Ghost Tiger's Night Raid, Ambition for Two Rings

The last rays of the setting sun were completely swallowed by the massive canopy of the Star Dou Great Forest. An inky blue night curtain swiftly drew shut, gently yet irresistibly embracing heaven and earth in darkness. The forest grew exceedingly dim, with the faint remaining light outlining the twisted, ferocious silhouettes of trees, like countless slumbering beasts.

The temperature dropped noticeably. A night wind carrying the chill of dew threaded through the woods, rustling the leaves softly, only making the unsettling silence all around more apparent. The noisy chirping of insects and birds from daytime had nearly vanished, replaced by the barely audible rustling of nocturnal soul beasts beginning to stir, along with long, chilling howls drifting in from afar.

Qin Yuan chose a relatively open, dry clearing backed against a massive rock wall as their campsite for the night. With a casual sweep of his sleeve, an invisible gust of force swept over the ground, clearing away every dead branch, fallen leaf, and small insect, revealing level earth beneath.

In perfect coordination, Bing'er took thick beast-hide blankets from her storage Soul Tool and spread them out, while Yan'er deftly gathered dry branches. A tiny flame flickered from her fingertip, and she quickly lit a campfire. The dancing flames drove away some of the darkness and cold, casting shifting light and shadow across the three children's faces.

Qin Mo sat cross-legged beside the fire. Rather than immediately entering deep meditation, he continued familiarizing himself with and consolidating the power of his newly acquired First Soul Ring. At times, the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda appeared in his palm as he felt the increasingly seamless circulation between it and his Soul Power. At others, a dark poison sting extended from his fingertips as he carefully sensed the paralyzing toxin it contained and its Soul Power consumption. At still other times, he communicated with the demon spider pattern in his Sea of Consciousness, becoming familiar with the effortless sensation of summoning and controlling it.

Bing'er and Yan'er sat a little farther out. While cultivating, they remained alert, watching for movement in the darkness around them. After the demon spider's attack during the day, they did not dare let down their guard in the slightest. Nights in the forest were often even more dangerous than the daytime.

Qin Yuan appeared to be sitting casually on a bluestone nearby, his eyes lightly closed as if dozing. Yet his vast Spiritual Power had already silently spread across several miles like an invisible giant net. Every slight movement—even a night owl flapping its wings or a venomous snake slithering along—was clearly reflected in the lake of his mind. He was both protector and observer. Only when a threat truly exceeded the children's ability to handle it would he intervene.

Time silently passed amid quiet cultivation and watchkeeping. The campfire crackled, occasionally spitting out sparks.

The night deepened.

Suddenly, Qin Mo and Qin Yuan opened their eyes at almost the same time!

Qin Mo had sensed it because his Spiritual Power, strengthened by Innate Level 20 Soul Power and deeply fused with the demon pagoda, had become extraordinarily sharp. It caught an extremely faint yet dangerous energy fluctuation—cold, fierce, and carrying the sinister agility unique to a stealthy hunter. It was silently closing in from the forest ahead and to the side! It was incredibly fast!

As for Qin Yuan, he had already "seen" the lurking black shadow with perfect clarity.

It was a fierce tiger, black as ink from head to toe, save for several strange pale-white markings scattered across its body! It was more nimble and lean than the Man Faced Demon Spider, its muscles sleek and brimming with explosive strength. The pads of its paws rendered its movements soundless, making it like a ghost in the night. A pair of dark green eyes gleamed with cruel cunning in the darkness.

It was a Ghost Tiger, renowned for its speed, attack power, and bizarre cloning ability! Judging by the density of its aura, it had clearly cultivated for over five hundred years! It was evidently a top predator out hunting at night, drawn here by the campfire's glow—or, more likely, by the vigorous Life Aura emanating from Qin Mo and the others.

"Something's approaching." Qin Mo lowered his voice, his tone calm as he instantly brought himself into peak condition. Bing'er and Yan'er were immediately alerted as well. Their martial souls possessed them in an instant, ice-blue and fiery-red light flaring in the darkness as they nervously looked toward the direction Qin Mo indicated.

"A Ghost Tiger over five hundred years old. It is incredibly fast and excels at creating phantom clones. It is perfect for your Second Soul Ring!" Qin Yuan's calm voice rang out. He remained seated on the bluestone and did not even open his eyes, as though merely stating a fact. "Mo'er, it is time to test the combat capability of your First Soul Skill. Grandpa will not intervene."

Before his words had even faded!

Two points of dark green light abruptly lit up in the darkness, like ghostly flames from hell!

Immediately after, a deep, commanding tiger's roar exploded through the air, carrying a force that seemed to pierce the soul and making the campfire sway violently!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Ghost Tiger's form suddenly blurred, seemingly splitting into two in an instant and transforming into two nearly identical black shadows, impossible to distinguish as real or fake! They burst from the shadows at the same time, moving as swiftly as arrows loosed from a bow. From two extremely tricky angles on the left and right, they pounced straight at Qin Mo beside the campfire! Their fangs and claws glinted coldly in the darkness, and the stench of blood they carried was nauseating!

Phantom Clone! This was one of the Ghost Tiger's most troublesome innate abilities!

"Bing'er, Yan'er, watch the surroundings. Make sure there isn't anything else!" Qin Mo remained calm in the face of danger and gave his orders coolly. He was unsure whether the Ghost Tiger had companions, so they had to remain on guard.

The two girls immediately stood back-to-back, gathering their Soul Power as they warily swept their eyes through the outer darkness.

Facing the two tiger shadows attacking from both sides, the deep purple Soul Ring beneath Qin Mo's feet instantly lit up!

"First Soul Skill, Demon Spider Summon!"

A dark gleam flashed, and the massive, ferocious Hundred-Year Human-Faced Demon Spider appeared out of thin air. It let out a hoarse roar and, without hesitation, obeyed Qin Mo's mental command, fearlessly pouncing at the tiger shadow charging from the left! Its spider legs were like spears and its venomous fangs gleamed menacingly. In an instant, it tangled with the shadow in a savage biting struggle, producing teeth-grating sounds of collision!

At the same time, Qin Mo used swift footwork. With a twist of his steps, he narrowly evaded the other tiger shadow's frontal pounce. The fierce wind from its claws swept past the edge of his robes, producing a piercing Sound of Breaking Air.

Yet the tiger shadow on the right had already struck! Its speed exceeded all imagination!

"First Soul Skill, Poison Sting Add-on!"

Qin Mo pressed his fingers together like a blade. Dark poisonous light instantly covered his fingertips. Rather than dodging again, he swung his hand back in a sharp chopping strike, precisely slashing toward the tiger shadow's waist and abdomen!

Rip!

The poisonous fingers swept through it, kicking up a spray of faint energy fragments! The tiger shadow faltered slightly, its movements visibly slowing for an instant and becoming somewhat more illusory, yet it did not completely dissipate!

"It isn't a pure illusion. The clone also possesses some physical attack power and Soul Power!" Qin Mo understood in an instant. This Ghost Tiger's clones were far harder to deal with than he had imagined!

Just as his old momentum had faded and his new strength had yet to rise, the true body of the Ghost Tiger silently appeared in Qin Mo's blind spot, using the tiny opening created by its weakened clone as though it had teleported. Its glowing claws carried the force to tear through everything as they viciously slammed toward the center of Qin Mo's back! It was incomparably cunning!

"Ice Wall!" Bing'er's clear shout rang out at that critical moment!

A thick, crystalline ice wall radiating Ultimate Fire-like chill instantly condensed behind Qin Mo!

Bang!! The Ghost Tiger's claws slammed heavily into the ice wall, producing a dull thunderous boom! Ice fragments scattered everywhere. The wall shook violently and was instantly covered in cracks, but it successfully blocked the fatal strike, buying Qin Mo that crucial instant!

Qin Mo used the force to rush forward, spinning around in an instant as a cold gleam flashed through his eyes!

Now!

The Soul Power throughout his body erupted without reserve. No longer limiting himself to poison stings on his fingertips, he fiercely condensed his immense Soul Power into a single point through the form of Poison Sting Add-on and blasted it out!

"Break!"

Boom! A powerful blast of Soul Power mixed with intense neurotoxin struck the Ghost Tiger's true body squarely in the ribs!

"Awoo—!" The Ghost Tiger let out a pained, furious roar. The sudden strike knocked it stumbling backward, and the fur along its ribs instantly turned charred black. The toxin spread rapidly, visibly stiffening its movements.

"Yan'er, restrict its movements!"

"First Soul Skill, Fire Ring Restraint!"

Several scorching fire rings condensed from Ultimate Fire appeared out of thin air, accurately closing around the injured Ghost Tiger, whose movements had slowed!

The Ghost Tiger was incredibly fast. Enduring the pain, it rapidly dodged and rolled away. But just as its old strength faded, its new strength had yet to form, and its body was still unsteady—

A sharp light flashed in Qin Mo's eyes. The opportunity he had waited for had finally appeared!

In his left palm, the Nine-Story Demon Pagoda once again bloomed with dazzling Nine-Colored Radiance, brighter and more condensed than when it had sealed the demon spider!

"Now! Seal!"

The vortex beneath the demon pagoda spun madly. A thicker, more solid Nine-Colored Light Pillar suddenly shot out like a divine chain, incomparably precise as it completely enveloped the Ghost Tiger's true body—injured, off-balance, and disrupted by the flames!