At the same time, Xu Zihuang and the others had withdrawn from the inner mixed zone of the Star Dou Forest to the outer peripheral zone.
Beibei was carrying the unconscious Tang Ya on his back, while Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian walked beside him.
In this situation, the task of staying vigilant and fending off soul beast attacks naturally fell to Xu Zihuang. Along the way, they had encountered several aggressive soul beasts that took the initiative to attack them. However, Xu Zihuang easily dealt with them all.
After reaching the peripheral zone, the group instinctively quickened their pace. After all, their strength was evident. Even in the vast mixed zone, there weren't many soul beasts that could pose a threat to them, let alone in this peripheral zone dominated by century-old soul beasts.
The Diamond Mammoth was a soul beast renowned for its astonishing strength and defensive capabilities. Having successfully fused with the soul ring of a thousand-year Diamond Mammoth and officially advancing to the four-ring Soul Ancestor level, Ning Tian's physical condition and stamina had noticeably improved. Although she couldn't compare to a battle soul master of the same cultivation, she was no longer a burden to the group as she had been when they first entered the Star Dou Forest.
Of course, Ning Tian's martial soul was the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda. Absorbing the soul ring of the Diamond Mammoth wouldn't grant her any attack or defence-type soul skills, but rather a defensive amplification soul skill.
Over tens of thousands of years, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect had thoroughly explored and identified the most suitable soul beasts for their direct descendants' soul rings. Without a doubt, the Diamond Mammoth was one of them, and it held a very high priority.
This time, the group maintained a side-by-side formation as they advanced. Xu Zihuang was in the centre, with Ning Tian and Beibei, who was carrying Tang Ya, on either side of him.
Ning Tian sincerely remarked, "If Senior Sister Xiao Ya's martial soul can successfully evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor, getting into the inner courtyard will definitely be no problem."
Given the close relationship between them, Beibei naturally knew that Ning Tian's words carried no trace of mockery.
It was simply the truth. With Tang Ya's martial soul being just Blue Silver Grass, even if she broke through to the Soul Ancestor level, her chances of entering the inner courtyard were slim to none. That's why Beibei had wanted to find a suitable soul bone for her to bolster her foundation.
But things were different now. Knowing that Tang Ya possessed the bloodline of the Blue Silver Emperor, coupled with the earlier anomaly, Beibei finally saw hope. As Ning Tian said, if Tang Ya's martial soul could evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor, she would surely gain the academy's attention. Even if she couldn't complete the evolution right away, the academy might lower the entry requirements for the inner courtyard for someone with the Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
Shrek Academy had always placed the greatest emphasis on a student's potential, and the Blue Silver Emperor was the martial soul that Tang San, their ancestor from ten thousand years ago, had used to ascend to godhood.
"It's just that evolving Xiao Ya's martial soul into the Blue Silver Emperor won't be that easy," Beibei said with a slight smile, shaking his head.
Xu Zihuang chimed in, "Brother Bei, you could try searching for a ten-thousand-year Blue Silver King for Senior Sister Xiao Ya's later soul rings. That might help promote the evolution of her martial soul. If you can find a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor, that would be even better."
"Actually, I've been thinking the same thing," Beibei said, exchanging a glance with Xu Zihuang before giving a wry smile.
"While ten-thousand-year Blue Silver Kings are rare, according to the academy's records, they can still be found. But a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor? I'm afraid such a thing might not even exist on the continent."
Xu Zihuang fell silent, a glint of something unusual flashing deep in his eyes. Through the memories of his past life, he was certain that a hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor did indeed exist. He even knew the general area where that Blue Silver Emperor was active. If his cultivation grew strong enough in the future, with his formidable mental power, he could intentionally search for it and likely find it. It would just take some effort.
However, the prerequisite was that Beibei and Tang Ya owed him a favour significant enough to make it worthwhile.
To be honest, he didn't mind helping Tang Ya out if it was convenient. But to expend too much effort searching for that Blue Silver Emperor, only to give its hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bone to Tang Ya for free? That was unnecessary.
He did have some fondness for the innocent Tang Ya, but that didn't mean he would go to such lengths for her without reason.
The group continued heading toward the outer edge of the Star Dou Forest.
Unknowingly, they had already crossed more than ten kilometres in the peripheral zone. In less than ten more kilometres, they would exit the Star Dou Forest.
"Roar—"
Suddenly, a slightly low roar echoed nearby, and the group abruptly halted.
"A tiger-type soul beast?"
All three—Xu Zihuang, Beibei, and Ning Tian—came from distinguished backgrounds and had sufficient knowledge of soul beasts. From that roar, they almost instantly identified the type of soul beast.
Looking toward the source of the sound, they spotted a black tiger about eight hundred meters ahead. Its skeletal structure was unusually robust, particularly its four massive paws, which were broad and powerful.
Giant Paw Black Tiger.
What appeared before them was indeed a Giant Paw Black Tiger. This was an exceptionally powerful soul beast, considered among the elite of all tiger-type soul beasts. It excelled in close-quarters combat, with terrifying melee capabilities paired with several potent innate soul skills. Often, a Giant Paw Black Tiger with just a few hundred years of cultivation could match the combat strength of many thousand-year soul beasts.
The Giant Paw Black Tiger in front of them was over two meters long, with a shoulder height exceeding eighty centimetres. Its size wasn't particularly massive, but its cultivation was solidly over five hundred years.
Opposite this Giant Paw Black Tiger stood two soul masters.
One of them was an older man who appeared to be in his fifties. He had a robust build, with bronzed skin and weathered eyes that gleamed with sharpness, giving off a seasoned and formidable aura. His muscles were taut as he stood rooted in place, intently watching the direction ahead.
Behind him, protected by the older man, was a boy around twelve years old. The boy had neatly cropped golden hair and a somewhat stern face, but his azure eyes were filled with panic.
The warm midday sunlight filtered through the gaps in the towering trees' branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Yet, bathed in this mottled light, the two felt nothing but a chilling cold.
As the Giant Paw Black Tiger let out its low growl, the two soul masters released their martial souls in succession.
Under the effect of martial soul possession, the older man's already sturdy frame swelled further, and a layer of grey keratin covered his skin. A single horn, glowing with a brownish-yellow light, sprouted from his head.
One white, two yellow, and one purple—four soul rings instantly rose from his feet.
His martial soul was a rhinoceros, not the rare Single-Horned Demon Rhino that Xu Zihuang had once encountered, but an ordinary rhinoceros, barely qualifying as a mid-to-low-tier martial soul. With a rhinoceros as his martial soul, the older man was clearly a strength-type defensive battle soul master, similar to Xu Sanshi.
However, his rhinoceros martial soul was nowhere near the level of Xu Sanshi's Mysterious Underworld Turtle Shield. Their soul ring configurations were even further apart.
Though he was a Soul Ancestor-level powerhouse, facing a Giant Paw Black Tiger with over five hundred years of cultivation, he didn't dare claim he could reliably suppress it. In terms of combat strength, he was actually inferior to Beibei when the latter was still a three-ring soul master.
The older man stared at the Giant Paw Black Tiger with utmost gravity, exuding an iron-blooded, murderous aura.
"From the military? This place is closest to the Star Luo Empire. Could they be from the Star Luo Empire's Western Army Corps?" Beibei, carrying Tang Ya, raised an eyebrow. When they had eradicated the Death God Emissary bandit group led by an evil soul master in the Ming Dou Mountain Range, they had received information from the Western Army Corps under the command of the White Tiger Duke.
If these were people from the Star Luo Empire's Western Army Corps, it would only be right for them to lend a hand.
Xu Zihuang's gaze, however, lingered more on the golden-haired boy behind the older man, his eyes narrowing slightly. From this boy, he could faintly sense subtle fluctuations of mental power.
One had to understand that, unless they were a mental-attribute soul master, a soul master typically needed to reach the stage of external mental power projection to produce such fluctuations. For a boy with golden hair, who looked only twelve or thirteen, to achieve this was rather astonishing.
Not everyone was as exceptional as Xu Zihuang, with such extraordinary talent.
Yet, just as Xu Zihuang's curiosity arose, it seemed everything became clear once the golden-haired boy released his martial soul.
A layer of white light glowed from the boy's body, and his frame rapidly expanded. His muscles visibly thickened at a rapid pace, and white fur sprouted from his body.
His martial soul was, astonishingly, the same White Tiger as Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin's.
However, the White Tiger fur on his body was purely white, a crystalline, translucent white, without the black-and-white pattern or the unique dual pupils characteristic of the White Tiger Duke's lineage.
A bright yellow soul ring rose from his feet. Despite being only a year or two younger than Xu Zihuang, this golden-haired boy was still just a one-ring soul master. His talent was, frankly, quite poor.
At this point, Xu Zihuang was almost certain of the boy's identity. A mutated White Tiger martial soul, possibly with mental attributes—there was likely only one person it could be: Dai Luoli, the younger half-brother of Dai Yueheng, Dai Huabin, and Huo Yuhao.
Xu Zihuang's guess was correct. It was indeed the case.
The golden-haired boy was Dai Hao, the White Tiger Duke's youngest son, Dai Luoli. At thirteen, a year younger than Huo Yuhao, he had only recently broken through to level twenty in soul power.
His White Tiger martial soul was incompletely mutated, as if a significant portion of its origin was missing, making cultivation extremely difficult. The effort he put into training was no less than that of Dai Yueheng or Dai Huabin, yet his soul power progressed at a snail's pace.
His cultivation speed was only marginally better than Huo Yuhao's at present, making them something of kindred spirits in their struggles.
Though Dai Luoli's talent for cultivation was poor, he was still of the White Tiger Duke's bloodline, and his awakened martial soul was the White Tiger of the duke's lineage. Even if the duchess disliked Dai Luoli and his concubine mother, she couldn't openly harm them. She could only suppress them within the bounds of the rules.
A recent example was when Dai Luoli applied to acquire a soul ring. None of the guards in the White Tiger Duke's mansion were willing to accompany him to the Star Dou Forest to hunt soul beasts. Offending the duchess was one reason, but another was that entering the Star Dou Forest always carried risks.
In the end, only Zhou Ye, a recently retired soldier from the Western Army Corps, was willing to take him to the Star Dou Forest to hunt a soul beast for his advancement. Zhou Ye was the older man protecting Dai Luoli.
A commoner by birth, Zhou Ye was upright and principled. Having fought for decades in the Western Army Corps, he had reached a soul power level of forty-five. For a commoner soul master who relied solely on himself, reaching such a level was already a remarkable achievement.
"White Tiger martial soul?" Beibei and Ning Tian also noticed Dai Luoli's martial soul, their minds making some connections, though they weren't as certain as Xu Zihuang.
In that brief moment, the muscles in the Giant Paw Black Tiger's limbs suddenly contracted, and it leapt into the air the next instant. Jet-black claws extended from its massive paws, swiping toward Zhou Ye.
"Young Master Three, stay close to me!" Zhou Ye shouted, his yellow second soul ring flaring. Grey keratin surged crazily over his body, forming what looked like a suit of armour made of grey keratin.
"Scritch—" The Giant Paw Black Tiger's claw struck with tremendous force, its sharp claws scraping fine sparks across Zhou Ye's keratin armour.
Thanks to his superior cultivation, Zhou Ye didn't suffer a disadvantage. On the contrary, the Giant Paw Black Tiger proactively retreated a few meters, circling Zhou Ye and Dai Luoli. Its inky-black eyes gleamed with bloodthirst and cruelty.
"Ah—"
As the Giant Paw Black Tiger prepared to pounce again, Dai Luoli, unable to withstand the pressure, inadvertently released his first soul skill and stumbled back a few steps.
This allowed Xu Zihuang to sense the difference between Dai Luoli's martial soul and the traditional White Tiger martial soul even more clearly.
The traditional White Tiger martial soul, when releasing soul skills, exuded a majestic and domineering aura. But when Dai Luoli released his first soul skill, White Tiger Protective Barrier, it was filled with spirituality. The aura of mental power grew stronger, intertwining with his soul power, giving the impression of a fusion between mental power and soul power.
However, no matter how spiritual this soul skill was, it couldn't fully manifest its advantages without the user possessing the corresponding mindset and ability.
Catching Dai Luoli's actions out of the corner of his eye, Zhou Ye's expression changed drastically.
The situation he most feared had come to pass.
In his line of sight, the Giant Paw Black Tiger, which had been biding its time, suddenly swung its right paw forward. In the air, an illusory black tiger claw materialised out of nowhere and slammed into the ground.
This was the Giant Paw Black Tiger's most powerful innate soul skill, Black Tiger Spirit Palm.
Within a two-meter radius around Zhou Ye, the ground sank several meters, leaving a massive tiger claw imprint. The pressure forced his body to bend slightly.
Though he immediately unleashed his strongest fourth soul skill, he couldn't break free from the suppression of the Black Tiger Spirit Palm in the short term.
A black shadow darted past him—it was the Giant Paw Black Tiger. As its claw swung toward Dai Luoli, Zhou Ye's eyes nearly split with rage, but he was unable to assist in time.
"Young Master Three!"
If anything happened to Dai Luoli, he would have no face to meet the White Tiger Duke.
In Dai Luoli's eyes, beyond panic, there was now overwhelming fear. The Giant Paw Black Tiger's sharp claws loomed larger in his vision, and he seemed to see his body being torn apart, meeting his end right there.
But the scene he imagined didn't come to pass.
With a shrill whimper, the Giant Paw Black Tiger's massive body was sent crashing sideways, as if struck by a tremendous force, slamming heavily into the trunk of a giant tree beside Dai Luoli.
A long spear, formed of dark red crystal, had completely pierced through the soft abdomen of the Giant Paw Black Tiger. The spear's tip penetrated the tiger's body and embedded deeply into the tree trunk, pinning the Giant Paw Black Tiger to the sturdy tree.
Blood and some entrails spilt onto the ground, the thick stench of blood filling the air. The Giant Paw Black Tiger's aura rapidly weakened.
Zhou Ye was the first to react, quickly moving to Dai Luoli's side, warily looking toward the direction behind them.
Needless to say, the one who had acted was Xu Zihuang. Though he didn't care about Dai Luoli's life or death, with Beibei and Ning Tian present, not acting would have been somewhat inconsistent with the persona he was projecting.
Xu Zihuang and the others approached Zhou Ye and Dai Luoli. Seeing that the ones who acted were a few young boys and girls, a hint of shock flickered in Zhou Ye's stern eyes.
To deal with the Giant Paw Black Tiger so effortlessly—what kind of soul power cultivation and strength did these people possess?
Still, he didn't let his guard down.
Coming to his senses, the somewhat stunned Dai Luoli saw Xu Zihuang and the others. His eyes lit up, especially when he saw Xu Zihuang standing at the centre of the group.
"It's you?!"
Before Xu Zihuang and the others could respond, Zhou Ye asked Dai Luoli with a mix of surprise and doubt, "Young Master Three, you know them?"
Dai Luoli's eyes shone with admiration and longing.
"They're from Shrek Academy. They once led the Shrek team with Big Brother to win the championship of the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duelling Tournament."
During the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Soul Duelling Tournament, Dai Luoli, as the illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke, had been able to watch the matches at Star Luo Plaza for free. It wasn't because his status was particularly esteemed, but simply out of respect for the White Tiger Duke.
He had personally witnessed Yu Tianhuang single-handedly defeating the entire Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy team. From then on, he never missed a single match in which Yu Tianhuang competed.
It could be said that Yu Tianhuang left an indelible impression on him. Living in the shadow of his older brothers, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, Dai Luoli realised for the first time that there existed a peerless genius in this world whose talent could overshadow even his brothers.
Feeling like a frog at the bottom of a well, Dai Luoli was utterly captivated by Yu Tianhuang, becoming his devoted fan.
His lifelong aspiration was to become someone like Yu Tianhuang.
Hearing Dai Luoli's words, Zhou Ye let out a sigh of relief. If these people were from Shrek Academy, there would surely be no issue.
Indeed, only the continent's premier Shrek Academy could nurture such geniuses.
"Thank you, everyone, from Shrek Academy, for your assistance. I am Zhou Ye, formerly a personal guard of the White Tiger Duke. This is the duke's third son." Zhou Ye saluted the group with great respect and solemnity, adopting a military gesture.
His posture was very humble.
Among soul masters, strength always reigned supreme. Moreover, Xu Zihuang and the others had saved Dai Luoli—how could he possibly act superior?
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly, then turned to Dai Luoli. Noticing the emotions in Dai Luoli's eyes, he asked with a gentle smile, "You're the younger brother of Senior Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin?"
"I… I'm Dai Luoli," Dai Luoli replied, nodding excitedly, feeling a sense of unreality at being face-to-face with the object of his admiration.
Beibei also gave a refined, warm smile. "I didn't expect Senior Dai to have such a brother. Looks like he really looks up to you, Tianhuang."
Ning Tian smiled without saying a word.
Hearing Xu Zihuang mention Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, Zhou Ye's last traces of doubt vanished.
However, Dai Luoli, who had grown up accustomed to a lowly status in the White Tiger Duke's mansion, wasn't used to having his thoughts exposed so openly by Beibei. He immediately became shy and uneasy.
In essence, Dai Luoli wasn't much different from the early Huo Yuhao. The only difference was that Dai Luoli hadn't experienced the same heart-wrenching tragedies as Huo Yuhao, nor did he harbour hatred toward the White Tiger Duke. But the sense of inferiority was the same.
Xu Zihuang's smile remained unchanged. "From your aura, it seems your soul power has reached the bottleneck at level twenty. The Giant Paw Black Tiger's cultivation is around six hundred years, which is perfect for your second soul ring. Why don't you go ahead and fuse with the soul ring? We can rest here in the meantime."
"Young Master Three, the Giant Paw Black Tiger is one of the top tiger-type soul beasts. The soul skill it grants you will only be stronger than White Tiger Fierce Light Wave," Zhou Ye said seriously, turning to Dai Luoli.
He naturally wouldn't refuse. With Xu Zihuang and the others present, his burden would be lighter.
If they were unlucky and encountered a soul beast even stronger than the Giant Paw Black Tiger, his strength might not be enough to handle it.
"Thank you," Dai Luoli said, stunned for a moment before his face flushed as he thanked Xu Zihuang. Then, using a dagger, he ended the Giant Paw Black Tiger's life.
Watching the bright yellow soul ring gradually condense above the Giant Paw Black Tiger's corpse, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
Not only had he met Yu Tianhuang, but with Yu Tianhuang's help, he had obtained this high-quality soul ring. It felt like a dream.
Dai Luoli glanced back at Xu Zihuang, who nodded to him. No longer hesitating, he sat cross-legged and began using his soul power to guide the soul ring to fuse with his body.
Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang and the other three found a place to sit.
Beibei leaned against a protruding tree root, holding Tang Ya as he rested. Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian sat closely together on a soul beast fur blanket.
Xu Zihuang gazed deeply at Dai Luoli, his mind stirring.
He couldn't help but feel a strange connection with the White Tiger Duke's lineage. His own father and the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, had been rivals, clashing for decades. And now, all four of Dai Hao's sons had crossed paths with him in some way.
Perhaps, in the end, the legacy of the White Tiger Duke's lineage would fall by his hand. It would be a fitting conclusion, from beginning to end.
Xu Zihuang chuckled inwardly. When he looked at Ning Tian beside him again, his gaze softened with a touch of tenderness, completely concealing his true thoughts.
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