After that, Mu Feng decided enough was enough for the day.
The mental strain from repeatedly entering the summoning plane was not something he could ignore. As the sun dipped toward the horizon, he withdrew completely from cultivation and went for dinner.
The meal passed quietly.
After dinner, Mu Feng headed straight toward Aditya's residence to give his report. He knocked on the wooden door.
"Come in," Aditya's calm voice sounded from inside.
Mu Feng entered and bowed slightly.
"So," Aditya said, turning to look at him, "how was your progress?"
"It was productive," Mu Feng replied honestly.
"But finding a suitable summoned beast is far harder than I expected."
Aditya nodded, unsurprised.
"That is normal. Summoning is not about speed. It is about choice," he said.
"Did you find anything worth noting?"
"Yes," Mu Feng answered.
"I encountered a Dark Demon Tiger."
Aditya's expression changed instantly.
"…A Dark Demon Tiger?"
For the first time, clear surprise showed on his face.
"That's incredible luck," Aditya said slowly.
"Even seeing one is rare at your level."
Mu Feng shook his head slightly.
"But something was wrong with it."
Aditya's eyes sharpened.
"What makes you say that?"
"A pure Dark Demon Tiger should at least be at the General level," Mu Feng explained calmly.
"But that one was only at Peak Servant level."
He paused, recalling the fight.
"Despite that, it was extremely strong and already controlled its own territory."
Aditya fell silent.
After a few seconds, he laughed softly.
"You're correct," he said.
"And the fact that you noticed this means your judgment is already better than most."
He walked over and poured himself a cup of tea.
"That tiger either has a damaged bloodline, or its lineage was forcefully altered," Aditya continued.
He paused, then added something unexpected.
"If it were any other beast with a damaged bloodline, I would tell you to abandon it without hesitation," he said.
"But since it is a Dark Demon Tiger…"
Mu Feng looked up sharply.
"You should choose it."
Mu Feng frowned.
"But its potential is low," he said honestly.
"Yes," Aditya agreed without denying it.
"Low in its current state."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping slightly.
"But I know a method to restore and enhance its bloodline—even elevate it to a higher evolutionary state."
Mu Feng's eyes narrowed with focus.
"When I was young," Aditya continued, "during my own exploration of the Summoning Plane, I encountered two pure-blooded Dark Demon Tigers."
Mu Feng's breath slowed.
"If you can obtain their souls," Aditya said slowly,
"and use them as catalysts…"
He met Mu Feng's gaze directly.
"…then you can purify this tiger's bloodline completely."
Mu Feng's heartbeat quickened.
"It would no longer be a flawed Dark Demon Tiger," Aditya continued.
"It would become a true-blooded Dark Demon Tiger."
He paused—then delivered the final blow.
"And if everything goes perfectly," Aditya said,
"it may even break through its racial limit…"
"…reach the Emperor level."
The room went silent.
Aditya's eyes gleamed faintly.
"At that point," he said,
"it would no longer be just a Dark Demon Tiger."
"It would become a Dark Demon Evilgod Tiger."
Mu Feng inhaled slowly.
The risk was enormous.
The cost was terrifying.
But the reward—
Was world-shaking.
Aditya watched him closely and smiled faintly.
"Summoning is not about choosing what is safest," he said.
"It is about choosing what is worth the risk."
He turned away.
"Think carefully tonight," Aditya added.
"Tomorrow, you decide."
Mu Feng remained standing, his fists clenched—
Already knowing his answer.
After returning to his room, Mu Feng sat down cross-legged and entered meditation.
His breathing steadied.
His thoughts cleared.
He had a clear goal now.
Before the end of this year, he would reach the Intermediate Tier in both of his elements.
Only then would he truly be qualified to walk the path Fang Ning and Aditya had prepared for him.
The Next Day
At dawn, Mu Feng woke up, washed, and prepared himself. After a light breakfast, he returned to his room and sat down once more.
This time, there was no hesitation.
He connected the stars of his Summoning Element with practiced ease. The star track formed instantly, smooth and stable. At the same time, he activated the coordinate-locking ring Aditya had given him.
The world blurred.
For a brief moment, his consciousness stretched—
Then snapped into place.
Summoning Plane – Dark Demon Tiger Territory
Mu Feng found himself hovering above a dense jungle once again. The air here was heavy, filled with a faint oppressive aura that made even breathing feel different.
This place belonged to a predator.
The moment Mu Feng appeared—
A deep, rumbling growl echoed through the forest.
The trees below shook violently as a massive black figure burst out of the shadows.
The Dark Demon Tiger.
Its black fur shimmered faintly with dark energy, its muscles coiling like steel cables beneath its skin. Its single leap covered dozens of meters as it charged straight toward Mu Feng, killing intent pouring out without restraint.
It had sensed an intruder.
And it intended to tear him apart.
Mu Feng's eyes sharpened—but his mind remained calm.
He twisted his body midair, narrowly avoiding the tiger's claws as they tore through the space he had occupied a heartbeat earlier. The shockwave alone flattened trees beneath them.
Fast.
Stronger than an ordinary Servant-level beast.
The Dark Demon Tiger landed heavily on the ground and immediately lunged again, its fangs flashing.
Mu Feng did not counterattack.
Instead, he retreated—swiftly, precisely—keeping just enough distance to avoid provoking an all-out frenzy.
So aggressive… he noted.
Territorial instinct is extremely strong.
That alone confirmed Aditya's words.
A beast like this should not be merely a peak Servant.
Something was restraining it.
Mu Feng continued dodging, observing its movements, its breathing, the way dark energy circulated through its body.
There were inconsistencies.
Its power output spiked violently, then dipped.
Its aura was unstable—like a sealed flood struggling to break free.
Damaged bloodline… but not broken, Mu Feng concluded.
The Dark Demon Tiger roared again, its patience thinning.
Mu Feng finally stopped retreating.
Instead, he hovered in place and met its gaze directly.
"I'm not here to kill you," he said calmly, his voice carrying through the summoning plane.
The tiger froze—just for a fraction of a second.
Its crimson eyes narrowed.
It didn't understand his words.
But it understood intent.
Mu Feng slowly extended his hand, deliberately suppressing all killing intent.
"I want to make a contract."
The Dark Demon Tiger snarled, dark energy surging wildly around it as if mocking the idea.
A weak human.
Daring to approach its territory.
Daring to speak of contracts.
The beast crouched, preparing to leap again.
Mu Feng's eyes remained steady.
If I can't even survive approaching you… then I'm not worthy of summoning you.
The jungle held its breath—
As man and beast faced each other, neither backing down.
And for the first time since entering this territory—
Mu Feng felt it.
Not rejection.
But curiosity.
The Dark Demon Tiger did not attack immediately.
Its tail lashed against the ground, carving deep scars into the earth.
The trial had begun.
The Dark Demon Tiger lunged again.
Its massive body tore through the air like a black shadow, claws flashing with lethal intent.
Mu Feng twisted sideways at the last instant, narrowly slipping past the strike. The pressure from the claws alone split the air and left deep gashes in the ground behind him.
He didn't retreat far.
Instead, his eyes flashed cold.
Stars connected instantly.
"Ice—Spread: Solidify."
A surge of icy energy exploded outward. In mid-leap, the Dark Demon Tiger was encased in a thick layer of frost, its body frozen in the air like a sculpted statue.
Crack.
The ice shattered almost immediately.
Dark energy erupted as the tiger broke free, landing heavily on the ground. It shook its body once, frost scattering in all directions, and stared at Mu Feng with even greater vigilance.
Stronger than expected.
Mu Feng exhaled slowly.
The two of them circled each other for several minutes—advance, dodge, test, retreat. Neither committed fully. The tiger was cautious now, no longer charging blindly. Mu Feng, meanwhile, was measuring every movement, every reaction.
Then—
Mu Feng raised his hand.
Ice condensed instantly.
The Ice Crystal Bow formed in his grasp, translucent and radiant. He drew the string smoothly, icy energy gathering into an arrow that hummed with power.
The Dark Demon Tiger tensed.
Mu Feng released.
The arrow streaked forward—
And deliberately missed.
It slammed into a massive stone pillar behind the tiger.
Boom!
The stone exploded into shards, ice spreading outward as the blast froze everything it touched. The shockwave rippled through the forest, snapping trees and sending frost crawling across the ground.
The Dark Demon Tiger spun around, eyes wide.
That attack could have killed it.
Mu Feng lowered the bow and looked straight at the beast.
"I don't need a disposable summon," he said calmly.
"I need a powerful companion—one that can walk with me to the very end."
The tiger's growl deepened, but it did not attack.
Mu Feng continued, his voice steady and unwavering.
"I can heal your damaged bloodline."
"I can give you a future stronger than this cage you're trapped in."
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"I have other options," Mu Feng said honestly.
"Other beasts I could choose."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"But you don't."
The Dark Demon Tiger's tail lashed violently, gouging the earth. Its breathing was heavy, dark energy surging and receding in unstable waves.
Pride.
Rage.
Instinct.
And beneath it all—
A flicker of hesitation.
Mu Feng stood his ground, neither threatening nor retreating.
This was no longer a battle of strength.
It was a battle of will.
The jungle fell silent once more as the Dark Demon Tiger stared at him, weighing the impossible choice before it—
Fight until death…
Or gamble everything on the human standing before it.
Seeing the hesitation in the Dark Demon Tiger's eyes, Mu Feng spoke again—his voice low, steady, and filled with absolute certainty.
"I can help you reach the Emperor level," he said.
"A height you never even dared to dream of."
The moment the word Emperor echoed through the jungle, the tiger's body stiffened.
Its pupils constricted.
For a demon beast, Emperor level was not just power—it was destiny. A boundary that separated the hunted from the rulers.
The Dark Demon Tiger's growl slowly faded. The violent aura around it receded, replaced by a turbulent but restrained energy. After several long seconds, it lowered its massive head slightly—not in submission, but in acknowledgment.
It had made its choice.
Mu Feng stepped forward.
He moved calmly, without haste, fully trusting the decision that had just been made. When he stood before the Dark Demon Tiger, he raised his hand and placed it gently against the beast's forehead.
Cold and darkness intertwined.
A brilliant summoning sigil bloomed beneath his palm, ancient runes spiraling outward as a deep connection formed between man and beast. The Dark Demon Tiger roared once—not in pain, but in resonance.
The contract was sealed.
Mu Feng felt it immediately.
A powerful presence anchored to his soul—wild, proud, damaged… yet filled with boundless potential. A companion, not a tool.
He smiled faintly.
"You made the right choice," Mu Feng said quietly.
"From now on, we walk this path together."
The Dark Demon Tiger let out a low, steady rumble, its eyes no longer hostile as they met his.
"Come," Mu Feng continued.
"I'll take you to meet my teacher. He'll be a great help to us both in the journey ahead."
With that, Mu Feng withdrew his consciousness from the summoning plane.
The jungle dissolved into light.
When his vision cleared, he was back in the ashram.
Without wasting time, Mu Feng stood up and headed straight toward Aditya's residence—his heart steady, his mind clear.
The first step of his true summoning path had finally been completed.