Within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sword Douluo and Bone Douluo wore grave expressions.
"A hundred ten-thousand-year soul beast..."
Bone Douluo subconsciously clenched his fists.
"A hundred ten-thousand-year beast, and a sea soul beast at that. Can human strength really kill something like that?"
"Even if all three of us attacked together, we wouldn't have much confidence," Sword Douluo said, shaking his head.
On land, he could have given it a try, but in the sea...
The powerhouses of the Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire also fell silent.
The two great empires had been considering whether to send people to investigate the sea. Now, there was no need to consider it any further.
The appearance of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King made the continent's soul masters clearly realize for the first time.
The power in the ocean's depths was absolutely not something they could covet at will.
On Sea God Island.
Tang San looked up at the enormous beast that blotted out the sky and sun, his expression turning extremely ugly.
Bo Saixi took a step forward, arriving at the very front of the square.
As she watched the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King in the sky screen, an extraordinarily complicated emotion appeared in her eyes for the first time.
"The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King."
Of course she knew this enormous creature. It was the most dangerous existence in the ocean.
"Why hasn't it become a god yet?" Tang San couldn't help asking Bo Saixi.
"Becoming a god isn't something that can be achieved simply by accumulating years," Bo Saixi answered.
But a hundred ten-thousand-year soul beast alone was enough to fill any soul master with despair.
On the distant sea, the Demon Soul Great White Shark King and Evil Orca King stopped swimming almost simultaneously.
They, too, were watching the images in the sky screen. Human soul masters weren't the only ones who could see it.
The entire ocean grew quiet.
Only Ye Yao's Black Tortoise avatar continued advancing swiftly through the seawater.
The currents ahead grew heavier and heavier.
Every stroke of his limbs felt as though an invisible force were holding him back.
But he still swam toward Sea God Island regardless!
The golden light from the sky screen shone into the depths, illuminating the black patterns on the Black Tortoise's back.
He drew closer and closer to Sea God Island.
And up in the sky, new golden text slowly emerged.
[Next, the fourth-ranked soul beast will be revealed.]
This time, everyone stopped breathing.
Fifth place was already a one-million-year soul beast.
Then just what kind of terrifying existence would rank fourth?
Bibi Dong also raised her head, tightening her grip on her scepter somewhat nervously.
Sword Douluo also summoned his Seven Kill Sword, gently stroking its blade to conceal his unease.
Bo Saixi's expression also turned utterly serious. She had lived for so long.
Yet this was the first time she had learned of soul beasts stronger than the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King!
At the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Large numbers of soul masters were rapidly assembling, and Spirit Hall's advance troops had already arrived.
Two Soul Douluos stood at the very front of the group, but their attention was on the screen in the sky.
The sky screen had already revealed the locations of the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python.
The Lake of Life lay in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest.
As long as they could lure these two hundred-thousand-year soul beasts out, Spirit Hall would have a chance to kill them one by one.
Although they were powerful, they weren't the most terrifying soul beasts.
At least in the eyes of Spirit Hall's higher-ups, success wasn't necessarily impossible if they sent enough Titled Douluos.
"Has His Holiness the Pope not arrived yet?"
The two Soul Douluos spoke as they watched the sky screen.
"His Holiness the Pope has already ordered us to seal off the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest first, to prevent other factions from entering ahead of us."
"She should arrive in person very soon."
Their voices weren't loud, but the surrounding soul masters heard them perfectly clearly.
Excitement appeared in many of their eyes.
These were hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
As long as they could kill one, they would obtain at least one Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and one Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.
For the vast majority of soul masters, this was already an opportunity great enough to change their destiny.
Even if these people were merely participants who couldn't lay a finger on the soul rings or soul bones.
Being able to hunt soul beasts alongside the Pope was an honor for them in itself!
The Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire also dispatched teams of soul masters.
The two great empires didn't clash directly with Spirit Hall, merely stationing themselves separately on the forest's outskirts and waiting to see what happened next.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also sent people.
Sword Douluo personally led the team, while Bone Douluo and Ning Fengzhi remained in its center, constantly monitoring the movements of the various factions through soul-tool communication devices.
The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, one of the Upper Three Sects, wasn't absent either.
Yu Yuanzhen had already arrived with several clan elders.
Although he hadn't said so explicitly, everyone knew that the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's target this time was the Sky Azure Bull Python.
It was likewise a lightning-attribute soul beast.
The Sky Azure Bull Python's soul ring was extremely valuable to Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon soul masters.
He also knew that the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest was extraordinarily dangerous.
The soul masters of the other factions weren't pushovers either.
But the lure of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast was already enough to make them take the risk.
Just then, the golden light in the sky intensified once more.
The soul masters who had been discussing matters all looked up.
In the center of the golden screen, several new lines of text slowly appeared.
[The ten greatest soul beasts of the Douluo Continent, fourth place.]
This fourth-place beast was presumably at least on the same level as the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
Perhaps it would be even stronger.
Soon, the sky screen's voice continued:
[The top four soul beasts differ little in strength, and each has its own strengths.] [Therefore, the top four rankings are in no particular order.]
Upon hearing this, everyone froze for a moment.
The top four were in no particular order?
"What does that mean?"
"Could the fifth-ranked Deep Sea Demonic Whale King not be that far behind the soul beasts ahead of it?"
"If the top four are in no particular order, why can the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King only rank fifth?"
"That means there's still a certain gap between it and the top four!"
As everyone discussed this, the image in the sky screen finally changed.
A desolate valley appeared within the screen.
Loose stones covered the ground.
There were no tall trees around, only low hills.
An enormous, snow-white tiger lay atop a massive rock.
Its body was over ten meters long, its limbs thick and powerful, its muscles bulging like rocks.
A striking "Wang" character marked its forehead.
Its eyes were pale gold. Even lying on the rock, it radiated an intense sense of oppression.
As it opened its eyes.
All the soul beasts in the valley began trembling.
Golden text immediately appeared on the sky screen.
[The ten greatest soul beasts of the Douluo Continent, fourth place! White Tiger!] [Soul beast age: two hundred thousand years.] [Current status: approaching adulthood.] [Location: Far North, White Tiger Canyon.] [Species description: White Tiger soul beasts possess formidable killing power and excel at metal-attribute and mental attacks. They have powerful physiques and extraordinarily astonishing combat instincts.] [Special note: This White Tiger soul beast carries the bloodline of the ancient divine beast White Tiger, with extremely high bloodline purity. Ordinary White Tiger Martial Souls do not share its origin.] [Ranking note: This White Tiger soul beast is over two hundred thousand years old. The top four are in no particular order.]
Once all the golden text had appeared.
The entire continent fell into an eerie silence.
A two-hundred-thousand-year soul beast! White Tiger!
Very strong!
But...
What did it have to compare with a hundred ten-thousand-year soul beast?
And it even ranked above a hundred ten-thousand-year soul beast?