Unfortunately, Wood Release's regenerative ability far exceeded expectations. Before the Slanted-Eye Tiger could escape through the gap, fresh green sprouts emerged with rustling sounds from the broken areas. Tender vine shoots grew and entwined at visible speeds, sealing the gap in an instant.
The next second, denser and tougher wooden vines shot out like agile snakes, coiling around the Slanted-Eye Tiger's limbs and torso.
"Roar—!"
The Slanted-Eye Tiger let out a furious roar, its amber pupils surging with rage and unwillingness. Its sharp fangs viciously gnawed at the vines binding its body.
Su Yu stood not far away, his hands rapidly forming hand seals. Pale green Soul Power swirling around his fingertips infused into the wooden vines.
Instantly, countless inch-long spikes abruptly protruded from the surfaces of the vines tightly restraining the Slanted-Eye Tiger, piercing deep into its flesh.
The spikes seemed to become connecting conduits, forcibly draining the Soul Power from within the Slanted-Eye Tiger's body.
The tiger clearly felt its strength rapidly diminishing, its struggling force gradually weakening.
The vines grew increasingly emerald green from absorbing the Soul Power, their surfaces even shimmering with a glossy luster, firmly locking the Slanted-Eye Tiger in place, rendering it immobile.
"Splintering Wood Technique!"
Su Yu shouted lowly, a wooden spike shooting from his sealed hands straight toward the Slanted-Eye Tiger's abdomen.
Though bound by the vines, the tiger still twisted its body instinctively, attempting to dodge.
But the wooden spike was too fast. With a "thud," it deeply penetrated the tiger's flesh.
The next second, a bizarre scene unfolded—
From the wound where the wooden spike had pierced, countless slender branches violently erupted.
Like madly growing roots, they ruthlessly traversed and expanded within the Slanted-Eye Tiger's body.
The branches burst through its spine, limbs, and other areas, their tips dripping with fresh blood, forcibly tearing numerous bloody holes through the fierce beast's body.
The Slanted-Eye Tiger let out a piercing howl, its massive body convulsing violently as the light in its eyes rapidly dimmed.
Soon after, a purple Thousand-Year Soul Ring rose from the Slanted-Eye Tiger's corpse.
The purple Soul Ring hovered above the tiger's body, its faint glow illuminating the surrounding vegetation as it slowly rotated, emanating the unique pressure of a Thousand-Year Soul Beast.
Hu Liena's eyes widened, her red lips slightly parted, remaining agape for a long moment.
She had never imagined a Thousand-Year Soul Beast could be dealt with so swiftly and decisively.
"This... this was too fast..."
She murmured softly, her voice still tinged with lingering astonishment.
So, all these days, Brother Su Yu had just been playing along with her? She hadn't been much help at all, and the Thousand-Year Soul Beast was already defeated?
"Brother Su Yu! All these days, you've been teasing me! You can already solo a Thousand-Year Soul Beast!"
As she spoke, her cheeks puffed up slightly, but her eyes held no real anger. Instead, they concealed a hint of frustration at being "underestimated," along with a barely noticeable relief.
If not for Brother Su Yu, their trial might have ended in failure!
Su Yu stepped forward and patted Hu Liena's head. "Alright, without that technique just now, I wouldn't have been able to defeat this Thousand-Year Soul Beast either."
"That technique—I'm not very proficient with it. I didn't expect to pull it off in the heat of the moment!"
"Come on, let's go check out this Slanted-Eye Tiger!"
Su Yu and Hu Liena walked toward the Slanted-Eye Tiger's corpse. While Su Yu was still selecting usable parts, Hu Liena's voice caught his attention.
"Brother Su Yu! What is this?"
Su Yu walked over and crouched beside Hu Liena, following the direction she pointed.
There, the Slanted-Eye Tiger's third vertical eye between its brows was emitting a faint, eerie purple glow.
Even in death, the light hadn't faded; instead, it seemed to radiate a strange, pulling force.
"This is…"
Su Yu frowned slightly and reached out to touch it, but Hu Liena gently pulled his hand back.
"Be careful, Brother Su Yu. Its light feels strange."
Her voice carried a note of caution, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around his sleeve.
Su Yu steadied himself, drew a short knife from his waist, and carefully parted the fur around the tiger's forehead.
The third eye was larger than a typical beast's pupil, with a vertical slit, and purple light swirled slowly within, as if containing some kind of energy.
He tapped the vertical eye lightly with the back of the knife, but the glow didn't diminish in the slightest.
Hu Liena leaned in closer, her nose nearly brushing the cold fur of the tiger, her tone tinged with the kind of worry born from reading too many novels:
"Brother Su Yu, do you think… it might not accept its death and actually turn into a zombie?"
"I read in a storybook once that some ferocious Soul Beasts, if their resentment lingers after death, can transform into even more powerful monsters…"
Su Yu curled his fingers and gave her forehead a light, crisp tap.
"Ow—!"
Hu Liena covered her forehead and took half a step back, glaring at him with feigned grievance. There was no real anger in her eyes, only a hint of playful pleading:
"Brother Su Yu! You're tapping me again!"
"I'm tapping you so you'll read fewer of those nonsensical storybooks," Su Yu retracted his hand, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Where would all these zombies come from? If I catch you staying up late reading those made-up tales again, next time it won't just be a tap on the forehead!"
"That copy of Soul Beast Secrets you've hidden under your pillow—I'm burning it tomorrow."
"No, no, please don't!"
Hu Liena immediately grabbed his sleeve and shook it, her voice soft and sweet as honey.
"I won't read it anymore, okay? I promise to sleep early, wake up early, and double my training!"
"Brother Su Yu, you're the best—please let me keep it~"
She looked up at him, batting her eyelashes like a little animal begging for treats.
Su Yu couldn't stay stern under her coaxing and sighed helplessly:
"Just this once. If I catch you hiding under the covers reading it again, there'll be no mercy."
Hu Liena's eyes immediately curved into happy crescents. She released his sleeve and bounced back to the tiger's corpse.
Gently poking the faintly glowing fur, she murmured quietly:
"Then what is this, really? It can't actually be some kind of treasure, can it?"
Seeing her like this, Su Yu felt a mix of amusement and resignation. He crouched down and said:
"I keep telling you to read more Soul Beast encyclopedias, but you're always buried in those storybooks. This thing should be an External Spirit Bone!"
"An External Spirit Bone?"
"I tell you to study, but you'd rather go feed the pigs. You don't even know what an External Spirit Bone is—if the teacher were here, you'd definitely be punished!"
"Aiya! Brother Su Yu! Dear brother, just tell me! What is an External Spirit Bone?"
Su Yu, worn down by her pestering, lightly tapped the tip of her nose, his eyes holding a helpless fondness:
"An External Spirit Bone is the most unique type of Soul Bone. Let me test you—how many parts do Soul Bones have in total?"
"Hey! I know this one!" She immediately straightened up, counting on her fingers.
"Head, four limbs, and the torso—six parts in total!"
With that, she proudly lifted her chin, like a little fox who had answered correctly.
Su Yu looked at her sparkling eyes and couldn't help but laugh:
"At least you didn't read all those books for nothing."