Third Spirit Ring, Ten-Thousand-Year Thunderous Hell Prison Vine

Even

the wind tonight was unusually cold,

so cold that it filled them with fear from the depths of their bones.

One had to know,

the Strength Clan had countless members and was always bustling with activity.

Even late at night, patrol servants regularly came and went.

Yet at this moment, the clan grounds were so deathly silent that it was utterly abnormal.

As an Soul Douluo, Tai Tan immediately sensed that something was wrong.

The Soul Power within him erupted instantly, and the Great Strength Gorilla Martial Soul possessed him.

Eight Spirit Rings rapidly flashed beneath his feet.

"Prepare for battle!"

Before Tai Tan could finish speaking, the clansmen around him collapsed one after another,

without the slightest warning.

Yet

despite being a Soul Douluo, he could not detect anything amiss at all.

In the blink of an eye,

bean-sized drops of sweat rolled down Tai Tan's forehead, and his pupils trembled violently.

He wanted to flee, but the moment the thought arose, a terrifying pressure nailed him firmly in place.

"This is the Strength Clan? You dared provoke my disciple and even wanted to kill him?"

"I thought you were so powerful, always saying that if you beat the young, the old would come after you."

"You're the oldest one here, Tai Tan. Who are you going to find to take revenge on me?"

A cold, sinister voice rang beside Tai Tan's ear.

At the same time, an imperceptible poison had already invaded his body and rapidly took effect.

"You're the Poison Dou..."

Slap—

A generation's exceedingly arrogant Soul Douluo fell stiffly to the ground, his face filled with terror.

The next day.

The sky had only just begun to brighten,

but Heaven Dou City was already abuzz with noise.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! The tyrannical Strength Clan was wiped out overnight. Even all the dogs they kept were dead!"

"What? The Strength Clan was exterminated?"

"How could that be?"

"I heard Tai Tan was an Soul Douluo-level expert. The Strength Clan had many members and considerable strength. Who could kill him without making a sound?"

"Could they have offended a Titled Douluo?"

"Watch your words. I have no idea which Soul Master made a move."

"Still, the Strength Clan deserved to die long ago."

"Every one of them acted like a mad dog. They were arrogant and overbearing, causing trouble everywhere and offending plenty of people."

"Maybe they had rotten luck, offended some great figure, and received their retribution!"

"Good, good, you're right."

The Strength Clan's overnight destruction caused an enormous uproar,

but the Heaven Dou Empire's royal family did not order a thorough investigation. Instead, they quietly suppressed public discussion.

Crown Prince Mansion.

"Young Master, according to intelligence, Tai Tan likely died at Dugu Bo's hands."

"Tai Tan intended to kill Zhou Tao, provoking Dugu Bo and making him strike without hesitation."

"Oh, Tai Tan truly deserved to die."

As Xue Qinghe listened to Snake Lance Douluo's report, a trace of killing intent flashed across his face.

"Those mad dogs of the Strength Clan were courting death. They dared bite anyone."

"Fortunately, Senior Dugu made a move. Otherwise, Uncle Snake Lance would have had to step in personally."

"Zhou Tao is someone I value. I will not allow anyone to set their sights on him."

Xue Qinghe's expression darkened, and his voice turned icy.

Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Ning Fengzhi set down the intelligence report, his expression as calm as an ancient well.

"That old dog Tai Tan finally kicked an iron plate this time. He actually dared provoke Dugu Bo. He truly ruined his reputation in his old age..."

"That old servant deserved it. The Clear Sky Sect threw him away like a dog, turning him into an abandoned pawn, yet he still didn't know how to restrain himself. He strutted around all day calling himself the Clear Sky Sect's loyal hound, while the younger generation followed him in committing all sorts of evil. They've harmed plenty of people over the years. He finally died."

The moment Bone Douluo spoke, he was mocking Tai Tan, his tone full of disdain.

"Tai Tan truly went too far in his actions. His death was no great loss."

"But that Zhou Tao is already a Soul Grandmaster at such a young age. With such talent, his future is boundless..."

"If he does not fall in the future, he will at least become a Titled Douluo."

A sharp glint flashed through Sword Douluo's piercing eyes.

"Alas, it is a pity that this genius is destined not to join our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."

"Still, for someone like him, we should find a way to form a good connection with him."

"What a pity, what a shame..."

Ning Fengzhi sighed.

"Actually, it's not as though there is no way. Rongrong and Zhou Tao are around the same age, so they can get to know each other."

Sword Douluo said with a smile.

"Good idea."

Bone Douluo burst into laughter.

"That girl has always been spoiled and willful. She truly ought to witness a genius's brilliance."

Ning Fengzhi nodded.

All the major forces in Heaven Dou City chose silence in the face of the Strength Clan's destruction.

Meanwhile, the person most deeply connected to the matter was currently sitting in his room, meditating and cultivating.

After that incident, Zhou Tao bought more Whale Rubber,

planning to use it himself to strengthen his body.

A stove stood before him, with Whale Rubber boiling atop it.

After roughly half an hour,

the surface of the Whale Rubber gradually softened, and tiny bubbles began to form around the edges.

A fishy-sweet scent spread through the air.

Zhou Tao did not stop and continued roasting it.

The softened Whale Rubber gradually shrank, from palm-sized to fist-sized, and finally to the size of an egg.

Its color also changed, from jet-black to dark brown, then to translucent amber.

In the end, the Whale Rubber was refined into a thumb-sized lump,

soft and elastic in texture, like a warm gummy candy.

This was the essence of Whale Rubber.

Zhou Tao did not hesitate and directly put the refined essence into his mouth.

A scorching current of air surged down from his throat, like a ball of fire falling into his dantian.

Zhou Tao did not dare slack off and immediately circulated his Soul Power to begin refining it.

As time passed, fine beads of sweat appeared across his body.

The sweat was murky and black, carrying a faint fishy stench.

When the final drop of Whale Rubber essence had been completely refined, he opened his eyes.

Feeling the surging power within his body, Zhou Tao could not stop the smile that rose at the corners of his mouth.

His Soul Power had reached level thirty.

Moreover, with his current aptitude, he could already absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring.

He no longer had to worry about his weak physique being unable to withstand a Spirit Ring's power.

He pushed open the wooden cabin's door. Morning sunlight fell across his face, carrying the forest's unique fresh scent.

Zhou Tao took a deep breath and prepared to find Dugu Bo.

This time, he was going to hunt a new Spirit Beast.

He had already decided.

This time, he would hunt a Spirit Beast with extraordinary toughness to enhance the Golden Ancient Tree's resilience—

a Ten-Thousand-Year Thunderous Hell Prison Vine.

Not only did this Spirit Beast possess astonishing toughness, it also contained the power of lightning.

It was said that the Thunderous Hell Prison Vine was the continent's number one attacking plant-type Spirit Beast, and the lightning it unleashed was exceptionally terrifying.

A Ten-Thousand-Year Thunderous Hell Prison Vine possessed combat strength comparable to an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

This Spirit Beast combined offense and defense, making it an excellent supplement for the Golden Ancient Tree.

That was why Zhou Tao had chosen it.

"Kid, you actually want to absorb a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring?"

"You're getting more and more outrageous."

"Are you really confident? Don't fail to endure it when the time comes."

"Absorbing a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ring at level thirty—only you would dare do such a thing."

"This old man has truly had his eyes opened."

Upon hearing that Zhou Tao wanted to hunt a Ten-Thousand-Year Thunderous Hell Prison Vine, Dugu Bo's aged eyes widened in shock.