Chapter 156: Eating My Intestines

The sun rose slowly from the east, causing that touch of fish-belly white to gradually expand; the sky finally brightened by degrees.

After leaving the small town, the group accelerated their pace; they were already very close to the Star Dou Great Forest.

From afar, Qin Jian vaguely felt gusts of fresh air blowing toward them from the front; the scent, carrying the fragrance of plants, was refreshing and indescribably comfortable.

Qin Jian and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance, simultaneously took a deep breath of the familiar air, and then smiled lightly.

Finally, they were back.

Upon arriving before the forest, the air became even more pleasant, as if the temperature had dropped by several degrees.

The refreshing sensation, carrying the fragrant scent of moist soil, continuously stimulated everyone's sense of smell.

"Everyone stop."

Zhao Wuji spoke up.

He looked at the eight students before him, his bear-like face solemn as he said: "You all listen to me clearly: the Star Dou Great Forest is not the kind of place where the Heaven Dou Empire keeps Soul Beasts in captivity. The Soul Beasts inside here are extremely dangerous; at any moment, you may face attacks from thousand-year or even ten-thousand-year level Soul Beasts."

"Therefore, after entering the forest, no one is to leave a twenty-meter radius of my body. Remember this! Ning Rongrong, Oscar, you two must follow me even more closely."

"Also, without my command, no one is allowed to attack Soul Beasts lightly. Do you understand?"

"Understood," the group replied in unison.

Seeing that they were all prepared, Zhao Wuji waved his hand and said: "Let's go."

This time, he had Qin Jian and Dai Mubai walk at the front, while he personally brought up the rear, taking the first step into the Star Dou Great Forest.

But after entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the excited Xiao Wu did not seem to think this was a dangerous place at all; she hopped and skipped as if she were strolling through a market, looking indescribably happy, which made Zhao Wuji frown.

However, since Xiao Wu did not exceed the range he had set, he did not say much more.

The terrain inside the Star Dou Great Forest was very complex, and there were no paths in the forest at all, so the task of clearing the way naturally fell to Qin Jian.

"Chi chi chi..."

He summoned his martial soul, and as the Sword Light danced, branches and thickets were cut away, not affecting the team's speed of advance in the slightest.

The group traveled for about an hour; by this time, it was already noon.

Over this hour, they had encountered quite a few Soul Beasts, but most were ten-year or hundred-year ones. They mostly avoided the Soul Beasts they encountered and did not clash directly; occasionally, some blind ones came up to throw their lives away, and Qin Jian's Sword solved the problem directly.

Of course, he did not kill these Soul Beasts, merely driving them away or injuring them, and he also stopped Dai Mubai's attempts to slaughter them, which made Dai Mubai frown incessantly.

Throughout this journey, he also did not release his own aura, because if they didn't encounter a single Soul Beast, that would be too strange.

In the entire Star Dou Great Forest, only the Tianqing Niumang, the Taitan Giant Ape, and his Aunt Da Wu should be able to detect his and Xiao Wu's auras.

"Chi!"

Just at this moment, Qin Jian and Tang San looked in the same direction almost simultaneously.

Zhao Wuji's loud shout immediately rang out: "Stay alert, something is approaching at high speed!"

Qin Jian and Dai Mubai were the first to block in front of Oscar and Ning Rongrong, while Xiao Wu and Ma Hongjun guarded the sides, and Tang San stayed in the center. In an instant, everyone released their martial souls, including Zhao Wuji.

"Xiu xiu."

Zhu Zhuqing quietly leaped up, her sharp claws popping out, and climbed up a large tree nearby as if walking on flat ground, then looked toward the direction the sound came from.

A cat's vision is extremely excellent, even at night.

Soon, Zhu Zhuqing's cold voice came from the tree: "It seems to be a flying snake. It has a fleshy crest on its head that looks larger than its head, bright red like blood. Its tail is quite special, shaped like a fan."

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up: "It's a Cockscomb Phoenix Snake. This kind of Soul Beast is quite rare. Oscar, you are in luck, though it's a pity we don't know how many years this Cockscomb Phoenix Snake is."

Qin Jian suddenly asked: "How long is it?"

Zhu Zhuqing observed it for a moment and said: "About six to eight meters."

Qin Jian then smiled: "Oscar, it's very suitable for you. The age of this Cockscomb Phoenix Snake is likely between thirteen hundred and sixteen hundred years."

Tang San was surprised: "Qin Jian, how are you so knowledgeable about Soul Beasts too?"

Of course, it was because all the Soul Beasts in the hundred-thousand-year range had been brought by the Taitan Giant Ape to his Love Flower main body to be studied; they were practically registered in a book...

"Oh, it's recorded in the sect's classics," Qin Jian said casually.

Tang San praised: "Truly worthy of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"It's here."

Just at this moment, Zhu Zhuqing's voice came. Amidst a low shout, she actually pounced down from the air, not fearing in the slightest that the opponent was a thousand-year Soul Beast, her sharp claws and her first Soul Ring lighting up simultaneously.

Nether Thrust, activated.

"Shua!"

It was a huge snake, its appearance exactly as Zhu Zhuqing had described, six or seven meters long, with a bright red fleshy crest on its head. Its rapidly moving body was hit head-on by Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Thrust struck directly toward the fleshy crest on its head.

"Peng!"

The Cockscomb Phoenix Snake reacted very quickly; although it was charging at high speed, it hurriedly tilted its head. Zhu Zhuqing's claw missed the crest and struck its body instead, emitting a muffled sound and causing the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake's forward speed to drop by a few degrees.

"Pu!"

The Cockscomb Phoenix Snake seemed to be startled; it tilted its head and suddenly opened its mouth, spraying a mouthful of colorful thick mist toward Zhu Zhuqing.

At the same time, the bright red fleshy crest on its head lit up, and the speed that had just been delayed for an instant increased once again.

"Careful!"

Qin Jian and Dai Mubai shouted almost simultaneously, but Qin Jian reacted faster. A flash of Sword Light appeared in his hand, and he rushed up.

"Nine Treasures Have Names, First: Power! Second: Speed!"

Ning Rongrong's crisp voice rang out at just the right moment. Qin Jian felt his body lighten and his strength increase greatly; his pouncing speed increased once more, and he blocked the suddenly accelerating Cockscomb Phoenix Snake with his sword just in the nick of time.

"Peng!"

With a loud bang, Qin Jian's body recoiled, while the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake's figure came to an abrupt halt. Its massive snake body twisted in the air and fell to the ground.

"Xiu xiu xiu."

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, which had been prepared long ago, suddenly surged, firmly binding the body of the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake that had fallen to the ground, especially binding those two wings, making it unable to fly again.

"Oscar, go!"

With a wave of Qin Jian's hand, Oscar rushed up with a face full of happiness.

He held a dagger in his right hand, while his left hand held a Sausage, which he extended toward the mouth of the Cockscomb Phoenix Snake: "Come, little cutie, eat my sausage, and from now on you'll be my snake."

Everyone had black lines on their foreheads.

At this moment, Xiao Wu lowered her head, her large eyes filled with unbearable pity: "Must we hunt Soul Beasts?"

Hearing this, Tang San sighed softly and said, "The weak are prey to the strong; that is the law of survival. If this snake were more powerful than us, do you think it would let its food go?"

(End of chapter)