As Huo Yuhao traveled, he continued cultivating.
When thirsty, he drank from mountain springs.
When hungry, he ate the coarse cakes he carried.
Other than hurrying along, he sat and meditated.
"Mother, I will definitely become a soul master. My martial spirit isn't weak. If my talent is lacking, then I'll put in more effort than others. I swear I'll win justice for you."
When he finished cultivating and set out again, an unshakable determination shone in his eyes.
It was precisely this conviction that allowed him to miraculously maintain a travel speed of nearly a hundred li a day.
"It's already been six days. I should be close." Huo Yuhao carefully studied the crude map in his hands, one he had secretly drawn himself during his years at the White Tiger Duke's mansion.
Looking at the shadows cast by the trees lining the road as his guide, he determined that he was already very close to the Star Dou Forest.
Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang had already been roaming the Star Dou Forest for five days.
Though he had not gone deep into the forest, even in the outer regions he had encountered five thousand-year spirit beasts. As for hundred-year and decade-level beasts, they were beyond count.
With his strength, these five days had still left him somewhat battered.
His close-fitting black clothes were stained with dirt, his long black hair unkempt and tangled.
For five days his spirit had remained taut, the brilliant golden light in his eyes now showing faint weariness.
Today was the sixth day. By his estimation, at Huo Yuhao's pace, he should arrive at the forest within the day.
But now, Xu Zihuang hesitated about his plan to leave the forest and wait to ambush Huo Yuhao.
Because the strange sensation in his heart had become stronger than ever.
Between his brows, the silver hexagonal mark flickered faintly. Ever since it had been nourished by the vitality of the Spirit's Gold, enhancing his spiritual power, he had always felt as though something was gestating within his spiritual sea. This inexplicable urge to enter the Star Dou Forest was born of it.
It all seemed to stem from the Silver-Scaled White Whale that had willingly become his first spirit ring.
"Even if that Silver-Scaled White Whale was an auspicious beast, it shouldn't be this unusual, right?"
"Hu—" Xu Zihuang exhaled deeply, casting off his distracting thoughts. Gripping the short-bladed Whale Tooth dagger in his right hand, he continued searching the outer region of the forest.
He had gone barely ten kilometers when the silver hexagonal mark between his brows suddenly shone with dazzling light, almost solidifying. Along with it surged an overwhelming sense of dread.
The surrounding light dimmed, and Xu Zihuang's tense body immediately poured soul power into his eyes, peering toward the source.
"Roar—"
A low growl resounded just as his gaze landed. Through the penetrating sight of his Golden Eyes, he saw a massive beast lift its head from where it had lain, glaring fiercely in his direction.
It was a jet-black giant tiger. Its entire body was pitch black, without a single blemish, its red eyes brimming with sinister malice. Its body stretched four meters long, muscles bulging, weighing at least a thousand jin. The "king" mark on its forehead was also black, yet different from its fur—a gloomy, mist-like black. Most striking was its tail, far longer than that of normal tiger-type beasts, upright and made of countless bones, tipped with a huge hooked barb glowing with a chilling light.
At the sight of this beast, Xu Zihuang's hair stood on end, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
For this spirit beast's bloodline was no less exalted than that of an imperial auspicious beast.
This was a nearly extinct, legendary creature—
the Dark Devilgod Tiger!
According to legend, it was born when the Evil God descended upon a White Tiger, corrupting its nature—transforming light into darkness, sprouting black wings of corruption, and forming the scorpion-like Devilgod Hook at its tail.
The Dark Devilgod Tiger was incomparably powerful. If measured by martial spirits, it ranked even above Ultimate martial spirits. For as long as it cultivated, it was almost certain to reach the half-god level. The only reason it could not reach godhood was that the God Realm forbade spirit beasts from ascending.
In the tens of thousands of years of soul master history, only one man had ever fused with a Dark Devilgod Tiger's spirit ring—Tang San, the Sea God who shattered Spirit Hall's ambitions ten millennia ago.
By nature, the Dark Devilgod Tiger devoured other spirit beasts to cultivate. Wherever it appeared, other beasts united to destroy it before it could grow. Even thousand-year Dark Devilgod Tigers were rare. Yet before Xu Zihuang now was one whose cultivation was already near ten thousand years.
"Run! I have to run!" Xu Zihuang's mind screamed with only this thought, though he noticed the tiger's state was far from good.
Its black wings were mangled, the joints where they met its back ripped open to the bone, the left nearly torn off, the right slashed as if by blades.
But the gravest wound was at its abdomen, where blood poured freely from a gaping hole, the beating heart visible within.
Xu Zihuang had no time to wonder what terrifying beast could have injured this near ten-thousand-year Dark Devilgod Tiger so grievously.
Pouring all his strength into flight, he shot nearly a kilometer away in a single breath.
But then—suddenly—
"Don't go! Don't go! Save me! Save your brother!"
A powerful spiritual force swept over him, and an anxious voice rang out in his mind.
"Brother's life is too bitter. Escaped the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger's jaws. What sins have I committed?!"
Xu Zihuang's heart lurched. To directly enter his spiritual sea and speak—could even most Title Douluo achieve that?
Quickly, he looked beneath the Dark Devilgod Tiger.
There lay a plump, jade-white creature, its head round and over a meter across, its body more than seven meters long. Its entire form gleamed translucent like white jade, smooth and spotless, like a giant silkworm larva. Light shimmered beneath its skin. From its head jutted two tiny golden eyes. Starting half a meter down, golden rings encircled its body at intervals—ten in total, from head to tail.
As the voice sounded, the golden patterns on its body shone, dispersing much of the dark miasma around them.
But the creature was firmly pinned by the Dark Devilgod Tiger's claws, writhing like a helpless maggot.
Its tail was broken, leaking a fragrant fluid.
"The Skydream Iceworm?!" Xu Zihuang's pupils shrank violently. Yet he ignored its pleas, fleeing without a backward glance.
The risk of facing that Dark Devilgod Tiger was simply far too great.