As the distance between Tang San and the ambush grew closer, Nangong Lingyun subconsciously held his breath, his entire being becoming hyper-focused.
Controlling animals in battle — though he had simulated it countless times in the virtual training space — this was the first time doing it in real life.
For him,messing with Tang San wasn't just for a chuckle — the harsher the sabotage, the sweeter the system rewards.
Thus, there was absolutely no room for error.
Nangong Lingyun recalled the lessons he'd drilled during practice:
His mental waves couldn't fluctuate too much while controlling the viper, otherwise the Sawtooth Viper's soul would be obliterated, and Tang San would lose the chance to land the finishing blow and absorb the soul ring.
Once Tang San was close enough, scanning the whole body — especially the head and eyes — was forbidden. Otherwise, it could trigger a killer's hypersense.
The Sawtooth Viper's body was extremely fragile; even Tang San's ice-cold hidden weapons, Xuan Jade Hands, and Crane Catching Dragon Seizing techniques could easily kill it. Speed was critical.
And that waste, Yu Xiaogang, was so useless that the viper's venom dosage assigned to him had to be kept under 35%. Otherwise, he'd probably keel over on the spot.
Seeing Tang San and Yu Xiaogang getting closer and closer, walking straight into the ambush spot,Nangong Lingyun couldn't help but feel ecstatic.
"Haha, truly heaven favors me!"
Though it was a necessary path, there was a small opening here — whether the target passed through the left, right, or center was purely random.
And for an old assassin like Tang San, a strike from three meters away versus a sudden ambush at thirty centimeters made a world of difference in success rate.
As for the Mandala Snake he'd planted as backup, Nangong Lingyun didn't intend for them to meet it.If that dumbass Yu Xiaogang decided to pick the Mandala Snake over the viper, these past three days of prep would have gone down the toilet.
Even though his heart was pounding,the Sawtooth Viper remained dead still under the leaves, perfectly hidden, its breath and scent tightly sealed by spiritual power, leaking absolutely nothing.
Finally, as Tang San stepped exactly over the ambush point,Nangong Lingyun silently shouted in his mind: "Go!"
Almost simultaneously, the Sawtooth Viper's tiny body shot upward like a bullet, sinking its fangs hard into Tang San's lower leg at lightning speed.
At the first tear of flesh and blood, it immediately, without hesitation, injected 70% of its venom reserves into the wound.
Mission accomplished, it zipped twenty meters away in a blink, head raised menacingly.
The moment it attacked, the spiritual membrane concealing its presence shattered.
Sensing a sudden surge of soul power underfoot, Tang San's face instantly turned grave.
His awareness and vigilance were leagues above ordinary people — even regular Soul Masters.
But at that distance — less than twenty centimeters — and with such explosive speed, even a fifth of a second was too much luxury.He sensed it, sure — but he had no time to react or dodge.
Before he could trigger his Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, a sharp pain tore through the junction of his ankle and calf,and venom raced along his veins and meridians, rapidly flooding his entire leg.
As a soul beast, the Sawtooth Viper's venom wasn't normal — it was soul power venom.
"Shit, it's venomous — and deadly at that!"
Without needing to see what snake bit him, just from the swelling and rapidly spreading pain, Tang San knew — this was catastrophic.
As a master of poisons, he was painfully aware of how terrifying this was — and how dangerous if not dealt with immediately.
Tang San hurriedly summoned Blue Silver Grass to create a makeshift barrier around himself.
Then he jabbed several points along his knee, thigh, and groin, sealing the blood vessels swiftly.
After that, he tied two ropes tightly around the leg, cutting off all blood flow.
Finally, he grabbed his short sword and slashed deep into his calf three or four times.
At this moment, the trembling voice of Yu Xiaogang, full of fear and horror, rang out:
"It's the Sawtooth Viper! How the hell could such a monster appear in the outer area of a beginner's Soul Hunting Forest?"
The instant he saw the snake, this fool fell flat on his butt,his heart almost stopping, his face instantly ghost-pale.
Shaking like a leaf, he pulled a big glass bottle from his soul tool and started madly dumping anti-snake powder everywhere, like it was free.
Seeing the viper pause — seemingly intimidated by the powder —he forced himself to keep bluffing:
**"The Sawtooth Viper carries a terrifying blood-based venom, capable of devastating soul power, muscles, skin, organs — especially the kidneys.Among venomous soul beasts, it's one of the most horrifying and ferocious — even among powerful soul beasts, it's a top-tier predator.
What the hell are the Spirit Hall patrols doing? Letting something like this appear in a beginner hunting forest? That's pure negligence!"**
Yu Xiaogang summoned Luo Sanpao in front of himself, preparing the infamous fart attack,then urgently shouted at Tang San:
"Little San! Lemme teach you a golden rule:'More rings and bones? Skill and strength — blow 'em up!Fewer rings and bones? Run like hell!'
In this case, rings mean soul rings, bones mean soul bones.
I'll explain soul bones later — but the point is:If your rings and bones outnumber the enemy's, use your advantage to crush them!
If the enemy has more rings and bones, no hesitation — run like your life depends on it.Because it does.
Remember, no matter what, saving your own ass is more important than saving face.You're a genius, kid — don't waste your future for a moment's pride."**
Nangong Lingyun: "..."
This theory... was actually so solid there was no room to argue.
I mean, anyone with half a brain knows: if you can't win, you run. That's just survival instinct.
After his little masterclass, Yu Xiaogang roared:
"Fart like thunder! Heaven-splitting, earth-shattering Luo Sanpao blast! Little San, run!"
As soon as the words fell,
Luo Sanpao let out a low growl —its already round belly inflated even further at an alarming rate.
Then, like a meatball shot from a cannon, it launched into the air, spinning at a height of four to five meters,and with a thunderous rumble, blasted a massive cloud of yellow gas at the Sawtooth Viper.
Meanwhile, Yu Xiaogang grabbed Tang San and bolted like a bat out of hell back toward the ten-year-old soul beast area.
(End of Chapter)