"Principal, who was that guy?"
Dai Mubai asked in confusion.
"Shi Nian, a madman who enjoys torturing his opponents. You all should stay away from him and not leave the group."
Flender didn't elaborate; their cultivation levels were too low, and explaining further wouldn't help.
He changed the subject: "It seems there's something unusual going on in the Great Star Dou Forest that we're unaware of. Once inside, don't rush ahead. Find a suitable spirit beast and leave as soon as possible."
Everyone nodded in agreement. In the Great Star Dou Forest, even Title Douluos could perish, so caution was never excessive.
The group quickly regrouped and entered the Great Star Dou Forest via a narrow path.
The deep, primeval jungle seemed like an abyssal maw, ready to swallow any life that ventured within.
By the afternoon, the warm sunlight bathed the forest in a lazy glow.
Along the way, they discussed their choices for the third soul ring.
Flender asked, "Mubai, are you sure you want to follow the Dai family's methods for soul hunting? The skills provided by the Vajra Tiger are likely status-enhancing ones, which would greatly boost combat power but aren't as beneficial to the martial soul's essence as those from the Light Tiger."
Dai Mubai nodded: "I've thought it through. Light Tigers are rare—almost as rare as White Tigers—and the skills they grant are unstable."
"The White Tiger martial soul is already a top-tier one. It won't evolve just because of a minor enhancement, so there's no need to waste months or even longer searching for one."
Yu Xiaogang nodded: "It's good that you're being clear-headed about this."
"People have become obsessed with researching martial soul evolution thanks to Oak's papers. But if one blindly pursues high-quality soul rings, they're putting the cart before the horse, delaying their advancement in cultivation."
Hearing support from the principal's friend, Dai Mubai felt slightly comforted despite his lingering melancholy.
If he had a choice, he would have preferred a future with higher potential. But with Dai Weisi keeping a close eye on him, Dai Mubai understood that he couldn't afford to gamble.
In fact, soul masters with top-tier martial souls rarely bet on the slim chances of evolution. With such martial souls, they could steadily advance through cultivation and achieve realms that others would struggle to reach.
Soul rings couldn't be undone once chosen, so most people followed the paths explored by their predecessors.
Gu La wasn't concerned about Dai Mubai's choice. Top-tier martial souls rarely evolved, but with resources from another world and the system's help, he had absolute confidence in evolving Dai Mubai's White Tiger martial soul.
However, Dai Mubai needed to demonstrate potential worth investing in.
Following the route he foresaw, Gu La led the group deeper into the dense forest.
The canopy of the Great Star Dou Forest layered upon itself like an emerald dome. Fragments of golden sunlight danced amidst the trees, warming the humid air.
Tang San suddenly stopped. Blue Silver Grass spontaneously coiled around his wrist, and the bushes thirty meters ahead trembled with an eerie frequency.
"Retreat!"
At the moment Tang San's warning rang out, a gust of foul wind accompanied by a blur shattered the bushes, sending leaves flying everywhere.
A six-meter-long tiger with vibrant patterns crashed through three tall trees. Its dark gold markings shimmered like liquid metal under the sunlight, seemingly flowing across its fur. Its sharp claws scraped against the ground, sparking against the rocks.
"It's a Vajra Tiger!"
Yu Xiaogang quickly assessed: "The dark gold patterns on its back, the white fur circling its tail, and the blurred black markings suggest it's between 1,500 and 1,800 years old."
Tang San's expression was serious, but beneath the seriousness lay a hint of strangeness.
This Vajra Tiger's age exceeded the requirements for a Soul Elder by three to five centuries, yet it still paled in comparison to their second soul rings.
This stark contrast made Tang San keenly aware of the value of ten-thousand-year whale glue—it had effortlessly raised their soul ring limit by three thousand years.
Though priced at ten thousand gold coins, it was essentially free.
Flender summoned his Owl martial soul and soared into the sky. "End this quickly—I'll cover you."
"Blue Silver Energy Ring!"
Tang San snapped back to focus, releasing his second soul skill. Three hand-shaped rings of Blue Silver Grass wrapped around the wrists of the trio, providing them with soul power support.
Dai Mubai acted swiftly. As soon as the energy rings were secured, a roar of the White Tiger surged forward, enveloped in a wave of white light, striking the Vajra Tiger squarely on the forehead.
A blinding platinum light flashed, forcing the Vajra Tiger to close its eyes momentarily.
Xiao Wu's second soul ring lit up, and her moonlight energy transformed into smooth silk ribbons that wrapped seamlessly around the Vajra Tiger's front limbs, pulling her body closer.
Play Rough!
Before the attack landed, the Vajra Tiger's strong resistance allowed it to recover its vision from the blinding effect. Its golden soul power radiated from its claws, clashing sharply with the pink ribbons.
To its surprise, its prideful claws failed to shred the ribbons instantly.
The Vajra Tiger roared in anger, unleashing a violent surge of soul power that created a shockwave, sending Xiao Wu flying.
Tang San's warning came belatedly: "Be careful—it's the Vajra Tiger's inherited soul skill, Vajra Transformation. Its offensive and defensive attributes will double temporarily."
The shockwave sent leaves and dirt flying within a five-meter radius. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass seized the tiger's tail but was torn to shreds in the next instant.
"The weak point is the white markings on its waist and abdomen!"
Yu Xiaogang's shout pierced through the battlefield.
Gu La stood still, raising one hand with fingers spread wide, then abruptly pushed downward.
Gravitational compression.
Two years ago, Gu La had already fully developed the derivative skills of his first soul skill.
In an instant, the Vajra Tiger was struck by a hundredfold increase in gravity on its spine, causing it to collapse onto the ground unexpectedly, leaving a long, deep groove on the surface.
The injured beast thrashed its tail in rage, its millennium-level spirit beast pressure solidifying into a tangible force. Its claws tore through the moonlight ribbons as it lunged toward Xiao Wu.
In its perception, the seemingly "weak" Soft Boned Rabbit was a better target than the "fierce" White Tiger.
Unfortunately, it misjudged its instincts.
Xiao Wu leapt into the air, using her waist-bending soul skill to twist her body mid-flight. Her muscles tensed, and her legs sprang like coiled springs, delivering a powerful kick to the Vajra Tiger's chin. Her hands landed on the ground, bending to absorb the impact and smoothly disengaging.
The Vajra Tiger wasn't so lucky. Its massive jaws closed accidentally, biting its own tongue. In pain, it opened its mouth wide.
Seizing the opportunity, Gu La unleashed gravitational expansion inside its mouth.
This was the reverse version of gravitational compression—not very powerful, but effective in certain situations.
The Vajra Tiger's massive jaws stretched to their maximum, unable to close!
Taking advantage of the moment, Dai Mubai leapt high into the air, landing precisely on the tiger's back. He gripped the bony protrusions behind its ears. The tiger thrashed wildly, slamming into ancient trees, but its movements appeared awkward.
Blood trickled from Dai Mubai's nose and mouth, yet he refused to let go.
"Fifty-fold gravity!"
Gu La stepped forward, enveloping the Vajra Tiger in a gravity field.
The tiger's head grew heavy, its limbs went limp, and it collapsed onto the ground.
"Now!"
Dai Mubai extended his tiger claws, his fingertips surging with soul power like daggers piercing into the tiger's eyes. Blazing platinum soul power coursed along the cracks in its skull, penetrating its brain.
The Vajra Tiger struggled desperately, but it's injuries were severe, and much of its strength had been sapped. Its head was suppressed by the gravity field, rendering it unable to rise. A purple soul ring emerged, floating amidst the pool of blood.
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