Ghost Tiger Sparring Partner

Yaowang Town was not too far from Star Dou Forest.

At the speed of a Title Douluo like Luo Can, flying at full speed with his Golden Dragon Wings spread, he reached the outskirts of the forest in less than half a day.

Compared to Sunset Forest, Star Dou Forest was clearly a level higher in both the quantity and quality of its Spirit Beasts.

Not long after entering the forest, Luo Can sensed the presence of at least three hundred-year Spirit Beasts, all of them with fairly high cultivation.

"Star Dou Forest truly lived up to its name..."

Luo Can concealed his aura and flew low beneath the canopy, spreading his mental power like a spiderweb as he carefully screened for a suitable target.

What he sought was a tiger-type Spirit Beast.

It had to be around a hundred years old and not too powerful, or Ye Lingling would have no way to handle it. But it could not be too weak either, or it would not serve as a sparring partner. Ideally, it had only recently broken through the hundred-year mark, was difficult to tame due to its savage nature, yet possessed strength within a controllable range.

Half a day later, Luo Can stopped beside a stream.

By the water, a Spirit Beast covered in purple tiger stripes over black fur was lowering its head to drink. It was not especially large, barely over two meters long, and its Soul Power fluctuations were pale yellow. It had clearly only recently broken through the hundred-year mark.

A Ghost Tiger.

A tiger-type Spirit Beast renowned for its speed and ferocity, its combat strength ranked among the best of its level. More importantly, the Ghost Tiger's pouncing posture and explosive hunting power perfectly matched the true meaning of the Tiger Form within the Tiger King Mountain-Crushing Fist.

"You'll do."

Luo Can descended from the canopy and stood before the hundred-year Ghost Tiger.

The Ghost Tiger abruptly raised its head. Vigilance and ferocity flashed through its scarlet tiger eyes as it let out a low growl, bent its hind legs slightly, and assumed a pouncing stance.

Luo Can did not move.

He merely slowly raised his right hand and pressed it lightly toward the Ghost Tiger.

Boom—

An invisible dragon's might descended like Mount Tai bearing down upon it.

Every hair on the Ghost Tiger's body stood on end as it began to tremble uncontrollably. It was terror from deep within its bloodline, as though it had encountered the ultimate predator among predators.

It wanted to flee, but its limbs felt as if they had been filled with lead. It could not even move a single claw.

"Whimper..."

A low, mournful cry squeezed from its throat. The next moment, the hundred-year Spirit Beast rolled its eyes back and was frightened unconscious on the spot.

Luo Can stepped forward and grabbed the Ghost Tiger by the scruff of its neck with one hand. The two-meter-long tiger body was as light as nothing in his grip. He turned, flashed away, and vanished from sight.

Half a day later, at Jueming Cliff.

Carrying the unconscious Ghost Tiger, Luo Can passed through the clouds and descended back into the valley.

In the clearing on the other side, Ye Lingling was repeatedly practicing the first move of the Tiger King Mountain-Crushing Fist, "Vicious Tiger Pounce," against the air.

Her little face was flushed red, and fine beads of sweat covered her forehead, but her movements remained stiff and awkward.

She tried once more.

Soul Power circulated through the prescribed meridians, but as soon as it reached her arm, a needle-like pain struck. Ye Lingling clenched her lips and forced herself to complete the move, yet the fist wind she released was weak and soft, unable even to stir the grass three steps away.

"Wrong again..."

She looked at her hands, her eyes filled with frustration.

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind her.

"Lingling."

Ye Lingling turned around and saw her master land while carrying an enormous black tiger. Her eyes immediately widened.

"Master, you're back!"

"Mm." Luo Can walked over and casually set the Ghost Tiger on the ground. "How has your practice gone?"

"I... I clearly followed the first move..." Ye Lingling lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer. "But it feels like it has no power at all."

"Because you are only imitating the tiger's form, not grasping its essence."

Luo Can crouched down until they were at eye level.

"The Tiger King Mountain-Crushing Fist places emphasis on the word 'tiger.' Without a tiger's ferocity, savagery, and dominance, this fist technique is nothing but an empty shell."

He pointed at the unconscious Ghost Tiger on the ground.

"This is the sparring partner your master found for you. A hundred-year Ghost Tiger. For the next month, you will not be practicing your fists against the air. Instead—"

Luo Can paused, speaking each word distinctly.

"Watch it, imitate it, understand it, until you can unleash a true Tiger Form before it."

Ye Lingling looked at the savage black tiger on the ground. Even while unconscious, its sharp fangs, powerful muscles, and keen claws still radiated a fearsome, chilling ferocity.

She instinctively took half a step back, her little hand clutching the hem of her clothes.

"Master, I... I'm scared..."

Her voice was tiny and clearly trembling.

Luo Can reached out and gently rubbed her little head, his tone mild.

"Lingling, you must overcome your fear. Think of yourself as a tiger until you can defeat it."

"Remember, one mountain cannot hold two tigers. In this valley, only one 'tiger' can remain."

Ye Lingling pressed her lips tightly together.

She looked at her master, then at the Ghost Tiger on the ground. After a long while, she took a deep breath and nodded heavily.

"Alright! I-I'll definitely defeat it!"

"Very good."

Luo Can smiled in satisfaction. He tossed the Ghost Tiger into the center of the clearing, then flicked out a strand of pale golden Soul Power that sank into its brow.

The Ghost Tiger's body shuddered, and it slowly opened its eyes.

The confusion of waking quickly faded. When it saw its surroundings clearly, especially the two humans before it, ferocity instantly erupted from its scarlet tiger eyes.

Roar—!!

The deafening tiger roar echoed through the valley. The Ghost Tiger drove off with its hind legs, its massive body pouncing toward the nearest Ye Lingling like a black bolt of lightning!

Ye Lingling's little face turned deathly pale, and she instinctively wanted to run.

But at that moment—

Bang!

The Ghost Tiger seemed to slam into an invisible wall. Its entire body was flung backward, rolling twice across the ground in a sorry state. It shook its dizzy head, then tentatively pressed a tiger claw forward.

A pale golden film rippled through the air.

A Barrier.

The Soul Power Barrier Luo Can had set trapped the Ghost Tiger firmly within a radius of three zhang. No matter how it charged or pounced, that thin layer of light did not budge in the slightest.

The Ghost Tiger paced restlessly inside the Barrier, low roars rumbling from its throat. Its tiger eyes were fixed on Ye Lingling outside the Barrier, fangs bared as it displayed all its savagery.

Ye Lingling stood where she was, watching the frenzied beast inside the Barrier while her heart pounded wildly.

"Go. Stand in front of it."

Luo Can's voice came from behind her.

"Look into its eyes. Do not hide."

Ye Lingling bit her lip and moved step by step toward the edge of the Barrier, stopping only a meter away from the Ghost Tiger.

One girl and one tiger stared at each other through the pale golden film.

The Ghost Tiger's eyes were full of violence and killing intent. It continuously bared its teeth and issued threatening growls, as if it would break through the Barrier and tear her apart at any moment.

Ye Lingling, however, did not dare meet its gaze. Her eyes darted away, and whenever she dared to glance up, the beast's savage appearance frightened her into quickly lowering her head again. Her little hands tightly gripped the hem of her clothes until her knuckles turned white.

Time passed in their silent standoff.

The sun set.

The Ghost Tiger gradually shifted from its initial frenzy to restless pacing, but its tiger eyes remained locked on Ye Lingling.

Ye Lingling gradually adapted as well. Though she still did not dare look directly at the Ghost Tiger for long, at least she could stand there without running away.

Night fell.

Luo Can prepared a medicinal meal. Ye Lingling finished it in small bites, feeling warmth spread throughout her body as more than half of her daytime exhaustion faded away.

"Rest early."

"Yes, Master."

Ye Lingling obediently lay down, but the moment she closed her eyes, the Ghost Tiger's vicious appearance surfaced in her mind. She tossed and turned for a long time before finally drifting into a hazy sleep.

The next morning, when Luo Can woke up, he discovered that Ye Lingling was no longer in bed.

He walked out of the Wooden House and saw that the little girl was already standing outside the Barrier. She was still somewhat nervous, but at least she could now stand steadily there and meet the Ghost Tiger's gaze from within the Barrier.

Whenever she felt afraid, she practiced Vicious Tiger Pounce against the air, as if bolstering her courage and imitating the posture of the fierce tiger inside the Barrier.

Luo Can smiled but did not disturb her. He turned and went to prepare breakfast.

Afterward, he took out his fishing rod and began the day's Fishing by the spring.

Three hours later.

[ Ding! This Fishing session has ended. Overall rating: Excellent. Reward: 1000 Points ]

[ Points: 3200 ]

Putting away his fishing rod, Luo Can looked toward the clearing.

Ye Lingling was still standing there. But unlike yesterday, she could now calmly meet the Ghost Tiger's gaze. No matter how ferocious it acted, her eyes no longer avoided it.

"Looks like she has adapted fairly well at first." Luo Can muttered to himself. "In another two days, we can begin the next step."

He did not disturb Ye Lingling's cultivation. Spreading his wings, he flew out of the valley.

Ten minutes later, Yaowang Town, Luo's Herb Shop.

There were quite a few customers in the shop. Bai Wuliu and Bai Qiba were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground. Luo Can did not disturb them and went straight behind the counter, picking up the account book to review it.

As the sun set behind the western mountains and the last customer left, the siblings finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Boss Luo."

"Mm." Luo Can closed the account book. "How did the matter I instructed you to handle go?"

"It's done!" Bai Wuliu hurriedly took out a roll of rough paper from her robe and offered it with both hands. "This contains information on every villager in Baican Village. It's all recorded here."

Luo Can unrolled the paper.

It was densely filled with information on over a hundred people: names, ages, martial souls, Innate Soul Power where applicable, and even brief personality notes.

After giving it a rough scan, Luo Can had a clear understanding.

There were one hundred and thirty-seven people in Baican Village. Only eleven did not possess White Silkworm martial souls, but their martial souls had all been judged as useless as well: Blue Silver Grass, handkerchiefs, Sickles, and carrots. None of them possessed Innate Soul Power.

Only three people had Innate Soul Power. One was a thirty-eight-year-old woman with level 0.3 Innate Soul Power; another was a forty-two-year-old man with level 0.4; and the last was a fifty-one-year-old elder with level 0.5. They were all rather old, with limited potential.

But Luo Can's gaze fell upon another group—

Forty-eight people between the ages of six and twenty.

Fifteen were under ten years old, while thirty-three were over ten.

Other than two whose martial souls were Blue Silver Grass and a sickle, the remaining forty-six all possessed White Silkworm martial souls.

Moreover, none of them had Innate Soul Power.

Luo Can raised his head and looked at the siblings waiting attentively nearby, pointing at those forty-eight names.

"Tomorrow, gather all of these people. While you're at it, invite the village chief of Baican Village as well—"

He paused before saying,

"I have something to announce."