Hello, Dark Demon Evil God Tiger (4.2k bonus update)

Death Canyon lay beneath an endless pall of darkness.

The old Spirit Hall buildings on its outskirts had long since crumbled under the corrosion of time. Broken black rock piled up like mountains, and black-red, blood-rusted mist seeped from the rock faces. No soul master without a darkness or poison attribute would enjoy such surroundings.

Two days' journey inward brought travelers into a rift valley stretching for untold miles. The miasma doubled in concentration, greatly diminishing both Spiritual Detection and soul-powered detection instruments. Wisps of foul, deathly yin energy spurted from cracks in the ground, as though some strange dead thing seething with boundless resentment slumbered below.

The pervasive miasma muddled their sense of direction, but it had its benefits, too. Just half an hour after entering, Yu Tianjun and his uncle ran into a ten-thousand-year soul beast—a Man Faced Demon Spider.

The demon spider spat silk, unleashing Spider Web Restraint.

"Fourth Soul Skill, Shadow Prison Cage; First Soul Skill, Shadow Dragon Thrust."

Yu Xiaoying acted. Eight soul rings appeared—two yellow, two purple, and four black—as he concealed himself in the darkness. Then he pointed forward, and dark chains shot from the Man Faced Demon Spider's shadow, coiling around its body and eight long legs.

The next instant, Yu Xiaoying's first soul ring lit up. His body became a shadow that surged forward, dark energy gathering around his right hand into sharp claw blades. He tore through the web and pinned the Man Faced Demon Spider down.

Boom!

Yu Tianjun strode forward, dark soul power coating his Qilin Arm. He raised his fist and blasted the demon spider away. His eyes held no interest in killing it, only a longing for top-tier darkness-type soul beasts.

"Let's go, Second Uncle. There's no need to waste time on it."

Yu Tianjun did not have a poison martial soul, nor did he have a taste for poisoning himself, so he spared the Man Faced Demon Spider no further attention.

"Demon spider soul beasts have a relatively high chance of producing an external soul bone. I thought you'd keep it."

Yu Xiaoying dismissed his martial soul and smiled.

"Even a relatively high chance is only about one in a thousand, unless we deliberately torture it to make its resentment erupt. One of my former clients might be interested, but it's too far away, and we don't have a soul tool that can store living creatures."

Yu Tianjun shook his head. Under normal circumstances, a ten-thousand-year soul beast had a one-in-ten-thousand chance of dropping a soul bone. The older it was and the stronger its species, the higher that chance became.

Under abnormal circumstances, a soul beast's eruption of resentment before death could increase its chances of dropping a soul bone. The two soul beasts Yu Tianjun had killed in the Far North had harbored considerable resentment.

An even more inhumane option was the secret-method soul bone: kill a hundred soul beasts of the same species within an hour, then combine them using a secret method for a one-in-ten chance of obtaining a soul bone.

Yu Tianjun neither knew how to use such a method nor wished to.

"Fine, let's keep searching. Tell me, which soul beasts do you fancy for your future soul rings?"

Yu Xiaoying looked at his nephew with irrepressible admiration. The boy was closer to darkness than anyone, yet his bearing remained upright and honorable.

"Especially your ninth soul ring. When the time comes, our whole sect will turn out to ensure you get the best possible future."

Yu Tianjun tilted his head and chuckled. "For my ninth soul ring, I fancy the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian. You'd better sit that one out, Second Uncle."

"What!?"

Yu Xiaoying had only just praised Yu Tianjun's kindheartedness, and now the boy's audacity left him utterly dumbstruck.

Was Beast God Di Tian a soul-ring target humans could even consider? Even a Limit Douluo would be beaten to death!

"If a man has no dreams, how is he any different from Yu Xiaogang, who does nothing but eat, loaf around, and wait to die?"

Yu Tianjun remained perfectly composed. If he fought, he would fight the strongest under heaven; if he seized a soul ring, he would seize the greatest of the age.

Huo Gua had turned the second-, third-, and seventh-ranked ferocious beasts into soul spirits. As someone born with the Ultimate Dark Qilin, why couldn't he set his sights on Di Tian?

Yu Xiaoying felt a little embarrassed. "Good, very spirited. I approve of your dream, but insulting Yu Xiaogang..."

Yu Tianjun said unconcernedly, "His character was rotten. The soul master world already had a theoretical framework before him. His ten great theories were summaries he cobbled together by cutting and revising the Blue Lightning Family's and Spirit Hall's records."

"Meeting Sea God Tang San was good luck. Back then, someone with twin martial souls could succeed with their eyes closed, and the Sea God even had his father protecting him.

"Shrek concealed its revered elder's faults and praised him as the greatest teacher of all time. Other people might not know his true face, but how could we not?

"If you'd met the Sea God back then, you'd have been the teacher of a god."

Yu Xiaoying smacked his lips, his words carrying just the right touch of self-mockery. "With my cultivation, I really would have been somebody ten thousand years ago. Not anymore."

Yu Tianjun smiled freely. "The future holds promise. You can become a Titled Douluo on your own. Leave what comes afterward to me."

"Haha, then I'll look forward to it. Enough about Di Tian. Let's be practical. A soul beast on the level of a dark true dragon, Dark Demon Tiger, or Netherworld Demon Crocodile would be plenty good for your fourth soul ring."

Yu Xiaoying did not take his nephew's words too seriously. His innate soul power had been eight and a half. Becoming a Titled Douluo was possible, but becoming a Super Douluo was almost hopeless unless he absorbed a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.

Just look at Shrek's Four Deans, each around a hundred years old. The two Vice Deans, Qian Duoduo and Cai Mei'er, had still not broken through to Super Douluo.

Yan Shaozhe and Xian Lin'er were Super Douluos, neither more nor less—exactly rank ninety-five.

"If I can't have Di Tian, I should at least find a soul beast with Qilin blood to suit my tastes. Failing that, give me a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, and I won't be picky."

Yu Tianjun's menu requirements were not high: either a matching bloodline or matching attributes. It had to satisfy at least one of the two.

With that, he took out a soul tool that simulated the aura of a darkness-attribute heavenly treasure, hoping to attract powerful dark soul beasts.

Ten thousand years ago, Tang San had used aromatic silk beauty to fish for soul beasts. Now, no immortal herb was needed; a soul tool could simulate it. The Tang-Style Luring Method remained effective to this day.

Yu Xiaoying felt a little sheepish and reminded his nephew to control the power. If they attracted several older ten-thousand-year soul beasts at once, they would be in serious trouble.

"Where did you get that?"

"I put up a commission through the Adventurers' Association and bought them wholesale. I'm now a premium client of the Star Luo Empire's Starlight Auction. I bought a full set covering every attribute for the whole sect."

As he spoke, Yu Tianjun took out a token engraved with a Star Crown, courtesy of Xu Jiujiu.

The corner of Yu Xiaoying's eye twitched. He knew Yu Tianjun also carried Vina's personal token.

The simulation soul tool proved quite effective. In less than an hour, three soul beasts arrived one after another.

Yu Tianjun and his uncle stood above the valley, surveying their targets from high ground and shaking their heads at each in turn.

An eight-thousand-year Death Demon Spider: good quality, too young.

A fifteen-thousand-year demon shadow ghost leopard: old enough, insufficient quality.

A sixteen-thousand-year venom soul giant crocodile: wrong attributes, wrong specialty.

"If a true dragon or giant tiger showed up, I could reluctantly make a move. But what are all these crooked melons and cracked dates?"

Yu Tianjun's brow furrowed again and again, and he began turning up the power.

Yu Xiaoying discreetly wiped away some sweat.

"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, finding a poison-attribute soul beast that suits me is really difficult."

On a marshy shoal dozens of miles away, Shrek Inner Court disciple Bi Yangde kicked aside the corpse of a ten-thousand-year Poison-Scaled Crocodile. Agitation showed in his cold, sinister features.

"Don't be so disappointed. I think this place is rather nice. Want a little yourself?"

Mo Yun, a Soul Douluo with a Man Faced Spider Emperor martial soul, controlled her martial soul as faint purple threads emerged from her palm. Each thread sank into a poison crocodile's brain, and streams of purple poisonous mist flowed along them into her voluptuous body. Her face wore an intoxicated expression.

The strongest crocodile king in this marsh had over thirty thousand years of cultivation, not good enough for Bi Yangde's Death Spider Emperor, so his senior sister happily accepted it instead.

Soul masters with Man Faced Demon Spider martial souls could cultivate by absorbing toxins, and devouring Man Faced Demon Spiders could greatly increase their strength. This was a closely guarded secret of the Inner Court.

"I'm already more than grateful that you were willing to come, Senior Sister. These are all yours."

Bi Yangde would never dare compete with this senior sister, who had already become an Inner Court teacher. She had once enjoyed the flattering title of Poison Fairy in the Inner Court and was extraordinarily powerful.

Shi Xing, the future acting lord of Shrek City, held his Time-Space Silver Disk martial soul and sensed spatial fluctuations in different directions. Suddenly, he said:

"A spider soul beast with an aura of the same origin as yours is moving to the southwest, Junior Brother. It's very likely a Death Demon Spider, perhaps even a fifty-thousand-year Spider Emperor."

"Really? Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother!"

Bi Yangde was delighted. He had specifically invited Shi Xing because of his unusual abilities, which encompassed both time and space.

While still studying in the Inner Court, Shi Xing had earned the title of Time Magician and had already been earmarked as a future Sea God's Pavilion Member.

"It's only a possibility. We still need to be careful. Let's go, Poison Fairy."

Steady and mature, Shi Xing called to his companion, who had gotten high on her absorption.

"I know, I know." Mo Yun withdrew her martial soul and licked her lips, savoring the lingering taste.

Shi Xing looked at her and silently shook his head. Such an ability was still far too likely to horrify outsiders; she could only serve as one of the academy's hidden forces.

With their course decided, the three followed Shi Xing to search for the Death Demon Spider.

Yan Shaozhe stood silently atop an old tree several hundred meters away and nodded slightly.

"You really did lure one over—a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger!"

In the valley's trapping area, the uncle and nephew welcomed an exceptionally savage creature. The giant tiger was pure black, its eyes a sinister scarlet. Wings grew from its back, and its tail resembled a scorpion's hook. Its jet-black body was solid and powerful. The moment it arrived, it pounced on an unsuspecting ten-thousand-year Dark Demon Tiger and killed it.

For this creature, finding a darkness-attribute heavenly treasure was secondary. Hunting other soul beasts was what mattered.

In an instant, the twenty-thousand-year Dark Lion King and Man Faced Demon Spider, the thirty-thousand-year Azure-Feather Demon Eagle, the forty-thousand-year Dark Pangolin... every soul beast formed an alliance and attacked the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger together.

They could miss out on a heavenly treasure, but a monster like the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had to die!

Viewed from above, five or six ten-thousand-year soul beasts unleashed their specialties as they surrounded and attacked the evil god tiger. The sight was spectacular.

The demon spider's dark web stirred, the eagle struck from the heavens, mighty roars shook the sky, the lion king spewed furious flames, and the pangolin charged with its body—yet none could match the tiger's roar through the mountain forests.

Layer after layer of gray domain ripples spread outward. The sky grew colder and darker, and those scarlet tiger eyes were especially chilling.

Yu Tianjun watched with great satisfaction and quietly switched off the simulator. He had his target.

Noticing Yu Tianjun's action, Yu Xiaoying's eye twitched. "You really want it? This thing is terrifying. Once its domain emerged, even five or six soul beasts couldn't kill it."

"It shouldn't be more than twenty thousand years old. Otherwise, it would quickly hunt these fellows down."

Yu Tianjun offered his answer through practical analysis—this tiger was fated to be his.

A sixty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had once fought Tang San in a battle fraught with peril. It had also fought the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape alone and escaped unscathed. Its species was outright forbidden from appearing as a martial soul.

It commanded four major attributes: supreme evil, wind, lightning, and strength. The Evil God Hook on its tail could activate time and space elements to unfold the Life and Death Arena.

In a sense, its attributes were a sublimation of darkness.

"We can kill it, but its supreme evil attribute might mutate your darkness. History has no shortage of dark martial souls that accidentally gained an evil attribute. Afterward, the orthodox soul master world refused to tolerate their owners, leaving them no choice but to fall into becoming Evil Soul Masters."

The sight of the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger worried Yu Xiaoying, and he warned Yu Tianjun.

Yu Tianjun shook his head lightly. "Once my Ultimate Darkness is exposed, the leader of the Evil Soul Masters will be at my door within a day, inviting me to become their Holy Son. There's not much difference."

"Likewise, some orthodox soul masters who use public duty to serve private interests won't leave me alone either. Dragon God Douluo has no time to crack down on secret-method soul bones, yet he has plenty of leisure to bully a Scorpion Tiger soul master who cultivates with soul beast blood."

"This monster will be mine."

Yu Xiaoying had no answer. Why don't you just curse Shrek Academy outright?

"My mind is made up. Sorry for the trouble, but please act once it finishes fighting. Then we'll move somewhere else for me to absorb it. This place may no longer be safe."

Before leaving, Yu Tianjun had put on the sixth-grade mask soul tool Jing Hongchen had given him, changing his appearance and concealing his soul power fluctuations.

A short while later, the battle below came to an end. Of the six soul beasts, four died and two escaped. The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger won a bitter victory, suffering grievous injuries.

It had torn three apart head-on and dragged one into the Life and Death Arena.

"Seventh Soul Skill, Martial Soul Avatar! Fourth Soul Skill, Shadow Prison Cage!"

Yu Xiaoying dared not be careless. In a single transformation, he became a Dark Shadow Dragon over ten meters long and swooped down from above to ambush the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.

"Awooo!"

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger cried mournfully. Two dragon claws clamped onto its muscular back, and dark chains bound it tightly, covering both its eyes and the "king" marking on its forehead.

"Tianjun, let's go!"

The dragon's tail curled around Yu Tianjun, and the Dark Shadow Dragon soared into the air and out of the valley.

A short while later...

"Soul Ring Combination Skill, Extreme Darkness Origin-Returning Space-Rending Slash!"

Yu Tianjun descended from the sky, all three of his soul rings blazing. Qilin scales protected his vital points, and an eerie Black Lotus bloomed over his heart.

A tide of darkness condensed before him into a Dark Blade that warped space. His six duplicates pooled their elemental power, unleashing an instant killing strike!

With the suppression of Ultimate Darkness and the ferocity of Qilin blood, this strike could slay any enemy below Soul Emperor!

"Roar?"

Confusion and terror appeared on the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's face.

The blade fell, and the tiger's head flew. Deep, mistlike light erupted from its body, and an ink-black ten thousand year soul ring slowly rose to hover in the air.

A strange, jet-black pearl appeared at the same time. The surrounding space twisted violently, forming a Spatial Black Hole, and the Evil God Pearl darted toward it to escape.

Snap.

Yu Tianjun snapped his fingers. His divine Qilin martial soul lunged for its prey and swallowed the Evil God Pearl in one gulp. The black hole's teleportation failed, and it collapsed in vain.

"Thinking of escaping from me? Dream on."

Smiling, Yu Tianjun sat cross-legged and restored his soul power to its peak before drawing the soul ring toward him.

Compared with a thousand-year soul ring, a ten thousand year soul ring contained far more tremendous energy. A soul beast could leave its dying resentment within the ring to assault a soul master's Sea of Consciousness. The academic term was Soul Shock, published by Yu Xiaogang.

However, whether because Yu Tianjun's bloodline was stable and his strength formidable, or because the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had used part of its resentment to create the Spatial Black Hole, the impact on Yu Tianjun's mind was slight. His meridians, on the other hand, felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The Dark Qilin had swallowed the Evil God Pearl, and the violent impact was transmitted to its soul master, putting him under considerable pressure.

For a genius, pressure meant swift progress. As the soul ring began to stabilize, Yu Tianjun's soul power surged like a flood breaking through a dam.

Yellow, purple, purple, black. The fourth soul ring fused restlessly, while the Dark Qilin resonated in unison with its master. His soul power rose step by step, pushing continuously upward.

The peak of rank forty-one, rank forty-two, the peak of rank forty-two...