At last, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was afraid.
It seemed that it wasn't the vicious Soul Beast. The madman before it was.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger struggled, trying to escape.
But Tuoba Xuan wasn't about to give it that chance.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger let out a piercing scream, and a black vortex slowly appeared around it.
Tuoba Xuan's eyes narrowed. He knew the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was making a desperate move. This was its final trump card.
This skill could pull the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger and its enemy into a special space together.
The enemy would also be returned to childhood. Once struck, they were as good as dead.
"Heart of the Mountain Dragon skill—Might of the Dragon King!"
Tuoba Xuan's lips curled into a mocking, maniacal grin.
A burst of true dragon pressure, impossible for the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to resist, erupted in an instant.
The spatial vortex around the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger shattered at once, bursting apart like fragile glass.
"Roar!" The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger let out a disbelieving roar.
It had never imagined its ultimate technique would be broken in an instant. It hadn't even seen what its opponent had done.
The Might of the Dragon King could suppress ninety-nine percent of the Martial Souls on Douluo Continent.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger possessed the bloodline of an Evil God.
But an Evil God was only a First-Level God. How could it withstand pressure capable of tearing everything apart?
The Mountain Dragon King, at the height of his power, had been a God King-level powerhouse.
Even a mere remnant of his might was beyond the resistance of ordinary divine-level Martial Souls.
"You should feel honored to become my third Soul Ring!"
Tuoba Xuan gave a cold laugh and brought down one final Dragon Fist. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was sent flying.
Its massive body smashed through the cave where it had been resting, then crashed to a halt against a boulder.
Tuoba Xuan let out a long breath, satisfied with his current strength.
At the same time, he eagerly wondered how powerful he would become after absorbing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Soul Ring.
Soul Beasts like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger were exceedingly rare, and records of them were just as scarce.
For a moment, Tuoba Xuan couldn't determine the age of this particular Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
But its quality was exceptionally powerful, so its age didn't matter.
Tuoba Xuan walked up to the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, which was still trembling and struggling.
Without the slightest hesitation, he struck it with another punch.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's heart burst apart, its blood spraying out as a deep purple Soul Ring floated into the air.
Tuoba Xuan's eyes brimmed with anticipation for his new skill. Without hesitation, he sat down.
He began guiding the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Soul Ring into his body.
At first, Tuoba Xuan was met with fierce resistance from the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's remnant soul.
The remnant soul roared madly in Tuoba Xuan's sea of consciousness.
Its cries were filled with boundless resentment and fury.
But Tuoba Xuan wasn't about to give it a chance. Might of the Mountain Dragon descended upon it like a mountain.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was like a helpless husband, struggling yet unable to resist Tuoba Xuan's pressure.
In the end, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was consumed by hatred, and its remnant soul vanished completely.
In just half an hour, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had disappeared from this world entirely.
Pure, immense energy surged into Tuoba Xuan's meridians like a great river, expanding them and strengthening his body.
"Whew!"
Tuoba Xuan let out another long breath.
This was his first time absorbing a Soul Ring in twelve years—and he'd started with a special Soul Beast like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
"Level 38!"
Tuoba Xuan shouted excitedly.
That's right. After absorbing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Soul Ring, the Soul Power hidden within Tuoba Xuan was finally revealed.
A full thirty-eight levels!
And Tuoba Xuan wouldn't turn twelve for another month.
A Soul Elder under the age of twelve—in this era, it was practically unheard of.
Suddenly, Tuoba Xuan felt an itch at his tailbone.
"What's this...?"
Tuoba Xuan exclaimed in surprise.
"An External Soul Bone!"
A hard, black-purple tail was slowly growing from Tuoba Xuan's tailbone.
It was made of nine connected bone segments and glimmered with an eerie light.
At one end of the tail was a hook that gleamed with a cold light.
"I can't believe I got an External Soul Bone, too."
Tuoba Xuan gently tapped the External Soul Bone.
"Then I'll call you the Dragon Tiger Hook."
Tuoba Xuan smiled faintly and began examining the two Soul Skills he had just obtained.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's Soul Ring had granted Tuoba Xuan a group attack Soul Skill called Dark Demon Evil God Rend.
It gathered the power of the Evil God and unleashed a mighty strike.
It could attack an enemy's body and mind at the same time, while also planting a special seed called the Seed of Evil Demon in them.
The Seed of Evil Demon was extremely difficult to detect. Only someone stronger than Tuoba Xuan, and who examined the target carefully, could find it.
The Seed of Evil Demon could slowly drain its host's Soul Power and spiritual power.
Tuoba Xuan could also use the Seed of Evil Demon to discover the host's location.
It was practically an essential skill for hunting down enemies or making an escape.
The Soul Skill granted by the Dragon Tiger Hook was even more simple and direct.
It was a powerful single-target attack. The tail hook gathered the Evil God's power and plunged deep into the enemy, while also scrambling their memories and leaving their minds vulnerable to the influence of their childhood selves.
Tuoba Xuan casually smashed the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's corpse into pieces.
To Tuoba Xuan's surprise, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger didn't leave behind an Evil God Pearl when it died.
"Looks like it wasn't the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger from the original story."
Tuoba Xuan shook his head, feeling a little disappointed.
"I completed my first mission before even reaching Heaven Dou City. That's a good omen."
Tuoba Xuan gave an awkward smile and continued toward Heaven Dou City.
At last, after several more days on the road,
Tuoba Xuan finally saw an ancient, imposing city.
This was the imperial capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.
The Sacred Dragon Sect was in the Star Luo Empire, so Tuoba Xuan had never been to Heaven Dou City.
Since this was his first visit, he was rather curious.
"Hmm... It doesn't look as nice as Star Luo City..."
Tuoba Xuan grumbled inwardly, passed through the inspection, and entered Heaven Dou City.
"Boss, one bowl of wontons!"
"Coming right up, sir. Just a moment!"
After downing another steaming bowl of wontons, Tuoba Xuan rubbed his warm belly.
"Boss, sorry to trouble you, but do you know where Dugu Manor is?"
The boss shook his head. "Oh, sir, I'm just a wonton seller. How would I know where those big shots live?"
Tuoba Xuan thought that made sense, then asked, "Then you must know where Heaven Dou Royal Academy is, right?"
"I do. Go to the end of the road, then head north. At the third intersection, go south..."
Tuoba Xuan listened in a daze. He had a terrible flaw: he couldn't find his way around.
In the end, Tuoba Xuan wandered through the streets and alleys, taking a full half-hour to reach the entrance to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
"So this is Heaven Dou Royal Academy?"
Tuoba Xuan scratched his head. It was probably dismissal time, and quite a few students were coming out of the academy, chatting and laughing.
But they all looked like spoiled young masters, without a trace of vitality.
Tuoba Xuan curled his lip and curiously looked them over.
At last, Tuoba Xuan's gaze settled on a girl with a cool, aloof air about her.