Word Count: 2,812 Words
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Morning. A light mist filled the central area of the Star Dou Forest's Core Region.
Rustle, rustle—
A faint sound came from the bushes. A jade-white, 10,000-year Soft Bone Rabbit happily munched on Blue Silver Grass, its pair of ruby-like eyes glancing left and right, ready at any moment to flee from a predator's attack.
All around was unusually quiet. An unknown scent had appeared in the air at some point. It was somewhat fishy, not strong, and carrying subtle hints of sweetness and tea fragrance.
A bright yellow snake five meters long concealed its presence atop the canopy, silently approaching the Soft Bone Rabbit below. A small, flower-shaped protrusion adorned its forehead.
Datura Snake, 50,000 years of cultivation.
The Datura Snake flicked its forked tongue. Its upper body curled while its lower jaw dislocated to nearly a 180-degree angle, opening a massive, cavernous maw that only a snake could achieve!
"Hiss!"
The Datura Snake's eyes gleamed fiercely as it lunged at the oblivious Soft Bone Rabbit like an arrow released from a bowstring. Suddenly, a spray of purple spiderweb erupted from behind it. The silk threads were translucent and bright under the sunlight. The moment it unfolded, it gave off a terrifying feeling of blotting out the sky, showing just how vast its coverage was.
At the moment of crisis, the Datura Snake displayed the fierce nature of a 50,000-year spirit beast. Its long, serpentine body abruptly straightened in mid-air, its tail transforming into a long whip that lashed fiercely at the purple spiderweb.
Boom—
The toughness of the spiderweb far exceeded the Datura Snake's expectations. Its tail strike, wielding the full power of 50,000 years of cultivation, couldn't shake it in the slightest. Instead, the tail was firmly pressed back to the ground by the web.
The web was coated with an extremely viscous liquid that solidified upon contact with air, forming countless purple spikes that glinted coldly. These spikes pierced through the tough scales and burrowed into the Datura Snake's flesh. What made the Datura Snake despair even more was that the spikes carried a mixed, virulent poison it had never encountered before!
The Datura Snake was a highly poisonous spirit beast, possessing the nerve-paralyzing Datura Poison, and its body was filled with resistance to toxins. Yet now, it was enduring extreme agony caused by neurotoxins and the corrosion of its scales, bones, and flesh by corrosive poisons!
Its massive serpentine body began to struggle frantically. The ground beneath it churned with flying sand and stones. Bushes and small trees appeared as if ravaged by a tornado, their branches and leaves shattered and scattered. Even so, it couldn't break free from the restraints of the purple spiderweb.
Two and a half minutes later, the hysterical frenzy gradually calmed. A pitch-black spirit ring floated into the sky. The Datura Snake's corpse, however, still twitched slightly. The soil beneath it churned into ridges like earthen dragons, showing the immense suffering it had endured before death.
Noticing the Datura Snake crash to the ground, the Soft Bone Rabbit immediately turned tail and fled. Just as it thought it had escaped, a purple light flashed from the ground. Countless spider threads surged up from underground, weaving into a spiderweb prison that trapped the Soft Bone Rabbit within.
"Roasted rabbit. Today's breakfast is settled."
A figure walked out from behind a towering ancient tree. Four spirit rings—gray, red, red, red—pulsated around him. The blood-red spirit ring at the end shone brilliantly. A hint of a smile touched the corners of Ling Bai's mouth as his brilliant golden eyes sparkled. One of the eight Death Abyss Spider Lances on his back rose and instantly pierced through the Soft Bone Rabbit's skull.
Holding the Soft Bone Rabbit by its two long ears, Ling Bai found a small stream and deftly skinned and gutted it in one smooth process.
A wooden stick pierced through the Soft Bone Rabbit's entire body. Amid the crackling of sparks, the rabbit slowly cooked from raw to done, its rich aroma wafting into the distance.
Meanwhile, a group of small demon spiders transported the Datura Snake back, and Ling Bai calmly stored it in his Storage Spirit Guidance Device.
"The third one..."
He muttered to himself as he rotated the plump, oil-dripping rabbit on the spit.
Three months had already passed out of the year and a half of survival training in the Star Dou Forest. The task of killing ten 50,000-year spirit beasts was thirty percent complete.
The Core Region of Star Dou was a paradise for 10,000-year spirit beasts. During these three months, Ling Bai had to maintain the highest level of vigilance every day. This kind of mental fatigue was often more taxing than physical exhaustion.
But the higher the pressure of the environment, the more it could stimulate the limits of the human body. Through daily wits and life-and-death struggles with spirit beasts, Ling Bai's practical combat experience soared like a rocket. The various spirit ring and spirit bone skills of his Twin Martial Spirits began to form a cohesive system through integration and mastery.
In the human world, Ling Bai had used the Death Abyss Spider Emperor very sparingly due to it being an Evil Martial Spirit, and most of that time, he had summoned the Death Abyss Bone Dragon to fight. However, the Death Abyss Bone Dragon was merely a Spectral Creature with attribute amplification; it ultimately had a fixed ceiling. The Death Abyss Spider Emperor was the true Martial Spirit. As the number of its spirit rings gradually increased, Ling Bai seized the opportunity during his survival in Star Dou to hone it thoroughly.
The effect was quite remarkable. In the dense forest environment of the Star Dou Forest, the Death Abyss Spider Emperor performed even better than the Seraphim, especially in the two signature abilities of spider-type spirit beasts: ambush and assassination. The Death Abyss Spider Emperor displayed these to perfection.
The spiderweb that had just attacked the Datura Snake and the Soft Bone Rabbit was one of the fourth spirit skills provided by the Harbinger Zhen: Zhen Poison Spiderweb.
The Zhen Poison Spiderweb could be used to set traps or be instantly released. Ling Bai could freely decide the size and shape of the spiderweb. Upon hitting the target, the Zhen Poison Spiderweb would condense into countless tiny, highly poisonous spider spikes, injecting a massive amount of mixed toxins from both the Zhen poison and the Death Abyss Spider Emperor's poison into the prey's body. The toxicity was so extreme that it approached Ultimate Poison, causing even the 50,000-year poison-attribute Datura Snake to succumb in less than three minutes.
In the Star Dou Forest, Ling Bai felt as free as a fish leaping in the sea or a bird soaring in the sky. No one could control him. Except for not being able to fool around with women, the Star Dou Forest was practically flawless.
The Soft Bone Rabbit was now fully roasted. Its aroma made Ling Bai's mouth water. He tore into the rabbit's leg like a hungry bandit. The fragrant, juicy rabbit meat filled his mouth, bringing a full sense of happiness with each bite.
"Delicious!"
Ling Bai gave himself a thumbs-up for his roasting skills. Although he couldn't compare to Huo Yuhao, who was a natural-born chef, he was still a fire-attribute Spirit Master. Fresh ingredients often required only the simplest cooking methods. A rabbit roasted with well-controlled heat was savory enough to make one soar!
'Not bad, not bad. I'll catch two more Soft Bone Rabbits at noon. One for roasting, one for stewing with Blue Silver Grass!'
The Soft Bone Rabbit Killer revealed a chilling smile. Tremble in fear, little rabbits!
"Demon Spider Summoning."
After eating and drinking his fill, Ling Bai summoned thousands of small demon spiders and said, "Find a 100,000-year spirit beast with dual light and fire attributes."
For the past three months, he had been searching for the sixth spirit ring for his Seraphim. Perhaps his standards were set a bit high, as so far, he hadn't found a 100,000-year spirit beast that met the requirements. However, he had found a 100,000-year Flame Lion King. He would have to settle for second best and kill it if he came up empty-handed after a year and a half.
The demon spiders received their orders and dispersed, disappearing into the layers of dense forest. Ling Bai chose a direction at random and proceeded with a new day of survival training.
…
In the distance, a deathly silent, gray-black domain enveloped the surroundings. A dark red figure and a black figure collided again and again. Large swathes of forest fell like harvested wheat. Centered on the point of their battle, a five-kilometer radius of forest had already been razed to the ground. Trees and soil turned into fine powder under the terrifying shockwaves, forming a huge, deep pit.
Boom—
The dark red figure was blasted backward with a booming sound, crashing heavily into the pit. Its mighty body bore several wounds deep enough to reveal bone. Gray-black air currents invaded its body without obstruction through these wounds. Its three large heads drooped as its aura weakened to the extreme.
"Uncle Scarlet King!"
The Scarlet King staggered, failing to rise despite several attempts. A golden, divine-looking spirit beast rushed to its side, anxiously circling it.
"I'm fine, Destiny Beast..."
The Scarlet King struggled to its feet with difficulty. A trace of fear unconsciously flickered in the depths of its eyes as it looked at the master of the gray-black domain, the giant tiger strolling leisurely toward them.
"Three-Headed Scarlet Devil Mastiff, Scarlet King, the Eighth Great Beast of the Douluo Continent... Tsk tsk tsk, long time no see. You've weakened so much… Oh, wait, how could I forget? It's me who's grown stronger."
The giant tiger was entirely black, without a hint of any other color. Its blood-red eyes were filled with a sinister aura. The character "王" (king) on its forehead was an ominous, misty black. Its upright tail was composed of countless bone segments, ending with a massive hook that glinted with a chilling light.
"It's you again, Dark Demon Evil God Tiger! How dare you attack me and Uncle Scarlet King? Aren't you afraid of angering Uncle Di Tian?!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stood beside the Scarlet King, baring its teeth at the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, seemingly trying to make it back down through intimidation.
"How adorable."
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger laughed as the Evil God Hook at its tail swayed. "I've been lying low for five thousand years. Since I dare to make a move against you two, I naturally have something to rely on. Within the Darkness Domain, the innate domain of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger clan, I am the sole ruler!
Di Tian can't sense your auras. Once I devour you, Emperor Destiny Beast...
I will hold the fate of the Star Dou Forest! Whether it's the Great Beasts, Di Tian, or that fellow sleeping in the Lake of Life, they will all have to protect me!"
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger laughed maniacally. It was born in another spirit beast forest and had entered the Star Dou Forest five thousand years ago, intending to devour the spirit beasts here to accelerate its cultivation.
In the process, it discovered the Emperor Destiny Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, and was instantly filled with greed. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger could be called a God-level evil spirit beast, with a status similar to the Seraphim among human Martial Spirits. However, it cultivated by devouring spirit beasts, which made all spirit beasts instinctively hate it and do everything they could to eliminate it.
Therefore, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger set its sights on the Emperor Destiny Beast that embodied the fate of Star Dou. As long as it used its innate spirit skill to devour the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, it could seize the fortune of the Star Dou Forest. Then, it could devour whoever it wanted, as much as it wanted, breaking through the shackles of the spirit beast race and achieving the position of an Evil God!
Driven by greed, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had launched an attack on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, but it hadn't expected the Great Beast bodyguard, the Scarlet King, to be beside it. At that time, with only 50,000 years of cultivation, it couldn't break through the Scarlet King's protection. After the Scarlet King broke through the Darkness Domain and summoned other Great Beasts, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger narrowly escaped the Star Dou Forest with its life.
Learning from this painful lesson, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger decided to accumulate strength. It roamed through numerous spirit beast forests, relentlessly harvesting the lives of spirit beasts. Now, having broken through to 100,000 years of cultivation, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger returned to the Star Dou Forest, determined to take revenge on the Scarlet King and devour the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!
Relying on the concealment ability of its Darkness Domain, it lay in wait for a full month. Its efforts paid off when it caught the Three-Eyed Golden Lion venturing out to hunt light-attribute spirit beasts, with its bodyguard still being its old rival, the Scarlet King!
Killing two birds with one stone!
Feeling they were far enough from the Lake of Life, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger instantly activated its Darkness Domain, and the two spirit beast overlords quickly engaged in battle.
Although the Scarlet King's cultivation was over 200,000 years higher than the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's, their bloodlines were on completely different levels. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was favored by the gods, possessing Ultimate Evil and near-Ultimate Wind and Lightning dual attributes. Its innate domain was an ability that countless top-tier spirit beasts drooled over. The Scarlet King collapsed at the first contact, beaten to the point where it couldn't lift its head.
"Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, this Destiny Beast curses you to suffer misfortune and die a terrible death!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion let out a low roar. A beam of brilliant rose-gold light shot out from its third vertical pupil, aimed directly at the gloating Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
"A curse? The world as my enemy, hated by humans and beasts alike. Haven't we Dark Demon Evil God Tigers been cursed enough already!"
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's figure blurred, dodging the rose-gold light beam. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion suddenly felt a gust of bloody wind hit its face. The surrounding air violently undulated as fierce gales howled. The next second, the distorted Evil God Hook was right before its eyes, the barb at the tip seemingly aiming to gouge out its third eye!
Scarlet King saw the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger attacking the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and unleashed the last trace of spirit power within. The roars from its three large heads mixed fury and determination. The three heads swelled by a size, giving off an aura of mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Black patterns emerged on its dark red fur, its majestic mane spread out, and three thick torrents of flame poured forth!
Three-Headed Scarlet Devil Mastiff's Innate Spirit Skill, Hellfire!
As soon as the Hellfire appeared, the soaring temperature instantly scorched all surrounding flora. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's expression turned slightly serious. The desperate strike of a 300,000-year Great Beast was not to be underestimated!
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's muscles bulged all over its body. The Evil God Hook bloomed with a deep, gray-black dark light. Like the scythe of an evil god, it cleaved the Hellfire down the middle. However, the Hellfire did not dissipate; instead, it reformed and surged toward the Darkness Domain!
Boom—
A huge hole was burned through the Darkness Domain. The Scarlet King's six eyes lit up simultaneously. It grabbed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and charged out.
Outside, Ling Bai seemed to sense something and looked up. A dark red figure trembled unsteadily in the sky before plummeting straight down.
Ling Bai immediately moved ten meters to the left after judging the landing point. That dark red figure crashed down in the exact spot he had been standing before, landing in a face-down, sprawling posture.
"Scarlet King?"
Ling Bai saw the heavily injured, blood-soaked Scarlet King and rubbed his eyes in shock. What is going on?
Then, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion crawled out from under the Scarlet King. Man and beasts looked at each other, all feeling rather awkward. Ling Bai hesitated slightly as he looked at the Scarlet King's dazed beastly eyes before speaking:
"We meet again, Brother Scarlet King. A beast of your stature keeps its word. Does that mean I can get a three-hundred-meter head start?"