The black-haired girl's words immediately caused Zhao Wuji to scowl. The seven soul rings floating around him emitted a faint halo, and the pressure unique to a Soul Sage was unleashed without reservation towards the old woman and the young girl.
"You claim it's yours just because you say so?"
Zhao Wuji asked threateningly, his gaze subtly lingering on the snake-head staff the old woman held, his brow furrowed.
This snake-head staff...
Upon hearing Zhao Wuji's words, Tang San and the others felt a sense of relief, knowing Zhao Wuji wouldn't hand over the Phoenix Tail Crow Snake so easily. However, the old woman's expression shifted slightly upon seeing the number of Zhao Wuji's soul rings. She scrutinized him, wondering when a Soul Sage-level expert had appeared in the outer reaches of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"You!" The black-haired girl was somewhat indignant, but the next moment, the pressure from the Soul Sage-level expert rendered her speechless.
Glancing at her granddaughter, whose small face had turned pale under Zhao Wuji's immense pressure, the old woman's eyes darkened. She reached out to help her granddaughter brush away the oppressive aura, managing a smile. "Greetings, esteemed Soul Sage. I am Chao Tianxiang, and this is my granddaughter, Meng Yiran. My granddaughter was a bit hasty just now; please forgive her. However, what my granddaughter means is correct; you cannot give this Phoenix Tail Crow Snake to that child."
Zhao Wuji's previous pressure had been a mild warning and a probe, indicating there was room for negotiation.
The reason for this assessment was that she knew Zhao Wuji had held back.
If a Soul Sage-level expert were truly angry, their pressure wouldn't just make Yiran's face pale; it would cause her to spit blood and faint.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Zhao Wuji, usually so feisty, displayed an uncharacteristic good temper, startling Dai Mubai, whose eyes widened.
Was this still the same Teacher Zhao who would glare menacingly and threaten them at the slightest provocation?
Had he been bewitched by some mental soul skill?
Dai Mubai's mind began to wander into absurd conjectures.
Sensing Zhao Wuji's caution and apprehension, her expression eased slightly. She pointed at the securely bound Phoenix Tail Crow Snake. "Because my granddaughter and I discovered and began hunting this Phoenix Tail Crow Snake first. Otherwise, we wouldn't have tracked it all the way here."
Hearing this, Oscar was shocked. He looked at the Phoenix Tail Crow Snake, which had given up struggling and lay like a corpse, and couldn't help but exclaim, "How can you prove you started hunting it first? We didn't see any sign of you when we found it. Now that we've caught it, you show up. Who knows if you're just trying to reap the benefits!"
The old woman's face turned cold. She struck the ground with her snake-head staff. "I, Chao Tianxiang, have ventured across the Douluo Continent with my husband, Meng Shu, for many years. Friends in the soul world affectionately call us Snake Dowager and Dragon Duke. We are not so shameless as to snatch the spoils of others' battles just to hunt a soul beast with my granddaughter."
Snake Dowager Chao Tianxiang?!
Zhao Wuji's gaze sharpened. A solemn expression settled on his face as he cupped his hands respectfully towards Chao Tianxiang. "So you are the Snake Dowager of the peerless Dragon and Snake? I am Zhao Wuji. I offer my apologies for my earlier disrespect."
Zhao Wuji?
Chao Tianxiang's coldness softened slightly as she offered a kind smile. "So you are the renowned Immovable King of the soul master world. No wonder you've reached the Soul Sage level at such a young age."
Zhao Wuji offered a polite remark of modesty. Before he could speak further, Chao Tianxiang spoke first in a gentle tone. "Since you address me as senior, I shall speak plainly. My granddaughter has just reached level thirty and desperately needs this soul ring. As you can see, my granddaughter's martial soul is my artifact soul, the Snake Staff. A high-level snake martial soul is clearly the most suitable for her."
Although phrased as a question, her words carried an unmistakable air of dominance.
Zhao Wuji's expression instantly turned cold.
Their gazes met and clashed in mid-air, the invisible tension making the superficially amicable atmosphere rigid.
Dai Mubai and the others also felt the shift in the air. They tensed their muscles, ready to spring into action.
"What is your proof?"
In the ensuing silence, Tang Sui's unexpected voice cut through, dispelling the invisible chill between them.
Chao Tianxiang looked in the direction of the voice and paused slightly upon seeing the small, delicate Tang Sui.
This feeling... this child, at such a young age, has already reached the Soul Grandmaster level?
***
Outside of the text:
This is too much. I can only say, truly worthy of being Mo Li's unlucky parrot.
While Mo Li was typing, it gnawed through the entire mouse cable, causing the computer screen to become unresponsive and making it impossible to copy and paste the manuscript. Thanks to a certain little yellow kangaroo delivery service for the urgent help, though I had to wait a whole hour, ah, sigh.
There's another chapter that's an extra, and it might be close to midnight or 0:30.