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Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished, even Yang Wei, the eldest brother, was somewhat surprised.
"Brother Xiong, it's not about absorbing soul rings now but whether we can complete the trial. The Evil Tiger Whale clan is simply too powerful; I'm afraid we're no match for them."
Yang Xiong shook his head: "That's not how it should be viewed. The Evil Tiger Whale clan is indeed extremely strong, but they have significant weaknesses. Completing our trial isn't as difficult as it seems."
These words left everyone astounded, including Little Bai, who was equally shocked that Yang Xiong seemed to disregard the Evil Tiger Whale clan entirely.
Yang Xiong continued: "We only have one chance to act. Our mission is to kill half of the Evil Tiger Whale clan—meaning at least 150 Evil Tiger Whales. If we fail, my trial will be considered a failure. Once they retreat into the depths of the ocean, even I won't be able to track them down."
Ning Rongrong was puzzled: "Little Bear, stop being mysterious. How are we supposed to complete the trial?"
Yang Xiong smiled: "Compared to humans, spirit beasts live in groups much like our upper three sects."
"But their flaws are also glaringly obvious. Spirit beasts generally possess low intelligence and rely solely on their physical strength, without using any external tools."
"In contrast, humans have boundless creativity and innovations, such as Tang San's hidden weapons, ordinary human weaponry, or even the soul-guiding tools we use. These are the true differences between humans and spirit beasts."
To achieve the goal of killing half the Evil Tiger Whale clan, Yang Xiong had already devised a plan. The only way to succeed was through poison.
Over the years, Yang Xiong had been refining his body with various poisons and had developed a solid understanding of them. After meeting Yang Wu Di, he became even more familiar with toxic plants, especially since he possessed the Snow Swan Kiss.
Under the influence of the Snow Swan Kiss, eliminating most of the Evil Tiger Whale clan wouldn't be overly difficult.
What troubled Yang Xiong, however, was the Evil Tiger Whale King—a true top-tier hundred-thousand-year spirit beast. Its soul ring and soul bones were priceless.
Among everyone, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Feng Xiaotian had all reached Level 80. However, none of them could absorb a hundred-thousand-year soul ring for their eighth ring.
Oscar, despite having multiple soul bones, was a food-based soul master. Even in the original storyline, he couldn't absorb a hundred-thousand-year divine-bestowed soul ring for his eighth ring.
As for Feng Xiaotian, though physically strong, he lacked any soul bones, putting him at a clear disadvantage.
In Yang Xiong's group, the only one with a real chance of absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring and soul bones was Yang Wei. He already possessed three top-tier soul bones and, after undergoing Tidal Training, ranked among the highest in terms of endurance. Success was possible, though fraught with risk.
Upon hearing Yang Xiong's analysis of the Evil Tiger Whale clan, everyone fell silent. Compared to spirit beasts, human ingenuity truly knew no bounds.
Ning Rongrong asked: "So what should we do? The Evil Tiger Whale clan is massive, and if they dive into the deep sea during our attack, even the Great White Sharks might not be able to chase them."
Yang Xiong took out two items, both of which were striking. One was a pristine white plant, its leaves so dewy they seemed to drip water, long and curved like a swan's neck—the Snow Swan Kiss.
The other was a potent poison Yang Xiong had collected over the years, named Datura Silencer.
Though not necessarily the strongest among poisons, Datura Silencer had unique properties. It possessed a powerful anesthetic effect, capable of paralyzing both humans and spirit beasts, even top-tier experts, while being odorless and colorless. It was also one of the primary ingredients in the Seven-Colored Poison.
Yang Xiong called everyone over and began detailing the plan to counter the Evil Tiger Whale clan. Even Little Bai, who had previously disliked Yang Xiong, now felt a surge of confidence.
Three days later, late in the evening, everyone prepared to leave Sea God Island.
Little Bai gathered all the Great White Sharks—over 300 adults. It seemed the Great White Shark population slightly outnumbered the Evil Tiger Whales.
Under the cover of night, everyone stood atop the Great White Sharks and swiftly headed toward the Evil Tiger Whale territory.
The Evil Tiger Whale territory was about 500 kilometers from Sea God Island. True to their reputation as one of the fastest spirit beasts in the sea, the Great White Sharks reached the outskirts of the Evil Tiger Whale territory in just a few hours. To avoid detection, they maintained a distance of over ten kilometers from the territory.
By the early hours of the morning, around 2 a.m., Yang Xiong handed the Snow Swan Kiss and Datura Silencer to Shui Bing'er, explaining their specific usage.
"Sister Bing'er, be careful. If anything goes wrong, retreat immediately. The Evil Tiger Whale clan is extremely dangerous."
Shui Bing'er was chosen over Feng Xiaotian because she could transform into an Ice Phoenix, allowing her to fly unnoticed over the ocean. In contrast, Feng Xiaotian's Swift Wind Demon Wolf was a land-based spirit beast with inferior flight capabilities, making it easier to detect.
Yang Xiong had considered using the Ocean Heaven Cover to infiltrate underwater, but it was too risky and impractical. Would the Evil Tiger Whales really not notice?
He also contemplated personally releasing the poison via sword qi, but his overwhelming energy might alert the spirit beasts, whose perception was exceptionally sharp.
Without hesitation, Shui Bing'er took the Snow Swan Kiss and Datura Silencer, transforming into a massive Ice Phoenix. She flew gracefully over the ocean, approaching the upwind position.
Using the Snow Swan Kiss, she amplified the toxicity of the Datura Silencer and released it over a wide area. The poison blended seamlessly with the seawater carried by the ocean breeze.
After releasing the poison, everyone waited patiently. Based on the water currents and the effects of Datura Silencer, it would take two to three hours for the poison to fully activate. By then, all the Evil Tiger Whales would gradually succumb to the toxin after ingesting the poisoned seawater. This timing coincided with dawn, when spirit beasts were at their lowest alertness.
Both Yang Xiong's group and the Great White Sharks had pre-emptively taken antidotes.
Yang Xiong carefully monitored the changes in the seawater's toxicity. Though the water's color and smell remained unchanged, his years of experience with poisons allowed him to sense the spread of Datura Silencer.
At this moment, Yang Xiong turned to everyone: "Today is the most critical battle. It's the first real combat we've faced since arriving at Sea God Island, and it concerns everyone's survival. I hope you stay safe, complete your trials, and, if possible, choose excellent soul rings."
"All of you, move out! Target: the Evil Tiger Whale clan!"
With Yang Xiong's command, the previously stationary Great White Sharks surged forward at incredible speeds, charging toward the Evil Tiger Whale territory. Leading the charge were Yang Xiong and Little Bai.
Upon entering the Evil Tiger Whale territory, everyone dove into the water like swift arrows.
Once inside the ocean, they truly grasped the enormity of the Evil Tiger Whales. For ordinary humans, standing less than two meters tall, the twenty-meter-long Evil Tiger Whales were colossal, far larger than any spirit beasts they'd encountered before.
Ning Rongrong quickly activated her Nine-Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, amplifying everyone's abilities. Meanwhile, Oscar had already prepared various sausages for everyone, even riding a Great White Shark into battle himself.
The Evil Tiger Whales were highly alert. Upon detecting Yang Xiong's group and the Great White Sharks' attack, they emitted eerie cries, seemingly trying to sound the alarm.
The rest of the Evil Tiger Whales grew agitated, baring their fangs. The entire ocean trembled—it was a battle involving hundreds of ten-thousand-year-level spirit beasts.
However, the Evil Tiger Whales' speed and strength were significantly diminished. Their bodies seemed partially paralyzed, and their soul power circulation was noticeably slower.
Normally capable of taking on two Great White Sharks alone, they were now being overpowered even in one-on-one battles.
Yang Xiong wielded the Crimson Blood Lightning Sword, moving alongside Little Bai like a streak of light, charging toward the largest Evil Tiger Whale—their king.
Seeing the situation, the Evil Tiger Whale King roared in anger: "Shameless Little Bai! You dare collude with humans to slaughter my spirit beast kin. You're a traitor to our kind!"
Little Bai retorted fiercely: "Evil Tiger, today I'll settle the score for my slaughtered younger brother. Today is your death day!"
Yang Xiong moved with blinding speed, summoning his martial soul and soul rings. With a single slash, a blood-red sword qi shot skyward, splitting the seawater apart.
But the Evil Tiger Whale King's combat prowess and physical conditioning were extraordinary. From its head, it expelled a massive column of water, which momentarily solidified, blocking Yang Xiong's sword qi.
Its massive tail then struck Little Bai, deflecting her attack.
However, both Yang Xiong and Little Bai targeted the Evil Tiger Whale King. As the leader and spiritual pillar of the Evil Tiger Whale clan, defeating him would disrupt their formation and prevent organized resistance.
Within minutes, the ocean erupted into chaos. Soul power clashed, spirit beasts tore at each other, and the air was thick with killing intent and the scent of blood.
While Yang Xiong and Little Bai fought the Evil Tiger Whale King, the others faced the remaining Evil Tiger Whales. Accompanied by the Great White Sharks, they attacked in pincer movements, gaining a slight advantage.
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