After leaving the blood-soaked, sinister valley, Li Zhaoyan and his group failed to truly shake off the lingering cold sensation of being watched. They continued trudging through the core region of Star Dou Great Forest, surrounded by ancient trees thousands of years old that blocked out the sky. Thick vines coiled around them like monstrous pythons, while the ground was covered in a thick layer of decaying leaves. The air carried a mix of soil, humus, and a faint, elusive evil aura. The unnerving feeling of being watched was like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows—sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes seeming to come from the canopy above—elusive yet persistently tailing the group.
Li Zhaoyan's expression was as dark as a stormy sky. As a Soul Douluo, his senses were the most acute, and the feeling of being locked onto by a top predator was unmistakably clear, sending chills down his spine. The Hundred Wood Divine Spear in his hand seemed to sense its master's vigilance, the intertwined patterns of a hundred divine woods on its shaft faintly glowing. Yang Wudi silently guarded the flank of the group, his Soul Piercing Lance angled toward the ground. Each of his steps was as steady as a mountain, his hawk-like eyes constantly scanning every shadow that could conceal danger. His killing intent was restrained, yet he was like a fully drawn bow, ready to unleash a thunderous strike at any moment. Marco kept Qiu Yao close, pushing his Double Pupil Eye and Observation Haki to their limits. His perception spread out like an invisible spider web, but the source of the gaze was extremely cunning, its aura almost blending entirely with the forest's dark decay, making it difficult to pinpoint accurately.
Osler and Qiu Yao, being weaker in strength, could still faintly sense the pervasive malice, as if a pair of cold, cruel, and greedy eyes were watching them from the shadows, causing their hearts to race involuntarily and their palms to sweat. The group moved forward in a suffocating atmosphere of tension and oppression, even breathing lightly for fear that the slightest unusual sound would invite catastrophe.
"Father, that thing... is still there, and it's getting closer," Marco whispered, his expression unprecedentedly grave. The green feather on his shoulder anxiously turned its small head, emitting rapid, faint warning chirps.
"I know," Li Zhaoyan's voice was low and hoarse, the veins on the back of his hand gripping the Hundred Wood Divine Spear bulging, his knuckles white from the force. "It's wearing down our spirits, waiting for us to show a weakness. Everyone, stay alert!"
He quietly activated his third Spirit Ability, "Spear Might," and an invisible pressure faintly spread out from him, slightly dispersing the uncomfortable evil aura around them while providing his teammates with a slight boost in all attributes.
For two consecutive days, this feeling of being watched haunted them like a nightmare. During their nightly camps, they took turns keeping watch. The campfire's light seemed pitifully weak in the boundless darkness, accompanied by the howls of unknown Soul Beasts from the depths of the forest.
The terror only grew. Li Zhaoyan's patience was wearing thin. He knew all too well that remaining passive and defensive deep in the Star Dou Great Forest was not a sustainable strategy. He had to force their hidden foe into the open; otherwise, if the team grew weary and let their guard down under the constant mental strain, the consequences would be unthinkable.
The opportunity came on the afternoon of the third day. The party had entered an area of extremely complex terrain, where jagged rocks rose like the skeletons of giant beasts and thick ancient vines hung like pythons from the cliffs. Sunlight filtered through the dense, nearly impenetrable canopy, casting shifting, mottled patterns of light on the ground. Just as a fierce mountain wind howled past, whipping up fallen leaves and stirring the forest into a rustling chorus, the dappled light twisted and flickered violently—and in that instant, a sharp gleam flashed in Li Zhaoyan's eyes!
Drawing on the acute senses of a Soul Douluo, he finally detected a trace of evil energy—subtle yet intensely concentrated—emanating from a rock face shrouded in shadow and thick vines to his right front.
Now!
He halted abruptly, spinning around with the explosive speed of a predator poised to strike. The Hundred Wood Divine Spear materialized in his hand, its ancient shaft patterned like intertwined wood, radiating both immense vitality and a chilling killing intent. Without a moment's hesitation, he channeled his full Soul Power into the spear like a volcanic eruption. The eighth Soul Ring at his feet blazed to life, its profound black glow striking fear into the heart.
"Eighth Spirit Ability: Pierce Through!"
With a roar as cold as eternal ice, Li Zhaoyan's arm muscles bulged, and he hurled the Hundred Wood Divine Spear with all his might—imbued with his lifelong cultivation, the lethal aura of the Autumn Maple Domain, and the pent-up fury and vigilance of the past days. The moment it left his hand, the spear seemed to tear through space, transforming into a pale golden stream of pure destructive energy. Its tip was concentrated to the extreme, screeching through the air and reducing any small vines or foliage in its path to dust.
This strike was faster than the eye could follow, precise to the millimeter, and fierce enough to pierce through mountains!
"ROAR—!!!"
The instant the spear's light vanished into the shadow, an ear-splitting tiger's roar erupted, filled with agony and fury. It sounded as if it came from the depths of the underworld, carrying a soul-shaking evil and supreme authority. The terrifying sound wave spread like a physical shockwave, shaking ancient trees as thick as a man's embrace, raining down leaves and branches, and causing the ground to tremble faintly. Osler and Qiu Yao were thrown into disarray by the dreadful sonic assault—their blood churned, ears rang, and vision darkened, nearly causing them to collapse. Fortunately, Marco and Yang Wudi swiftly channeled Soul Power into them, barely stabilizing their condition.
Then, the group felt a sudden darkness before their eyes as an enormous black shadow, exuding a thick, ink-like evil aura, burst forth from the rocky shadows like a demonic god breaking free from a fissure in hell. It moved with a speed barely visible to the naked eye—a black lightning streak—stirring up a foul wind that swept up rotting leaves, gravel, and even the bones of small Soul Beasts, forming a miniature tornado. The shadow landed with a crash ten zhang ahead of the party, gouging a shallow crater in the ground and raising a cloud of dust. Its evil, decaying, and overwhelmingly powerful presence instantly flooded the surroundings like a tidal wave, bringing utter despair.
The dust slowly settled, revealing the true form of the black shadow and making everyone gasp in shock!
It was none other than the legendary, extremely rare, and notoriously ferocious top-tier Soul Beast—the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger!
Its body was as massive as an elephant, pitch-black as if condensed from the deepest darkness, its fur reflecting no light. Only the twisted, blood-red "King" character on its forehead, outlined as if by burning blood, emitted a heart-palpitating dark crimson evil glow. Most terrifying were its eyes—crimson as blood, filled with boundless savagery, cunning, and an overwhelming desire to devour all living beings.
However, this fearsome beast, which should have been imposing, now appeared rather disheveled, bearing shocking wounds all over its body! Its robust frame was crisscrossed with enormous claw marks and deep, bone-exposing lacerations, some of which still oozed dark red blood, clearly the aftermath of a brutal battle not long ago. The bat-like membrane wing on its left side was twisted at an unnatural angle, the wing membrane torn, evidently broken and hanging limp and powerless. Most striking was its right forepaw, where a fist-sized bloody hole spewed black smoke, the surrounding flesh charred black—precisely the wound inflicted by Li Zhaoyan's "Pierce Through" spear strike! Even its signature scorpion-like barbed tail seemed to droop weakly, the eerie blue venomous glow at its tip noticeably dimmed.
Despite its injuries and a surely diminished aura compared to its peak, the evil energy swirling around the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger remained overwhelmingly powerful. The brutality and ferocity burning in its crimson eyes had not lessened in the slightest! It fixed its gaze intently on Li Zhaoyan, emitting a low, menacing growl from its throat, like a malevolent spirit from ancient times. These severe injuries were unmistakably the traces of its battle with the overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest—the Sky Blue Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape! It had escaped from the grasp of those two forest kings!
Yet, when Li Zhaoyan clearly saw the Soul Beast's appearance, especially confirming it was the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger, he was as if struck by thunder!
His originally ice-cold, stern face twisted instantaneously, his eyes turning blood-red in a flash, as if about to drip blood! The veins on his forehead and neck bulged like twisted dragons, throbbing violently as if ready to burst! His teeth ground together with a grating sound that set one's teeth on edge, seeming to contain an ocean of hatred that even all the waters of the world could not wash away! An overwhelming, nearly tangible hatred and a fury-driven killing intent, suppressed for millennia, erupted from within him like a volcano! The surrounding air seemed to freeze under this terrifying killing aura, the temperature plummeting, and even the light dimmed noticeably!
"Dark—Demonic—Evil—God—Tiger!"
Li Zhaoyan roared hoarsely from the depths of his throat, as if tearing his vocal cords, the sound tinged with blood! Each word was saturated with deeply ingrained, decades-old, day-and-night tormenting hatred! His body trembled violently from extreme rage, his knuckles turning deathly white from gripping the Hundred Wood Divine Spear that had returned to his hand, as if he might crush the divine wood-forged spear with sheer force!
Marco had never seen his father in such a state of disarray, so... frenzied! It was a terrifying hatred that seemed capable of scorching heaven and earth, perishing together with the enemy!
"Protect them!" Yang Wudi growled in a voice heavy with gravity. In an instant, he positioned his Soul Piercing Lance horizontally before him, unleashing the full might of his Soul Douluo-level aura, standing firm as a rock in front of Marco, Osler, and Qiu Yao. He was acutely aware of the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger's fearsome and tenacious nature; even severely wounded, it could not be underestimated! Moreover, Li Zhaoyan's nearly uncontrollable state of hatred meant this would be a battle to the death with no room for compromise—only one side would leave alive!
The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger's crimson eyes fixed intently on Li Zhaoyan, as if sensing from this human a loathsome yet faintly familiar aura of hatred. It lowered its massive, power-filled body, coiling in readiness.
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