Suddenly, a faint fluctuation of Soul Power emanated from the foreleg of the dead Earth Flame Lizard, instantly attracting Lin Mu's attention.
Lin Mu used his Soul Power to draw it in, and a Soul Bone faintly glowing with crimson light flew into his hand.
"I actually got a Left Arm Bone."
Looking at the red bone in his hand, a hint of surprise flashed in Lin Mu's eyes. He hadn't expected his luck to be so good, casually obtaining a Soul Bone from a random hunt.
This was a thirty-thousand-year Soul Bone. Although it wasn't a top-tier hundred-thousand-year bone, it was still an extremely rare treasure in the Soul Master world.
You must know that even certain Titled Douluo didn't possess a full set of Soul Bones, and many didn't even have a single ten-thousand-year bone.
Lin Mu stored the Soul Bone in his storage soul tool, preparing to take Tang San and Xiao Wu deeper into the forest, when he suddenly sensed the aura of other Soul Beasts approaching at an extremely fast speed.
Soon, a pale red figure rapidly swept across the sky above the tree line. It was a snake-like Soul Beast with a fleshy red crest on its head, a slender body, and incredible speed.
"A Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent?"
Lin Mu's gaze sharpened as he noticed the serpent's injuries, indicating it was being targeted and chased by another Soul Master.
Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpents were relatively rare, non-aggressive Soul Beasts. This one appeared to be just over a thousand years old and was injured, suggesting that its pursuers were likely either the Snake Granny or Zhao Wuji's group from the original timeline.
Soon, Lin Mu sensed two human figures approaching fast.
An old woman and a young girl, presumably the Snake Granny, Chao Tianxiang, and her granddaughter, Meng Yiran.
After a moment's thought, Lin Mu made his decision.
He casually threw a punch into the air. A blazing fist of compressed Soul Power struck the serpent's abdomen mid-flight, knocking it from the sky. The serpent crashed heavily to the ground, bleeding profusely, and was stunned, unable to move.
Seeing the serpent brought down, the Snake Granny and Meng Yiran quickened their pace.
Soon, the two arrived at the clearing and were shocked to see the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent lying on the verge of death. Who could have done this so cleanly?
Turning her gaze, the Snake Granny noticed Lin Mu and his two companions standing not far away.
'They must have severely injured the Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent,' the Snake Granny thought. She didn't have time to think further. She was about to step forward and thank them, but when she noticed the young faces of the three people, she froze.
"How is this possible?!"
Seeing that the attackers were such young people, the Snake Granny was utterly astonished.
In her mind, someone who could so easily subdue a thousand-year-old Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent, known for its extreme speed, should be at least a middle-aged Soul Master in their thirties or forties, perhaps even a Soul Saint.
But the person who clearly led the group was only a young man in his early twenties!
His face was handsome yet masculine, with a sharp edge hidden between his brows. If she hadn't seen the lingering energy with her own eyes, she would never have believed that the person who subdued the serpent could be so young.
Meng Yiran, standing beside her grandmother, stared wide-eyed. Her cherry-red lips were slightly parted, her face filled with disbelief.
She glanced at the dying Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent on the ground, then at the composed Lin Mu, her mind reeling.
Even her grandmother had trouble catching it due to its speed, yet this man, who looked only a few years older than herself, had so easily defeated it.
'Could his strength surpass even Grandmother's?'
'To possess such power at such a young age... could he be a monster cultivated by some hidden sect or the Spirit Hall?'
The Snake Granny, having lived most of her life and considering herself knowledgeable, felt her understanding of the world utterly shaken.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her shock, and stepped forward with unprecedented solemnity, saying:
"I am Chao Tianxiang. Thank you for your help in subduing this beast. This Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent is crucial to my granddaughter's advancement. Could you please grant me this favor and allow us to claim it?"
"This Spirit Beast is useless to us; do as you see fit."
Lin Mu waved his hand dismissively.
Hearing this, the Snake Granny breathed a sigh of relief, her guard dissipating significantly. She bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your kindness. The Unrivaled Dragon and Snake family is deeply grateful."
Hearing her grandmother speak, Meng Yiran finally snapped out of her shock. She quickly bowed slightly to Lin Mu, saying, "Thank you very much, Senior."
Her voice carried a hint of hesitation and timidity; facing this Soul Master who wasn't much older than her but vastly stronger, she instinctively felt a sense of distance and pressure.
Hearing Lin Mu's permission, Meng Yiran's face lit up with joy. She drew her dagger, preparing to deliver the final blow to the serpent.
Rustle.
Just then, footsteps suddenly came from the dense forest behind them.
Immediately afterward, a group of somewhat disheveled figures emerged, it was the Shrek Academy group led by Zhao Wuji.
Because their group lacked a healing Soul Master, Zhao Wuji's injuries from the previous day hadn't healed much; his face was still bruised and swollen, making him look quite wretched.
"You call yourselves geniuses, and this is the mess you've made?! You can't even handle a thousand-year-old Soul Beast... Uh?!"
Zhao Wuji was in the middle of scolding Dai Mubai and the others when he saw the figure that had haunted his nightmares all night standing in the clearing.
"It's him!"
Zhao Wuji's pupils dilated. His facial muscles twitched uncontrollably, and his usually straight back bent slightly in a defensive posture. His eyes were filled with fear and disbelief.
'How could we run into this Great Demon King again in this vast Star Dou Forest?!'
"How... how could he be here?!"
Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun turned deathly pale behind him. Their legs trembled, and they almost turned to run immediately.
Seeing the sudden appearance of these people, the Snake Granny and Meng Yiran became alert again. In the Star Dou Great Forest, murder, robbery, and the theft of Soul Rings were common occurrences.
"Master."
Tang San immediately stepped to Lin Mu's side, his gaze instantly locking onto Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. His expression was grave, his hand hovering near his waist, ready to act.
Xiao Wu, on the other hand, seemed preoccupied and uninterested in the new arrivals.
Lin Mu calmly swept his gaze over Zhao Wuji and the others, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Don't be so tense," he said. "We said yesterday we'd call it even, so naturally I won't hold it against you today."
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun immediately breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Your Excellency is so magnanimous; of course, a person of your stature won't hold it against us."
Zhao Wuji forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, inwardly thankful that this senior seemed to be a man of his word. Otherwise, they might all be finished right here.
After a night of contemplation, Zhao Wuji was increasingly certain that Lin Mu was a Titled Douluo who had retained his youthful appearance, hence the respectful address of "Your Excellency."
Another reason was that this person looked at least twenty years younger than him, and calling him "Senior" felt rather odd, despite the strength difference.
Faced with Zhao Wuji's flattery, Lin Mu remained indifferent.
Just then, Oscar walked up to Zhao Wuji and whispered urgently, "Teacher Zhao, this Phoenix-Tailed Crested Serpent is dying."
Hearing this, Zhao Wuji's heart tightened. He immediately looked at the serpent lying on the ground and found it was indeed on its last legs. It would likely die completely within minutes.
Oscar desperately needed this ring for his third Soul Skill.