Sacrifice the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake? Or sacrifice Meng Yiran?
Huo Feng took a slow, deep breath. The first option was something he had already considered. After Oscar successfully absorbed the Spirit Ring, he could find a chance to secretly sacrifice the snake's corpse. But the system had now added Meng Yiran to the mission, and that complicated things immensely. Sacrificing her would not be easy.
Huo Feng glanced at the old woman standing near Meng Yiran. If he remembered correctly, this was Chao Tianxiang, a Spirit Emperor of over level 60. What's more, Meng Yiran's grandfather, Meng Shu, a powerful Spirit Douluo over level 80, was also supposed to be nearby.
A system sacrifice had to appear natural; it couldn't be forced. If he wanted to sacrifice Meng Yiran, he would need an opportunity to fight her legitimately. For now, he could only wait and see how things played out. If a suitable chance didn't present itself, then despite the incredible reward, he would have to give up on this hidden mission.
The sudden appearance of the old woman and the young girl had surprised everyone. However, when the students saw that the old woman only had six Spirit Rings, they all felt a sense of relief. After all, the seven rings floating around Zhao Wuji—especially the deep black ten-thousand-year rings—were not just for show. Their intimidating power was clear to see.
Zhao Wuji took a step forward, positioning himself in front of his students.
"A Spirit Saint?" Chao Tianxiang's expression changed. They were only in the outer region of the Star Dou Great Forest. How could a Spirit Saint be here? Her heart sank. This was not going to be an easy encounter.
"Is there a problem?" Zhao Wuji asked, his eyes scanning the old woman before settling on the snake-headed cane in her hand. A name came to his mind. His voice wasn't harsh; in fact, it sounded strangely gentle.
This took Dai Mubai, who knew him well, by surprise. Zhao Wuji was never polite to people weaker than him, especially not when they were clearly trying to take something he had just claimed.
"Ahem." Chao Tianxiang cleared her throat, softening the expression on her face. "Respected Spirit Saint, hello," she said softly. "You can't give this Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake to that child." As she spoke, she gestured toward Oscar, who was standing nearby with a completely bewildered look on his face.
A thousand thoughts were racing through Oscar's mind. What in the world was happening? He was just about to kill the snake and finally absorb his third Spirit Ring, and then this had to happen at the last possible second.
Zhao Wuji held the unconscious snake in one hand and gave Oscar a look, signaling for him to be patient. He then turned back to the old woman and frowned. "And why is that?"
By now, Chao Tianxiang had composed herself. "Because we were the ones who discovered this snake first. We've been hunting it for some time. Otherwise, how could we have tracked it all the way here?"
Oscar couldn't hold back any longer. "How can you prove you were hunting it first?" he shouted. "When we found it, you were nowhere in sight!" Although he was angry, he hadn't lost his senses. He had a point.
Chao Tianxiang simply smiled, her gaze returning to Oscar with a hint of pride. "Young man, be patient. Look closely at the snake's belly. You'll find two scars there. They were made by my cane. There are other marks under its wings as well. I just accidentally let the slippery little thing escape my grasp. My granddaughter has just reached level 30 and needs this Spirit Ring. As you can see, she inherited my Spirit, the Serpent Cane. A high-level snake-type Spirit is the most suitable for her."
Zhao Wuji lowered his head and examined the snake in his hand. His eyes narrowed. Just as the old woman had said, the scars were there. A cold light flashed in his eyes, but if she thought he would just compromise and hand it over, she was mistaken.
Zhao Wuji smiled coldly. "Senior, may I ask for your name?"
"You're too polite," the old woman said. "My name is Chao Tianxiang. My friends in the Spirit Master world have given me the title of 'Snake Woman.' My husband is Meng Shu, also known as the 'Dragon Lord.' We came to the Star Dou Great Forest to find a suitable third Spirit Ring for our granddaughter. I see the children with you are quite young. I doubt any of them are old enough to absorb a thousand-year Spirit Ring. Even though the Phoenix-Tailed Cockscomb Snake's ring is relatively mild, it's still not something they can handle."
When she mentioned her granddaughter, Meng Yiran, Chao Tianxiang's face filled with unconcealed pride. In her eyes, even the oldest of the group, Dai Mubai, looked younger than her granddaughter. She was supremely confident that none of these students could have possibly reached level 30 before her.
After hearing her introduction, Zhao Wuji was secretly surprised. He held back Oscar, who was about to argue again. "Are you Senior Snake Woman of the Unrivaled Dragon Serpent duo?" he asked in a deep voice.
Chao Tianxiang smiled calmly. "The same. And I have not yet asked for the Spirit Saint's name?"
The expression on Zhao Wuji's face shifted. He had heard of the Unrivaled Dragon Serpent couple. They had been famous for a long time and possessed extraordinary strength. He remembered hearing that the Dragon Lord, Meng Shu, was already a Spirit Saint years ago. It wouldn't surprise him if he had reached the Spirit Douluo realm by now.
The Dragon Lord's Spirit was a Dragon-Headed Cane, a perfect match for the Snake Woman's Serpent Cane. Together, their Spirit Fusion Skill was said to be so powerful that only a Titled Douluo could resist it. Zhao Wuji was only a Spirit Saint. Even though the Snake Woman in front of him was weaker, if the Dragon Lord appeared, he would be no match for them. The couple was famously inseparable; if the wife was here, the husband couldn't be far away.
"My name is Zhao Wuji," he said after a moment of thought, his expression softening considerably.
Chao Tianxiang's expression also changed. "No wonder. I was wondering how I could run into such a young Spirit Saint. So you are the famous Acala of the Spirit Master world."
Zhao Wuji gave an awkward smile, thinking to himself that his fame was probably closer to notoriety. Since force wouldn't work, he had to try a softer approach. He waved his hand dismissively.
"I don't deserve the title. I was quite infamous back then, but I've been living a quiet life recently, teaching at an academy. I brought these children to the Star Dou Great Forest to help one of them get a Spirit Ring and to let them see the world. I didn't expect to run into a senior such as yourself."
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