Chapter 425: The Bond of Grilled Fish, Part Four
Suddenly, the rustling of leaves reached Ye Wen's ears from the nearby trees. Turning towards the sound, he and Huo Yu´er saw Tang Ya and Bei Bei once again standing before them.
"Oh, it's the little girl and the elder from yesterday! Seems like we're bound to meet again!" Tang Ya greeted them, as friendly and self assured as always.
Ignoring Tang Ya, Ye Wen's gaze fell on Bei Bei. Although he hadn't activated his martial spirit, Ye Wen could see the young man's muscles subtly tensing, clearly on guard.
"As expected of the direct descendant of the Light Holy Dragon," Ye Wen mused. "Decent instincts… But such a shame." His eyes shifted back to Tang Ya. "He's just another lovesick fool."
With his experience, Ye Wen quickly assessed their abilities. Bei Bei, with his innate full spirit power, should have been a top tier talent. Yet, at sixteen years old, he was still under the fortieth rank, making Ye Wen think of another lovesick soul he'd once encountered Feng Xiaotian. Tang Ya, though decently talented with a third ring cultivation at fifteen, still fell short of the continent's true prodigies.
Her presence was ironic, too, considering that the so called "Blue Silver Grass" had long been labeled a useless martial spirit by Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang. But thanks to the ancient Tang Sect's traditions, their leader had to be a Blue Silver Grass spirit master, upholding the spirit's legacy no matter its reputation. Over centuries, resources and spirit herbs may have helped modify its bloodline, but it still bore the burden of their misguided faith in Tang San's legacy.
What struck Ye Wen as odd was that they'd shown up here at all. In the original timeline, Tang Ya and Bei Bei had stumbled upon Huo Yuhao alone and decided to protect him out of concern. But with Ye Wen accompanying Huo Yu´er, they shouldn't have had any reason to approach. Were they guided here intentionally? Ye Wen's eyes narrowed.
"Are you here for something specific?" Ye Wen asked coolly.
His straightforward question left the pair momentarily awkward, exchanging glances. They'd approached on impulse, merely greeting the two out of a sense of friendliness, but it was true they were strangers to each other.
"My apologies for interrupting, sir," Bei Bei replied with a polite bow, gently urging Tang Ya along to leave.
Without stopping them, Ye Wen watched their retreating figures thoughtfully.
"Master, what should we do next?" Huo Yu´er asked hesitantly.
After a moment's consideration, Ye Wen gently took Huo Yu´er's hand and followed Bei Bei and Tang Ya at a distance, cloaked under a layer of spiritual concealment. Unaware of their company, the two Tang Sect members chatted casually, with Tang Ya occasionally grumbling about the strangers' cold reception.
Ye Wen was exasperated. Despite her family's tragic fate, Tang Ya remained naively cheerful, her innocence intact even as she headed towards a darker destiny. Bei Bei, meanwhile, had all the typical qualities of a sheltered young master. Indeed, a powerful Contra level guardian spirit master was carefully shadowing them from a distance.
As they moved, the rustling of grass signaled something nearby, and Bei Bei immediately took a battle stance, his two yellow and one purple rings marking a standard spirit ring configuration.
"Utterly ordinary," Ye Wen thought, unimpressed.
This basic spirit ring configuration might have been something to boast about in the past, but now, truly talented individuals often had higher than typical rings, reflecting their enhanced physique and cultivation techniques. Even as the great grandson of Mu En, the continent's strongest Dragon God Douluo, Bei Bei hadn't surpassed convention.
The ensuing battle was far from thrilling. Bei Bei displayed decent combat skills, holding his ground against the thousand year old Mandala Serpent by harnessing his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's raw power and lightning attacks. Ultimately, he subdued the serpent, albeit with difficulty.
With the serpent pinned, Bei Bei called out, "Xiaoya, quick!"
Understanding immediately, Tang Ya drew a dagger, stabbing it into the serpent's eye.
The Mandala Serpent, though dismissed by many as weak due to its association with Tang San's early days, was a deceptively resilient creature known as the "Demon of Poisoned Blades." Its only real weaknesses lay in its eyes and mouth; without Tang San's original hidden weapon skills, most wouldn't have even been able to harm it.
With the serpent defeated, its purple spirit ring manifested above it, but Tang Ya held back from absorbing it right away. Instead, she stretched the creature's body out in a straight line, examining its vibrant purple coloring.
"Mandala Serpents have few natural enemies, and as they pass the thousand year threshold, they become even more lethal. They undergo periodic skin shedding, which compresses their strength as they evolve, with their green scales eventually turning pink. After two thousand years, their color darkens further," Bei Bei explained, adjusting the serpent's length with care. "From the color and length, this one should be over thirteen hundred years old. It may not be at the exact optimal age the ancestors recommended, but it's perfect for your third ring."
"Bei Bei, you're amazing! You knew exactly how old it was," Tang Ya praised with a wide smile, eagerly anticipating the spirit ring.
Despite his exhaustion, Bei Bei's eyes softened as he replied, "Go ahead and absorb it, Xiaoya. I'll keep watch."
End of Chapter
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