Leaving the Shui Clan, Third Soul Ring, Dark Demon Evil God Tiger

The reason Tuoba Xuan left the Shui Clan was primarily for the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well; after all, Tang San was the same age as him.

What if someone else got there first?

Although Tuoba Xuan was confident he could become a god even without immortal herbs, he was currently doing this for the good of the Shui Clan as well.

As the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall, Hu Liena naturally considered the interests of Spirit Hall in everything she did.

The fact that Hu Liena had spoken so publicly earlier meant she had completely given up on the Tian Clan.

Naturally, they would turn their sights elsewhere.

As for who they would target?

That went without saying!

It was naturally Tuoba Xuan!

If he remained in the Shui Clan, he feared he would bring endless trouble upon them.

After all, the Shui Clan was a staunch member of the Tiandou Faction.

And if Spirit Hall were to win him over, they certainly wouldn't forget about the Shui Clan.

Once he refused, the Shui Clan would suffer right along with him.

Spirit Hall's ambition to annex the continent was already beginning to show.

Only a genius who had fully matured could truly be called a genius.

He had to find a hidden place to lie low immediately.

As for joining Spirit Hall?

That wasn't impossible, but it would have to wait until he had a foundation of his own.

Spirit Hall had a vast number of members.

If he joined, he would inevitably be monitored, which would make things difficult to handle.

Tuoba Xuan left the City Lord's Mansion without encountering any obstruction.

Tian Henglei had long since left, carrying his son's corpse.

Tuoba Xuan bought a hooded cloak from a roadside stall and suppressed his aura.

He left Skywater City looking like nothing more than an ordinary commoner.

As for Shui Bing'er, he would return once he had finished what he absolutely had to do.

She was his future wife, after all; he couldn't just lose her like that.

Skywater City was located in the far north of the Heaven Dou Empire, a great distance from Tiandou City.

But for the current Tuoba Xuan, that was nothing.

Ten days later.

"Damn it, why is it just one mountain after another?"

Tuoba Xuan squinted, enduring the scorching sun overhead.

He had plucked a foxtail grass from somewhere and was chewing on it casually.

With the hood over his head, he really did look a bit like a wanderer.

"Why is there a sign here... 'Beware of Fierce Beasts'? I'm a grown man..."

Tuoba Xuan recalled a joke from his past life.

He looked toward the dense mountain ranges ahead.

For the past ten days, Tuoba Xuan had been traveling along remote country paths, sometimes even needing to swim across large rivers.

His goal, naturally, was to avoid being found by Spirit Hall.

Of course, Tuoba Xuan avoided paths that were too remote.

That was where Spirit Hall would have people checking; he stuck to small village trails instead.

More than once, Tuoba Xuan had seen Spirit Hall personnel conducting searches everywhere.

However, Tuoba Xuan had easily evaded them all.

Tuoba Xuan had two things to accomplish on this trip to Tiandou City.

The first was to obtain his third soul ring and confirm his current Soul Power Level.

The second was to see if he could find Dugu Bo and get his hands on the immortal herbs.

"Hey, little kid, hurry down the mountain. There's a big worm up there."

Several old men carrying firewood were walking in the opposite direction of Tuoba Xuan, their expressions looking rather grim.

"A big worm?"

Tuoba Xuan was taken aback; he hadn't expected to run into people in such a remote place, let alone a big worm.

"That's right, a big worm. A huge black one, the kind that eats people!"

One of the old men gestured, looking extremely frightened.

"Many thanks, uncle."

Tuoba Xuan spoke softly. He decided he wanted to go up and see what kind of big worm it was.

Tuoba Xuan continued his stride toward the mountain.

"Sigh, what a stubborn kid!"

The old man muttered under his breath and hurried away.

"A black big worm?"

Tuoba Xuan felt a bit puzzled.

This place was remote; seeing a soul beast here would already be rare, let alone a tiger-type soul beast.

"Big worm" was just the local folk term for a tiger.

"This is truly interesting."

Tuoba Xuan chewed on a stalk of foxtail grass.

He unleashed his Soul Power and bounded toward the summit, covering the distance in a few swift strides.

"Where is this big worm hiding?"

With a boom, his Soul Power dispersed, and Tuoba Xuan casually stored his hood into the Green Wood Ring.

Since he now possessed the strength, there was naturally no need to be as cautious as he had been upon arrival.

Otherwise, wouldn't his recent power increase have been for nothing?

At this moment, Tuoba Xuan was brimming with high spirits. Standing atop a giant boulder, he scanned the situation at the summit from his vantage point.

A strange noise suddenly emanated from a hidden cave.

Tuoba Xuan's eyes narrowed instantly.

"Get out here!"

"ROAR!"

A chilling tiger roar erupted from the cave, and a massive black tiger lunged toward Tuoba Xuan like a sharp sword.

In an instant, Tuoba Xuan saw the true appearance of the black big worm the old man had spoken of.

With just one glance, Tuoba Xuan felt the hair on his body stand on end, and the Soul Power on his body exploded outward.

"First Soul Skill, Ten Thousand Jun Tremor!"

Tuoba Xuan let out a low growl, and the entire mountaintop seemed to sink.

This was the first soul skill condensed from the Dragon Soul Origin.

Its effect was to control the surrounding earth, bringing down several times the force of gravity to suppress the enemy, while simultaneously releasing seismic tremors to attack them.

The massive black tiger slowed down instantly, its sharp claws swiping dangerously past Tuoba Xuan's chest.

"Tremble for me!"

Tuoba Xuan's gaze was icy as he clenched his fists tightly.

The ground instantly began to churn.

Countless vortices pulled at the giant tiger, and the rock and soil beneath it shattered with a roar.

The giant tiger let out waves of painful wails.

Radiating ferocity, it ignored its own injuries and managed to break free with a violent surge.

"Damn it, how could there be a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger of at least a thousand years here?"

Tuoba Xuan cursed out loud. That's right, the black tiger the old man spoke of was a ferocious Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.

"Shit, if I had known, I wouldn't have been so arrogant just now."

Tuoba Xuan gave a bitter smile, his mental energy pushed to its absolute limit. He wouldn't forget the signature technique of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.

If he were struck by the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's tail hook and dragged in, it would be all over.

One of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's legs was already lame, but that didn't stop it from using its tearing claws to launch another fierce assault on Tuoba Xuan.

"Second Soul Skill, Dragon Breaks the Firmament!"

Tuoba Xuan's strength was rising at a rapid pace, as if countless dragon souls were circling around him.

Tuoba Xuan showed no fear as he collided wildly with the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, the sound of their clash echoing with wave after wave of tremors.

Tuoba Xuan clamped his right hand tightly onto the tail hook of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, his left fist descending like a giant hammer.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Tuoba Xuan hammered away frantically, turning the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger into a complete punching bag; its tiger head, covered in stiff, bristling fur, flattened instantly.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger could only lash out with its claws in fury, leaving trail after trail of bloody gashes across Tuoba Xuan's body.

By now, Tuoba Xuan was drenched in blood, not a single patch of skin left unscathed.

However, Tuoba Xuan possessed the divine skill, Body Healing!

Moreover, the Mountain Dragon King martial soul was inherently suited for close-quarters combat.

Wounds appeared on Tuoba Xuan's body in constant succession, only to heal in an instant.

At this moment, Tuoba Xuan was fighting with immense exhilaration, pouring out all the pent-up rage in his heart.

Tian Bingyun had been far too weak, unworthy of being called an opponent; he had been crushed to death by Tuoba Xuan in a single exchange.

But the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger before him was different.

Its physical body was incredibly formidable, and its species was among the very best even within the ranks of soul beasts.

"You should be honored to become my third soul ring."