Chapter 318
Then let's do as Lord Lin says!
She also held a snake-head cane in her hand, similar in style to the old woman's, but noticeably shorter, only about two meters long.
Two yellow, century-old soul rings hovered beneath her feet, indicating her cultivation as a Great Soul Master.
The appearance of this grandmother and granddaughter, especially the old woman wielding a snake staff and exuding the aura of a Soul Emperor, instantly made the Shrek Academy members' hearts leap into their throats.
Flander's expression was extremely solemn. He never expected that Lin Xia's "old friend" was actually a Soul Emperor!
Moreover, the other party's target was clearly that crested serpent!
However, what truly shocked the Shrek members, including Flander, were the old woman's next words and actions.
The imposing old woman with the snake staff glanced at the corpse of the crested serpent on the ground with a hint of pity, then raised her gaze and landed precisely on Lin Xia, who was leaning against the ancient tree in a relaxed posture.
The shrewd, worldly smile on her face vanished instantly, replaced by genuine surprise, and even... a hint of respect!
She bowed slightly, lowering the menacing snake-head cane in her hand a little, her voice filled with obvious surprise and confirmation.
"City Lord Lin Xia? I didn't expect... you would be here too?"
"City Lord Lin Xia?!"
These four words struck like a thunderbolt, once again deeply into the hearts of the Shrek students!
They actually knew each other!
Lin Xia merely raised her eyelids slightly in response to the Snake Granny's greeting, her face showing no surprise, as if she had expected the other party's appearance, and simply gave a faint reply.
"Hmm, Snake Granny, it's been a long time."
His gaze calmly swept over Snake Granny Chaotianxiang, then landed on Meng Yiran, the girl beside her who was staring intently at the Phoenix-tailed Cockscomb Snake, her eyes filled with longing and determination. His tone was unreadable.
"So, the wounds on this crested snake were inflicted by your granddaughter?"
Snake Granny Chaotianxiang's smile faltered slightly. She glanced at Meng Yiran beside her with a mixture of helplessness and doting, and sighed, saying:
"Lord Lin, you are wise. This beast is extremely cunning. It took a lot of effort to chase it. I finally managed to leave a soul mark and a wound on its wing with my snake staff. Just when I was about to succeed, it somehow broke free and ran here..."
Her gaze fell once again on the dead snake carcass, and when she saw the tiny, almost imperceptible hole in the center of the fleshy crown at the top of the snake's head, her eyes twitched almost imperceptibly!
Meng Yiran finally shifted her gaze from the soul beast and looked at Lin Xia.
The girl's eyes were filled with stubbornness and grievance. She gripped the snake-head cane tightly, her voice clear yet carrying an undeniable determination.
"This... Lord Lin! I was the one who first discovered and injured this Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent! It rightfully belongs to me as my Soul Ring! Please return it to me, Lord Lin!"
Although she was surprised by her grandmother's respectful attitude towards the young man, she was determined not to back down when it came to her crucial spirit ring for breaking through to level 30.
"Give it back to you?"
Oscar panicked upon hearing this, disregarding his reverence for the Soul Emperor, and stepped forward, pointing at the snake corpse on the ground to argue.
"We were the ones who subdued it! If it weren't for Lord Lin's intervention, we would have been eaten by it! How did it become yours?"
"Humph!"
Meng Yiran raised her eyebrows and glared at Oscar without showing any weakness.
"If my grandmother hadn't injured it, causing it to panic and flee, do you think it would have easily run into you? You just got lucky! This soul beast bears the aura of my grandmother's soul power and the scars inflicted by the snake staff. That's the proof!"
The snake-headed cane in her hand pointed to the back of the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent near the base of its wings. There was indeed a patch of scales broken there, with a faint trace of cold, dark green soul power fluctuations, which were of the same origin as the Snake Granny's cane.
The Shrek members looked at Flander, whose face was extremely pale, as if he had swallowed a fly.
He was caught in the middle, seemingly at a complete disadvantage in terms of both strength and reason.
He was well aware of the protectiveness and power of the Dragon Lord Meng Shu, and he understood the consequences of clashing with the Snake Woman at this moment.
He pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping across Oscar's expectant yet uneasy face behind the lenses, finally turning into a barely audible sigh as he spoke with difficulty, his voice dry.
“Lord Lin, Senior Snake Granny… Since this beast does indeed bear the marks left by Senior Snake Granny, according to the rules of the Soul Master world… its ownership…” Flander didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was already very clear.
He chose to back down.
Dai Mubai clenched his fists unwillingly, his evil eyes flashing with golden light, but he ultimately did not dare to utter a sound.
Tang San frowned, his fingers unconsciously tracing the moonlit night over the Twenty-Four Bridges.
Oscar's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with despair and resentment.
A hint of triumph appeared on Meng Yiran's face, and her gaze toward Oscar was filled with contempt.
Just as the dust seemed to be settling, and the Snake Woman was about to express her gratitude, Oscar's heart sank to the bottom—
"rule?"
Lin Xia's calm voice rang out again, like an ice bead falling onto a plate, instantly freezing the atmosphere that had just settled in the arena.
He slowly straightened up and left the ancient tree he had been leaning against. This simple action made Snake Granny Chaotianxiang's heart skip a beat, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on her snake staff.
Flanders also held his breath.
Lin Xia's gaze calmly swept over the Snake Granny, then over the defiant Meng Yiran, and finally landed on Oscar, whose face was pale and eyes were dull. A very faint smile seemed to appear on the corner of her mouth.
"Snake Woman, rules are absolute."
Lin Xia's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable power.
"The ownership of soul beasts is based on first-come, first-served, and also on... each person's own means."
He paused, then turned his gaze to the Snake Woman with an almost assertive certainty, as if stating a fact.
“Leaving you with marks is a means to an end. My disciple subduing him is also a means to an end. Since both sides have contributed and both have something to gain…”
Lin Xia's gaze slowly moved between Meng Yiran and Oscar, finally settling on Snake Granny's face, a smile appearing on her lips.
"Why don't we let them settle this? Let them fight it out, and whoever wins gets the soul beast. How about that? It'll save us from hurting our feelings here."
"We've known each other for so long, and we're even business partners!"
"A fight?!"
Meng Yiran almost thought she had misheard. Her dark brown eyes lit up instantly, filled with strong confidence and eagerness.
She is about to break through to level 30 and is a Great Soul Master. Her Martial Soul is a powerful snake staff!
What can the other side use to fight her?
She immediately looked at her grandmother, her eyes filled with urging and unwavering belief in victory.
Snake Granny Chaotianxiang was shocked!
The fact that Lin Xia didn't show favoritism towards them means that this group of people also received Lin Xia's care.
Furthermore, given Lin Xia's acquiescence, Chao Tianxiang had no choice but to agree.
He nodded immediately.
"Then let's do as City Lord Lin says!" (End of Chapter)