Fierce Battle with the Thunder Tiger King, Part One

One could spend nineteen moves over a chessboard, unaware that a hundred years had passed beyond the mountains.

Dugu Feng, wholly immersed in cultivation, had no idea that a full year had already passed in the outside world.

Over the course of that year, his Soul Power had successfully reached Rank 90. All he needed now was to absorb the soul ring of another Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast to advance to Titled Douluo, breaking Tang Hao's record as the youngest Titled Douluo.

At the same time, that meant he possessed the capital to contend against Spirit Hall.

Cultivation was only one aspect of that year. More importantly, with a large number of volcanic crystals, he had condensed his second Soul Core—the Fire Soul Core.

At last, he had condensed his own second Soul Core.

At the same time, he received his third trial.

Reach the Titled Douluo realm; the trial had to be completed within five years.

After completing the trial, he could obtain the remaining two-thirds of Vulcan's forging opportunities.

He would gain mastery of Vulcan's forging knowledge.

The power of the Forging Hammer would also be unlocked to 50%.

Dugu Feng stretched, his bones and joints crackling sharply.

With a slight bend of his legs, Dugu Feng leaped straight out from the bottom of the hundred-meter-deep volcano.

Previously, he had needed several footholds to make his way out of the volcano.

Now, with only a little force, he could leap out with ease.

He had the Poison Fiend Wyvern's torso Spirit Bone to thank for that.

It had enhanced his overall strength in every respect, especially the muscles in his legs.

"Thunder Tiger King, it's time to settle our score. You drove me into such a miserable state back then. Now, you'll repay it with your life!"

Dugu Feng's figure vanished from the volcano's peak in an instant, becoming an afterimage that blended into the silent night of the Star Dou Great Forest.

He began searching for the Thunder Tiger King's trail.

After searching bitterly for nearly a month, he finally found traces of the Lightning Tiger King in a secluded valley at the northernmost edge of the Star Dou Great Forest. Due to its unique magnetic field, that valley—

had actually produced an electrical magnetic field that attracted falling lightning. For certain Soul Beasts, it was a forbidden zone.

Yet for the Thunder Tiger King, which cultivated through lightning, it was a holy land for healing. The Ice-Fire Poison was not fatal—

but it clung to its meridians like gangrene attached to the bone.

After all these years, the Ice-Fire Poison had completely taken root within its body.

The most vicious part was that the Ice-Fire Poison coiled around its heart. Once it used Soul Power to force it out, it might harm its own heart.

If anything went wrong and the Ice-Fire Power collided with itself, the lighter outcome would be damaged heart meridians and a decline in cultivation; the worse outcome would be a backfire, resulting in instant death.

Thus, the Thunder Tiger King could only rely on the power of lightning to suppress it all these years.

Fortunately, Dugu Feng had not been strong enough back then. Otherwise, the Ice-Fire Poison would likely have killed the Thunder Tiger King long ago.

Although it had not killed the Thunder Tiger King, it had severely damaged its vitality, forcing it to remain hidden within Thunderfall Valley.

Even so, the pressure of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast kept ordinary Soul Beasts from approaching. Together with the lightning power contained within Thunderfall Valley—

the Thunder Tiger King had nothing to fear, nor did it worry that Soul Beasts with grudges against it would come seeking revenge.

Little did it know that the true threat was already drawing near without a sound. The moment Dugu Feng approached Thunderfall Valley, he sensed the Ice-Fire Power within the Thunder Tiger King. As if answering a summons, the Ice-Fire Power began to stir.

Sensing something amiss, the Thunder Tiger King let out a roar.

Dugu Feng did not rashly charge in, because he did not know the situation within Thunderfall Valley.

He raised his head and looked toward the sky. Thunder clouds had accumulated above Thunderfall Valley all year round.

Other than flying Soul Beasts with lightning attributes like the Thunder Tiger King, ordinary Soul Beasts basically did not dare pass through, as they could be struck by lightning at any moment.

"This lightning isn't something to be taken lightly. I may not be able to charge straight in, but I can use poison to force it out."

The Thunder Tiger King did not possess poison resistance like the Poison Fiend Wyvern.

Dugu Feng immediately activated his eighth soul skill, Inferno of the Living. A massive phantom of a poisonous dragon soared into the sky behind him.

Black poisonous mist coiled around Dugu Feng's body. Like flames, the poison began burning fiercely as it followed the poisonous dragon and shot toward the heavens.

The next second, the poisonous mist formed toxic fire and descended from the sky, crashing directly into Thunderfall Valley.

The instant the toxic fire hit the ground, it exploded. The force of the blast blew deep craters into the earth.

The flames scattered by the explosion splashed across the surroundings, and anything they touched was swiftly swallowed by the toxic fire.

Before long, the furious roar of the Tiger King rang out from within the valley.

The Thunder Tiger King shot out of the valley like a bolt of lightning. Though wracked by poison, its imposing presence had not diminished.

"It still looks quite impressive. But whether it still has real strength or is merely putting on a front, we'll have to test it!"

At this moment, all of Thunderfall Valley had been engulfed by toxic fire. Even if it did not want to come out, it had no choice. Flames still clung to the Thunder Tiger King's body.

"Human, I know it's you. I never expected you to ignore the road to heaven and barge straight into hell. You were lucky to escape with your life back then. All these years, I've wanted nothing more than to devour you."

"I never thought you would dare come back. That suits me perfectly. This time, you are doomed. No one can save you!"

After speaking, the Thunder Tiger King gave an enraged roar. Bolts of lightning descended from the sky, bombarding the area in every direction.

It clearly would not stop until it forced Dugu Feng out.

Using Nether Stealth, Dugu Feng carefully evaded them.

Lightning could still force him out of Nether Stealth.

At first, Dugu Feng could still keep dodging, but the Thunder Tiger King grew increasingly violent. It even released a vast amount of Soul Power, spreading it across nearly the entire area.

The region within several thousand meters was nearly transformed into a sea of lightning.

Dugu Feng was forced out. The instant he appeared, the Thunder Tiger King moved with astonishing speed, becoming an afterimage.

By the time he reacted, the tiger's claw had already fallen.

He was instantly sent flying.

Dugu Feng flew like a kite with a snapped string, crashing and skidding across the ground, leaving a deep gouge behind him.

His clothes were torn apart as well.

Dugu Feng climbed back to his feet, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

The Thunder Tiger King gave an angry roar, but the poison within its body completely erupted.

The instant it came into contact with Dugu Feng, he had transmitted poison from within his body into the Thunder Tiger King through its skin.

On top of that, he had already dispersed poison into the air beforehand.

The more the Thunder Tiger King exerted its Soul Power, the more deadly poison it inhaled.

"Sixth Soul Skill! Ice Toad Poison Prison!"

Dugu Feng slammed both palms against the ground, and a powerful chill instantly surged in from all directions.

Sharp ice spears erupted from the ground one after another, shooting straight toward the Thunder Tiger King.

The Thunder Tiger King's body shuddered. Forcibly suppressing the intense pain wracking its body, it swung its tail. Like a steel whip, its tail instantly smashed the incoming ice spears into powder.

Yet at some unknown point, several parts of its body—

had already become covered in a layer of frost.

The Thunder Tiger King could only feel the blood in its veins flowing at an extremely sluggish pace.

Everything within several hundred meters had been blanketed in ice and snow, while a layer of ice spears had formed along the outermost edge, sealing off the interior from the outside.

It was as though they were two entirely different worlds.