Careless, Didn't Dodge!

To avoid neglecting his training and to adapt to his previous improvements, coupled with traveling on foot, Zhu Wu did not move very quickly. It took him a full ten days to finally reach the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest. As far as the eye could see stood towering, ancient trees that blotted out the sky and sun, leaving the forest floor exceedingly dark. Even the shrubs carpeting the ground mostly had blackish leaves, making the place seem rather eerie.

Especially since he had arrived at dusk. The blood-red setting sun lent the boundless Primitive Forest ahead an even more sinister air.

"As expected of the continent's number one gathering place for soul beasts, a forbidden zone for humanity that not even Spirit Hall has conquered." With a sigh, Zhu Wu decided not to enter today.

After setting up his tent on the spot and finishing dinner, Zhu Wu practiced his Longevity Exercise as usual. After absorbing the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, the strength of his physical body had undoubtedly improved tremendously. Naturally, the amount of time he could practice the Vajra Longevity Exercise each day had increased as well.

The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, Zhu Wu got up bright and early. After breakfast, he practiced the Vajra Power Exercise again.

By the time he finished and rose to his feet, it was already past nine in the morning.

"Little White, let's go!" Releasing Little White, he strode into the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Little White, possess me!" He soon encountered his first soul beast and immediately instructed Little White to transform into a Three-Eyed Demon Fox and undergo Martial Soul Possession with him.

When Grandpa Zhu Gang had still been around, he really had been afraid of dying. But now, as long as it didn't kill him, he would beat the hell out of it!

The edge between life and death was the best place to unleash one's potential. Combat was undoubtedly the best way to familiarize himself with his abilities, find the combat style best suited to him, and hone his fighting skills. The soul beasts in this forest would be his finest teachers. His desire to survive would be his greatest motivator and guide. Instinct was humanity's strongest ultimate skill.

Of course, he was not stupid enough to start by picking fights in the thousand-year soul beast zone.

When it came to combat experience, he was undoubtedly still a beginner and needed to progress step by step. The Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone did give him the foundation to temper himself through one-on-one battles with soul beasts; as long as he was not too seriously injured, he could heal himself. But if he encountered an enemy far stronger than himself, any random AOE attack could knock him unconscious. Then this so-called training would be meaningless.

A person could be proud and courageous, but they also needed to know their own limits. A soul master who dared not cause trouble was mediocre—no, that was stupidity, the behavior of a brainless white idiot!

"Come at me if you've got the guts!"

Zhu Wu shouted, bolstering both his presence and his courage.

"Roar!" Three meters away, a Brindled Tiger nearly three meters long and over six hundred years old bared its fangs and roared before charging forward in a fierce pounce.

As expected of a soul beast. That size was absolutely ridiculous!

Zhu Wu did not use Charm or Clone. Instead, he calmed his mind and focused completely, keeping his eyes fixed on the claws and fangs that posed the greatest threat.

As for a tiger's weak points—its nose, eyes, and soft underbelly—he already knew them by heart.

The soul master knowledge Yu Xiaogang possessed really was useful.

The veterinary knowledge he had learned in his previous life had suddenly found a use too, and a very useful one at that.

After all, veterinary studies required learning animal anatomy and performing animal dissections. He had never dissected a tiger, but cats? There had been plenty.

Cats were humanity's good friends, but his coursework and credits had demanded it. He had no choice. It wasn't like he had wanted to!

"Pfft!" Seeing the Giant Tiger bend its hind legs in preparation to leap, Zhu Wu did not hesitate in the slightest and jumped sideways.

A sliding tackle to kick its belly? What a joke!

Ever heard of getting crushed while holding a man in your arms? Ever heard of a one-ton Mount Tai dropping from above? Besides, despite a tiger's broad waist and powerful shoulders, it was a genuine feline. Its reactions were incredibly agile; it could even twist its body midair.

"Roar!" With a roar, the Giant Tiger had already sprung forward. Seeing Zhu Wu leap aside, it twisted in midair, extending all four limbs as its claws spread from the soft pads. It assumed an embracing posture, protecting its vulnerable belly while attempting to seize the prey before it.

Zhu Wu kept his distance until the Giant Tiger drew in its limbs and turned downward, a typical feline landing motion.

An opening! The word flashed through Zhu Wu's mind. His entire body instantly tensed, adrenaline surged, the veins in his neck bulged, and his face abruptly reddened. His feet moved swiftly as he rushed forward and threw out a kick.

With a "pfft," it struck the Giant Tiger squarely in the side of its abdomen. The kick lifted its hind legs and sent its rear end lurching sideways.

Holy crap, I'm this strong?! For the first time, Zhu Wu gained some understanding of his own physical strength.

Of course, he also understood that his power was currently enhanced by Martial Soul Possession. More precisely, it was the boost from his first soul ring.

Through personal experience, he had discovered that when Little White transformed into a Three-Eyed Demon Fox, its first soul ring would light up. After it underwent Martial Soul Possession with him, every aspect of his body would immediately receive a certain boost. Combining this with the descriptions from the original work, he believed this enhancement came from drawing upon the energy stored in the first soul ring. The reason he had reached this conclusion was the Clear Sky Sect's ultimate skill, Ring Detonation.

Once this skill was used, the soul rings would instantly shatter and turn into pure energy that entered the body, causing every aspect of the soul master's attributes to soar. This happened to prove that the energy stored within soul rings could enhance soul masters.

When soul masters absorbed soul rings, they could not absorb all of their energy. Otherwise, there would be no such thing as soul masters displaying their soul rings, because the rings would have long since vanished after their energy was depleted.

From a certain perspective, soul rings could also be considered a medium for soul masters to store Soul Power.

It was just that soul ring energy was more often used to power soul skills. A soul master had to first activate a soul skill before it could enhance their body or directly boost the skill itself. The difference between offensive soul skills and self-enhancement soul skills lay precisely in this.

Ring Detonation, however, released all the energy within the soul rings and used all of it to enhance the user's body. Naturally, the user would lose their soul skills as a result. After all, the soul rings had exploded.

"Roar!" The Brindled Tiger had not expected the human child before it to possess such strength. The pain made it roar in fury.

But it no longer dared to attack recklessly. Instead, it began circling, searching for an opportunity to strike.

Without using Charm or Clone, what other methods can I use? It was his first real battle, and against such a large opponent at that. Zhu Wu did not dare act rashly. As he stared intently at the Brindled Tiger, his mind raced.

A moment later, inspiration struck, and he glanced behind him.

The Brindled Tiger did not roar. With several "pfft, pfft, pfft" sounds, it charged straight at him.

It did not leap this time. Its massive jaws flew open, seemingly intending to use its size advantage to tear the human child before it apart.

Zhu Wu's body tensed, and he hurriedly jumped away.

Martial Soul Possession with the Three-Eyed Demon Fox granted a considerable speed boost. His current speed was noticeably faster than that of the Giant Tiger before him.

"Roar!" Failing to capitalize on the chance, the Giant Tiger grew enraged and let out a roar, numbing Zhu Wu's ears.

"So you think you're the only one with a big mouth?" He suddenly envied the Brindled Tiger for having such a soundwave attack skill.

Good thing it's not a thousand-year soul beast. Otherwise, I can't say that roar alone wouldn't give me a concussion! Having never seen a thousand-year tiger-type soul beast use this move, Zhu Wu could not be certain. As thoughts raced through his mind, he controlled the Soul Power within his body and sent it toward his fox tail.

Then he felt the fur on the tail slowly stand on end.

While possessed, the fox tail behind him was as natural to control as his own limbs. With a thought, he could move it. But he had never tested whether he could extend and harden it to whip someone.

Perhaps he could give it a try?

"Get longer!" He drove Soul Power forcefully toward the tip of his tail.

The fox tail really did grow longer. Zhu Wu subconsciously controlled it and whipped it at the tiger.

"Roar!" The Giant Tiger immediately stopped roaring and snapped its jaws shut with astonishing speed, biting down on it.

With a fierce tug, Zhu Wu felt an immense force yank at him, pulling his body uncontrollably toward it.

Careless. He hadn't dodged!