Although that roar was indeed impressive, such a move only works against low-level soul beasts.
After all, soul beasts that have lived for more than ten thousand years possess considerable intelligence, and some even have the ability to speak human language.
However, the Mandala Snake clearly did not belong to that category. With a sudden, deep rumble erupting from Bei Bei's body, his third and first soul rings shone simultaneously.
A surge of blue-violet lightning burst out from his body, and his already muscular right arm grew even larger. The scales on his arm spread rapidly across half of his body, covering his entire right side.
As his aura skyrocketed, his soul power reached its peak.
At the same time, a powerful suction force burst from Bei Bei's palm. The Mandala Snake, weakened by its injuries and the foreign soul power clogging its body, was pulled uncontrollably toward him.
Lightning wrapped around Bei Bei's right claw, now much larger than before, just as he was about to strike.
"Brother Bei, watch out for its head!" Huo Yuhao shouted.
Bei Bei's expression changed immediately. He twisted his body to the side, but kept the output of his soul power steady.
At that critical moment, the flower bud on top of the Mandala Snake's head suddenly burst open, shooting out a pinkish blood arrow.
Thanks to Huo Yuhao's warning, the arrow only grazed Bei Bei and hit the ground instead. If not for that timely alert, the battle might have been completely reversed.
Bei Bei watched as the spot where the blood arrow landed sizzled, the ground corroding into a pinkish hue. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead.
Because of Huo Yuhao's earlier accurate reminders, Bei Bei had relaxed a bit too much and forgot that the Mandala Snake, aside from its basic binding, venom, and poison mist abilities, might also possess mutated toxic soul skills.
Letting his guard down almost cost him dearly,a common mistake even experienced soul masters make in combat.
In battle, information is life. Between extraordinary beings, unless one side utterly overwhelms the other in strength, the true core of combat lies in intelligence.
How much I know about you,your habits, your attacks,determines how I guide your actions, step by step, until I seize control of the battle's rhythm.
Once you abandon your strengths and fall into my tempo, even if there's a difference in our power, as long as it's not overwhelming, the outcome is already decided.
Some battles might look evenly matched, or even lean slightly toward defeat, but if every factor,timing, terrain, and psychology,has been calculated beforehand, then the victory is absolute. There's only one possible result: a hundred percent win. That is the true logic of battle.
The Mandala Snake was now completely exhausted. With the aid of the Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon technique, Bei Bei's Thunder Dragon Claw gripped the snake's vital spot tightly. Under the raging thunder, the creature convulsed and fell limp.
Tang Ya quickly stepped forward, a half-foot-long dagger appearing in her hand, and drove it through the snake's eyes into its brain, ending the thousand-year Mandala Snake's life.
A purple ring of light rose from its corpse,the mark of a thousand-year soul ring.
Huo Yuhao retracted his martial soul. The final sequence of the fight had gone exactly as he planned.
If he had guided Bei Bei to attack the fleshy growth on the snake's head from the start, the battle would have ended quickly,but he deliberately chose not to. He wanted Bei Bei to experience his value firsthand.
Victory gained too easily is rarely appreciated. Only by turning the tide at a critical moment does one's importance become unforgettable.
Bei Bei finally sighed in relief, setting the snake's body down so Tang Ya could absorb the soul ring. He then treated his own injuries briefly.
Even with Huo Yuhao's assistance and antidotes, the Mandala Snake's venom was incredibly potent. Bei Bei had to use his soul power to force out the remaining toxins that couldn't be neutralized.
Afterward, he turned to Huo Yuhao and said gratefully, "Little Brother Huo, I owe you for this battle. Without your warning earlier, I might have been seriously injured by the Mandala Snake's life poison when it lashed out."
"This fight was truly dangerous. Tell me, is your soul skill able to read other people's movements?"
Bei Bei smiled kindly, his tone curious but respectful. "I don't mean to pry into your secrets, but your ability is remarkable and full of potential. If you ever get the chance, even if you don't join the Tang Sect, you should go to Shrek City and try entering Shrek Academy. Only there can your talent truly shine."
He spoke sincerely. Such an ability was invaluable in team battles,whether two-on-two, three-on-three, or seven-on-seven. Having an ally who could read the enemy's actions and offer countermeasures was of immense strategic value.
Huo Yuhao nodded. "I've thought about it. Joining a sect now might be too soon. I'd like to try applying to Shrek Academy, but I don't have a city lord's recommendation letter."
"That's not a problem," Bei Bei replied. "Aside from other city lords, Shrek City itself can issue recommendation letters. They're not given by the city lord, but by passing the city's own tests. Such letters are even more valuable and can reduce tuition fees. It's a better path for you."
"However," he added, "your martial soul and skills are impressive, but you lack offensive power. As a spiritual and support-type soul master with weaker physique, passing the test won't be easy."
Huo Yuhao understood the hint. Bei Bei was subtly using the Shrek Academy's name to persuade him to join the Tang Sect first. After all, though the academy accepted all kinds of soul masters, it favored power attack, agility, and control types more than support or food types.
"Alright, Brother Bei. Let me think about it."
Bei Bei didn't press further and began explaining more about the Mandala Snake,its appearance, soul ring age, ecology, and potential soul skills.
Huo Yuhao listened attentively. Having grown up as a servant's son in the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, his knowledge of the soul master world was extremely limited.
He took the chance to ask the questions that had long puzzled him, and Bei Bei patiently answered each one. After all, they still intended,well, to "invite" Huo Yuhao to join the Tang Sect.
More than an hour later, Tang Ya finally finished absorbing her third soul ring.
Because her body wasn't particularly strong and her martial soul wasn't outstanding, the fusion process took a long time. The Blue Silver Grass and Mandala Snake had low compatibility, so it required even more effort to harmonize. This choice was simply a Tang Sect tradition.
Through the process, Huo Yuhao gained a deeper understanding of the soul master world,one built entirely on power, where strength ruled all.
But such was the world of Douluo under divine oversight for tens of thousands of years,brutal, but inevitable.
"Bei Bei, I did it!" Tang Ya exclaimed joyfully. With her soul power surging, two yellow and one purple ring rose around her, and the Blue Silver Grass beside her glowed faintly pink, a change brought by the new soul ring.
After generations of inheritance, although her martial soul remained Blue Silver Grass, the Tang Sect bloodline had evolved it, granting unique traits, especially when combined with certain soul beasts like the Mandala Snake.
Overjoyed, Tang Ya threw herself into Bei Bei's arms. Bei Bei hugged her tenderly, but Huo Yuhao coughed lightly and said, "Brother Bei, Sister Tang, it's getting late. Shouldn't we leave this place first?"
Realizing his presence, Tang Ya blushed, quickly stepping away from Bei Bei. "Bei Bei, it's all your fault!" she said playfully.
Bei Bei immediately straightened up and replied seriously, "Little Brother Huo is right. We've lingered too long. This may be the Mandala Snake's territory, but other soul beasts could appear."
Tang Ya nodded. "Let's return to where we met Huo Yuhao before."
Suddenly, Huo Yuhao asked, "Aren't we taking the Mandala Snake's body? I heard that materials from soul beasts can be sold for money in city trading markets."
Bei Bei and Tang Ya froze. Bei Bei explained, "You're right, but the Mandala Snake is extremely poisonous. Its meat is inedible, and even its remains are only useful for extracting venom. It's not worth much."
Huo Yuhao's face darkened. These two clearly didn't care about such a small profit,but he did. Since leaving the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, he barely had a few coins to his name.
Even if the Mandala Snake's body wasn't highly valuable, it was still a thousand-year soul beast. How could they just leave it behind?
Noticing Huo Yuhao's expression,and the fact that he was still wearing his borrowed clothes,Bei Bei smiled awkwardly and stored the snake's body in his soul guide.
The trio then hurried toward the edge of the Star Dou Forest, returning to the small stream where they had first met and grilled fish, just before nightfall.
Bei Bei electrocuted a dozen fish with ease, and Huo Yuhao took charge of cooking. Drawing on both inherited memories and his own past experience, he roasted them perfectly, making for a hearty dinner.
Bei Bei and Tang Ya also brought out some other foods from their soul guide. Through his True Eye, Huo Yuhao could see that these foods contained far more energy than normal ones.
"So this is the kind of resource Shrek Academy provides…" he thought. He understood their intent,they were trying to win him over.
Still, he admitted to himself, "I'm too weak and too poor right now. Joining the Tang Sect might actually be the best choice for now."
"As for Tang San… joining the Tang Sect doesn't mean I have to follow his path. Gods belong to gods, humans to humans. Maybe one day I'll make the Tang Sect my own."
"After all, right now, only Bei Bei and Tang Ya remain of the Tang Sect. But I shouldn't agree too soon. I'll need the right moment,and I should also sort things out with the Heavenly Dream Iceworm first."
Thinking this, Huo Yuhao set down his food and said to them, "Brother Bei, Sister Tang, I'm really tired. My mental and soul power are nearly exhausted today. Can I rest for a while?"
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