"Brother, attack its mouth or eyes."
Tang Sui turned her head to look at Tang San. Tang San seemed to snap back to reality, his eyes suddenly turning sharp. In the empty palm of his small hand, a small, sharp dagger forged from fine iron flashed and was held by him.
The Profound Sky Force circulated. Tang San, his back to the Master and Tang Sui, had a hint of purple in his eyes. The next second, his slender body shot up from the ground, accurately finding the fatal opening exposed by the Mandara Snake as it struggled in pain.
"Ssss!"
The fine iron dagger pierced straight through the Mandara Snake's wide-open mouth, embedding itself into the ground.
The immobilized Mandara Snake suffered another fatal blow.
In just a few seconds, its thrashing, massive body froze in an arched posture. Its scarlet snake eyes were fixed on the human cub who had taken its life, the light of life eventually dimming with unconcealed unwillingness.
A one-hit kill!
The Master's pupils contracted. He looked at Tang San, who stood not far from the Mandara Snake's corpse and had breathed a sigh of relief after the creature stopped struggling. The corners of his mouth twitched stiffly, but he couldn't say a word.
He couldn't help but glance at Tang Sui's face, which was only a little pale but not crying or distressed. Recalling the terrifying power of the fox mask just now, a chill suddenly ran through him.
It wasn't fear of Tang Sui, but rather the unsettling and terrifying nature of the martial soul that involuntarily made him tremble.
However, the chill in his heart quickly turned into elation as the century-old spirit ring condensed and flew out from the dead Mandara Snake.
He stiffly patted Tang Sui's back, comforting her while urging Tang San, "Quick! Xiao San! Absorb the spirit ring of this Mandara Snake!"
"Teacher, what did you say? Let me absorb the Mandara Snake's spirit ring?" Tang San looked at the Master in surprise.
The Master nodded seriously, "That's right, this one. Before a Mandara Snake reaches a thousand years of cultivation, its body grows one centimeter for every year it lives. This Mandara Snake is nearly four meters long, meaning it has nearly four hundred years of cultivation. It's just at the limit for a Spirit Master to absorb their first spirit ring when transitioning to a Spirit Master. With your innate full spirit power, absorbing it won't be difficult for you."
"But, Teacher. My martial soul is plant-based, and this Mandara Snake is a beast-type spirit beast. Can I make it a spirit ring? Won't there be a conflict?" Tang San asked doubtfully.
The Master took a deep breath, a hint of fervor appearing in his eyes, and began to tell Tang San about one of his ten core competencies: the Martial Soul Mimicry Theory.
After listening to the Master's analysis and explanation, Tang San's wavering heart steadied.
"Okay, Teacher. I believe you and am willing to put your theory into practice."
The Master looked at Tang San's sincere young face, a look of relief appearing on his own.
He crouched down and carefully placed Tang Sui on the ground, then said to Tang San, "Now quickly absorb the spirit ring. Sui Sui and I will guard you."
Tang Sui also nodded. The fox mask, which she hadn't recalled, floated down beside her, its vacant, eerie fox eyes fixed in Tang San's direction.
A strange chill rose from his back. As Tang San felt a sense of cold, Tang Sui's confident voice reached his ears, "Brother, absorb the spirit ring with peace of mind. Teacher and I will guard you. If any other spirit beasts dare to come, I'll let the fox mask drive them away!"
The child's tender yet sincere words turned into warmth, dispelling the chill that enveloped Tang San.
For a moment, Tang San even found the fox mask more pleasing to the eye. Without further hesitation, he raised his right hand, circulating his meridians, and slowly gathered his spirit power into his palm.
A light blue halo lit up, and Blue Silver Grass grew from his palm, emitting a faint aura of life that swayed gently with the fluctuations of his spirit power.
Under the pull of the light blue glow, the century-old Mandara Snake spirit ring slowly flew towards Tang San.
"Sit cross-legged, and focus on your martial soul."
The Master instructed from the side. Tang San obeyed, sitting cross-legged and concentrating his attention on the martial soul in his right hand, diligently preparing to absorb the spirit ring that was approaching with immense pressure.