The Glory of the Sun and Moon in the Peerless Tang Sect

Each of these thorns was as thick as a wrist, fiery red in color, and covered with strange purplish-red patterns. Each thorn was also covered with sharp spikes about three inches long, which were also a deep purple.

Crimson Thorns, a rare fire-attribute plant-type soul beast. It not only possesses strong fire resistance but also a potent fire poison. If struck by its deep purple thorns, the fire poison will be directly injected into the enemy's body.

Moreover, judging from the soul power fluctuations emanating from these crimson thorns, they are probably not far from having cultivated for ten thousand years.

No wonder the surrounding trees are so lush; most of the soul beasts that have wandered in here have probably been entangled by these crimson thorns and turned into nourishment for them.

In the blink of an eye, the crimson thorns that had sprung up from the ground spun rapidly around them, solidifying into a massive thorn cage. Once solidified, the cage continued to shrink rapidly, seemingly intending to trap them there to their deaths.

Trusting Xu Zihuang, He Caitou's expression changed several times, but he did not panic.

His trust proved to be correct.

Dark red ripples spread out, and the thorn cage that trapped them, along with every crimson thorn around it, was enveloped in dark red crystal, dazzlingly beautiful. It resembled ice flowers frozen in the frigid temperatures of the northern continent. Xu Zihuang's second purple spirit ring emitted a magnificent purple halo, and at the same time, he shouted in a deep voice to He Caitou.

"Senior Brother, at five o'clock, six hundred meters away. Use the Super Energy Soul Guided Cannon."

"it is good."

He Caitou solemnly responded, then took a large step forward and assumed a half-squatting position. A massive, two-meter-long, dark cannon barrel appeared on his right shoulder. It looked very similar to a large, fixed-mount soul-guided cannon.

The Super Energy Concentration Soul Guide Cannon is also known as the strongest single-soldier attack weapon for Soul Masters.

This super-energy-concentrating soul cannon is the only long-range soul tool among all of He Caitou's soul tools that can still possess terrifying power at a distance of more than 500 meters.

Xu Zihuang was clearly aware of this as well.

A bright white light flashed at the muzzle, and after a few seconds of charging, the front of the super-energy cannon was completely illuminated by a blazing white light.

The two had long been working together in excellent harmony.

The moment the dark red crystal enveloping the Crimson Flame Thorns shattered and turned into countless fragments, a white sphere of light burst forth from the barrel of the super-energy cannon.

The white orb of light streaked across the sky, making the surrounding space seem eerily distorted.

Right at the target location of the white sphere of light, about 600 meters at the five o'clock position, a massive crimson thorn, as thick as an adult's body, was wrapped around a huge ancient tree, flashing a crimson light wildly. Without a doubt, this was the true form of the crimson thorn, whose cultivation was nearly ten thousand years old.

Again, dense thorns rose from the ground, forming walls of thorns, layer upon layer of obstruction. Plant-type soul beasts are not as intelligent as animal-type soul beasts, but they can still instinctively sense danger.

Unfortunately, these thorny walls were destined to be no match for the super-energy-concentrating soul-guided cannon.

Amidst a deafening roar, the dense red thorns vanished in a blinding white light. The terrifying shockwave caused the surrounding thick trees to sway, and countless soul beasts seemed startled, emitting mournful cries or roars. The earth itself seemed to tremble.

Xu Zihuang watched calmly as the white orb of light erupted around the Crimson Flame Thorn.

The light lasted for a full five seconds before gradually fading. A crack over six hundred meters long appeared in front of Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, with a width and depth of four meters.

At the very front of the eruption, a fan-shaped area of ​​destruction was formed.

The towering ancient tree entwined by the Crimson Flame Thorns was snapped in half and lay diagonally across the ground, where a soul ring, tinged with purple and black, slowly pulsed.

He Caitou's chest heaved as he calmed his breathing. This attack had consumed most of his soul power, but the effect was obvious. Moreover, it was the best way to deal with a plant-type soul beast like the Crimson Flame Thorn.

Because if they continue fighting, they will only find themselves in a passive position.

Xu Zihuang could easily suppress the Crimson Flame Thorn, which had been cultivating for nearly ten thousand years, if he used his Destruction attribute. Unfortunately, his ability to destroy the Heavenly Dragon could not be revealed. He knew very well that someone in the academy was secretly following them.

However, using the Thunderous Hell Vine Right Leg Bone Thunder Hell technique, a domain-type soul skill, would be far too powerful. It could cause strange phenomena in the heavens and earth, and if it attracted a particularly powerful soul beast, the losses would outweigh the gains.

That's why he decided to let He Caitou use the Super Energy Soul Guided Cannon.

Xu Zihuang asked He Caitou, who had just put away the Super Energy Soul Guidance Cannon, "Senior Brother He, how is your soul power consumption?"

"About 80% of my soul power has been used up," He Caitou replied with a simple smile.

Xu Zihuang pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, you should recover your soul power here first. There shouldn't be any soul beasts approaching here for the time being."

This is merely the edge of the mixed zone; the main body consists of millennium-old soul beasts. Sensing the terrifying aura of the super-energy-concentrating soul-guided cannon, they were too busy trying to scatter to approach.

After encountering this Crimson Flame Thorn, which had been cultivated for nearly ten thousand years, Xu Zihuang and He Caitou finally had a moment to catch their breath.

Just as Xu Zihuang said, not a single soul beast dared to approach this place until nightfall.

Xu Zihuang and He Caitou sat back to back on a thick tree root that had sprouted from the soil. Thanks to the bombardment from He Caitou's super-energy-concentrating soul-guided cannon, this area had become a wide-open space.

Xu Zihuang kept a close watch on the situation, his eyes revealing a genuine sincerity and apology.

"Senior Brother He, if it weren't for me, you would have been the one chosen for this extreme individual soldier project."

He Caitou was stunned for a moment when he heard Xu Zihuang's words.

This was something the two of them had clearly decided when they first recognized each other.

But after a moment's thought, he quickly understood the meaning behind Xu Zihuang's words. He chuckled nonchalantly.

“Junior Yu, this is my own choice. The teacher talked to me about it before, and I can understand the teacher’s decision. Your talent is much better than mine. If it were you, I would be willing to support you. Besides, we are a team.”

On the surface, the two appear to be like an older and younger student who are open and honest with each other.

On another level, their conversation had another meaning.

The implication behind Xu Zihuang's earlier statement was that when they were in the Sun Moon Empire's palace, He Caitou always yielded to him, and the same was true now.

He Caitou's response was that it was his own will, and he was willing to assist Xu Zihuang.

This was a secret shared only between the two cousins. It was a completely genuine expression of their feelings.

This moved both Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo, who were hiding in the shadows.

"Fan Yu has taken on a good apprentice." Qian Duoduo sighed with emotion.

"That kid Cai Tou is really something. Lin'er, even if the academy doesn't allocate resources, our Soul Guidance Department will do everything we can to help him raise his cultivation to the Title Douluo level."

Xian Lin'er nodded, then gave Xu Zihuang a deep look. Aside from the one time she misjudged someone when she was young, her judgment was as good as ever. Although Yu Tianhuang was arrogant, his sincerity towards He Caitou didn't seem feigned.

She couldn't help but recall what Old Mu had said before: that child's nature is not bad.

"It's just that you guys aren't having the best luck tonight."

Xian Lin'er's gaze sharpened as she came to her senses.

Xu Zihuang, who was still immersed in He Caitou's words, suddenly stood up as if he had been startled awake.

He Caitou, who was standing next to him, followed closely behind and looked over alertly in the direction of Xu Zihuang's gaze.

A soul beast, blending into the night, was slowly approaching them. It was less than three hundred meters away.

It was a black tiger, its entire body as black as ink, with only a white "king" character on its forehead. It was over four meters long, with extremely large bones, especially its four paws, which were exceptionally broad and thick.

As the black tiger moved its four paws toward the two, it made an eerie, silent sound. Its equally jet-black eyes gleamed with a cruel and bloodthirsty light.

The Giant-Pawed Black Tiger is a powerful soul beast that excels in melee combat.

Tiger-type spirit beasts have always held a high status in the Spirit Beast Forest. However, very few tiger-type spirit beasts have a cultivation level exceeding 100,000 years. This is because tiger-type spirit beasts are too domineering, and once they break through to 100,000 years of cultivation, they could potentially threaten the ruling position.

The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger is a prime example. With 50,000 years of cultivation, it is already equivalent to a Super Douluo-level powerhouse among human Soul Masters. Once it breaks through to 100,000 years, perhaps only the Beast God Di Tian, ​​with a cultivation of 800,000 years, and the Silver Dragon King, who has accumulated power, can suppress it in this Star Dou Great Forest.

This giant-pawed black tiger is renowned even among tiger-type spirit beasts. Moreover, the cultivation level of this giant-pawed black tiger is definitely over ten thousand years.

No wonder Xian Lin'er said they were unlucky. Facing a giant black tiger with over ten thousand years of cultivation, even many Soul Emperor-level Soul Masters would struggle. This was definitely the strongest Soul Beast Xu Zihuang and He Caitou had encountered during their journey into the Star Dou Great Forest.

However, Xu Zihuang remained calm. Although the giant black tiger was strong, it was no match for the ten-thousand-year-old human-faced demon spider he had faced before.

Battle is imminent.

Battles like these unfolded continuously over the next two weeks. They encountered all sorts of spirit beasts, faced relatively difficult and arduous battles, and also avoided some powerful spirit beast clans. In this situation where they faced life-or-death crises at any moment, and in those day-to-day battles, their previous experiences in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Battle Tournament, their practical experience, and the insights gained by Xu Zihuang during his seclusion were all rapidly integrated and applied.

The two worked together more and more seamlessly.

The two-week extreme test was of great significance to them in terms of mentality, combat skills, and the development of their own abilities. Especially for He Caitou, as a Soul Master, he rarely had the opportunity to engage in such real combat. This extreme test allowed him to gain a lot of insights and fully realize the shortcomings of his Soul Master combat style.

During this time, Xian Lin'er and Qian Duoduo did not intervene even once. Xu Zihuang and He Caitou survived these two weeks entirely on their own.

Chapter 223 The Crimson King, the 50,000-Year-Old Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion

It was another early morning, and a light mist filled the edge of the Starry Sky Forest mixed zone.

Two figures moved slowly through the area; they were Xu Zihuang and He Caitou, who had spent half a month in the mixed zone.

The two walked with firm steps, and their seemingly casual movements often gave the impression that it was difficult to find any flaws in them.

Xu Zihuang, who was usually reserved and composed, showed no signs of change. However, He Caitou's demeanor had become much more composed compared to half a month ago, especially his eyes, which had become noticeably deeper.

The higher the pressure, the more the human body's limits can be pushed.

Xu Zihuang, who was walking ahead, suddenly stopped. A sharp glint appeared in He Caitou's honest eyes, and his muscles tensed, ready to deal with any situation at any time.

Xu Zihuang's bright golden eyes shone with light, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

A strange, dark red ripple flashed by, and a crystal spear over three meters long appeared in his right hand. He then suddenly turned to the side and thrust it fiercely in the direction to his right.

Amid a series of shrill cries, dust suddenly billowed up where the tip of the crystal spear had been, and various small flowers and plants seemed to have been crushed by something.

With a few flashes, a soul beast, about half a meter long and covered in fine scales, resembling a lizard, appeared. Xu Zihuang's crystal spear pierced its skull.

This lizard-like spirit beast had a triangular head, a curled tail, and two bulging, eerie green eyes. Its fine scales were a gradient of seven colors, making it look quite unsettling. Its blood was also a rare blue-green.

After struggling a few times, it fell completely silent. A bright purple spirit ring slowly condensed on its corpse. A thousand-year-old spirit beast had perished.

"A thousand-year-old seven-colored chameleon, highly poisonous." He Caitou's expression changed slightly.

Although they had been supporting each other for the past two weeks, he knew very well that Xu Zihuang could still survive in this mixed zone for two weeks without him, while without Xu Zihuang's help, the thousand-year-old seven-colored chameleon in front of him would be enough to threaten his life.

After all, he hadn't noticed the approach of this thousand-year-old seven-colored chameleon at all.

Today is the last day of their extreme testing.

Xu Zihuang turned around, and just as he was about to discuss the matter of withdrawing from the Star Dou Great Forest with He Caitou, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm in his spiritual sea was suddenly awakened.

"Zihuang, be careful! Two soul beasts are approaching you. These two soul beasts are very strong. If I'm not mistaken, one of them should be a 100,000-year-old soul beast. The other one, well, has a cultivation level of about 50,000 years. How is that possible?! What kind of soul beast can go toe-to-toe with a 100,000-year-old soul beast with only 50,000 years of cultivation?! Strange, why do these two auras feel a bit familiar?"

The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's voice was incredibly solemn, filled with shock. Its following words were muttered to itself.

Xu Zihuang's heart skipped a beat. Before he could react, three roars like tsunamis suddenly came from afar, accompanied by a shockwave as powerful as a tsunami.

He instinctively pinpointed the source of the sound and looked around. He could clearly see that five kilometers to his right, vast swathes of forest had been felled like harvested wheat, stretching endlessly. Including the area where Xu Zihuang and He Caitou were, the forest within a five-kilometer radius had been completely leveled. Trees and soil were reduced to dust in the terrifying shockwave, forming a huge crater.

Even with Xu Zihuang's physical strength and mental fortitude, he still felt dizzy under the influence of the three roars and shockwaves. He Caitou even fell into a coma, but fortunately, Xu Zihuang caught him in time, preventing him from falling to the ground.

At the same time, the soul beast that had let out that roar also came into Xu Zihuang's sight.

It was a magnificent spirit beast, over five meters long and resembling a lion. However, it had three identical large heads, each over a meter in diameter, with terrifying canine teeth gleaming with a reddish-gold luster.

The three roars from before clearly came from those three large heads. Immediately afterward, another low, furious roar, tinged with rage and madness, erupted from those three heads, and intense dark red light burst forth from within them. Their three heads instantly swelled to a size larger, giving the impression of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

If Xu Zihuang was only slightly shocked when he saw the first soul beast, his gaze froze and his heart pounded when he noticed the other soul beast confronting it.