Red Flame Tiger
Tang San untied the reins from the tree and swung himself onto the horse. He squeezed its flanks and flicked the reins. The black horse let out a long neigh, broke into a gallop, and raced northeast.
Ten days later, when a vast green sea came into view, he had reached Sunset Forest.
It was a sea of trees stretching as far as the eye could see. The trees were tall and dense, their crowns overlapping layer upon layer. From a distance, they looked like a dark green ocean, the canopy rising and falling like waves whenever the wind blew. A thin mist hung over the forest, glowing with a faint purple halo in the sunlight.
Tang San reined in his horse and stood on a small hillside, gazing out for a long time. Sunset Forest was a place he had read about countless times in his previous life, and now it lay before his eyes. Words could never have conveyed how breathtaking it was.
Tang San was in no hurry to enter. Instead, he stayed in a small town on the outskirts. This was the last stop before entering Sunset Forest, and Spirit Masters and merchants came and went all year round, making it quite lively.
Tang San spent a day buying supplies: dry rations, fire-starting supplies, rope, lamp oil, antidotes—everything he could think of. He also made a point of buying a simple map of Sunset Forest. Although it wasn't very detailed, it showed the general terrain and several important landmarks.
Along the way, Tang San had bought three pieces of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber in the cities he passed through. After using all three, his physical strength had increased by another large margin. His bones were denser, his muscles firmer, and his meridians wider.
An ordinary Spirit Master's Second Soul Ring was usually around six hundred years old. Those with better talent could absorb one that was seven hundred years old.
Tang San's First Soul Ring, however, was already six hundred years old. After being strengthened by the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone and three pieces of Thousand-Year Whale Rubber, his physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Elder. Tang San calculated his chances and felt very confident that he could absorb a Second Soul Ring over two thousand years old. He even thought one that was three thousand years old might not be impossible.
But the problem was that a thousand-year Second Soul Ring had never been seen before.
Tang San lay on the bed at the inn, staring at the ceiling as he turned the problem over in his mind.
If the fact that he had absorbed a Soul Ring beyond the usual age limit came to light, it would surely attract the covetous attention of powerful factions. Spirit Hall, the Upper Three Sects, the various kingdoms...
Without a powerful faction to back him, he feared he would certainly be unable to take a single step in the future. He would become a prize in the eyes of every faction. They would use threats and enticements against him, and if none of that worked, they might even wipe him out.
Tang San had been thinking all along about how to conceal his Soul Rings. A thousand-year Second Soul Ring meant it would be purple, while a normal Second Soul Ring should have been yellow.
The moment he released his Martial Soul in public, his purple Second Soul Ring would be exposed. Anyone who saw a Spirit Master with a yellow First Soul Ring and a purple Second Soul Ring would grow suspicious.
Tang San rolled over, buried his face in the pillow, and let out a muffled sigh. He couldn't think of a good solution for now, so he could only take things one step at a time. Perhaps, as with the Clear Sky Hammer, he could avoid using his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul in front of others as much as possible. But the problem was that Blue Silver Grass was currently his primary Martial Soul. If he didn't use it, what would he use?
Forget it. I won't think about it for now. Tang San rolled over and closed his eyes. I'll deal with it once I'm in Sunset Forest. Maybe I'll find a way.
Early the next morning, once everything was ready, Tang San strode toward the dark green sea of trees.
Near the forest's edge, the air was filled with the scent of vegetation and earth, mingled with a faint, elusive fragrance of flowers. Several birds called in the distance, their notes clear and lingering.
Tang San took a deep breath, then plunged into the forest without hesitation.
Deep in Sunset Forest, the light filtered through layer upon layer of canopy, breaking into dark green fragments that cast mottled patches of light and shadow on the ground.
Tang San had spent five days traveling through this vast sea of trees, venturing into an area that wasn't clearly marked even on the map.
Over those five days, Tang San had encountered thousand-year Soul Beasts. He had also relied on his Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul's extraordinary perception within the forest to give several ten-thousand-year existences with terrifying presences a wide berth.
The ability to fly granted by the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone gave Tang San a little more confidence in his ability to stay alive, but he didn't abuse it. A trump card was a trump card precisely because it couldn't be revealed until a crucial moment.
Tang San needed a suitable Soul Beast, one over two thousand years old but under three thousand, preferably a plant-type that could further enhance Blue Silver Grass's vitality or control abilities.
But a suitable Soul Beast wasn't something he could find just because he wanted to.
That afternoon, the sky suddenly darkened. Black clouds rolled in from every direction, covering the sky completely. The forest grew as dark as dusk in an instant, and the air turned stuffy and oppressive. Even the birds fell silent.
Tang San stopped and glanced up at the sky hidden by the canopy, his brow furrowing slightly. It was going to rain. He needed to find shelter.
But before he had gone far, a terrifying presence came from ahead, rapidly approaching him.
That presence was heavy and scorching, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, bearing a pressure that made it hard to breathe. Goosebumps rose on Tang San's skin, and every hair stood on end. It was his body's instinctive reaction to danger.
Soon, a giant tiger appeared before him.
The tiger was astonishingly large, over three meters long and nearly one and a half meters tall at the shoulder. Scarlet fur covered its body, as though it had been scorched by flames again and again, every hair gleaming with a searing luster.
A Red Flame Tiger.
Tang San's pupils contracted slightly, and information about this kind of Soul Beast flashed through his mind.
The Red Flame Tiger was an apex predator among fire-attribute Soul Beasts, renowned for its speed and explosive power. Its fiery breath was hot enough to melt steel.
Judging by its size and presence, this Red Flame Tiger was at least ten thousand years old.
Tang San noticed a fresh wound on the Red Flame Tiger's abdomen. The fur around it was soaked in blood, and although the bleeding had stopped, the wound clearly hadn't fully healed. Its breathing was also a little faster than normal, and there was a hint of fatigue in its orange-red eyes. It seemed to be fleeing.
Tang San's mind raced. Even injured, a ten-thousand-year Red Flame Tiger was completely beyond him. Only one word filled his mind: Run!
But a flicker of annoyance passed through the Red Flame Tiger's eyes. It had no intention of sparing Tang San, who stood in the path of its escape. The Red Flame Tiger thought swatting Tang San to death would be as easy as swatting a fly.
The Red Flame Tiger didn't slow down. Instead, it sped up, its massive body charging straight at Tang San like an out-of-control heavy truck, trailing waves of scorching heat and a bloody wind.
It intended to crush the ant blocking its way.
There was no time to run, no time to hesitate. The instant the Red Flame Tiger charged, Tang San reacted.
His First Soul Ring lit up at his feet. "First Soul Skill, Evergreen Body."
Soul Power surged out like a tide, and Tang San felt his body enveloped by a warm force. His muscles grew firmer, and his reactions became sharper.
Then Tang San rolled sharply to the left, sliding close along the ground. At the same time, he slapped both hands against the earth, channeling Soul Power into it through his palms.
Dozens of strands of Blue Silver Grass burst from the ground like dark green spirit snakes, winding toward the Red Flame Tiger's limbs from different directions.
The vines were as thick as ropes, their surfaces gleaming dark green. They were several times tougher than they had been a year ago.
Tang San knew he couldn't meet this Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast head-on. That would be courting death, without a doubt. The gap between a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and a thousand-year Soul Beast wasn't something skill and courage could bridge. Tang San only wanted to halt the Red Flame Tiger's charge and give himself room to dodge.
From its hurried flight and the wound on its abdomen that was still seeping blood, he could tell that a powerful existence was definitely pursuing it. Perhaps it was a Spirit Master, perhaps a Soul Beast. Whatever it was, as long as he could stall for enough time, the pursuer would arrive.