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

They're only slightly faster at cultivating than Huo Yuhao right now. They're practically brothers in misfortune.

Although Dai Luoli's talent in cultivation was poor, he was still of the White Tiger Duke's bloodline, and his awakened martial spirit was the White Tiger of the White Tiger Duke's lineage. Even if the Duchess disliked Dai Luoli and his concubine mother, she certainly couldn't openly harm them. She could only exercise her rights within the rules and suppress the mother and son.

The recent application by Dai Luoli to obtain a spirit ring is a prime example. The guards at the White Tiger Duke's mansion were unwilling to accompany Dai Luoli into the Star Dou Great Forest to acquire the spirit ring. This was partly due to offending the Duchess, and partly because entering the Star Dou Great Forest inevitably involved risks.

In the end, only Zhou Ye, who had just retired from the Western Army Group, was willing to take him to the Star Dou Great Forest to hunt soul beasts and advance his cultivation. Zhou Ye was the old man who had been protecting Dai Luoli behind him.

Born into a commoner family, he was upright and incorruptible. After decades of hard work within the Western Group, his soul power cultivation reached level forty-five. For a commoner soul master who could only rely on himself, achieving this level was already quite remarkable.

"White Tiger Martial Soul?" Bei Bei and Ning Tian naturally noticed Dai Luoli's Martial Soul as well. They had some connections in their minds, but they weren't as certain as Xu Zihuang.

In that brief moment, the muscles on the giant black tiger's limbs suddenly contracted, and it leaped up in the next instant. Equally jet-black claws sprang from its massive paws, slapping towards Zhou Ye.

"Third Young Master, be careful not to stray too far from me!" Zhou Ye shouted in a low voice, and his second yellow spirit ring shone brightly. Gray keratin surged out of his body, forming what appeared to be a suit of armor made of gray keratin layers.

"Swoosh—" The giant black tiger's claw was powerful and heavy, and its sharp claws drew sparks from Zhou Ye's horny armor.

However, thanks to his superior cultivation level, he did not suffer any losses. On the contrary, the giant black tiger took the initiative to distance itself by several meters, circling around Zhou Ye and Dai Luoli, its dark eyes flashing with bloodlust and cruelty.

"what--"

As the giant black tiger prepared to pounce on them again, Dai Luoli finally couldn't withstand the pressure and inadvertently released her first soul skill, taking a few steps back.

Now Xu Zihuang could feel the difference between Dai Luoli's martial soul and the traditional White Tiger martial soul even more clearly.

Traditionally, the White Tiger Martial Soul, when unleashed, exudes a powerful and domineering aura. However, after Dai Luoli released her first Soul Skill, White Tiger Protective Barrier, it was filled with spirituality. The aura of her spiritual power became even stronger, merging with her soul power, creating a sense of spiritual and soul power fusing together.

However, no matter how spiritual this soul skill is, if the user does not have the corresponding mindset and ability, they will not be able to bring out its advantages.

Zhou Ye's expression changed drastically when he caught a glimpse of Dai Luoli's actions out of the corner of his eye.

The situation he least wanted to see still happened.

In his line of sight, the giant black tiger, which had been poised to strike, slammed its right paw forward. In mid-air, a phantom black tiger claw appeared out of thin air, then crashed to the ground.

This is the most powerful innate soul skill of the Giant Palm Black Tiger: Black Tiger Giant Spirit Palm.

Within a two-meter diameter radius around Zhou Ye, the ground sank several meters, leaving a huge tiger claw mark. The pressure caused his body to hunch slightly.

Although he immediately unleashed his most powerful fourth soul skill, he was still unable to break free from the suppression of the Black Tiger Giant Spirit Palm in a short time.

A dark shadow swept past him; it was the giant black tiger with its giant paws. Seeing the tiger's claws lash out at Dai Luoli, Zhou Ye gritted his teeth, but was powerless to intervene.

"Third Young Master!"

If anything were to happen to Dai Luoli, he would have no face to face the White Tiger Duke.

Besides panic, Dai Luoli's eyes were filled with terror. The giant black tiger's sharp claws magnified rapidly in his eyes, and he seemed to see his body being torn apart and his death there.

But the scene he imagined did not appear.

With a mournful wail, the massive black tiger's body slammed sideways against the trunk of a giant tree next to Dai Luoli, as if it had been hit by a huge impact.

A spear formed from dark red crystal pierced through the soft belly of the giant black tiger, its tip penetrating its body and embedding itself deep into the tree trunk, pinning the tiger to the thick trunk.

Fresh blood and some internal organs slid onto the ground, and a strong smell of blood filled the air, causing the aura of the giant black tiger to weaken.

Zhou Ye was the first to react, and he quickly came to Dai Luoli's side, looking warily at the direction behind him.

Needless to say, it was Xu Zihuang who made the move just now. Although he didn't care about Dai Luoli's life or death, Bei Bei and Ning Tian were both present, and it would be somewhat inconsistent with the persona he was currently portraying if he didn't intervene.

Xu Zihuang and his three companions approached Zhou Ye and Dai Luoli. When they saw that the ones who made the move were a few young boys and girls, a hint of shock flashed in Zhou Ye's usually composed eyes.

How could these people have such high levels of soul power and strength to have dealt with that giant black tiger so easily?

However, he did not let his guard down because of this.

After regaining her senses, Dai Luoli, who was still somewhat stunned, saw Xu Zihuang and his group of four. Especially when she saw Xu Zihuang standing in the center of the group, her eyes suddenly lit up.

"It's you?!"

Before Xu Zihuang and the others could respond, Zhou Ye asked Dai Luoli with surprise, "Third Young Master, do you know them?"

Dai Luoli's eyes shone brightly, filled with admiration and longing.

"They come from Shrek Academy and once led the Shrek team to victory in the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, together with their eldest brother."

During the previous Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament, Dai Luoli was allowed free entry to Star Luo Square to watch the matches because of his status as the illegitimate son of the White Tiger Duke. It wasn't that Dai Luoli's status was particularly prestigious; it was purely out of respect for the White Tiger Duke.

He witnessed firsthand Yu Tianhuang's incredible feat of defeating the Qianling Advanced Soul Master Academy team single-handedly against seven opponents, and afterwards, he never missed a single match in which Yu Tianhuang played.

It can be said that Yu Tianhuang left an extremely deep impression on him. Having lived in the shadow of his eldest brother Dai Yueheng and second brother Dai Huabin for a long time, he discovered for the first time that there was a peerless genius in this world whose talent could crush his eldest and second brothers.

Feeling ashamed of his own ignorance, Dai Luoli was also deeply impressed by Yu Tianhuang and became a loyal fan.

What he pursued throughout his life was to become someone like Yu Tianhuang.

Hearing Dai Luoli's words, Zhou Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Since these people came from Shrek Academy, there was definitely no problem.

Indeed, only Shrek Academy, the top academy on the continent, could probably cultivate a genius of this caliber.

"Thank you all from Shrek Academy for your help. I am Zhou Ye, formerly a guard of the White Tiger Duke. This is the Duke's third son." Zhou Ye gave a solemn and respectful military salute to everyone.

They adopted a very humble attitude.

Among Soul Masters, strength has always been paramount. Moreover, Xu Zihuang and the others had saved Dai Luoli; how could he possibly be arrogant?

Xu Zihuang nodded slightly, then looked at Dai Luoli, noticed the emotion in Dai Luoli's eyes, and asked with a gentle smile.

"Are you the younger brother of senior students Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin?"

“I…I am called Dai Luoli.”

Dai Luoli nodded, flattered. The person he had longed for was now standing in front of him, making him feel as if it were a dream.

Beibei also gave a gentle and refined smile.

"I didn't expect Senior Dai to have such a younger brother. It seems he really admires you, Tianhuang."

Ning Tian smiled but remained silent.

Upon hearing Xu Zihuang mention Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, Zhou Ye no longer had any doubts.

However, Dai Luoli, who had been accustomed to being humble in the White Tiger Duke's mansion since childhood, was a little unaccustomed to having her thoughts exposed so directly by Beibei. She immediately became awkward and uneasy.

Dai Luoli and the original Huo Yuhao were not fundamentally different, except that Dai Luoli did not have Huo Yuhao's heart-wrenching experiences, nor did she harbor hatred for the White Tiger Duke. But their inferiority complex was the same.

Xu Zihuang's smile remained unchanged.

"Judging from your aura, your soul power cultivation has probably reached the bottleneck of level 20. That giant black tiger's cultivation is around 600 years, which is perfect as your second soul ring. Why don't you go and fuse the soul ring first? We can also rest here for a while."

"Third Young Master, this Giant Paw Black Tiger can be considered one of the top tiger-type soul beasts. The soul skill it can give you will be even stronger than the White Tiger's Blazing Light Wave."

Zhou Ye turned to look at Dai Luoli and said seriously.

He certainly wouldn't refuse. With Xu Zihuang and the others around, his pressure would be somewhat relieved.

If he's unlucky and encounters a soul beast even stronger than that giant black tiger with its giant paws, his strength might not be enough to withstand it.

"Thank you."

Dai Luoli was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed as she thanked Xu Zihuang before ending the life of the giant black tiger with her dagger.

Looking at the bright yellow soul ring gradually forming on the corpse of the giant black tiger, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

Not only did they meet Yu Tianhuang, but they also obtained this high-quality soul ring with his help. It was like a dream.

Dai Luoli turned back to look at Xu Zihuang, and seeing that Xu Zihuang nodded to him, he sat down cross-legged without hesitation and used his soul power to guide the soul ring and himself to begin to merge.

Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang and his three companions also found a place to sit down.

Bei Bei, holding Tang Ya, rested against a protruding tree root, while Xu Zihuang and Ning Tian sat close together on a soul beast blanket.

Xu Zihuang gazed intently at Dai Luoli, his heart stirring slightly.

He always felt a strong connection between himself and the lineage of the White Tiger Duke. His father and the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, were rivals who had clashed for decades. And Dai Hao's four sons all had some connection with him.

Perhaps in the end, the lineage of Duke White Tiger will also be cut short in his hands. It could be said that he had a beginning and an end.

Xu Zihuang chuckled inwardly, and when he looked at Ning Tian beside him again, his gaze softened. His true thoughts remained completely unreadable.

Chapter 242 The Return Journey

A gentle breeze blew by, and the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees trembled and rustled.

The dappled light and shadows scattered on the ground constantly changed shape. Although it was winter, there was little chill in the Starry Sky Forest, located in the south-central part of the continent.

It can truly be described as having a spring-like climate all year round.

Xu Zihuang sat on a fluffy blanket, his left leg crossed, his right leg bent with one foot on the ground. His right hand rested on his knee, supporting his chin. The seemingly lazy posture gave people a feeling that was hard to find a flaw in.

His gaze remained fixed on Delori, who was absorbing the spirit ring.

Among Duke Dai Hao's four sons, the brothers Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin, born of the direct line, undoubtedly possessed the best cultivation talent. Dai Yueheng's ability to reach the Soul Emperor level before the age of twenty is sufficient proof of his excellence.

There's a saying on the mainland: anyone who breaks through to the Soul Emperor level before the age of twenty can be considered a top genius. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they're almost certain to become a Title Douluo in the future. Reaching the level of a 95th-level Super Douluo is also highly probable.

Dai Huabin's cultivation speed is even faster than Dai Yueheng's at the same age, and his future achievements will only be greater than Dai Yueheng's.

But in reality, in terms of potential alone, Dai Luoli is even greater than the Dai brothers, Dai Yueheng and Dai Huabin.

Dai Luoli's situation is different from Huo Yuhao's. Huo Yuhao's physical and cultivation talents are simply too poor. If he can't obtain a supreme treasure that can defy fate, he'll be lucky to reach the Soul Venerable realm.

If one disregards the consequences and uses drugs that forcibly squeeze out potential and overdraw life force to increase soul power cultivation, it might be possible to reach the Soul King level.

However, Dai Luoli's problem was simply that the potential of his benign mutated martial soul had not been fully unleashed. To truly evolve his mutated White Tiger martial soul into a Blood Tiger, whose martial soul quality surpassed that of the White Tiger, he only needed a certain degree of guidance, guiding the spiritual attribute within the martial soul's origin.

Xu Zihuang himself is a Soul Master with a spiritual attribute, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to help Dai Luoli's Martial Soul successfully complete its evolution if he wanted to.

But that's unnecessary.

To reiterate, all his actions are based on self-interest. It won't be too late for him to make his move once Dai Luoli can provide a return commensurate with his investment or demonstrate sufficient value.

Ning Tian leaned quietly against Xu Zihuang, the slightly curled ends of her smooth, platinum-gold medium-length hair draped over Xu Zihuang's arm. The rich fragrance mingled with the fresh scent of the surrounding plants, creating a refreshing and pleasant atmosphere.

Unlike Xu Zihuang, she only glanced at Dai Luoli at first before looking away. With Yu Tianhuang around, no other man could possibly catch her eye.

However, she also keenly noticed that Yu Tianhuang seemed to be paying a little too much attention to Dai Luoli.

Turning her head to the side, she asked softly, "Tianhuang, what's wrong?"

Xu Zihuang made no attempt to hide anything, leaning close to Ning Tian's ear and moving his lips. The fact that Dai Luoli's martial soul contained spiritual attributes wasn't exactly a secret. At least the ancient figure secretly following them would certainly be able to see it.

He told Ning Tian all these things without reservation, partly to show Gu Lao.

Upon hearing Xu Zihuang's words, a hint of surprise appeared in Ning Tian's bright eyes, but that was all.