After seeing Zhu Zhuqing off, Li Dixian fully devoted himself to preparing for his third Soul Ring.
Upon hearing that he was going to hunt for a Soul Ring, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were naturally excited, and even the four members of the Royal Fight Team were fired up.
Yu Feng said bluntly, "Idol! Your first two rings were thousand-year ones, so I must accompany you when you hunt for your third Soul Ring!"
Li Dixian pondered for a moment and then agreed.
His goal for this trip was significant.
With more people, his chances of hunting Soul Beasts would be greater.
"For a Spirit Master's third Soul Ring, the limit is a thousand years."
"I have the healing of the Wine Spirit and a powerful physique tempered by the 'Meltfrost Spirit Vein Body'."
"With such a foundation, how can I be content with mediocrity?"
"I must pursue a Soul Ring configuration that surpasses the limit!"
With preparations complete, a group of seven set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.
At the same time, at the Crown Prince's Mansion.
"Li Dixian has left Heaven Dou City?"
Xue Qinghe held a jade pot, watering the morning glory with spiritual spring water, without lifting her head.
"Yes, he should reach the outskirts of Star Dou by tomorrow morning."
Snake Lance hesitated for a moment and asked, "Since Young Master is worried, why not let Porcupinefish secretly follow him?"
Xue Qinghe put down the jade pot, her fingertips brushing the delicate petals.
"He doesn't like it."
With that, she walked towards the backyard of the mansion.
She stopped in front of a rugged rockery.
The rockery silently slid open, revealing a deep, downward-sloping cave entrance.
Xue Qinghe descended the steps, her footsteps echoing in the silence.
The sensing Soul Guiding Lamps embedded in the walls lit up one by one, illuminating the horrifying sight at the end of the passage.
A bloodied, mangled body was impaled through the shoulder blades by thick chains, firmly nailed to the cold stone wall.
This person had hardly a single good piece of flesh on him.
Especially his right wrist, which was twisted and folded, with bone fragments piercing through the skin, a shocking sight.
Noticing someone's arrival, he struggled to lift his head.
"Kill...kill me..."
"Kill me...like you killed Qin Ming..."
Xue Qinghe's expression was calm.
Snake Lance, who was behind her, stepped forward.
He tilted the jade bowl in his hand, and a viscous, emerald-green energy potion spilled onto Zhao Wuji's body.
With soft hissing sounds, the bloodied wounds healed at a visible rate, and even his broken wrist returned to its original state.
However, instead of joy, Zhao Wuji's eyes were filled with terror.
"If you have the guts, kill me! Kill me!"
He roared hoarsely, looking like a madman.
Responding to him were two old eunuchs with grim faces, holding torture instruments.
They skillfully surrounded him.
Soon, the stone chamber once again echoed with bone-chilling cracking sounds and agonizing screams suppressed to the extreme.
A moment later, Zhao Wuji once again became a bloodied mess, on the verge of breaking.
"Kill...kill me..."
Xue Qinghe's gaze remained indifferent.
"Shatter all his bones and tendons, feed him 'Corrupting Grass', and send him back to Shrek."
"Until Li Dixian personally slays him, he is not allowed to have a single good day, nor is he allowed to recover."
Porcupinefish and Snake Lance nodded.
Xue Qinghe turned and left.
Since Li Dixian wanted to personally slay this villain, she would reserve this opportunity.
When that day came, she would heal Zhao Wuji, allowing Li Dixian's sword to drink the blood of his enemy.
After several days of travel, the seven members of Li Dixian's group finally arrived at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The vast, dense forest was like a slumbering ancient beast.
The thick canopies of towering ancient trees greedily devoured the daylight, casting only mottled, broken shadows on the ground.
"Let's go!"
Li Dixian let out a clear shout.
He was the first to step into the impenetrable shadows.
The other six followed closely, their figures quickly swallowed by the sea of trees.
Giant trees stood like ink-black pillars, their gnarled branches interwoven into a net overhead.
Only scattered specks of light managed to filter through, making the surroundings appear even more profound.
Beneath their feet was a layer of humus as deep as their ankles; every step sank into the soft, muddy accumulation of millennia of decay, and the damp, cold scent of rot and moss permeated everything.
In the distance of the forest, muffled roars like thunder occasionally sounded, making the tree canopies tremble.
The seven held their breath, forming a vigilant circle.
Each was responsible for a section of their vision, cautiously advancing towards the middle section of the Star Dou Forest.
"Idol..."
Yu Feng stared intently in the southeast direction, unable to resist asking in a low voice, "We're already in the Star Dou Forest, surely you can tell us your target for your third Soul Ring now, right?"
At these words, the others all looked at Li Dixian.
Li Dixian pondered for a moment.
"A Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger is not bad."
"Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger?"
The crowd exchanged glances, unfamiliar with this Soul Beast.
Only Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger?!"
"Li Dixian, you're targeting such a fierce creature?"
Ye Lingling's clear blue eyes showed curiosity.
"Yan Yan, you know about this Soul Beast?"
Everyone's gaze focused on Dugu Yan.
Dugu Yan took a deep breath and slowly said, "I heard my grandfather mention it..."
"The Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger is one of the top predators in the Star Dou Great Forest, second only to the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear. Their numbers are extremely scarce, and their tracks are hard to find."
She paused, then offered an even more impactful example.
"Sword Douluo Chen Xin's fourth Soul Ring came from a Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger."
No further description of its power was needed; the mere mention of "Chen Xin's fourth Soul Ring" was as heavy as a thousand jun.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin, widely recognized as the number one offensive Douluo, his name alone was a symbol of strength.
Dugu Yan added, "Precisely because of Sword Douluo's illustrious reputation, Spirit Masters with weapon Spirits all aspire to hunt Bloodtooth Demonic Tigers, hoping to obtain the same Spirit Ability as Chen Xin—Killing Aura Unleashed."
She changed her tone, continuing, "However, the subtlety of Spirit Abilitys varies from person to person. Even if the same Soul Beast is hunted, the resulting Spirit Ability is almost never exactly the same."
"Furthermore, Bloodtooth Demonic Tigers are not so easy to hunt; countless Spirit Masters have met tragic ends beneath their bloodteeth."
"Idol! Awesome!"
Yu Feng looked at Li Dixian with eyes full of adoration.
"Sword Douluo's fourth Soul Ring is a Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger, and this is only your third Soul Ring!"
Everyone looked at Li Dixian with intense reverence.
Ye Lingling's heart stirred slightly.
This was why her mother believed Li Dixian had the potential to contend with Chen Xin in the future.
"Dixian Didi's Azure Lotus Sword is inherently peerlessly sharp!"
Dugu Yan proudly lifted her chin, as if sharing in his glory.
"Even my grandfather personally said that Dixian's sword, in its sharpness, surpassed Chen Xin in his youth!"
Facing everyone's praise, Li Dixian merely shook his head and chuckled.
Just then, a small green snake darted out like an arrow.
But Li Dixian's speed was even faster.
He brought his sword fingers together, and a burst of sword light cut the snake in half.
His eyes gleamed with sharpness.
Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger?
He was actually not satisfied!
Hunting its Soul Ring meant following Chen Xin's path!
Even if he reached the peak, he would only become a second Chen Xin!
He, Li Dixian, had his own Way of the Sword!
It's just that suitable Soul Beasts for top-tier sword Spirits were truly scarce.
For now, he could only tentatively target the Bloodtooth Demonic Tiger, and then let fate decide.
The seven traveled for over an hour.
The morning dew evaporated, forming a mist that permeated the forest, making visibility even more hazy.
Just as they crossed a mountain hollow—
Swish—!
Swish—!
Swish—!
Deep in the jungle ahead, a dozen sharp sounds of clothes tearing through the wind suddenly came.
More than ten figures, swift as ghosts, darted through the trees like leaping hares and swooping falcons, passing by with incredible speed from the front.
Most astonishingly, all these people wore green robes, carried long swords on their backs, and had black strips of cloth wrapped around their faces, completely covering their eyes!
Unable to see, yet they moved like lightning through the perilous Star Dou Forest, their movements elegant and unconstrained.
Li Dixian's pupils contracted slightly.
Whose subordinates are these... Bah! Which sect's disciples are these?!
Their entrance was so impressive?!