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"Hmph~, White Tiger, possession!!"
Realizing his opponent wasn't someone to be taken lightly, Dai Mubai didn't dare to be careless and immediately unleashed his martial soul.
Instantly, a fierce pale light erupted from his body. Dai Mubai's muscles swelled dramatically, and his hands transformed into sharp tiger claws.
His golden hair turned black-and-white striped, and his peculiar double-pupil eyes gave off a predatory aura, as if he were ready to devour anyone in his path.
Three glowing halos rose from beneath his feet—two yellow and one purple. Compared to Chu Chengzhou's disguised two-yellow-ring setup, Dai Mubai's configuration looked far more imposing.
"Little Bai, go get that golden-haired four-pupiled freak!"
Patting the massive head of the summoned Light Lion, Chu Chengzhou pointed at Dai Mubai not far away.
Golden-haired four-pupiled freak?
Golden hair, which in other fantasy worlds might be considered a top-tier physique, paired with the "double pupils"—wasn't that basically a golden-haired four-pupiled freak?
Unfortunately, things like double pupils had no practical use in the world of Douluo Continent. Maybe it improved his vision slightly?
"Roar~!"
Receiving the command, the Light Lion let out a mighty roar toward the sky. Its powerful limbs surged forward as it charged straight at Dai Mubai.
The Light Lion possessed two innate spirit skills—"Blessing" and "Exorcism." Based on classification, as a light-attribute spirit beast, the Light Lion should technically fall under the support category.
However, spirit beasts weren't as strictly categorized as soul masters. With physical strength surpassing that of soul masters at the same level, and its sharp claws and teeth, the Light Lion could be seen as a hybrid between a support-type and an offensive-type soul master.
A thousand-year-old spirit beast, when converted to the soul master system, would at least be equivalent to a three-ring Soul Elder.
Moreover, the Light Lion's bloodline was only a step away from being a top-tier spirit beast. A Light Lion with over 1,100 years of cultivation might not completely suppress a 36-level Soul Elder like Dai Mubai, but it certainly wouldn't lose either.
"Third soul skill, White Tiger Vajra Transformation!"
Dai Mubai narrowed his eyes and revealed his trump card.
Instantly, his only thousand-year third soul ring lit up. As soul power surged, his already swollen muscles from the White Tiger empowerment expanded even further, tearing apart his upper clothing. His skin developed dense black stripes, making him look almost like a tiger's pelt—if not for the lack of fur.
Most notably, Dai Mubai's entire body was now enveloped in a radiant golden glow, as if he'd been gilded. His blood-red double-pupil eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light, exuding the overwhelming dominance of the king of beasts.
The battle between the lion and the tiger officially began!
"Second soul skill, White Tiger Intense Light Wave!"
Watching the charging Light Lion, Dai Mubai's second soul ring lit up. With a tiger's roar, a milky-white orb shot out from his mouth.
"Little Bai, dodge quickly!"
Seeing the golden-haired freak spitting out a white orb about to hit the Light Lion, Xiao Wu shouted urgently.
In truth, there was no need for Xiao Wu to shout. The Light Lion wasn't some rigid puppet that simply traded blows without thinking.
The True Spirit Flag martial soul endowed its summon with intelligence. In terms of wisdom, this summoned Light Lion was far smarter than a wild Light Lion spirit beast of the same age.
Before the milky-white orb could reach it, the Light Lion deftly shifted its legs and evaded the attack.
"Good job, Little Bai, get him!"
Seeing the Light Lion perfectly dodge, Xiao Wu's excited voice rang out again.
Chu Chengzhou: "…"
For some reason, Chu Chengzhou suddenly thought of those useless "backseat gamers" who just spouted nonsense.
On the battlefield, after dodging Dai Mubai's White Tiger Intense Light Wave, the Light Lion shimmered with golden light as its innate ability, "Blessing," activated, causing all its attributes to skyrocket. It then leaped high into the air and pounced toward Dai Mubai.
Though his first attack missed, Dai Mubai didn't lose heart. A flash of white light enveloped him as his first soul ring glowed brightly, forming a protective white barrier around his body.
After activating his defensive soul skill, Dai Mubai raised his gleaming tiger claws and actively met the charging Light Lion.
Boom—!
The Light Lion's claw struck the white barrier surrounding Dai Mubai, causing the White Tiger Protective Barrier to tremble violently, cracks spreading across its surface.
Meanwhile, Dai Mubai's tiger claw also landed on the Light Lion's head.
However, the summoned creature's physical strength equaled that of a spirit beast of the same age and species. Its tough hide and resilient flesh meant that even with Dai Mubai's amplifying soul skill doubling his strength, normal attacks couldn't pose much of a threat to the Light Lion.
In the first round, neither the lion nor the "tiger" gained the upper hand—it was truly a clash of equals.
"Roar~!"
After exchanging blows and passing each other, the Light Lion let out a furious roar. Its thick limbs pivoted, its tail swung forcefully, and it turned back to charge at Dai Mubai once more.
Clang clang clang—!
The golden lion claws clashed repeatedly with the silver tiger claws. Despite being smaller in stature and weaker in strength, Dai Mubai relied on his exceptional combat experience to fight the Light Lion evenly.
However, the summoned creature was still a spirit beast. In terms of stamina, it far surpassed human soul masters. If the battle dragged on, the Light Lion would undoubtedly emerge victorious.
Moreover, the Light Lion's physical toughness far exceeded Dai Mubai's. The reason they seemed evenly matched was solely because Dai Mubai was currently protected by his defensive soul skill.
Once the White Tiger Protective Barrier shattered, Dai Mubai's flesh and protective soul power would be as fragile as paper compared to the sharp lion claws.
At that point, any slight misstep by Dai Mubai would result in a fatal wound, while the Light Lion could rely on its robust physique to withstand his attacks.
"Little Bai, hit him with your tail!"
At this moment, Xiao Wu, acting as the "backseat gamer," issued another "command."
Coincidentally, seeing his previous attacks nullified, the Light Lion's eyes flashed with golden light. While its claws swung out again, its tail unexpectedly slammed down with great force.
Thud—!
Caught off guard, Dai Mubai managed to block the lion claw but was struck solidly by the tail. The White Tiger Protective Barrier, already on the verge of breaking, shattered instantly.
Seeing this, Dai Mubai dared not continue the fight. Using the recoil from the tail strike, he quickly retreated, putting distance between himself and the Light Lion.
"Xiao Wu, Little Bai doesn't understand what you're saying. Your commands are useless here."
Chu Chengzhou said to Xiao Wu.
While the True Spirit Flag martial soul granted intelligence to summoned creatures, the Light Lion's cultivation level was still relatively low.
Giving it general commands to fight was fine, but specific operational instructions? That was beyond its comprehension.
If Chu Chengzhou wanted a summoned creature to understand human speech, he estimated it would need to be at least ten thousand years old and taught the common language of the continent.
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