"Alright, I agree to your terms."
As the words fell, Bibi Dong's aura completely changed. If before it was the supreme authority of the Pope, now it was the terrifying dominance of a top-tier powerhouse.
Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red – nine spirit rings rose from her feet. The immense pressure made Wang Zhong feel suffocated and powerless. Even submerged in the deep pool, the surrounding water was not as terrifying as Bibi Dong appeared now.
"Follow me."
Bibi Dong took Wang Zhong's hand and suddenly soared into the sky. At an extremely high speed, she arrived above the canyon where the Ghost Tiger was located in an instant.
The sudden, uninvited guest caused the Ghost Tiger to reveal a surprisingly human-like fear.
Spirit beasts that reached ten thousand years already possessed considerable intelligence, or rather, a certain level of wisdom, though not much.
Its body crouched slightly, its enormous tiger eyes filled with ferocity as it stared at Bibi Dong and Wang Zhong floating in the air.
Just as Wang Zhong thought this terrifying creature would launch an attack, it actually turned and fled. Not only did it run, but it also used its innate divine ability, shadow clones.
Five figures scattered in different directions, blooming outwards.
It possessed a degree of intelligence, and the sudden appearance of humans gave it immense terror, a fear akin to being targeted by a spider emperor – cold and dreadful.
Following its instincts, it naturally wanted to escape!
"Want to leave? Delusional."
Bibi Dong's gaze sharpened. A massive spider web appeared out of nowhere and shot down, its target aimed directly at the leftmost figure.
Furthermore, strands of spider silk shot out from behind Bibi Dong like lightning, rapidly entangling in five directions. Four of the clones were instantly shredded, leaving only the leftmost one untouched.
Though the Ghost Tiger's speed was fast, the spider web and silk attacks were even faster!
In the blink of an eye, the silk caught up and bound the Ghost Tiger tightly. The spider web followed closely, encasing it in a large cage once more.
The Ghost Tiger roared furiously and struggled violently. Its thrashing tail shattered the rocks, but the seemingly soft spider silk on its body stubbornly refused to break, no matter how much it struggled.
"Wang Zhong, go, kill it!"
Bibi Dong descended into the canyon, released Wang Zhong's hand, and commanded coldly.
Wang Zhong swallowed hard. Looking at the Ghost Tiger, whose head was the only part that could move and was roaring loudly, his heart burned with eagerness.
A ten-thousand-year spirit beast! Its ten-thousand-year spirit ring was right before him!
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Wang Zhong stepped forward, activating his second spirit ability. A wooden Overlord Spear, nearly ten feet long, materialized in his hand. The sharp tip glinted with a chilling cold light.
Looking at the small figure before it, the Ghost Tiger suddenly stopped struggling. Its massive tiger eyes, under Wang Zhong's gaze, rolled and fixed on Bibi Dong, their depths filled with extreme anger!
"Roar!"
Its roar shook the heavens, becoming even more terrifying. Under Wang Zhong's watch, bloodshot veins bulged in its tiger eyes, even seeping crimson liquid.
Bloodshot and bursting!
Wang Zhong suddenly thought of this idiom.
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
"Roar!"
...
The roars continued incessantly. The colossal tiger body thrashed more violently, its appearance suggesting it was willing to pay any price.
It was the Ghost Tiger, a tiger king cultivated for ten thousand years!
Survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle – it accepted its fate of defeat by Bibi Dong, being restrained, killed, and consumed.
But this little fellow before it, a creature that could be swatted away with a single palm, dared to appear before it, staring at it with the gaze of prey!
Its pride and dignity as the Tiger King had been severely challenged.
This was both an insult and a humiliation!
Its roars were like thunder, and spectral white flames erupted from the Ghost Tiger's body, burning fiercely.
The incredibly tough spider silk, upon the appearance of these flames, showed signs of breaking.
"Truly worthy of being the king of tigers; this pride and arrogance are almost etched into its bones."
"Wang Zhong, hurry up! It's burning its spirit power and vital blood to provide itself with immense strength. My spirit ability won't hold it for long."
Bibi Dong urged Wang Zhong from behind.
"Understood!"
Taking a deep breath, Wang Zhong's gaze met the blood-streaked tiger eyes, his own devoid of fear or retreat.
This gaze only made the flames burning on the Ghost Tiger surge more fiercely.
A mere insect dares to challenge the king's authority!
Approaching the Ghost Tiger, Wang Zhong gripped his spear with both hands, raised it high, and then, with almost all his strength, thrust it down fiercely!
The spear pierced its throat, embedding half a foot into the rock. Rivers of blood flowed out. The Ghost Tiger's roar ceased at that moment. It stared at Wang Zhong with its blood-stained tiger eyes, unblinking, as if trying to engrave his image into its soul.
Tiger blood stained the entire cliff face. Fifteen minutes later, a dark spirit ring spun up from the Ghost Tiger's corpse. Wang Zhong let out a sigh of relief.
He had never imagined that a fully restrained tiger could exert such mental pressure on him.
"Tiger spirit beasts are among the proudest and rarest of powerful races. 'Even in death, a tiger's bones remain' is not just a saying."
"This Ghost Tiger, as the Tiger King, its pride would only be greater. I restrained it, but I did not strike the killing blow. You did."
"In its eyes, you were just a weak ant. Yet, an ant-like you killed it. As the Tiger King, its pride and dignity suffered the most severe insult, and because of that, it harbors the most malicious hatred towards you."
"Once you absorb this spirit ring, the spirit power within it will surge into your body in the most malicious, fierce, and wild manner! Either you absorb it completely, or you will be torn apart by this spirit power!"
"Wang Zhong, you still have a choice now. We can go find other Ghost Tigers."
Bibi Dong's pink robes fluttered in the wind. She offered a final suggestion, or perhaps a warning. Once spirit ring absorption begins, it cannot be stopped.
This was especially true for spirit beasts that died filled with extreme resentment and ferocity.
If it were another, more peaceful spirit ring, Wang Zhong might not be able to withstand it, and Bibi Dong could intervene halfway, leaving him at worst a cripple unable to progress further. But with this spirit ring, if Wang Zhong could not bear it, he would be torn apart, for it contained the extreme malice and ferocity of a Tiger King.
"Ha!"
"Your Excellency, a ten-thousand-year spirit ring is right before us. Why would we need to search for others?"
"I told you, I can do it!"
Under Bibi Dong's watchful gaze, Wang Zhong sat down cross-legged by the spirit ring. He extended his right hand, and the spirit power within his body flowed through his meridians according to his will.
After circulating several cycles, Wang Zhong closed his eyes and began to feel the vast spirit power hidden within the huge black spirit ring before him. The moment he sensed it, he took a deep breath, using his own spirit power as a guide to draw upon that boundless, ocean-like spirit power.
Bibi Dong watched Wang Zhong's actions, standing quietly, and spoke no more.