socalfunplaces Chapter 21 That's called outsmarting him, baby!
Chapter 21 That's called outsmarting him, baby!
The Starry Sky Forest is filled with towering ancient trees that block out the sun.
Sunlight could only filter through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns that scattered like broken gold across the thick layer of fallen leaves.
The air was filled with the scent of damp earth, mixed with the sweet fragrance of unknown wildflowers, and a faint smell of blood.
Zhao Wuji walked at the very back of the group, his hands behind his back. His short, stout body seemed clumsy, but every step he took was extremely steady, without making any unnecessary noise.
"Everyone, get your act together!"
"The Star Dou Great Forest is not your backyard. One wrong move and you're dead. I'm not exaggerating. Every year, at least a thousand Soul Masters die there."
Dai Mubai led the way, his White Tiger Martial Soul in effect, his heterochromatic eyes gleaming with a beastly light beneath his long golden hair.
Tang San walked behind Dai Mubai, his Blue Silver Grass martial soul ready to be released at any moment.
Xiao Wu stayed close to Ye Chen.
Her face was somewhat pale, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Ye Chen's hand, causing her knuckles to turn white.
Ye Chen glanced at her sideways.
"What's wrong?"
Xiao Wu shook her head and forced a smile: "It's nothing. It's just... it's my first time in such a big forest, I'm a little nervous."
Ye Chen squeezed her hand, but didn't ask any further questions.
But he noticed that Xiao Wu's ear tips were slightly red, which happened every time she lied.
Ning Rongrong walked in the middle of the group, protected by Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
She wasn't nervous at all; instead, she looked around excitedly, occasionally exclaiming, "What a huge tree!"
Ma Hongjun looked on alert, his Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul ready to be released at any moment.
Oscar walked at the very back, his face somewhat pale.
Zhu Zhuqing moved like a ghost along both sides of the group, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right.
After walking for about an hour, Zhao Wuji stopped under an ancient tree that required five people to encircle.
The roots of the ancient tree are intertwined and coiled, protruding from the ground to form a natural seat.
The tree canopy blocks out the sun, and beneath it lies a relatively open flat area with a wide field of vision, making it difficult to be ambushed.
"Rest for an hour. Replenish your energy and don't go far."
As Zhao Wuji spoke, he plopped down on a protruding tree root and closed his eyes.
But his ears were always turning.
Everyone sat down. Oscar immediately began chanting a shameful incantation, making sausages to distribute to everyone.
Ma Hongjun took the sausage and wolfed it down, swallowing one in just a few bites, then reached out for a second one.
Xiao Wu leaned on Ye Chen's shoulder, closed her eyes to rest, and her breathing gradually became steady.
Ye Chen could feel her heartbeat slow down, as if some kind of call from the depths of the forest had weakened considerably as she approached the ancient tree.
Ye Chen walked over to Zhu Zhuqing and handed her an Oscar sausage.
"Let's replenish our energy."
Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes, glanced at him with her amber eyes, took the sausage, and said softly, "Thanks."
"Once we're in the forest, your reconnaissance skills will be very important." Ye Chen sat down on a tree root next to her, less than a foot apart. "You might need to climb the tree later. You're the fastest and have the best eyesight among us."
Zhu Zhuqing took a bite of the sausage and did not refuse his approach.
In fact, after last night's sparring match, her attitude towards Ye Chen softened considerably.
Although he still had that "keep away" expression on his face, at least he wouldn't dismiss people with a single word like he did when they first met.
The incense stick is about to burn out.
Zhao Wuji opened his eyes, about to call for assembly,
Suddenly, his eyes sharpened.
The short, stout man's body switched from relaxed to fighting almost instantly.
Almost at the same moment, Tang San stood up.
His blue silver grass moved without wind, its slender blades standing upright like snakes, pointing southeast.
Ye Chen followed closely behind.
"Something's coming."
Tang San said in a low voice,
"It's very fast." Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes, his voice low. "It's one. But this one is much faster than an ordinary thousand-year-old soul beast."
Xiao Wu immediately tensed up, sprang off Ye Chen's shoulder, clenched her fists, and the phantom of the Soft Bone Rabbit Martial Soul appeared behind her.
Dai Mubai strode to the front of the group, fully unleashing his White Tiger Martial Soul. Two yellow and one purple spirit rings rose beneath his feet.
"Don't rush." Zhao Wuji raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down. "Let's see what it is first."
Ye Chen turned to Zhu Zhuqing and said quickly, "Zhuqing, climb the tree! See what it is, how far away it is, what direction it's facing, and what its size is!"
Zhu Zhuqing had no objections.
She flashed away.
All I saw was a black bolt of lightning shooting up from the tree trunk, and in a few leaps I reached the top of the tree canopy.
She was so fast that she left no afterimage, as if she had always been standing there.
Ning Rongrong couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "So fast..."
Dai Mubai's eyes flickered with a complex expression, but he didn't reply.
A moment later, Zhu Zhuqing's voice came from above, clear and calm, as if she were reading out a military intelligence report:
"It's in the southeast, about 300 zhang away. It's moving towards us at high speed and is expected to arrive within 30 breaths. It's a serpentine soul beast, about 18 feet long, entirely crimson, with a white belly and a crown-shaped golden fleshy growth on its head."
"It has no wings, but can glide close to the ground at extremely high speeds. It is judged to be a flying subspecies of serpentine soul beast, and its attack methods may be venomous bites or tail lashes."
She paused, then added, "The target is clearly in the right direction, with no signs of detouring. It... is coming for us."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuji frowned slightly: "Snake-shaped, red, rooster-comb..."
Ye Chen closed his eyes.
In his mind, a yellowed illustrated book slowly opened; it was Yu Xiaogang's books and materials.
Ye Chen spent six years at Notting College.
Over the course of six years, he also acquired all of Yu Xiaogang's theoretical knowledge of martial spirits.
Every page, every word, every illustration was etched into his mind.
Yu Xiaogang's theories do have problems; many of them are theoretical and cannot withstand the test of real-world application.
But much of his theoretical knowledge is true; it's original material stolen from the Spirit Hall.
That alone is enough to learn a lot.
"A crested serpent with a phoenix tail." Ye Chen opened his eyes.
"A subspecies of snake-type spirit beast, non-venomous, adept at high-speed gliding flight. Its weakness is its seven-inch spot, which is three inches directly below the crown-shaped fleshy growth on its head, where the scales are thinnest."
Everyone was stunned.
Ye Chen continued, "The blood and scales of the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent are excellent materials for alchemy, and its spirit rings are very suitable for food-type spirit masters."
He looked at Oscar.
Oscar's eyes widened, his lips trembling slightly: "You...you mean..."
"The Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent's spirit ring will most likely grant food-type spirit masters speed- or perception-based spirit skills." Ye Chen's lips curled up slightly. "Little Ao, your third spirit ring is settled."
Oscar's face flushed bright red, and he almost jumped up in excitement: "Really?! You're not kidding me?!"
"When have I ever lied to you?"
"Yesterday you ate twenty sausages but said you only ate five!"
"That's called outsmarting him, honey!"