Douluo: Things You Live Long Enough to See

Due to the fusion of their martial souls, both had lowered their guard. Through the dense underbrush, a pair of cold, serpentine eyes locked onto the two sitting by the campfire.

The vibrant body of a serpent was perfectly concealed within the grass. Its forked tongue flicked out, sensing the presence of prey even in the dark. A pink venomous horn on its forehead glistened with deadly poison, primed for a fatal strike.

Without a sound, the Mandala Snake crept closer to its unsuspecting targets. Five meters—the perfect distance for an ambush. Coiling its body into an S-shape, it loaded like a spring and then launched itself at lightning speed, aiming directly for Chaotianxiang's slender neck.

"Watch out!" Although their vigilance had dulled, Meng Shu's instincts—sharpened by years of life-and-death battles in the Star Dou Forest—warned him in time.

With no time to evade, Meng Shu pulled Chaotianxiang into his arms. Guided by honed instinct, he summoned his Dragon Staff and shielded her with it.

The deadly fangs were blocked mid-air, biting into the Dragon Staff instead. Even without piercing flesh, the venom dripped uncontrollably from the snake's mouth.

"You—!" Chaotianxiang cried out in surprise. Before she could even blush, she saw Meng Shu swing around and slam the thick, multicolored python to the ground. He then raised his staff with both hands, facing off against the serpent.

"It's a Mandala Snake—five thousand years! Perfect for you!" Rather than panic, Chaotianxiang brightened at the sight, summoning her Serpent Staff and standing beside Meng Shu in battle.

"Don't celebrate just yet. You can only absorb its spirit ring if we survive." Meng Shu's expression was serious. Spirit beasts that offered suitable spirit rings were typically stronger than the Spirit Masters seeking them.

That's why most Spirit Masters rarely hunted alone—going solo often meant death, even if a suitable beast appeared.

Meng Shu's words were a splash of cold water, sobering Chaotianxiang. She was no longer the pampered princess with a powerful father clearing her path. Her eyes flicked to Meng Shu's Dragon Staff, where the snake's bite had landed. It was turning dark purple, with two pinprick holes rapidly spreading.

A martial soul was like an extension of a Spirit Master's body. Even tool-type martial souls couldn't fully resist poison. Meng Shu could already feel the venom weakening his control over it.

"Your martial soul..." Chaotianxiang hesitated. If both of them were in top form, maybe they could take on the 5,000-year beast. But now—with poison weakening them—their chances were bleak.

Meng Shu said nothing. His hand on the staff trembled slightly, eyes fixed on a dragon-shaped scar on the snake's head.

Noticing his reaction, Chaotianxiang followed his gaze and gasped. The scar's pattern was identical to the one on Meng Shu's martial soul. And hadn't he said his father was killed by a Mandala Snake?

"You should go. This is my fight. One of us must die today!" Meng Shu's tone was steely. He might joke about his father's death, but what child doesn't long for a father's love or want their father to be a hero?

A father's murder was an unforgivable crime. The Star Dou Forest was vast—if he let this snake escape, he might never get another chance. Meng Shu wouldn't run.

He might not be stronger, but that didn't mean he couldn't kill it. He would destroy the monster that killed his father—with his own hands, no matter the cost.

"Not going to help them?" Bingdi lay lazily at the bottom of a bubble, swinging her legs in the air.

"No need. It's not a teacher's place to interrupt young people's romance," Chengying replied, raising his Phantom Rifle. Through the scope, the crosshairs were locked on the Mandala Snake's forehead, finger poised on the trigger...

---

Facing the Mandala Snake, Meng Shu was fully prepared to die. His four spirit rings pulsed rhythmically as he squared off like a cowboy in a Wild West standoff—everything would be decided in the blink of an eye.

Chaotianxiang watched with tightly pressed lips. She could leave. If Meng Shu died, the wager would be void, and she'd be free.

But for some reason, she couldn't move. They'd only met a day ago, yet something intangible compelled her not to abandon him.

Quietly, she stepped to his left side and gripped his sweaty hand with her own.

"This time, you're not alone."

Spirit power surged between them. If spirit fusion had a synchronization rate, it shot from below 50% to 80% in an instant.

Meng Shu didn't resist. He didn't say anything sentimental, either. It just felt right—no fear of life or death, only a mutual understanding forged in perfect harmony.

This was what battle should be.

No words, no glances—just action. The two moved simultaneously, still holding hands, rushing toward the snake's lunging fangs. Their staffs crossed in an X, blocking the bite and preventing its venomous fangs from touching their martial souls.

Synchronization: 90%!

The snake stiffened after its strike. Seizing the moment, both first spirit rings lit up, and their staffs softened into ropes. Wrapping around the snake's head, they performed a synchronized over-the-shoulder throw, slamming it down.

The throw spun them face-to-face like dancers, and the dangerous beast became nothing more than a prop.

With its fangs sealed, the snake could only endure their repeated attacks. Their growing synergy was unmistakable—it was as if holding hands allowed them to read each other's minds.

Synchronization: 98%... 99%...

100%!

At that moment, they ceased their assault and embraced, their spirit power completely fused. Guided by instinct and their martial souls, they melded together in body and power.

Their staffs coiled like a double helix—dragon and snake intertwining, their spiritual genes combining. From that fusion arose a mighty ancestor of old.

A massive, jade-green dragon-serpent emerged—the Blood Sea Demon Jiao. With it came a sea of blood-red clouds and a pair of crimson, vertical pupils radiating sovereign might.

Even in its juvenile form, it was far beyond anything a mere Mandala Snake could provoke.

It roared arrogantly from within the blood sea, and every spirit beast nearby with dragon or serpent lineage instinctively bowed. In that moment, a name echoed in both their minds:

Blood Sea Demon Jiao!

PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/XenTronix