"No! I'm going too."
Hu Liena's voice interrupted them.
Because of Lin Chuan, Hu Liena had grown much closer to Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Pass.
Under the latter's curious, teasing gaze, her cheeks flushed as she stammered out an excuse:
"I...I'm about to break through to level thirty-eight. If I go with you, maybe I'll break through, and then...I'll be able to reach Soul Ancestor much sooner!"
Hearing that flimsy excuse, everyone's expressions turned strange.
Xie Yue shook his head helplessly, sighing over how his cabbage kept giving herself away.
Yan's expression was complicated. A faint ache rose in his heart, but he forced down the feelings he'd been bottling up and silently lowered his head.
Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Pass had no real objections. They were confident in their strength, and as long as they didn't run into a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, they wouldn't be in danger.
"What do you think, Little Chuan? This girl is determined to go with you. You're probably the only one she'll listen to, so why don't you give us your answer?"
Chrysanthemum Pass teased.
Getting a suitable Sixth Soul Ring was the most important thing now. Since Gui Mei had brought up hunting for one, Lin Chuan felt at ease.
It was just that this hunt wouldn't be simple. Now that he was a Spirit Emperor, finding a suitable Spirit Ring of sufficient quality would be much harder.
"No. You can't come this time."
When Lin Chuan gave his answer, Hu Liena had thought he would agree. Confused and hurt by the rejection, she looked up at him.
But he only shook his head at her, his expression serious, before speaking again:
"Elder Chrysanthemum, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to come along as well."
Chrysanthemum Pass raised a brow in surprise and held a slender finger to his dark red lips, a smile appearing on his face.
"Whatever you need, Little Chuan, I'll gladly help."
Given Lin Chuan's talent and standing in Spirit Hall, and the good relationship between them, both Chrysanthemum and Ghost Douluo would agree.
Lin Chuan didn't hesitate. Being coy wasn't his style, so he said:
"Since we're talking about hunting for a Spirit Ring, there is one I have in mind. It might be difficult to get, though, so I'll need both you and my master."
"Nana naturally shouldn't come. With her strength, going would be dangerous."
Giratina's main attribute was Ghost-type, so he could easily find compatible Spirit Rings among Ghost-type Soul Beasts.
The rings could also come from other Soul Beasts, and their Spirit Skills would still be influenced and changed by the Martial Soul. But a compatible one was best.
When a Martial Soul wasn't compatible with a Spirit Ring, the effect was one multiplied by one. When they were compatible, it was one plus one—the effect could even surpass one plus one.
For the sake of his Sixth Soul Ring, Lin Chuan had been frantically tempering his body ever since he entered the Capital of Slaughter.
He had even used his status to exchange the forty-thousand-year right arm bone Bibi Dong had rewarded him with when he first joined Spirit Hall, along with the thirty-thousand-year right leg Spirit Bone he'd obtained later, for a right arm bone with a lifespan of seventy thousand years.
After absorbing the Spirit Bone and undergoing trials and body tempering in the Capital of Slaughter, his physique had become strong enough that a sixty-thousand-year Spirit Ring wasn't entirely out of reach.
He had at least a sixty percent chance. And he'd made his choice with a clear understanding of the risks: the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Although the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's attributes didn't align particularly well with Ghost-type or Dragon-type, the essence of its Evil attribute could merge with the Ghost type.
It also possessed Time and Space attributes, making it seem like a smaller fusion of Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina.
When they'd first discussed this Soul Beast, Giratina himself had been intensely curious about it.
It was an excellent Spirit Ring. He couldn't let the opportunity pass.
Gui Mei turned to his old partner, Yue Guan. The two saw the seriousness in Lin Chuan's eyes. He wasn't joking.
"Little Chuan, what Soul Beast are you hunting that you'd need two Titled Douluo?!"
Gui Mei's question was on everyone's mind. The others leaned forward curiously.
Lin Chuan calmly named the Spirit Ring he wanted:
"The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger."
Gui Mei and Yue Guan froze, searching their memories for what they knew about this Soul Beast.
Their fragmented recollections told them only that it grew stronger by devouring Soul Beasts and humans, making it the common enemy of both.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was also incredibly rare. No one even knew whether it had gone extinct.
"You're sure you want to hunt the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?"*2
Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Pass asked in unison.
Lin Chuan's choice was undeniably difficult. They would have to search the vast Star Dou Forest for a Soul Beast that might already be extinct.
Still bewildered, Yan turned to Xie Yue and asked:
"What kind of Soul Beast is the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger?"
Xie Yue glanced at Yan and curled his lip in disdain.
"I keep telling you to study more, and now you don't even recognize a Soul Beast."
He sighed, but still explained what he knew.
"The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger is a creature that may grow stronger by devouring Soul Beasts and humans. It's utterly evil; it devours its own kind and massacres villages of humans."
"Both Soul Beasts and humans despise it. They're its common enemies, so whenever anyone—or any Soul Beast—sees a young Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, they'll kill it before it can grow."
"Of course, it's also incredibly strong. A Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that's just reached ten thousand years can fight an ordinary Soul Beast with a lifespan of over seventy thousand years."
"It's even stronger than the Titan Giant Ape, the current king of the Star Dou Forest. A fifty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger can fight a Hundred-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape."
"Its strange abilities can even help it escape when cornered. Any Dark Demon Evil God Tiger that reaches maturity is extremely hard to kill—and perilous beyond measure."
Xie Yue's explanation was thorough. Just the fact that a fifty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger could take on a Hundred-Thousand-Year Titan Giant Ape was shocking enough.
It might only fight for a couple of moves before fleeing, but its abilities were so strange that it had earned its fearsome reputation.
Chrysanthemum Pass and Gui Mei said nothing. When it came to Lin Chuan, they had always been ready to help.
After all, he was the only person with innate full Soul Power to join Spirit Hall in recent years. Gui Mei considered himself incredibly lucky to have taken Lin Chuan as his disciple; Bibi Dong hadn't snatched him away.
Most of the time, their conversations were ordinary, but with the relationship they'd built—and with Gui Mei being Lin Chuan's master in name—he doted on him like his own grandson.
After their brief conversation, the others learned about Lin Chuan's situation. They exchanged a few words of concern, then prepared to say their goodbyes.
Only Hu Liena's foxlike eyes never left him. Her expression was resentful, her brows drooping with sadness, like a wronged woman.
Seeing her like that, Lin Chuan smiled and shook his head, his tone helpless yet indulgent.
"All right. When I get back, I'll spend plenty of time with you."
Only after hearing the answer she wanted did the corners of Hu Liena's narrow eyes lift slightly. She still gave a soft huff, turned away, and muttered:
"Then come back soon."
With Xie Yue leading the way, the three watched until the others had vanished from sight. Then Gui Mei and Chrysanthemum Pass turned to Lin Chuan.
"Little Chuan, ready?"
After saying that, Chrysanthemum Pass summoned a surge of Soul Power to carry him into the sky.
Gui Mei followed at his side, and the three of them sped toward the Star Dou Forest.
By the time Chrysanthemum Pass and Gui Mei reached the Star Dou Forest with Lin Chuan, a pale streak of dawn had appeared on the horizon.
The three figures swept above the towering canopy, using their formidable spiritual power to scan the surrounding area.
Their unrestrained search naturally drew the attention of others who had come to obtain Spirit Rings.
But as soon as those people sensed two Titled Douluo, they were too frightened to make a move.
A blind search would waste too much time and opportunity, so Lin Chuan suggested a location he knew from the story. Worried that the two men's imposing auras might scare off the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, he said:
"Elder Chrysanthemum, Master, could you not make such a show of yourselves?"
Chrysanthemum Pass chuckled. "All right, all right. We'll do as you say, Little Chuan. Old Ghost, let's rein in our auras."
Gui Mei nodded in agreement and immediately drew in the aura he'd been letting loose, then followed alongside them.