Oscar couldn't hold back any longer. "How can you prove that you started hunting it first? When we found it, there was no sign of you anywhere."
The old woman smiled faintly. "Young man, there's no rush. Take a look at the belly of this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent — there are two wounds on it, struck by my walking stick. There are also wounds beneath the wings. It's just that this slippery little thing managed to escape. My granddaughter has just reached rank thirty and is in urgent need of a Soul Ring. As you can see, she inherited my tool Martial Soul, the Snake Staff. A high-tier snake-type Martial Soul is the most suitable for her."
Zhao Wuji lowered his head to examine the belly of the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent in his hands. Sure enough, just as the old woman had said, there were indeed such wounds. But if she thought that would be enough to make Zhao Wuji let go, that was nothing short of a fantasy.
All they heard was Zhao Wuji's cold laugh. "Senior, may I have the honor of knowing your name?"
The old woman replied, "I wouldn't dare. This old woman is Chao Tianxiang. Friends in the Soul Master world have been kind enough to give me the title of Snake Woman. My husband is called Meng Shu, known as Dragon Lord. We came to Star Dou Great Forest this time specifically to find a suitable third Soul Ring for our granddaughter. From what I can see, none of these children beside you look old enough to be able to absorb a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. Even though the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent's Soul Ring is relatively gentle, they still wouldn't be able to absorb it."
In Chao Tianxiang's eyes, among the children before her, the oldest — Dai Mubai — was still younger than her own granddaughter. And she had extreme confidence in her granddaughter's strength, believing entirely that none of these children could have reached rank thirty before her.
Hearing the old woman's self-introduction, Zhao Wuji was secretly startled. He quickly pressed down on Oscar, who was about to step forward and argue, and said in a deep voice, "Could you be the Snake Woman among the Peerless Dragon and Snake?"
Chao Tianxiang gave a mild smile. "I wouldn't dare — but yes, that's me. May I ask the name of this Soul Saint?"
A subtle shift crossed Zhao Wuji's expression. He had long heard of the Peerless Dragon and Snake. This couple had entered the world very early, and their strength was extraordinary. In particular, Dragon Lord Meng Shu — by the time Zhao Wuji had first heard of him, the Dragon Lord was already at the Soul Saint level. He wouldn't be at all surprised if the man had now reached the Soul Douluo realm.
The Dragon Lord's Martial Soul was a dragon-headed walking stick, perfectly complementing the Snake Woman's snake-headed cane. The couple possessed an extremely domineering Martial Soul Fusion Technique. Unless one had the strength of a Titled Douluo, it would be nearly impossible to withstand.
Zhao Wuji was merely a Soul Saint. Although the Snake Woman before him appeared somewhat weaker than himself, the moment the Dragon Lord showed up, Zhao Wuji alone would be no match.
The Peerless Dragon and Snake were known for their deep bond — the couple never separated. If the Snake Woman was here, the Dragon Lord couldn't be far away.
It wasn't that Zhao Wuji hadn't considered killing the pair — the grandmother and granddaughter — to silence them. Killing the young one would be easy, but taking down Snake Woman Chao Tianxiang would be far from simple.
He had one more Soul Ring than she did, but if Chao Tianxiang was determined to flee, he would have absolutely no chance of keeping her. After all, Zhao Wuji was a power-type Soul Master and not particularly skilled in speed.
And once the Snake Woman escaped, what awaited him would be the endless pursuit of the Peerless Dragon and Snake.
"I am Zhao Wuji." With that, the expression on Zhao Wuji's face softened a few degrees as he offered his name.
A slight flicker of recognition crossed Chao Tianxiang's features. "No wonder — I thought it was unlikely to randomly encounter such a young Soul Saint. So it's the Immovable Bright King, famous throughout the Soul Master world."
Zhao Wuji gave an awkward smile, secretly thinking that his fame in the Soul Master world was probably more like infamy.
Zhao Wuji laughed. "You flatter me. I was rather notorious in my day. But these past few years I've been living a quieter life, teaching students at an academy. I brought these children to Star Dou Great Forest this time — partly so one of them could obtain a Soul Ring, and partly to let them see the wider world. I certainly didn't expect to run into you, Senior."
Chao Tianxiang didn't want to keep going back and forth with Zhao Wuji, so she went straight to the point. "I'm a bit older than you, so I'll take the liberty of calling you Brother Zhao. Brother Zhao, this Thousand-Year Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent is extremely important for my granddaughter. She has just reached rank thirty and needs a suitable Martial Soul Ring. And this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent was discovered by us first — we wounded it, only for it to slip away due to a moment of carelessness. Would Brother Zhao be willing to do us a favor and return this Soul Beast to us? This old woman will certainly remember this kindness, and there will be a return favor someday."
Zhao Wuji sneered inwardly. As if a few words would be enough to take a Thousand-Year Soul Beast right out of his hands. Even if the Peerless Dragon and Snake were formidable, it wouldn't be that easy. Besides, the Dragon Lord wasn't here yet.
Chao Tianxiang wanted to recover the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent from Zhao Wuji as quickly as possible, and Zhao Wuji also wanted to resolve the situation fast. He definitely didn't want to wait until the Dragon Lord arrived — at that point, the situation would be beyond his control.
"Sister Chao, I'm afraid this is a rather difficult matter!" Zhao Wuji put on a look of deep trouble.