Eighteen-Thousand-Year Dark Night Thunder Tiger

Gu Ci shook his head and comforted her. "No. If there's nothing in Sunset Forest, we'll go to Star Dou Great Forest."

"There are far more types of soul beasts there than here. We'll definitely find something suitable."

Dugu Bo added, "We'll set out for Star Dou Great Forest first thing tomorrow morning. It has been many years since I obtained my ninth soul ring and last went there, so I can take a look and see whether anything has changed."

Only then did Dugu Yan smile.

The night deepened, and the campfire flickered.

Gu Ci sat by the fire, flipping through the Complete Guide to Soul Tools Huo Yuhao had left behind.

While searching for soul beasts these past few days, he had also been studying the principles behind crafting Soul Tools.

The core of a Soul Tool was the Soul Power Circuit. It was similar to an array, yet far more complex.

Metal had to be melted down, circuits inscribed within it, and then Soul Power injected to activate it.

He held a piece of Thunder Pattern Steel in his hand and used his Heavenly Eye to carefully examine its internal metallic structure.

If I could find a way to inscribe circuits without damaging the metal...

As he pondered this, Dugu Bo suddenly spoke. "Ci'er, I've been thinking. For your soul ring, perhaps you could consider that Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle."

Gu Ci looked up. "Grandpa Dugu, didn't you say that flying-type soul beasts weren't compatible with my Martial Soul?"

"They aren't a great match, but it's still better than having nothing."

"Besides, that Purple Lightning Thunder Eagle is twenty thousand years old. Its cultivation is high enough. If you truly can't find a suitable Tiger Type..."

Gu Ci shook his head. "Let's wait a little longer. If it comes to it, we'll search Star Dou Great Forest. I'd rather spend more time than settle for less."

Dugu Bo looked into his resolute eyes, nodded, and said no more.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, just as the three were preparing to set out for Star Dou Great Forest, Gu Ci suddenly opened his Heavenly Eye and looked into the distance.

"Wait."

Dugu Bo stopped. "What is it?"

Gu Ci narrowed his eyes. Golden light pierced through layer upon layer of mountains and settled upon a hidden valley.

There, a huge tiger lay sprawled atop a bluestone slab, basking in the sun.

The tiger was completely black, with streaks of silver-white Thunder Pattern across its back that gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight.

It was more than twice the size of an ordinary tiger, and the character for king on its forehead glimmered faintly with golden light.

"Found it." Gu Ci's lips curled upward. "An eighteen-thousand-year Dark Night Thunder Tiger. It's in a valley thirty li southwest of here."

"Dark Night Thunder Tiger?"

Dugu Bo raised a brow, evidently recalling the name.

He squinted in that direction. Though he could not see as clearly as Gu Ci's Heavenly Eye allowed, the perception of a Titled Douluo still enabled him to vaguely sense that concealed aura.

"So it's that fellow."

He murmured, "I saw it once from afar years ago. At the time, I thought it was merely a mutated Thunder Pattern Tiger. I never expected it to be a Dark Night Thunder Tiger."

Gu Ci asked, "Grandpa Dugu, what is so special about this Dark Night Thunder Tiger?"

Dugu Bo pondered for a moment. "The Dark Night Thunder Tiger is a variant among the Thunder Tiger clan. It is said that its ancestors possessed a trace of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's bloodline."

"Although that trace of Evil God blood has been diluted over countless generations and is now exceedingly thin, it still grants them an additional innate talent compared to ordinary Thunder Tigers—concealment."

"Concealment?" Dugu Yan blinked. "Tigers can turn invisible?"

Dugu Bo shook his head. "Not invisibility. They can conceal their aura within shadows."

"These tigers are born able to blend into darkness. Even in daylight, as long as they hide in the shadows, their aura is difficult to detect."

"That is why they are also known as the 'Hunter in the Shadows.'"

Gu Ci's eyes lit up.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was a legendary existence.

Though this Dark Night Thunder Tiger's bloodline was already extremely thin, even a mere trace was enough to make it vastly superior to others of its rank.

"And the Dark Night Thunder Tiger has another characteristic."

Dugu Bo continued, "They usually hunt at night, because nighttime is their home ground."

"Under moonlight, the Thunder Pattern on their backs emit a silver-white glow. At that time, both their speed and attack power increase dramatically."

Gu Ci already had his answer.

Eighteen thousand years. A Dark Night Thunder Tiger. A trace of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's bloodline. Skilled at concealment. Its strength soared at night...

It was practically a soul ring tailor-made for him.

"It's the one."

He said it without hesitation.

Dugu Bo nodded and led the other two quietly in that direction.

Thirty li was no more than a moment's journey for a Titled Douluo.

But in order not to alert the enemy, Dugu Bo slowed down, using the terrain to conceal their auras as they gradually approached the hidden valley.

The valley was not large. Mountains surrounded it on three sides, leaving only a narrow entrance.

The forest within was dense, making it difficult for sunlight to shine directly inside. It appeared rather dim.

Gu Ci opened his Heavenly Eye and saw the Dark Night Thunder Tiger through the layers of trees.

It lay atop an enormous bluestone, seemingly taking a midday nap.

Its pitch-black fur nearly blended into the surrounding shadows. Only the silver-white Thunder Pattern on its back could faintly be seen, flickering slightly with each breath.

"Eighteen thousand years."

Gu Ci spoke softly. "It's even larger than Zi Dian by a whole size, the Thunder Pattern on its back are very bright, and its bloodline should be quite good."

Zi Dian let out a low growl within him, seeming somewhat unconvinced.

Gu Ci reassuringly patted his chest and smiled. "Don't worry. You're my first partner, and you always will be."

Dugu Bo surveyed the surrounding terrain and spoke quietly. "This valley is easy to defend and difficult to attack. There is only one entrance."

"If that fellow is determined to run, it can dive into the mountains, and then it really will be hard to pursue. But..."

A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. "I have learned quite a few things over the years as well."

"Ci'er, would that method you used to persuade Zi Dian work on this Dark Night Thunder Tiger?"

Gu Ci considered it, then shook his head. "Not necessarily. Zi Dian was completely suppressed by you back then and couldn't move. It was also afraid of bloodline suppression, so it was willing to listen to me."

"This Dark Night Thunder Tiger has a higher cultivation and a decent bloodline. I'm afraid it won't be so easy to talk to."

"Then beat it up first and talk afterward." Dugu Bo said as though it were only natural.

Gu Ci: "..."

That actually did not seem wrong.

"But this time, I do not intend to act directly."

Dugu Bo looked at Gu Ci. "You'll do it yourself."

Gu Ci froze. "Me? I'm only level 20. It's an eighteen-thousand-year soul beast..."

Dugu Bo waved a hand. "I'm not telling you to fight it head-on. Have you forgotten those wings of yours?"

Gu Ci suddenly understood.

Purple Lightning Wings.

An External Soul Bone with the attached skill Thunder Flash, allowing him to transform into Thunderbolt and teleport a short distance.

"Your Martial Soul is the Thunder Prison Heaven-Slaying Tiger. You possess natural bloodline suppression over Thunder Attribute soul beasts."

"With the speed of the Purple Lightning Wings as well, you may not be without a chance." Dugu Bo said.

"I will watch from the side and intervene the moment there is danger, but you must earn the opportunity to speak with it yourself."

Gu Ci took a deep breath and slowly nodded.

He understood what Dugu Bo meant.

Soul beasts respected the strong. If he did not even possess the strength to fight, the other party would never be willing to listen to him.

"Zi Dian, are you ready?"

Zi Dian's low growl rang out in his heart, brimming with fighting spirit.

Gu Ci rose to his feet. Two tears suddenly split open the clothing on his back, and a pair of purple light wings unfurled.

The light wings were as thin as cicada wings, golden Thunder Light flowing around their edges as they glimmered within the dim valley.

"Yanyan, wait here."

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