The Star Dou Great Forest stretched boundlessly. As humans explored it, they divided it into several regions.
From the outside inward, these were known as the Edge Area, the Outer Circle, the Mixed Circle, the Core Circle, and the Great Ferocious Land.
Zhang Lexuan had already brought Jiang Hai into the Outer Circle.
Zhang Lexuan was practically invincible in the Outer Circle, but the unexpected incident earlier had still left her a little tense. She did not dare release her spiritual power to probe for soul beasts around them.
She could only lead Jiang Hai through the outer region, searching for a suitable soul beast.
A sudden rustling came from the woods, followed by a tiger's roar.
Zhang Lexuan's eyes lit up. Her spiritual power surged out like a tide to investigate. A moment later, a trace of regret appeared on her face. "What a pity. It's a Diamond Tiger nearly eight hundred years old. Otherwise, a hundred-year Diamond Tiger should be quite compatible with your Bronze Coffin martial soul."
A hundred-year Diamond Tiger?
Jiang Hai did not know much about soul beasts, but he vaguely remembered a few kinds, and the thousand-year Diamond Tiger was one of them. If he remembered correctly, one of Dai Mubai's soul rings had come from a Diamond Tiger.
After all, Dai Mubai was a prince of the Star Luo Empire and a member of the White Tiger Family. The soul beasts chosen for his soul rings could hardly be poor specimens. The Diamond Tiger had its own distinctive strengths: bones as hard as diamond, impervious to blades and spears.
"Let's take this one!" While Zhang Lexuan was still feeling regretful, Jiang Hai suddenly spoke.
Zhang Lexuan froze briefly, then understood. Jiang Hai was self-taught, with no one to guide him. It was only natural that he did not understand soul beast ages. She patiently explained, "When a soul master chooses a soul ring, older isn't always better. Absorbing a soul ring can fail. According to the research of generations of teachers at our Shrek Academy, a soul master's first soul ring should generally be around three or four hundred years old. Some exceptionally gifted people can absorb a ring from a five-hundred-year soul beast, but taking an eight-hundred-year soul beast's ring as your very first soul ring is something even the revered Tang San, from Shrek's most outstanding legendary generation, never accomplished. This Diamond Tiger's attributes are quite compatible with your martial soul, but its age is too high for you. Of course, you could still choose it for your second soul ring."
As Zhang Lexuan spoke, the eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger emerged from the forest, allowing Jiang Hai to see it in full.
What a mighty, imposing Diamond Tiger!
Its fur was golden yellow all over, reflecting a metallic gleam beneath the sunlight, as though its entire body had been cast from gold. Its eyes shone brightly, and its bearing was extraordinarily majestic.
A tiger's roar ruled the mountain woods.
Tigers had always been an overlord species in the forest, and this Diamond Tiger before them radiated the domineering air of a king.
"Roar!"
The Diamond Tiger roared, sprang into the air, and lunged straight at Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Hai.
Before the Diamond Tiger even reached them, a foul-smelling gust struck Jiang Hai's face. Facing a Diamond Tiger for the first time, he found its sheer presence enough to make his heart tremble. Someone timid might have had their courage shattered outright.
Wu Song slaying the tiger.
Jiang Hai suddenly understood just how extraordinary Wu Song's valor had been, killing that great white tiger with its slanted eyes using nothing but flesh and blood.
"Get lost!"
Soul power surged from Zhang Lexuan like an ocean. Released beyond her body, it formed a wall of soul power in front of them.
Boom!
The lunging Diamond Tiger slammed directly into the wall of soul power. The collision sent it flying backward, snapping numerous trees.
The Diamond Tiger rose, baring its teeth. A trace of fear appeared in its eyes, but a wild gleam still flickered within them. It refused to leave.
A hint of impatience entered Zhang Lexuan's eyes. Her Martial Soul Moon shimmered into view, and eight terrifying soul rings circled her body. The eighth, blood-red ring radiated an especially bloody aura. Even the Diamond Tiger was cowed by the aura of those soul rings, its four limbs trembling incessantly, yet a trace of ferocity remained in its eyes.
"Oh? It actually has a royal bloodline. No wonder it hasn't fled under my pressure. What a pity. If you were a little younger, you would be a perfect choice for a first soul ring. Of course, with your royal bloodline, you would also make a perfect second soul ring for a soul master..." Zhang Lexuan seemed to have noticed something, and spoke in surprise.
Curious, Jiang Hai asked, "What is a royal bloodline?"
The longer Zhang Lexuan studied the eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger, the more regretful she felt. Hearing Jiang Hai's question, she explained, "Humans have kings who rule the lands, and soul beasts naturally have kings as well. A royal bloodline is the bloodline of the strongest member of a species. Those born with it can become kings. They are the strongest of their kind and can command every member of their species. This Diamond Tiger possesses a royal bloodline. Once it matures, it will become the king of the Diamond Tigers. Generally speaking, the soul rings of beasts with royal bloodlines grant soul masters more powerful skills. Of course, those rings are also harder to absorb."
A royal bloodline!
An unusual light flickered in Jiang Hai's eyes as he said, enunciating every word, "Sister Lexuan, I want to try absorbing this soul beast's ring!"
Zhang Lexuan frowned. "A royal bloodline is indeed rare, but I already made myself very clear. With your physique, you simply cannot absorb its soul ring. Trying would leave you with nine chances of death and only one of survival, and even that sliver of survival would merely mean escaping with your life. You cannot possibly absorb its soul ring successfully!"
"I know, but I want to try!" Jiang Hai remained utterly stubborn.
He was merely a good-for-nothing whose innate soul power was only half a rank. Though his martial soul was somewhat special, that alone was not enough to support his quest for vengeance.
His father had ventured alone into a land ravaged by evil soul masters. Had he not known he was facing nine chances of death and only one of survival?
The old man had traded his life for Jiang Hai's martial soul. What right did Jiang Hai have to retreat?
If he remained content with mediocrity, how could he ever avenge his hatred?
Zhang Lexuan seemed to see something in the boy before her. She could not help sighing, then said gravely, "I won't agree to this. Don't worry, I'll find you a compatible soul beast, one no worse than any beast with a royal bloodline. Even if you really want a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, it isn't beyond me to catch one for you. But right now, I absolutely refuse to let you choose this eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger with a royal bloodline for your first soul ring!"
"Sister Lexuan, thank you, but I've already found my own path. Sorry for the trouble this time. Please go back. I won't change my choice of soul beast for my first soul ring. It was born to be my soul ring!" Jiang Hai bowed to Zhang Lexuan, a stubborn light gleaming in his eyes.
"Bronze Coffin!"
Jiang Hai gave a low shout. A huge Bronze Coffin appeared beside him and crashed onto the ground with a thunderous rumble.
Only at that moment did the Bronze Coffin reveal its true edge.
The patina on the Bronze Coffin faded away. Its ancient, unadorned body reflected a bronze gleam beneath the sunlight. Even without a single soul ring, the coffin possessed a weighty presence that could not be ignored.
Seeing the Bronze Coffin again, even Zhang Lexuan found it hard to believe that its owner had possessed only half a rank of innate soul power.
During that moment of distraction, Jiang Hai had already dragged the heavy Bronze Coffin beyond the protection of her soul power.
Zhang Lexuan sighed. She wanted to stop him, but hesitated for a moment. Forget it. Once he understands the gap between himself and the Diamond Tiger, he'll recognize the difficulty and retreat!
An eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger with a royal bloodline was not something even a Soul Grandmaster with two soul rings could necessarily defeat, much less a mere Soul Scholar like Jiang Hai, whose soul power was only rank ten and who did not even have a soul skill.
With a Soul Douluo like her present, his life was safe anyway. Letting him experience the dangers of the Star Dou Great Forest would do him some good.
"Roar!"
When the Diamond Tiger saw Jiang Hai step out of Zhang Lexuan's soul power protection, anger flashed in its eyes. Its roar shook the heavens. With a flash of golden light, its powerful body pounced at him, its claws gleaming gold, sharp enough to cleave mountains and split stone.
Boom!
Jiang Hai pulled back, and the Bronze Coffin was already in front of him. Amid the earthshaking collision, the coffin shuddered incessantly. Sheltering behind it, Jiang Hai braced the coffin, but his feet had sunk deep into the ground-a clear sign of the tremendous force behind the Diamond Tiger's charge.
He blocked it? A strange look flashed through Zhang Lexuan's eyes as she prepared to intervene. A Soul Scholar had actually blocked a strike from an eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger?
Was this truly a worthless soul master with only half a rank of innate soul power, rather than a genius with innate full soul power?
Just as Zhang Lexuan thought Jiang Hai intended to keep using his Bronze Coffin martial soul to withstand the Diamond Tiger's charges, he stepped out from behind it. Gripping the coffin's rim with one hand, his thin body erupted with unimaginable strength. With that single hand, he dragged the Bronze Coffin, which weighed seven hundred jin.
As Jiang Hai dragged the Bronze Coffin, its other end gouged a deep furrow into the ground.
The Diamond Tiger darted swiftly, turning into a streak of golden light as it charged at Jiang Hai again.
Jiang Hai swung the Bronze Coffin up and smashed it fiercely forward.
Zhang Lexuan's pupils contracted. The charging Diamond Tiger looked as though it had deliberately thrown itself against the Bronze Coffin. The coffin smashed into its powerful body. In the terrible collision of forces, even the golden light around its claws was scattered by the Bronze Coffin, and the immense force slammed its airborne body flat against the ground.
Innate divine strength.
And that was not all. Jiang Hai's timing was utterly flawless. The Bronze Coffin was immensely heavy; Zhang Lexuan estimated that it weighed at least five hundred jin. Jiang Hai had not swung it particularly fast, certainly not as fast as the eight-hundred-year Diamond Tiger, yet that blow had struck the tiger with absolute precision.
So precisely... that it looked as though the Diamond Tiger had run into the Bronze Coffin itself.
This little fellow is far more gifted than I imagined. Innate divine strength, and his innate soul power isn't so simple either. Even if it really was only half a rank, and he can never surpass rank twenty-nine in his lifetime, he'll still be a fearsome soul master. A genius like this must not be handed to the Sun Moon Empire. Once I return, I must find a way to get him into Shrek Academy! Jiang Hai's performance had changed Zhang Lexuan's opinion of him.
Even if Jiang Hai's talent truly was abysmal, that single swing of the coffin was enough to make her see him anew.
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