Chapter 310: Star Dou Forest, a Glimpse of the Dark Devilgod Tiger
The Star Dou Forest.
In the dense and foreboding wilderness, a group of more than a dozen figures walked through the forest as if they owned it. Though they took care to avoid battles with soul beasts, their confident bearing showed that it was not fear that kept them from fighting. They clearly possessed strength and experience.
"Dai Yao, it's been days now. Have you still not found a soul beast you want?" Yan asked, approaching Dai Yao with a sigh.
Over the past few days, as they journeyed through Star Dou Forest, Yan and Xie Yue had each found their sixth soul ring, enhancing their strength considerably. However, Dai Yao seemed unusually picky. Even when they encountered rare soul beasts, strong enough to catch anyone's attention, Dai Yao declined each one.
Yan had no idea what kind of soul beast Dai Yao was holding out for.
Dai Yao shook his head, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "We'll go with the flow. With so many types of soul beasts in Star Dou, I refuse to believe there isn't one here that suits me."
In reality, he was waiting—for Tang San. If Tang San didn't show up, Xiao Wu would never make her sacrificial offering, and the people of Spirit Hall would capture her, taking her back to offer her to Bibi Dong. But Dai Yao intended to claim Xiao Wu's 100,000-year spirit ring for himself.
On one hand, the strength boost from such a soul ring would be tremendous. On the other, while Dai Yao possessed his Chaotic Green Lotus martial spirit, its rings formed on their own, making it essentially a standalone power source. This meant that, in terms of absorbing soul rings, he had only nine available for his Holy White Tiger spirit. Consequently, each soul ring he absorbed had to be exceptional.
Although Xiao Wu's Soft Bone Rabbit ring didn't completely match Dai Yao's attributes, there was one crucial factor that made it worth pursuing. Her sacrifice would allow Dai Yao to remove any low-level rings he currently had, enabling him to replace them with new ones of higher rank.
With that advantage, Dai Yao could trade his century- and millennium-level rings for tens of thousands—or even 100,000—year soul rings. The benefits to him as a soul master were obvious.
Sighing, Yan shook his head. "If you keep holding out, the Titled Douluos might capture that rabbit before you find what you're looking for!" he muttered in frustration.
Dai Yao only chuckled, not bothering to reply.
Yan glanced around and, after making sure no one else was listening—particularly the figure standing near Chrysanthemum Douluo—he leaned in close, his expression troubled.
"Dai Yao, I need some advice. Ever since Nana came back from the Slaughter City, she's been clinging to this mask, just staring at it. And lately, she's been holed up in the records hall, poring through books and documents. Every time she comes out, she looks...defeated."
"Do you think...do you think I still have a chance?"
Seeing Yan's conflicted face, Dai Yao shook his head with a sigh. In these past few years, Yan had proven himself to be a loyal and reliable friend. Dai Yao wanted to see him find his own happiness, to move past his hopeless fixation on Hu Liena.
Due to Bibi Dong's manipulations, Hu Liena had spent years searching for her elusive "Shura Emperor." And given Hu Liena's unwavering nature, Dai Yao knew that once she fixated on someone, she'd never change her heart easily.
"Let it go, Yan. You've done everything you can to earn her affection, but Hu Liena just doesn't feel that way about you. Continuing down this road won't change anything," Dai Yao advised gently.
Yan's face went rigid, and he turned away, his eyes fixed longingly on Hu Liena's distant figure. From childhood, he had admired her deeply, his affection unwavering.
Originally, he had planned to confess his feelings after winning the competition. But Dai Yao had appeared out of nowhere, defeating Yan and his teammates. After that, he no longer felt worthy of confessing his love.
But despite the setback, he still hoped that Bibi Dong would eventually choose him for Hu Liena's future spouse. In his eyes, no one in Spirit Hall was more suitable for her than himself.
"Look, I get what you're saying, Dai Yao. But I believe that if I stay true to my heart, one day, I'll win her over," Yan declared firmly, clenching his fist.
After a pause, Dai Yao replied dryly, "Well...best of luck to you."
Although Yan wasn't exactly desperate in his devotion, Dai Yao couldn't help but admire his persistence.
"Besides," Yan continued, his tone defiant, "if she ever does find that mysterious guy, I'll make sure to challenge him. I have to see what makes him so great that he's worthy of her!"
"If he can't even beat me, then he doesn't deserve to be with Nana!"
Dai Yao, unable to resist a chuckle, raised his hand in mock surrender. After all, Yan's supposed "rival" was none other than the elusive "Shura Emperor."
Still, what did Hu Liena's search for the "Shura Emperor" have to do with him?
"I'll be there to support you if you ever meet him," Dai Yao promised, feigning seriousness.
"Good! That's what a true friend does!" Yan thumped Dai Yao on the chest, laughing.
At that moment, a wave of icy dread washed over Dai Yao, his hairs standing on end as his breathing hitched. A bone-chilling sensation clawed down his spine, and his whole body tensed instinctively.
"What's going on?"
A primal sense of danger had taken hold of him, one that every creature felt when facing a predator. Instantly, he activated his spirit, transforming as his Holy White Tiger markings glowed golden on his forehead.
His powerful aura sent ripples of fear through the surrounding Soul Emperors and Soul Saints, who looked at him in awe and unease.
With his golden gaze, Dai Yao scanned the thick forest, searching for the source of the threat. But even with his heightened senses, he couldn't detect where it was coming from.
And yet, the dread intensified. It felt as though some beast were about to pounce on him at any moment.
Several hundred miles away, an ominous darkness spread across the sky. No light could penetrate the oppressive shadows, yet no one seemed to notice it.
Amidst the darkness, a massive, otherworldly tiger's eye seemed to pierce the distance. Despite the miles between them, it locked onto Dai Yao's gaze, as if to say, "I've found you…"
A thunderous roar echoed within his mind, the Holy White Tiger in his soul reacting as though it had encountered its ultimate predator.
Then, from the depths of the forest, a rumbling began, the earth trembling as countless soul beasts surged forward.
"Prepare for a beast tide!" Hu Liena shouted, her voice cutting through the commotion.
Everyone immediately raised their defenses, releasing their auras. Hundreds of soul rings gleamed, and Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo stood at the forefront, their eighteen soul rings radiating a terrifying power that even the approaching soul beasts dared not challenge.
The beasts instinctively parted, creating a path around the Spirit Hall group, though they continued their relentless advance.
While the others sighed in relief as the beast tide passed, Dai Yao's unease remained.
Someone patted Dai Yao's shoulder. A warm surge of energy flowed through his body, instantly dissolving the malicious aura like ice under sunlight.
Dai Yao turned to see that it was Chrysanthemum Douluo. Still catching his breath, he said:
"Much better now."
"What happened? How did you end up in this state?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo looked puzzled. He knew Dai Yao well.
The scene of Dai Yao singlehandedly defeating the younger generation of the Clear Sky Clan was still vivid in his memory. He couldn't fathom what might have caused someone like Dai Yao to experience such fear, especially right under their watch.
"I don't know…"
Dai Yao gave an ambiguous response. It was true—he didn't know the origin of the icy dread that had assaulted him. However, drawing upon his knowledge of the original story and his expertise in spirit beast theories, he had a strong guess:
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
A legendary creature, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was said to be a white tiger possessed by an evil god, transforming it into a supreme soul beast. Its martial spirit was so powerful that no human body could bear it.
If ranked, it would be on par with the Seraphim martial spirit.
Similarly, Dai Yao's Holy White Tiger, enhanced by the Chaos Green Lotus, had become a divine-grade martial spirit, making it equal to the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger in rank.
The holy, radiant energy of Dai Yao's martial spirit and the sinister, dark power of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger were natural opposites—innate enemies, destined to fight until one perished.
"I remember thinking that the first time I entered the Star Dou Forest, the beast tide seemed unusual. Back then, I assumed it was caused by the Titan Giant Ape. But now it seems it might have been the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger sensing my presence and driving the beast tide to flush me out."
Dai Yao mused.
It was during that beast tide that he had obtained his third spirit ring from the 6,000-year-old Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear.
"Last time, I fled immediately, and Grandpa Jackson helped me hunt the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear, so the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger didn't pinpoint my location."
"But this time, my aura has grown much stronger. My holy energy is like a spotlight in the darkness, making it easy for the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to locate me."
"Truly worthy of being a soul beast descended from an evil god. Even from such a distance, it instilled fear in me. But since you've marked me as your prey, I've already reserved a spot for you in my soul ring collection."
A cold smile flickered across Dai Yao's lips as this thought settled in his mind.
"Good thing I was with Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo this time. Otherwise, if I had faced the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger alone, I wouldn't have lasted long enough to force it into its Death Arena mode. I'd have had to retreat immediately…"
Relief washed over Dai Yao, but it was quickly replaced by excitement.
"When I grow stronger, you'll be mine. I can't wait to see what kind of immense power I'll gain by absorbing your soul ring and the Heavenly Evil Pearl!"
Dai Yao could feel the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger retreating. The instincts of the Holy White Tiger, attuned to its natural enemy, didn't lie. Sensing this, he refrained from taking any reckless actions that might jeopardize his plans.
Chrysanthemum Douluo noticed Dai Yao's reluctance to elaborate but didn't press him further. Instead, he patted Dai Yao's shoulder and said:
"Alright, get some rest and adjust yourself. This mission is important, and you still need a new spirit ring. Don't slack off."
"Understood."
Dai Yao nodded.
Chrysanthemum Douluo turned to the group and barked an order:
"Everyone, put away your martial spirits and leave this area. Set up camp at the designated spot by sundown. Tomorrow, we're entering the Star Dou Forest's core region. At that point, even I might not be able to guarantee your survival."
"Rest well tonight if you want to see tomorrow. Understood?"
The group nodded silently. They'd been strictly warned against making loud noises in the Star Dou Forest.
After gathering the belongings they had hastily abandoned during the beast tide, the group moved quietly toward their campsite.
Several tents were quickly erected. In the perilous Star Dou Forest, having such a tranquil campsite was a testament to the immense manpower and resources the Spirit Hall had invested.
Inside one of the tents, candlelight flickered. Dai Yao sat with a somber expression, awaiting Tang San's arrival.
Just then, the tent flap was lifted by a slender hand. A striking figure entered, drawing the attention of the three men inside the tent like a magnet.
"Nana, are you ready to rest? Do you want to sleep next to me?"
Seeing Hu Liena enter, Yan immediately stood up with a welcoming gesture and a broad smile.
In the Star Dou Forest, distinctions between men and women were often set aside for convenience.
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo shared one tent, while Dai Yao and the Golden Generation shared another. The remaining members of the group surrounded these two tents like stars encircling the moon.
"No need."
Hu Liena didn't spare Yan a glance. Her cold voice cut through the air as she surveyed the tent and made her way to the far right—right next to Dai Yao.
Noticing her intention to sleep beside him, Dai Yao stood up, ready to switch places with Xie Yue.
Hu Liena smiled and said:
"Dai Yao, we're all from the Spirit Hall, and we're on a mission. There's no need to worry about such formalities."
Seeing this, Xie Yue also declined Dai Yao's suggestion to switch spots.
Left with no choice, Dai Yao sat back in his original spot under Yan's envious gaze.
Hu Liena carefully placed her treasured mask beside her pillow, treating it as if it were a precious relic. This only fueled Yan's frustration.
As Hu Liena lay down, she seemed to catch a familiar scent. Her delicate nose twitched, and her gaze froze on Dai Yao.
Her reaction caught Dai Yao's attention. He asked:
"What's wrong?"
Hu Liena appeared skeptical. Back when the "Asura King" carried her out of the Hell Road, she had been semi-conscious but faintly remembered his scent.
Even after so much time, she could sense a similarity in Dai Yao's presence. But it couldn't be him—their martial spirits were entirely different.
Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Hu Liena smiled and said:
"It's nothing. Your scent reminds me of someone I used to know."
Hearing this, Dai Yao's body stiffened momentarily. But his years of experience allowed him to conceal the reaction seamlessly.
Xie Yue and Yan also glanced at Dai Yao. Having grown up with Hu Liena, they likely knew who this "someone" was—the owner of that mask.
Feigning helplessness, Dai Yao said casually:
"Nana, you've spent so much effort using the Spirit Hall's resources to search the entire continent for the man you call the 'Asura King.' If he's out there, he must have heard about it by now."
"But since he hasn't appeared, it's clear he doesn't want to see you. Your feelings are one-sided. Why hold on to them?"
The identity of the "Asura King" could never resurface. Dai Yao didn't want Hu Liena to waste her life pining for someone who no longer existed.
Hu Liena shook her head gently, her voice melancholic:
"You don't understand. You can't comprehend what I experienced on the Hell Road. I must find him, no matter what it takes…"
Yan's face immediately darkened, while Dai Yao let out a silent sigh.
Just then, a spiritual fluctuation swept across the camp. The familiar aura brought joy to Dai Yao's heart.
"Tang San, you're finally here!"
(To be continued.)
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