Chapter 6: Fiend, Don't You Dare Kill My Tool!
"This is... a thousand-year Mandala Snake. How could it appear in the outer rim..."
Yu Xiaogang stared in stunned disbelief at the dark figure before him, completely unaware he was already being targeted.
"Teacher!"
Tang San was the first to snap back to reality. He immediately executed "Controlling Crane Catching Dragon" to push Yu Xiaogang aside, while simultaneously using "Ghost Shadow Confusing Steps" to rapidly retreat.
**BOOM!—**
The massive body of the Mandala Snake crashed down, kicking up billowing clouds of dust.
Having missed its first strike, the snake coiled and launched itself through the smoke again, charging straight at Tang San. Its speed was so great that Tang San had no time to dodge.
Seeing this scene, Zhou Fan also showed a look of astonishment.
"Wow, the Misfortune Charm is this powerful? It directly attracted a thousand-year soul beast."
At this moment, Tang San could only rely on instinct, raising his right arm.
**Shoosh!**
A sharp arrow instantly shot from his sleeve, aimed directly at the snake's eye.
**Thud!—**
**Hiss!—**
Struck by the sleeve arrow, the Mandala Snake let out a pained screech, its movement momentarily faltering.
Tang San seized this brief opening to quickly put distance between them.
However, he had underestimated the defense and ferocity of a thousand-year soul beast.
While the sleeve arrow was powerful, it was somewhat lacking against a creature of this caliber. The Mandala Snake only suffered a gash on its left eye, from which blackish-purple blood, reeking of a foul stench, began to flow.
The pain in its eye sent it into an even greater frenzy.
An endless stream of purple poisonous mist began to seep from the pores of the Mandala Snake, instantly enveloping the surrounding area within dozens of meters. Any plant touched by the mist withered in an instant.
"Xiao San, don't touch the poison mist! That toxin is instantly lethal. Quickly use your soul skill to delay it! As long as we can escape to the forest entrance, powerful soul masters will deal with it!"
By now, Yu Xiaogang had already retreated into the distant thicket, prepared to flee at any moment.
Hearing this, Tang San had no time to respond. He flicked his hand from his waist, throwing out Realgar Powder in an attempt to repel the snake.
Unfortunately, against the already enraged Mandala Snake, the Realgar Powder had absolutely no effect.
The poison mist continued to spread at an alarming rate, and the snake pursued Tang San relentlessly.
Seeing this, Tang San immediately circulated his soul power. A yellow ring rose from beneath his feet.
"Blue Silver Grass Entanglement!"
**Shoosh! Shoosh! Shoosh!—**
In an instant, over a dozen Blue Silver Grass plants within a ten-meter radius surged upwards like chains, attempting to bind the Mandala Snake's movements.
Yet, what happened next left Tang San utterly exasperated.
Just as the Blue Silver Grass was about to touch the poison mist, it abruptly changed direction, circling around the mist, completely unwilling to enter it.
"What's wrong with the Blue Silver Grass?! Bind it!"
Tang San struggled desperately to control the grass. But it seemed to have a mind of its own. No matter how he tried to manipulate it, he couldn't make it obey his commands.
"A thousand-year soul beast? I'm not tangling with that. If it snaps me, you won't feel the pain, but I will! Figure it out yourself, Tang San."
Zhou Fan curled his lip and once again redirected the vines to circle around the poison mist.
It was during this brief moment of distraction that the Mandala Snake closed in on Tang San. The intense, foul stench immediately made him dizzy.
**Hiss!—**
The Mandala Snake opened its maw, revealing pale fangs, and lunged for Tang San's head.
With no room to dodge and his spirit disobedient, he could only rely on the Mysterious Heaven Technique.
"Jade Hands!"
Tang San's hands instantly turned jade-white. But suddenly, a spasm shot through them, interrupting the flow of the Mysterious Heaven Technique.
"Damn it! What in the world is going on?!"
The consecutive disruptions pushed Tang San to the brink, making him curse inwardly.
"If Jade Hands won't work, then Purple Demon Eyes!"
A purple glint instantly lit up Tang San's pupils.
**Slap!**
A leaf, blown from who-knows-where, directly covered his eyes.
"I... @#$%!"
Filled with immense frustration, Tang San had no choice. The Mandala Snake's fangs were already upon him. He could only use "Ghost Shadow Confusing Steps" to evade.
But the moment he took a step, his foot suddenly slipped. He stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face.
"..."
Tang San felt like crying but had no tears. Instinctively, he raised his arms to block.
**Thud! Thud!—**
Two dull sounds echoed as the snake's fangs pierced straight through Tang San's palms. Blood gushed from the wounds, and the sharp pain forced a grunt from his lips.
Seeing it had bitten Tang San, the snake tried to swallow him whole. Struggling against the agony, Tang San yanked his hands free. The venom on the fangs instantly seeped into the wounds, and a powerful paralyzing sensation spread through his body.
Tang San mustered all his remaining strength to use "Ghost Shadow Confusing Steps" again while raising his right arm to fire another sleeve arrow, this time aiming for the snake's other eye.
But the spreading venom caused his legs to buckle. The sleeve arrow veered off course, shooting towards the Mandala Snake's abdomen instead.
Having been hurt by the arrow before, the snake knew the small projectile packed a punch. It swung its tail, swatting the arrow aside.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang, still hiding and observing Tang San's situation, completely failed to notice the deflected arrow flying toward him.
All he heard was a **pfft!**.
Yu Xiaogang's expression froze. His originally pale face instantly flushed with color. His eyes widened in disbelief as he slowly looked down.
There, embedded deep into his upper thigh, near the groin, was a roughly ten-centimeter-long arrow.
Pain!
Agony!
Yu Xiaogang immediately sucked in a sharp breath. The pain shooting from his thigh was so intense it nearly made him black out.
"Damn it, how could I get hit by this?!"
However, compared to Yu Xiaogang, Tang San's situation was far more critical.
By now, the venom had spread throughout Tang San's entire body. He was completely rigid, lying stiffly on the ground, utterly unable to move.
Despair, resentment, hatred, and profound frustration—a storm of emotions surged within him.
Meanwhile, Zhou Fan was overjoyed. The system's notification tones were ringing non-stop. **Emotional Value** was skyrocketing at an astonishing rate, soon breaking past two hundred points...
But once it crossed three hundred points, it suddenly stopped.
"Huh? Why did it stop?"
Puzzled, Zhou Fan glanced at the system screen, and the sight before his eyes made him gasp.
"Oh no, I went too far."
At that moment, the Mandala Snake was staring down at Tang San on the ground. Its cold gaze held a hint of human-like mockery, as if saying, "Run. Go ahead and run. Let's see how far you can get."
Tang San had already resigned himself to fate. Facing a thousand-year soul beast while poisoned, there was simply no chance of survival. At this final moment, his heart returned to an eerie calm.
"I've died once already. What's so frightening about dying one more time?"
Seeing Tang San had given up resistance, the Mandala Snake lost interest in toying with him any longer. It opened its massive maw, preparing to bite down.
If swallowed by the Mandala Snake, Tang San would undoubtedly die.
**At this critical juncture...**
A young man in a white robe, appearing elegant and poised, materialized out of thin air before the Mandala Snake.
The young man's aura erupted. **Nine soul rings** materialized around him, and a terrifying pressure of soul power instantly radiated outward.
"Fiendish beast, don't you dare kill my point-farming tool!"
The one who appeared was none other than **Zhou Fan's external avatar**.
Caught completely off guard by the sudden appearance of a Title Douluo-level powerhouse, the Mandala Snake was sent flying dozens of meters back by the shockwave alone.
Sensing the aura emanating from Zhou Fan, it couldn't even muster the will to fight. Driven by primal instinct, it turned and fled into the forest at breakneck speed.
Watching the fleeing snake, Zhou Fan didn't give chase. It wasn't easy for a soul beast to cultivate to a thousand years; it was better left for someone else who needed to hunt it.
He turned to look at Tang San, whose entire body had turned blackish-purple, and frowned:
"You can't die now. At least not before I take human form. I still need you to farm points for me."
**(End of Chapter)**