Chapter 320
Oscar, this crested serpent is yours.
Meng Yiran steadied herself and looked at the shallow claw marks on her snake staff, her expression becoming extremely solemn.
She finally realized that the quiet and aloof girl in front of her was definitely an extremely difficult opponent!
Speed, strength, and reaction time far surpass those of others in the same class!
She took a deep breath, the disdain in her eyes vanished completely, replaced by a focused fighting spirit.
"Second Soul Skill: Snake Shadow Bind!"
Meng Yiran shouted, and her second yellow spirit ring shone brightly!
She slammed the snake staff in her hand down onto the ground!
hum!
Several energy ropes, formed from dark brown soul power and resembling living snakes, shot out instantly from the layer of decaying leaves beneath Zhu Zhuqing's feet!
These snake shadows were incredibly agile and moved at tricky angles, coiling around Zhu Zhuqing's legs and waist like real venomous snakes!
Once entangled, one's actions will inevitably be restricted!
Faced with this wide-range control soul skill, a glint of light finally flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
She didn't choose to tough it out, nor did she choose to jump upwards, since it would be easier to become a target in the air.
With a light touch of her toes on the ground, her body drifted sideways like a ghost!
Her movements were extremely small, yet incredibly fast, as if she could predict the trajectory of the snake shadows and always managed to avoid their entanglement by the slightest margin.
The shadowy figure moved through the dappled light and shadow in the forest, leaving behind blurry afterimages. The nimble snake shadows didn't even touch the hem of her clothes!
"So fast!"
Even with Tang San's Purple Demon Eye operating at full power, he could only barely catch Zhu Zhuqing's movement trajectory, secretly astonished by her terrifying speed and exquisite control over her body.
Seeing that her second soul skill missed, Meng Yiran became anxious and immediately swung her snake staff, rushing forward again. The staff shadows flew, sometimes stabbing, sometimes sweeping, sometimes smashing, and with the snake shadows that had not yet dissipated, the attack was like a storm, trying to engulf Zhu Zhuqing and force her to fight head-on.
However, Zhu Zhuqing was like a petrel in a storm, her movements were extremely agile.
She stopped simply dodging and began to use her speed to counterattack.
With each dodge, her gleaming claws would extend like a viper's tongue, striking at tricky and ruthless angles, either grabbing Meng Yiran's wrists and elbows, or stabbing straight at her vulnerable waist, ribs, shoulders, and neck!
Each attack was incredibly swift, carrying a chilling killing intent, forcing Meng Yiran to retaliate with her staff to save herself, and her originally fierce offensive was shattered into pieces.
Meng Yiran grew increasingly alarmed and frustrated as the fight progressed. Her snake staff was powerful and versatile, but against her opponent's ghostly speed and terrifyingly precise close-quarters combat, she felt utterly powerless!
Although her soul power level was comparable to her opponent's, she was completely outmatched by his pure speed, skill, and combat awareness!
She felt as if she were trying to catch a constantly flickering shadow, each all-out attack landing on nothing, while that shadow could deliver a fatal blow from an unbelievable angle at any moment.
Sweat dripped from Meng Yiran's forehead. She knew she couldn't continue to be passive like this!
She gritted her teeth and risked having her clothes torn by Zhu Zhuqing's claws, forcibly creating some distance. She raised her snake staff high, and the first yellow spirit ring lit up again, with a bright dark green light shining from the snake's mouth at the tip of the staff!
"First Soul Skill: Venomous Fang Sting!"
She was going to go all in, using her strongest single-target attack to force the opponent back, or even severely injure them!
However, just before her soul skill was about to be unleashed, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been drifting like a shadow, suddenly flashed a cold light in her eyes!
What she was waiting for was this moment when the other party's old strength had just dissipated, new strength had not yet emerged, and their intentions were obvious!
"Netherworld Thrust!"
It's still that first soul skill that's incredibly fast!
But this time, Zhu Zhuqing's speed seemed to have broken through the limit once again!
Her figure almost transformed into a dark ray of light that was difficult to detect with the naked eye. It was no longer a simple straight thrust, but rather, at the subtle moment when Meng Yiran's soul power was gathering and the serpent staff was about to be drawn, it used an extremely strange Z-shaped refraction trajectory to instantly bypass the sharp edge of the serpent staff!
Meng Yiran felt a blur before her eyes, and a chilling sensation had already touched her fair neck!
The incredibly sharp claw tip, with a slight stinging sensation, came to a steady stop on the carotid artery on the side of her neck!
If I go in just half an inch further, I can easily cut her throat!
Time seemed to freeze. Meng Yiran's raised serpent staff froze in mid-air, the dark green light at the tip of the staff suddenly dissipating as if it had been extinguished.
She was frozen in place, unable to move, only able to feel the cold touch on her neck and the cold sweat that instantly soaked her back.
She could even clearly see her own horrified face reflected in Zhu Zhuqing's deep cat-like eyes, so close to her.
Zhu Zhuqing's breathing remained steady, as if the earth-shattering blow had not cost her much strength.
She simply looked at Meng Yiran quietly, her cool voice ringing out.
"You lost."
The sound wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the silent forest.
The outcome is decided!
Zhu Zhuqing slowly retracted her claws, the eerie light at her fingertips disappearing as if they had never existed.
She took a step back, reverting to her aloof and detached demeanor, as if the girl who had just appeared like a ghostly assassin was not her at all.
Meng Yiran dejectedly put down her snake staff, her body trembling slightly, her face filled with resentment, shock, and a lingering fear. She had lost, and she accepted it wholeheartedly; her opponent's speed and combat awareness had completely overwhelmed her.
"still!"
Snake Granny Chaotianxiang immediately stepped forward, supporting her swaying granddaughter, her eyes filled with astonishment and admiration as she looked at Zhu Zhuqing.
She could clearly see that the girl in black was not only incredibly strong, but also extremely measured in her attacks. She controlled her final claw strike with ease, clearly holding back.
Lin Xia smiled with satisfaction, nodded slightly to Zhu Zhuqing, and then looked at the Snake Granny and the dejected Meng Yiran.
"You flatter me. Miss Yiran is exceptionally talented, though Zhuqing has a slight advantage in speed. Rest assured, the promise remains valid."
He turned to Oscar, who was so excited he almost jumped up.
"Oscar, this crested snake is yours."
Oscar snapped out of his daze, looking at the colorful snake carcass on the ground, then at Lin Xia, and then at the aloof Zhu Zhuqing. Overwhelmed with joy, he cried out incoherently:
"Thank you, Lord Lin! Thank you, Zhu Qing! Thank you! I...I'll absorb it right away!"
He frantically lunged at the snake carcass.
After witnessing this scene, Lin Xia didn't say anything. Instead, she praised Zhu Zhuqing beside her:
"good."
"I have indeed learned a lot from you over the years. Your control over power, your grasp of timing, and your composure are all very good."
This sudden praise from Lin Xia, spoken directly by her, was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating huge ripples in Zhu Zhuqing's heart. (End of Chapter)