoming even more oppressive than when facing the sudden attack of the crested serpent.
Flander's muscles tensed instantly, and the light of his seven spirit rings shone again instinctively as he warily looked in the direction Lin Xia was looking.
Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others quickly adjusted their positions, their soul power surging, ready to deal with unknown powerful enemies at any time.
At this moment when tensions were running high and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive—
"Hehehe..."
A low, hoarse, yet somewhat worldly and sophisticated old woman's laughter echoed like a ghost from the depths of the dark forest within Lin Xia's sight.
The laughter wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the silence of the forest, carrying a peculiar penetrating power, as if it were ringing right next to everyone's ears.
Immediately afterwards, the rustling sound of branches and leaves rubbing together grew louder as two figures parted the dense vines and drooping ferns and slowly appeared in everyone's sight.
The leader was an old woman.
She looked to be at least sixty years old, with her full head of silver hair neatly combed and tied into a simple bun at the back of her head.
His face was deeply lined with wrinkles, as if carved by a knife and axe, recording the vicissitudes of time.
But what is most striking are her eyes—they gleam with a sharp light when they open and close, as keen as an eagle's, unlike those of an ordinary old woman.
She held a peculiar cane over three meters long. The cane was pitch black, and the top was not a dragon or beast head as usual, but a lifelike, ferocious, and angry dark green snake head!
The snake's mouth gaped open, its fangs bared, as if ready to devour its prey, radiating a chilling aura. Even more astonishing was the sight beneath her feet, where six spirit rings were slowly swirling and pulsating—white, yellow, purple, purple, purple, and black!
It was none other than a Soul Emperor with a ten-thousand-year-old Soul Ring!
The invisible pressure belonging to the strong spread out like a tide with her appearance, making the Shrek Academy members gasp for breath.
Following closely beside the old woman was a young girl.
She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a slender figure, wearing a tight-fitting dark brown outfit that perfectly accentuated her developing, beautiful body.
She had a neat, short bob that reached her ears, which made her look clean and efficient.
She had a pretty oval face, but what was most striking were her large, deep brown eyes, which were now fixed intently on the lifeless crested snake on the ground, filled with a strong sense of possessiveness and a hint of anxiety. (End of Chapter)