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The two swiftly made their way through the forest in the direction of the tiger's roar.
As they drew closer to the source of the sound,
"It should be nearby."
At this moment, Zhu Fan turned his head and cautiously reminded Dai Chengfeng, "Chengfeng, don't stray far from me once we're there."
"Although there shouldn't be any overly powerful spirit beasts in the Tiger's Might Mountain Range, it's better to be safe than sorry."
Dai Chengfeng nodded, and the two pressed on.
After about half an incense stick's time.
Ahead of them, they came upon a valley with slightly lower terrain.
Within the valley, countless Blood Tigers—each robust in build, their fur as crimson as fresh blood—lazily sprawled across every corner. Their overwhelming aura of bloodlust sent shivers down one's spine.
There were at least a thousand of them.
Dai Chengfeng gazed at the dense mass of Blood Tigers, a flicker of excitement flashing in his eyes. "Such a massive Blood Tiger pack… After decades or even centuries of accumulation, there must surely be an Imperial Blood Tiger among them!"
Having said that—
He turned to look at Zhu Fan beside him and softly said, "Uncle, use your senses to check if there's an Imperial Blood Tiger here."
Zhu Fan nodded. "Alright."
"Second soul skill, Spirit Cat Sense!"
Instantly, a soul ring beneath Zhu Fan's feet flashed briefly, and his soul power rippled through the air like waves, spreading outward in circles until it covered the entire valley.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhu Fan's eyes gleamed sharply.
He quickly raised his finger, pointing toward a cave almost completely obscured by shadows.
Though he couldn't see what was inside, his tone was confident. "Chengfeng, it seems our luck is good!"
"There's a presence in that cave similar to a regular Blood Tiger but with an exceptionally unique and majestic aura—it must be the Imperial Blood Tiger you're looking for."
However, Zhu Fan's brows soon furrowed deeply as he looked helplessly at Dai Chengfeng. "But according to my perception…"
"This Imperial Blood Tiger is around 1500 years old. You currently can't absorb a soul ring that old."
"It seems we'll have to keep searching."
With that, Zhu Fan turned to leave.
But Dai Chengfeng remained rooted in place, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"1500 years, huh?"
"I've been cultivating using the Innate Qi Technique derived from the Yellow Emperor's External Scripture. And over the past year, I've been tirelessly tempering my body with Innate Origin Metal Qi… not a single moment of rest."
"Though a year isn't particularly long, it's not short either."
"And just half a month ago, I secretly tested myself…"
"At this point, my body's resilience is no less than that of the top-tier Soul Grandmasters in the military, and even some low-level Soul Elders. My internal organs are several times tougher than theirs."
"With that in mind…"
"It's not impossible for me to absorb a 1500-year-old Imperial Blood Tiger soul ring."
"After all, before the arrival of the legendary Tang San, who could have imagined that the fourth soul ring could be a ten-thousand-year soul ring?"
Dai Chengfeng even suspected that perhaps Tang San had possessed the ability to surpass the age limit for absorbing soul rings as early as his second soul ring.
It was just that under the influence of 'Master' Yu Xiaogang, he too had been constrained by the 'common knowledge' of this world.
It wasn't until he absorbed his fourth soul ring that he chose to stop believing in Yu Xiaogang, finally breaking free from the so-called restriction on soul ring age limits.
And if he had still followed Yu Xiaogang's advice, his fourth soul ring definitely wouldn't have been a ten-thousand-year one.
Thinking this through, Dai Chengfeng had already made his decision.
"Uncle, this is the one."
Dai Chengfeng spoke to Zhu Fan without hesitation.
"A... thousand-year soul ring?"
Zhu Fan looked at Dai Chengfeng in astonishment. "You want your second soul ring to be a thousand-year soul ring—and a full 1500 years at that?"
Dai Chengfeng nodded firmly.
"Absolutely not!"
Zhu Fan outright rejected the idea. "The upper limit for the second soul ring has always hovered around 700 years—that's a universally acknowledged fact in the world of soul masters. Yet you're suggesting absorbing a 1500-year soul ring as your second one…"
But before Zhu Fan could finish, Dai Chengfeng cut him off. "Uncle, trust me."
He looked earnestly at Zhu Fan. "Uncle, the so-called soul ring age limit doesn't apply to everyone. After all, there are special items in this world that can allow someone to increase their limit for absorbing soul rings."
"And then there are people…"
"Who, through their own unique experiences, can also break through these limits."
Zhu Fan stared at Dai Chengfeng's resolute expression, still hesitating. "But…"
After all, a second soul ring with a 1500-year limit was unheard of.
But after much deliberation, Zhu Fan sighed helplessly. "Sigh, fine…"
He had already witnessed countless impossibilities turn into possibilities with Dai Chengfeng!
He was willing to believe in his nephew, Dai Chengfeng.
"Then let Uncle see how you create miracles and make history in the Douluo Continent!"
With that—
Eight soul rings instantly rose beneath Zhu Fan's feet. His overwhelming soul power surged like a storm, sweeping across the entire valley.
With Zhu Fan no longer concealing his presence, the Blood Tiger pack, sensing the disturbance, became enraged.
Each Blood Tiger's bloodthirsty eyes glared at Zhu Fan as they emitted low, threatening roars, crouching low and preparing to launch fierce attacks.
And from the cave, their leader—the Imperial Blood Tiger—finally emerged for the first time.
Its figure was far larger than an ordinary Blood Tiger, exuding an innate regal aura.
Looking at Zhu Fan and Dai Chengfeng, the intruders, it raised its head and let out an earth-shaking roar.
Roar—!
Instantly, countless Blood Tigers rushed toward Zhu Fan and Dai Chengfeng as if given a command.
"Fifth soul skill, Netherworld Poison Claw!"
Zhu Fan's hands were enveloped in a dark green glow.
With a casual wave, the glow transformed into countless crescent-shaped blades, sweeping toward the charging Blood Tigers.
One touch and they crumbled!
Under Zhu Fan's overwhelming strength, despite their sheer numbers, the Blood Tigers were far too weak to resist.
Even the mighty Imperial Blood Tiger faltered under Zhu Fan's relentless barrage of moon-blade attacks.
"Chengfeng, finish it!"
Zhu Fan turned to look at Dai Chengfeng.
Dai Chengfeng nodded, slowly stepping forward. The Innate Origin Metal Qi condensed at his fingertips.
With a single thrust, the Imperial Blood Tiger's heart was pierced.
Blood flowed, staining the ground red.
The Imperial Blood Tiger let out a final, unwilling roar before its massive body collapsed, raising a cloud of dust.
At the same time, a purple soul ring rose from its corpse.
Seeing this, Dai Chengfeng immediately sat cross-legged on the spot, carefully guiding the soul ring with his soul power and beginning the absorption process.
"Hoo!"
Zhu Fan watched the scene unfold, taking a deep breath.
Though he had chosen to trust Dai Chengfeng's judgment, he still felt immense worry.
His eyes were fixed on Dai Chengfeng, not daring to relax for a moment, ready to respond to any potential emergencies.
After all—
Choosing to absorb a thousand-year soul ring as the second soul ring…
This was ultimately an unprecedented feat, creating a new chapter in the history of the Douluo Continent!
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