In the deepest part of the Great Star Dou Forest
The towering trees formed a canopy that blocked out the sun, with only scattered patches of light filtering through, making the forest dim and humid.
Whoosh—!
Accompanied by a gust of wind, Dai Chengfeng, clad in white, darted through the forest at incredible speed.
His expression was grave, and he occasionally glanced warily over his shoulder.
Though his eyes saw nothing, his heightened perception in the Microcosm state allowed him to detect faint disturbances in the leaves and branches behind him.
A soul beast was silently following him.
Dai Chengfeng had no doubt—it was the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
"Indeed."
Dai Chengfeng murmured to himself, "It didn't chase after Uncle Zhu Fan or Elder Ye—it's only following me…"
"That proves it's not here to devour soul power."
"But what about me could possibly interest it so much that it would abandon the chance to consume a Soul Douluo and increase its own power?"
As Dai Chengfeng continued to race toward the true core of the Great Star Dou Forest, his mind raced with thoughts.
"Is it my White Tiger martial soul, which hasn't fully evolved but already shows signs of transformation?"
"Or is it the Asura energy within me?"
Dai Chengfeng believed that these two attributes were most likely what caught the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's attention.
However, he couldn't be certain.
"But it doesn't matter!"
Taking a deep breath, Dai Chengfeng pressed onward.
Roughly an hour later, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger still showed no sign of attacking, merely trailing him at a leisurely pace.
Dai Chengfeng's brows furrowed as his confusion deepened. "The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger isn't an ordinary soul beast—it possesses intelligence rivaling any human's."
"This is both its strength and perhaps its weakness, as it seems to have adopted some human traits?"
"For instance, the tendency to toy with prey before the kill, savoring the thrill of controlling life and death?"
"Otherwise, with its strength, it could've easily caught up to me by now…"
As he analyzed this, Dai Chengfeng quietly retrieved a highly detailed map of the Great Star Dou Forest from his chest.
Without pausing or even looking down, he gave it a quick glance to estimate his location.
"About two more hours…"
Carefully stowing the map, Dai Chengfeng muttered, "I hope there's a chance."
"Otherwise, I'll have to rely on the Asura energy and gamble that it will become arrogant enough to completely underestimate me."
Dai Chengfeng resumed his journey. Whenever he spotted Soft-Boned Rabbits, he swiftly captured them and stored them in his top-tier soul-guidance ring, similar to Dugu Bo's Hundred Treasures Pouch, which could hold living creatures.
Even if it slowed his "escape," he wouldn't let a single Soft-Boned Rabbit go.
"Roar?"
Behind him, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger watched Dai Chengfeng's peculiar actions and let out a low growl. A flicker of human-like confusion appeared in its crimson eyes.
It couldn't fathom why Dai Chengfeng, while fleeing for his life, would engage in such seemingly meaningless behavior.
Still, it didn't dwell on it.
The tiger continued to follow Dai Chengfeng at a leisurely pace, confident that this weak "insect" couldn't pose any real threat.
---
In the core region of the Great Star Dou Forest
Dai Chengfeng's figure continued to zip through the trees, with a black shadow trailing closely behind like a shadow.
Occasionally, a flicker of satisfaction passed through the tiger's crimson eyes.
Finally, when they were about an hour away from the true central lake of the Great Star Dou Forest—
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger raised its head, gazing into the distance. A serious look flashed in its tiger eyes as it suppressed its playful demeanor.
The next second—
Roar—!
A thunderous roar erupted from its mouth, echoing across the forest.
At this moment, it suddenly opened its massive jaws and spat out a black orb pulsating with eerie energy, crackling with lightning.
Seeing the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger attack, Dai Chengfeng showed no surprise, as if he had anticipated this moment all along.
"It seems one hour is the limit of its patience."
"But it still doesn't seem intent on killing me?"
While Dai Chengfeng harbored doubts, his movements were practiced, as if rehearsed countless times.
With a wave of his hand, hundreds of Soft-Boned Rabbits appeared in place.
Meanwhile, he slightly bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and swiftly dodged to the right.
Boom—!
The Dark Demon Evil Lightning struck the spot where Dai Chengfeng had just stood, exploding with terrifying force…
The ground instantly cratered several meters deep, and nearby trees were uprooted and obliterated by the powerful shockwave.
Even though Dai Chengfeng hadn't faced the attack directly, the residual force was still overwhelming.
He drove his Heaven-Splitting Halberd into the ground to stabilize himself against being blown away by the fierce winds.
As for the hundreds of Soft-Boned Rabbits?
Under the terrifying attack, most were instantly vaporized, while the rest were torn apart. The air quickly filled with the stench of blood.
At this point, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger strode forward confidently and arrogantly, finally revealing itself as it sauntered toward Dai Chengfeng.
Its massive body, weighing thousands of catties, caused the ground to tremble with every step.
Dai Chengfeng subtly glanced at the remains of the Bone-Breaking Rabbits before turning his gaze to the approaching Dark Demon Evil God Tiger.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke, "You should be able to understand me, right?"
"You've been following me this whole time—what do you want?"
"To devour my soul power?"
"But I'm just a Soul Grandmaster. Am I really worth your time and effort?"
"Or perhaps you're dissatisfied with this White Tiger body and want to find a new host to possess?"
Faced with Dai Chengfeng's questions, the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger let out a low growl, its eyes gleaming with amusement.
It seemed to mock him, as if saying, "So what if you guessed?"
"I see, I understand now."
At this moment, Dai Chengfeng seemed to reach an epiphany and addressed the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger once more. "Your powers mutated due to the influence of the evil god's consciousness…"
"And the energy within me must intrigue you, though you can't determine the specifics."
"You're curious—why would someone as weak as me attract your attention?"
"Therefore, the reason you haven't killed me and have let me escape… is twofold."
"First, you're confident you can kill me anytime. Second, you want to observe how I behave in moments of despair."
"So you can judge why my soul power attracts you, correct?"
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger listened silently to Dai Chengfeng's analysis before letting out another growl.
It nodded its massive head slightly, then shook it.
"Did I guess half correctly?"
A faint smile curved Dai Chengfeng's lips. "If that's the case, then I don't need to know the other half."
"Time is almost up!"
With that—
The two soul rings beneath Dai Chengfeng's feet lit up simultaneously. His first soul skill, Innate Origin Metal Qi, and second soul skill, White Tiger Domain, activated together.
At the same time, the external soul bone on his right shoulder, the Dark Golden Terror Claw Armguard, shimmered with dark golden light. The semi-divine artifact, the Heaven-Splitting Halberd, opened its demonic eye, and everything was operating at full power.
"Having human intelligence means having to overcome human weaknesses…"
"White Tiger Tyrant Spear, First Form—City Destroyer!"
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