Yu Xiaogang and Tang San

Since Zuzong had already obtained the first spirit ring, the two had no intention of staying in the Soul Beast Hunting Forest any longer.

This place was not only harsh to live in but also extremely dangerous, so they didn't want to stay a second longer.

The two ate some dry food they carried with them, considering it their breakfast, and then headed toward the forest's outskirts.

Their pace was noticeably faster than when they came.

Zuzong moved swiftly between the trees, with Blanklin following closely behind.

Since revealing his advanced spirit power control skills in front of Blanklin, Zuzong didn't bother to hide his abilities anymore and directly released his instincts.

"Zuzong, slow down!" Blanklin shouted from behind. His spirit was a strength-type beast spirit. Speed was his weakness, and his spirit power control skills were crude. He couldn't move swiftly across tree trunks like Zuzong could.

After obtaining the first spirit ring, Zuzong was eager to test his newfound strength on a spirit beast.

Releasing the Blue Silver Domain, he used the Blue Silver Grass in the forest to sense everything around him.

Suddenly, Zuzong seemed to have noticed something. He paused and muttered to himself, "Hmm? It's a poisonous snake! And it's a hundred-year snake. Looks like it's chasing something."

Blanklin caught up, saw Zuzong stop with a serious expression, and asked, "What's wrong? Did you find something?"

After witnessing Zuzong's first spirit skill, Blanklin had completely given up the idea of taking Zuzong as his apprentice. Such a rare genius wasn't something he could teach. Plus, Zuzong's control of spirit power surpassed his own. 

In terms of cultivation, though Zuzong was only at a Spirit Master, he could already match some Spirit Grandmasters. Most importantly, Zuzong was only six years old. In comparison, all Blanklin had over him was some insignificant experience. If all went well, Zuzong's future was bright, and he might even become a Titled Douluo.

Unconsciously, Blanklin had already placed Zuzong on the same level as himself.

Zuzong nodded, "Yes, Vice-Dean, not far ahead, there seems to be a hundred-year spirit beast chasing an old man and a young child."

Blanklin thought for a moment and said, "Let's go and save them!"

Not saving someone in need wasn't his style. Plus, even if the other party were bad people, being chased by a hundred-year spirit beast meant they weren't that strong and posed no threat to the two of them.

Zuzong nodded, jumped back onto the tree trunk, and leaped toward the direction he sensed.

Blanklin also sped up.

Soon, they arrived at the scene of the chase. In sight was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, dragging a thin, black-haired child as they fled. Behind them was a four-meter-long giant snake with peculiar patterns.

Zuzong thought to himself, "Isn't that the scumbag 'Master' and Tang San? The one chasing them should be the Mandala Snake from the original story! But since I've run into them, Tang San, you'll have to choose another spirit ring. Haha."

With this in mind, Zuzong gave Blanklin a vague excuse, "Vice-Dean, it seems the person being chased is the old gatekeeper who's entered menopause. He's even dragging a child along!"

Hearing "the gatekeeper in menopause," Blanklin felt bad. His mouth twitched uncontrollably. Great, now his lie would be exposed on the spot. Why did he have to open his mouth then?

"Never mind that; get ready to save them."

As he spoke, Blanklin's spirit possessed him. His limbs turned into hooves, and his body transformed into a standing humanoid Azure Ox.

Zuzong gave Blanklin a sideways glance. If he made a move, wouldn't the spirit ring go to Tang San?

"Vice-Dean, don't rush. Look closely; it seems to be a hundred-year-old Mandala Snake, known for its strong poison. Your first two spirit skills are close-range. What if you get poisoned?"

Blanklin exhaled white mist from his ox nose, nodding, "So what do you suggest?" He didn't believe Zuzong was someone who would leave people to die, especially since the people needing help were from the same academy. If that were the case, he would have misjudged him.

"Against the Mandala Snake, it's best to fight from a distance. I'll try to control it with my first spirit skill, and then you can hit it with your signature move: the Super. . . Oh, no, the Great Horn Cannon."

"Good strategy!" Blanklin nodded to himself. Indeed, Zuzong was an all-around student.

In the distance, the middle-aged man and Tang San were running desperately.

Tang San didn't care much, confident in his Tang Sect martial arts. A mere beast didn't scare him.

But the middle-aged man was in despair. He wasn't afraid of death but feared dying in obscurity.

Tang San was his hope to prove his "theory invincible"! He couldn't die here.

"Damn it, why is such a poisonous creature in the outskirts of the Soul Beast Hunting Forest?"

Tang San was loyal and talented. If he became a Titled Douluo in the future, he surely wouldn't forget his teacher who sacrificed for him today—this is what the man thought.

So, he decided to sacrifice himself to buy Tang San time to escape.

"Little San, run quickly! Fart like thunder—Heaven-shattering Roar—"

Before he could finish, Tang San spoke.

"Teacher, someone's here."

Tang San's tone was obviously displeased, for he saw the one who had made him lose face. The sleeve arrows in his hand trembled, ready to fire. At the brink of life and death, the middle-aged man didn't care much. 

His eyes turned to the newcomers, and he was overjoyed, shouting excitedly, "Little San, we're saved! It's the Vice-Dean of our Nuoding Academy."

Hearing "Vice-Dean," Tang San secretly put away his sleeve arrows, thinking: he couldn't expose himself in front of so many people. As for that brat, he'd deal with him after obtaining the spirit ring.

Zuzong saw that, even at a life-and-death moment, Tang San was still pretending. He sneered.

Zuzong exchanged a glance with Blanklin, and they nodded at each other.

Zuzong first used his kunai-throwing technique, throwing two kunai from a blind spot toward the Mandala Snake's eyes.

"Poof." Although the Mandala Snake barely dodged one, the other stabbed into one of its eyes.

The Mandala Snake roared in pain, thrashing around, kicking up dust, making it hard to see what was happening.

"Now, the first spirit skill: Poison Dragon Entanglement."

A yellow ring of light rose from Zuzong's feet, spiraling around his body. Simultaneously, he secretly activated the Blue Silver Domain.

With the Blue Silver Domain enhancing it, his Poison Dragon Entanglement was far stronger than when he had demonstrated it to Blanklin before. Although the range hadn't increased, the power was incomparable. Zuzong was determined not to let Tang San's chance slip away.

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Please checkout my other fic - "Douluo Dalu: Coaxing Xiao Wu's Spirit Ring". If you liked this fiction, I promise you will like it too.