Chapter 26: Explosive Victory
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The battle intensified. The variant Datura Snake struck at every angle wildly, spitting acid through its teeth and snapping multiple heads simultaneously. The Silver Demigod read the rhythm of the flailing attacks and slashed them apart while discreetly placing exploding tags on them.
The battle intensified. The variant Datura Snake struck at every angle wildly, spitting acid through its teeth and snapping its multiple heads simultaneously. The Silver Demigod read the rhythm of the flailing attacks and slashed them apart while discreetly placing exploding tags on them.
*BOOM!*
*BOOM!*
A series of explosions occurred, leaving Tang Ya to weave her Blue Silver Grass into complex patterns, reinforcing her bindings as the snake thrashed violently. That's when Bei Bei moved in, his lightning strikes coordinated perfectly with Huo Yuhao's physical assaults.
The variant Soul Beast's attempts to overwhelm them with physical might proved equally useless as they were countered by precision and speed of the duo. Finally, after a series of meticulously timed strikes, Bei Bei's lightning and the demigod's blade work created an opening for Tang Ya.
"Tang Ya, Go!" "End this!" They shouted, and that was Tang Ya's cue, and she took it, throwing a golden hidden projectile as small as a needle that pierced the base of the remaining heads where the heart was.
Reinforced Blue Silver Grass bound the creature, restraining its massive, thrashing body. The final hiss echoed before the Datura Snake fell still.
The atmosphere became quiet, save for the hiss of lingering venom and the rustle of disturbed leaves. Tang Ya's chest heaved as she surveyed the subdued creature, waiting a few moments to check that it was indeed dead. Better safe than sorry.
She, Huo Yuhao, and Bei Bei remained vigilant for about five minutes before a purple thousand-year Soul Ring appeared out from its body, and all three exhaled.
The radiance of Bei Bei's lightning and reptilian arm subsided along with his Soul Ring as he finally let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, that was a close one." He was exhausted and had blown through a good chunk of his Soul Power, but he was standing, and in the end that was all that mattered.
With an excited smile, she turned to them with small tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad you two are ok." She went to hug Bei Bei tightly.
"Don't think I didn't forget about you too, Yuhao." The leader of the Tang Sect sent him an appreciative smile. "If it weren't for you, I feared the worst would happen." She wanted to hug them both, but knowing he wasn't comfortable with that, she opted not to.
"It was no problem." The Silver Demigod replied before saying, "But you should get going on absorbing the Soul Ring before it's too late."
When it came to Soul Rings, time was always of the essence because if a Soul Master did not absorb a Soul Ring on time, it would disappear. Letting that happen would be nothing short
"On it!" She replied as she went to the purple Soul Ring that hovered above the variant Datura Snake, where she then sat cross-legged next to it.
As she did, a glimmering blue light shone from her right hand. She gently raised her hand and lightly touched above the purple soul ring of the variant Datura Snake, immediately attracting the purple Soul Ring with the blue light from her hand, integrating it into her body.
The smile on Tang Yas was replaced with concentration as she put her focus on absorbing the Soul Ring. Around her, Blue Silver Grass began to materialize as if she were a tree and they were her roots. At the same time, her two yellow Soul Rings floated around her.
Seeing this made the Son of Poseidon wonder what Tang Ya's Martial Soul really was. From what he'd seen, it manifested as blue vines, but there was something strange with it. Like it wasn't showing its true nature.
Noticing his curiosity, Bei Bei spoke up. "Curious? Xiao Ya's Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."
"Blue Silver Grass." The demigod perked up. "Just like the founder of the Tang Sect?" It was no wonder he smelled hints of vitality. His backyard was surrounded by them, and they were pretty to look at and smelled nice, but something smelled off about her Martial Soul. He smelled something else, a metallic scent, like blood.
Bei Bei nodded. "That's right. Ten thousand years ago, the first-generation Sect Master of the Tang Sect created our glorious history with his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. Sadly, in the legends it is stated that when he later ascended to godhood, he did not leave any descendants behind."
"That's... disappointing." He remarked with a sigh. If he couldn't fight against Tang San himself, fighting his descendants would've been the next best thing. Unfortunately, that wasn't going to happen.
Oh well, as long as people were driven enough, strong contenders were a dime a dozen.
'You really need to tone it down with that ridiculous battle obsession. I don't get why you're so hellbent on something as trivial as a fight you'll no doubt win.' To the Titan Lord, there was no such thing as a fight, only ants to be crushed.
It was a mentality his grandson took to heart in all his battles, but ever since that scuffle with Hercules, the small bit of the Silver Demigod's passion for battle was lit, making him eager to find an opponent worthy enough to make his blood burn. 'Oh well, motivation is motivation, I guess.' He grumbled as he continued observing their discussion.
"Yes, it is a shame." Bei Bei continued. "To honor him, the disciples in the Tang Sect have persistently considered the Blue Silver Grass as their symbol and glory. For generations we've tried diligently to cultivate Soul Masters who possessed that Martial Soul. Unfortunately, facts have proven that not everyone can draw out the powerful capabilities of the Blue Silver Grass Tang San once did. Ever since his departure, the Tang Sect has not seen another strong Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul like his stand at the peak. However, the tradition has continued with no one making any significant progress."
Kronos pinched the bridge of his nose irritably as he took a deep exhale. 'Fucking idiots.' He took a deep breath. 'No wonder your Sect fucking fell. I can't even begin to explain the stupidity of wasting resources on a Martial Soul you humans can never hope to use. Cultivating Blue Silver Grass into something combative is impossible for humans.'
'What are you talking about?' Yuhao questioned. It was almost as if the old Titan was saying that Soul Masters with the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul shouldn't even bother cultivating it.
If that was the case, then what made Tang San so special?
'I'll tell you some other time.' Kronos shut him down. They'd be here all day if he had to explain Soul Beast and human physiology.
"What about Miss Tang Ya?" Yuhao asked aloud. "Do you think she'll succeed in cultivating her Martial Soul well enough?"
"It's certainly possible." Bei Bei replied with a hum. "Xiao Ya's talent in the Blue Silver Grass is already quite good. She works extremely hard to make it combat effective. I bet she's hoping she will with that variant Soul Ring. Thanks to your help, she now has that chance to make a breakthrough. I'm sure she'll do well. Thank you, little brother." He extended his hand.
"Don't mention it, Senior Bei Bei." He shook the violet-haired youth's hand. "I'm simply fulfiling my role an ally to your Sect. It'd be shameful if you shared your techniques and I couldn't contribute something as measly as this." He finished his subtle reminder that this was an agreement between them.
Bei Bei's smile thinned in acknowledgment. It seems he was going to need to try harder to earn his trust. That was fine, all in due time.
"Well, thank you anyway." Bei Bei said. "Because of your soul skill, we were able to fight better and bring Tang Ya back into the battle. You really surprised us. I still can't believe your first Soul Ring held so much power. It's incredible. And those explosion things really helped. What were those things? They didn't seem like a Soul Guide." He complimented.
"They're called explosion talismans, and no, they're not Soul Guides." He slipped one from within his clothing and handed it to Bei Bei. "They're made with a special material that ignites once it gets stuck onto something. I have a few."
These explosion talismans were handmade tags created with simple magic-infused oriental parchment. Through precise brushwork, he inscribed Japanese-style sealing formulas across the paper, layering the recipe that would cause an explosion, which was containment, ignition, and detonation. In battle, he would channel a thread of magic through his fingers, flicking the tag toward his target or simply slapping it on.
The moment it adhered to a surface or activated by a magical signature, the seal lines flared, and the stored energy erupted in a sharp, fiery blast. While the explosion's power was only comparable to an average combustion spell, his control over the seals allowed him to adjust the radius, delay the detonation, or even chain several tags together for tactical traps.
It was the perfect weapon against that Hydra wannabe.
He developed these as a side project when he studied abroad in Japan, and the funny thing was this was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to his magical skills and items in his possession.
Inspecting it, Bei Bei was awed at the sight. It looked like any normal pieces of paper. "It's hard to believe these little things can do so much damage. I wonder how well they would pair with hidden weapons." He idly wonders as he hands the tag back to Yuhao.
Inspecting the parchment, Bei Bei's eyes widened. It looked like any ordinary piece of paper.
"It's hard to believe these little things can pack so much power. I wonder how well they'd pair with hidden weapons…" He mused as he handed it back. He wasn't going to ask how or where Yuhao got his hands on them. Everybody had their own secrets.
"That's not a half-bad idea." Huo Yuhao absentmindedly replied as he took it back. He'd seen Tang Ya throw her hidden weapons like a pro. That, combined with his explosive talismans, would go hand in hand.
Reworking the seals to bond with Tang Sect hidden weapons and detonate from a distance was a simple task. He was certainly going to look into that when he had the chance. "So, I have a question. If the Tang sect was really as powerful as the legends say, then why did it decline in the first place?"
"You'll gradually understand once you study at Shrek Academy. There are many reasons, both internal and external. The fact that only a few of us remain may not necessarily be a bad thing. Less oversight means fewer restrictions on us now." He dryly chuckled at his tax joke before saying, "As for you, little brother, you really gave me a big surprise with that soul skill."
Understanding what he meant, Yuhao nodded. "I was just testing it. It surprised me too. But being able to share my vision with others is pretty advantageous. How did it feel in battle? I'd like feedback on your experience for future reference." He guided the conversation away from how he obtained such an ability to how it felt.
'Good job.' Kronos praised the way he diverted the topic to something similar but different.
Bei Bei smiled as he recounted his experience. "Well, for starters, even a regular Datura Snake would be a 40/60 fight with me as the former, so fighting the variant Datura Snake, my chances were minimal, but when you shared your vision with me, I could clearly see all its movements. It was as if I could take my time defeating it without having to worry about its next move."
"Good thing I did. It would've been a shame if you died before I got the chance to fight you." Yuhao retorted.
Bei Bei blinked. "…Wait, really? Yuhao, do you want to spar with me?"
"I do." The demigod answered simply. "In fact, after seeing you put up a fight with the variant Datura Snake and the power behind your Martial Soul, I wanted to see how I'd hold up against you. I was going to ask before the variant Datura Snake showed up, but you know how that went." He gestured at the corpse, getting a chortle from the older boy. "So how about it, Senior Bei Bei? When we have some time, can we have a proper spar?"
It was rare, but he was fonder of fights that tested his mettle against equally or more powerful and skilled opponents. Ever since his fight with Hercules and Son Wukong, he hasn't had the chance to truly feel the thrill of an actual rumble instead of his boring fights for survival or the ones that didn't move him and make his heart race with excitement.
Bei Bei's smile sharpened into a competitive grin. 'Heh. He's just like Wuken.' He thought of his monkey, Junior, which filled him with the same desire for battle.
"Yuhao, after your performance today, I'd be honored to spar with you. Obviously, not right now, but once we leave this forest and finish teaching you the Tang Sect techniques, we'll make time before going to the academy." He promised, and Yuhao nodded, satisfied.
There was no question in his mind that Yuhao had been the core of their team. His soul skill made reading enemy attacks effortless. His leadership had turned a deadly variant Soul Beast into a manageable opponent. Bei Bei found himself curious about how far he could go. He had a bright future, that's for sure. This battle made Bei Bei want to learn more of Huo Yuhao.
Yuhao then asked, "Senior Bei Bei, about that Soul Beast. You said it was a variant Datura Snake, but why did it have so many heads? Do normal Datura Snakes have multiple heads?"
"It's not that simple." Bei Bei replied. "It's a variant, but Soul Masters nowadays classify thousand-year mutations differently. Variants only started appearing about seven or nine thousand years ago, and no mutation is ever identical, so naming them has been… complicated. Especially in the Sun Moon Empire."
"Sounds confusing." He didn't like it when things weren't classified and documented.
"You have no idea." Bei Bei snorted. "There are constant debates whether to give them their own unique names and classifications or just call them variants followed by their actual species names out of convenience. The variant Soul Beast we fought just now is called a variant Datura Snake, or, as others would call it, a Nine-Headed Datura Land Serpent. Its poison is extremely strong, even more so than its nonvariant counterpart. Its poison is extremely strong, even more so than a normal one. As you saw, it can regenerate severed heads, and its scales are tough. Among poison-type Soul Beasts, it ranks extremely high."
He glanced back at the fallen Soul Beast. "Judging by its size, it was fairly young. Maybe around one thousand one hundred years old."
Because variants were still a mystery, normal people didn't have enough information on them. Every day they astound and perplex Soul Masters everywhere because they always appear differently, but because they're a variant of a Datura Snake, they can draw some comparisons. For example, a normal Datura Snake, because of its innate strength, fluid movements, and toxicity, has fewer natural enemies, while the variant Datura Snake has much more strength, a wide array of poison-releasing abilities that can do more than simply break you apart. Thanks to that, they had very few enemies.
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(Studies show that Men become best friends after beating each other up.)