Ma Hongjun stood at the front and began to command!
"Zhu Qing, provide support from the tree and find an opportunity to break in. Mu Bai and Cheng Xian, spread out from the left and right sides to block both paths.
Tang San and Xiao Wu will engage from the front, and also protect Xiao Ao and Rong Rong.
Everyone, be adaptable and make sure he doesn't escape!"
Ma Hongjun's understanding of soul beasts was no less than that of Tang San, who was taught by the Grandmaster. Since arriving in Douluo Continent, Ma Hongjun's greatest interest has been in learning about various soul beasts. Over the years, he has read every soul beast encyclopedia he could find more than once.
He certainly knew about the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent. Its attack power wasn't strong, but its strength lay in its speed, especially the speed it could unleash in life-or-death situations. It could fly close to the ground and have a brief burst of speed.
The Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent rushed over, completely unaware that it had plunged into an encirclement. It seemed startled and appeared very flustered.
Zhu Zhuqing launched the first attack, swooping down from the tree. Her second soul ring lit up, her claws extended, and the Netherworld Thrust was activated.
As Zhu Zhuqing lunged forward, Ma Hongjun activated his first soul ring.
"Extreme Shadow Flying Dragon Spear!"
he unleashed an attack directly at the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent.
"Seven Treasures have names, the second is: Speed."
Ning Rongrong's clear voice rang out at that moment. A streak of light landed on Ma Hongjun.
The Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent tilted its head, suddenly opening its mouth and spewing a cloud of seven-colored mist at Zhu Zhuqing.
Affected by the mist, Zhu Zhuqing lost her vision in mid-air, her claws finding no place to strike. The Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent shifted its position, its tail sweeping
towards Zhu Zhuqing in mid-air. Ma Hongjun's speed, enhanced by his dual soul skills, suddenly increased. Just as the Cockscomb Phoenix-
Tailed Serpent's tail was about to strike Zhu Zhuqing, the Dragon Soul Spear arrived. The tip of the Dragon Soul Spear, gleaming with a cold, azure light, easily pierced the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent's tail. Simultaneously, Ma Hongjun shielded Zhu Zhuqing, taking the brunt of the serpent's tail attack.
Slapped by the serpent's tail, Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing were knocked down. Before landing, Ma Hongjun grabbed Zhu Zhuqing and spun her around in the air. Ma
Hongjun landed first, with Zhu Zhuqing on top of him.
Zhu Zhuqing's chest felt like two balls of cotton as she pressed down, then bounced back.
Ma Hongjun's heart skipped a beat, but it didn't hurt; in fact, it felt a little comfortable.
"The seven-colored mist it spewed was just to scare us; it's not poisonous. Don't worry,"
Ma Hongjun said to Zhu Zhuqing, who was on top of him.
"Are you alright?" Zhu Zhuqing's face was about ten centimeters away from Ma Hongjun's due to their chests. She breathed softly and asked.
"I'm fine, just a minor injury!"
Although he had been hit by the serpent's tail, Ma Hongjun's physique, honed through years of training and the Purple Fire Body Refinement, was still very strong. This level of attack was like a tickle.
"Get off me first!" Ma Hongjun said, unsure what to do with his hands. Now was not the time for flirting.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass had already covered the area occupied by the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent, but the serpent was extremely slippery, and the spikes on Tang San's Blue Silver Grass couldn't pierce its body.
Its bright red crest glowed, and its speed, which had just momentarily slowed, increased again, fueled by energy from within the crest.
It showed Ma Hongjun and the others what snake-like movement was; even under the dense cover of Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent managed to weave in and out without being entangled.
Xiang Chengxian and Dai Mubai, possessed by the Black and White Tigers, surrounded it from the left and right, both using their third soul skills.
"White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
"Black Tiger Demon God Transformation!"
The two tigers slammed down, leaving the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent with nowhere to hide.
"Bang! Bang!"
The Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent, which had just managed to rise slightly, was slammed to the ground with tremendous force.
Tang San's Blue Silver Grass seized this opportunity, coiling around the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tailed Serpent, while Xiang Chengxian and Dai Mubai held down its head and tail respectively.
Binding and entanglement!
The two tigers mounted it!
Thus, the Cockscomb Phoenix-Tail Serpent was completely subdued.
All of this was accomplished in a mere moment, and only then did Zhu Zhuqing get up from Ma Hongjun.
"Give me a hand!"
Seeing the battle resolved, Ma Hongjun was no longer flustered. Although somewhat embarrassed, he still shamelessly reached out to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing coldly looked down, hesitated for a moment, seemingly remembering that Ma Hongjun had just shielded her from an attack, and reluctantly extended her slender, white hand.
Ma Hongjun had already withdrawn his Dragon Soul Spear, and firmly grasped Zhu Zhuqing's outstretched hand in both palms.
Zhu Zhuqing tried to pull her hand back forcefully, and Ma Hongjun used the force to get up.
"Your hands are a little cold, let me warm them for you!" Ma Hongjun said, fanning her.
Zhu Zhuqing forcefully shook off her hand again, saying indifferently, "Boring."
Ma Hongjun chuckled, not embarrassed at all.
This little kitten is something else!
"Done."
Everyone cheered excitedly at the same time. Oscar, only fourteen years old, was overflowing with excitement and ran towards the crested phoenix-tailed snake in a few steps.
Xiao Wu stood beside Tang San with her head down, her big eyes filled with reluctance.
"Do we really have to hunt spirit beasts?"
Tang San sighed softly and said, "The law of the jungle is the survival of the fittest. If this snake is stronger than us, do you think it will let go of its prey?"
"What are you thinking, Xiao Wu? Putting aside other spirit beasts, this crested phoenix-tailed snake is a snake, and snakes eat rabbits!" Ma Hongjun added casually.
Xiao Wu rolled her eyes and didn't say anything more, but she kept her head down, her face still somewhat pale.
Flander and the others walked over, and Zhao Wuji took out a short blade from his waist and handed it to Oscar.
"The longer it goes, the more things might go wrong. Just stab it from below its crest, and you'll pierce its brain. That spirit ring will be yours."
Oscar excitedly took the short blade. At this moment, this thousand-year-old spirit beast was like a lamb to the slaughter before him. His third spirit ring was about to be obtained, and his hands trembled with excitement. Just as
Oscar was about to thrust his blade
, a hoarse, sharp shout suddenly rang out:
"Stop!"
Immediately afterward, two figures leaped out from the direction the Phoenix-tailed Crested Serpent had come from, appearing before everyone.
The two were women, one old and one young. The older woman appeared to be in her sixties or seventies, her white hair neatly combed. Although old, she was remarkably vigorous, her face, though wrinkled, rosy like a baby's. Her eyes gleamed with a sharp light. She held a long snake-headed cane in her right hand.
Most striking were her six spirit rings—yellow, purple, and black—six rings of three colors, rhythmically moving up and down.
Her body hadn't changed, but her spirit rings indicated she was using her own spirit. Without a doubt, the snake staff in her hand was her spirit.
Beside the old noblewoman was a beautiful young girl with short, ear-length hair, appearing to be about seventeen. She wore a neat, fitted outfit that tightly hugged her well-developed figure, and her large, deep brown eyes were fixed intently on the crested and phoenix-tailed snake that Xiang Chengxian and Dai Mubai held in their hands.
She also held a snake-headed cane, though shorter than the old woman's, and her spirit rings were only two hundred-year-old rings.
"Is there a problem?"
Flander asked calmly, habitually adjusting his crystal glasses, his sharp eyes scrutinizing the two women. He looked thoughtfully at their snake staffs.
The old woman glanced at Xiang Chengxian and Dai Mubai; currently, only they were in spirit possession mode, both possessing three-ring spirit masters with yellow and purple rings. Moreover, the man looked younger than her granddaughter, while the woman was about the same age, which surprised her greatly.
Looking at Flander's group, there were five adults and eight children; two of the younger ones were Soul Masters, and the five adults were undoubtedly at least Soul Grandmasters or higher.
The old woman coughed, softening her expression:
"Hello, Soul Master friend, you can't give this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent to this child."
Oscar looked at Flander with a bewildered expression.
Flander gave Ma Hongjun a look, and Ma Hongjun stepped forward and said,
"Why?"
The old woman seemed to have recovered somewhat by now, put away her spirit ring, and said, "Because we discovered this snake first and were the first to hunt it. Otherwise, why would we have tracked it all the way here?"
Oscar couldn't help but retort, "How can you prove that you were the first to hunt it? We didn't see you when we found it."
The old woman smiled slightly and said, "Young man, don't worry. Look at the belly of this crested serpent; there are two wounds from my cane. There are also some under its wings. It's
just that this slippery little guy escaped by accident. My granddaughter just reached level 30 and really needs this spirit ring. You've seen it too; she inherited my weapon spirit, the Snake Staff. A high-level snake spirit is most suitable for her."
Xiang Chengxian and Dai Mubai examined the crested serpent's body, then looked at Flander and nodded, indicating that what the old woman said was true.
Flander asked with slight doubt, wanting to confirm the other party's identity:
"Senior, may I ask your name?"
The old woman humbly replied:
"I dare not presume, my name is Chao Tianxiang, and I am honored by the respect of my friends in the Soul Master world, who have given me the title of Snake Granny. My husband is called Meng Shu, also known as Dragon Duke."
Then the old woman looked at the Cockscomb Phoenix Tail Snake and Oscar, and continued:
"This time we came to the Star Dou Great Forest to find a suitable third Soul Ring for our granddaughter. I think the children are too young to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring.
Although the Cockscomb Phoenix Tail Snake's Soul Ring is gentler, it's not something they can absorb."
In Chao Tianxiang's opinion, among the children before her, the oldest, Dai Mubai and Xiang Chengxian, were already very outstanding. It was impossible for all the children to be so talented.
She had great confidence in her granddaughter's strength. She was already surprised that one or two of them were stronger than her granddaughter, and she did not believe that any of the children before her could reach level 30 before her granddaughter.
After hearing the old woman's introduction, Flander and the other five old men all became solemn.
"So you're the Snake Granny from the Peerless Dragon and Snake Sect! My apologies for not recognizing you!"
The name "Peerless Dragon and Snake" was very famous in the early days of the Soul Master world. How could the five of them not know it? This couple debuted earlier than them and possessed extraordinary strength. In particular, Dragon Duke Meng Shu was already at the Soul Saint level before Flander went into seclusion, and now he was very likely at the Soul Douluo level.
Dragon Duke's martial soul was a dragon-headed cane, which complemented Snake Granny's snake-headed cane perfectly. The couple possessed an extremely domineering and powerful martial soul fusion skill, which was difficult to resist unless one had the strength of a Title Douluo.
The old woman cupped her hands and said, "I dare not, I dare not. May I ask which side you gentlemen are from?"
Flander was neither humble nor arrogant, still maintaining his carefree and unrestrained demeanor. Although the Peerless Dragon and Snake's reputation was very loud, when he was adventuring in the Soul Master world in his early years, their Golden Iron Triangle was equally famous, and they could even confront Title Douluos.
"I am Flander, the Dean of Shrek Academy. These are all my teachers and students.
These are Zhao Wuji, Shao Xin, Lu Qibin, and Li Yusong!"
Upon hearing this, Snake Granny's expression turned serious. She hadn't heard of the other three, but Flander and Zhao Wuji were renowned figures in the Soul Master world.
One of the Golden Iron Triangle, the Flying Horn, the Four-Eyed Cat-Owl Flander;
the infamous, self-willed, Immovable King Zhao Wuji.
(End of Chapter)