Douluo: Martial Soul White Tiger, I Am the White Emperor of Heaven!

In Death Canyon.

Dai Chengfeng was currently sitting cross-legged in the center of a pool of blood. The blood flowed like a gentle stream, and as his Innate Technique circulated, his soul power formed a vortex that drew all the scattered killing intent from the air into his body.

Although Dai Chengfeng was now experienced and could easily refine killing intent, this time was different.

After all, over a thousand soul beasts had died together, and they had accumulated countless years of killing intent in Death Canyon…

Thus, the killing intent this time was something Dai Chengfeng had never encountered before—immensely vast.

Even the battlefields of Wu'an City and Wu Ping City paled in comparison.

After all, during those battles, Dai Chengfeng had only mobilized ten thousand soldiers at most, with casualties not exceeding a thousand.

"Huff!"

At this moment, Dai Chengfeng felt the swelling of his meridians as dark crimson killing intent surged through them, scraping against his meridians like sharp icicles with every flow.

Fortunately, his meridians had been widened and strengthened by both the Great Rejuvenation Pill and the immortal herb, preventing the killing intent from spiraling completely out of control.

Even so…

Soon, veins bulged on Dai Chengfeng's forehead, and cold sweat from the excruciating pain soaked through the back of his clothes.

"Stay… steady!"

Dai Chengfeng bit his tongue, the metallic taste of blood stimulating his nerves.

He forcibly condensed his spiritual energy into a net, attempting to tame this runaway "beast."

In his consciousness, chaotic mist swirled into a vortex. Every time he grasped a thread of killing intent, more black waves would rush in and scatter it.

He lost track of how long this torment lasted, only aware that the sky in Death Canyon had shifted from dusk to deep night, then gradually brightened to dawn.

Until, when the first ray of morning light pierced through the clouds, Dai Chengfeng's body suddenly erupted with golden and crimson interwoven light.

The once unruly killing intent, like a tamed wild horse, obediently merged into the blood bead in his dantian.

As the last trace of stray killing intent was absorbed, fine patterns appeared on Dai Chengfeng's skin but quickly dissipated.

"Huff!"

Dai Chengfeng opened his eyes abruptly. The bloodlight swirling in his golden-blue pupils was even more refined than before. He exhaled a breath of turbid air, feeling the surging soul power within him…

"Level 36!"

A flash of joy lit up Dai Chengfeng's eyes. "Indeed, high risk means high reward."

"My soul power was only at level 33, nearly reaching 34, but now it has surged directly to level 36."

Thinking this, Dai Chengfeng slowly stood up, his gaze naturally sweeping over the area, focusing on Hu Liena, who had silently guarded him during his cultivation.

Soon, Dai Chengfeng approached her.

"Thank you for guarding me while I cultivated."

When Hu Liena heard Dai Chengfeng's voice, her body trembled slightly. She turned her head abruptly, meeting his gaze.

Hu Liena shook her head. "No need to thank me. It should be me thanking you for saving my life…"

Dai Chengfeng didn't feign modesty but instead asked curiously, "Hu Liena, why were so many soul beasts chasing you earlier? Did you find something valuable?"

Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's question, panic instantly filled Hu Liena's eyes.

She subconsciously brushed the dust off her clothes, trying to appear calm. "There's nothing valuable. It was just an accident… a mission from the Spirit Hall."

She deliberately averted her gaze toward the distant forest, unconsciously twisting the edge of her battle skirt with her fingers, unaware that her fox tail was twitching uncontrollably.

"Oh?"

Dai Chengfeng looked at Hu Liena's expression, completely disbelieving. He slowly advanced, the residual killing intent around him solidifying into a suffocating aura.

"A Spirit Hall mission?"

"Lying! Is this how you thank someone who saved your life?"

His tone grew increasingly stern, and Hu Liena's shoulders hunched lower and lower.

"Are you going to tell me or not?!"

Finally…

"Fine! I did it to beat you!"

Hu Liena looked at Dai Chengfeng's piercing gaze and confessed in resignation. "Ever since I lost to you last time, I've been thinking every night about how to make a comeback!"

"So this time, I used Beast Saliva Grass to attract soul beasts, planning to use the Charming Demon domain to make them turn on each other, but…"

"Anyway, it ended in failure."

"I know it's my fault. I shouldn't have dragged them into this mess. To protect Xie Yue and Yan, I deliberately lured away most of the soul beasts."

Hu Liena closed her eyes, afraid to look at Dai Chengfeng.

"Is that really all?"

Dai Chengfeng still seemed skeptical. "Didn't you consider that with so many soul beasts, there might be some with special abilities capable of breaking through the Charming Demon domain?"

"I did think about it, but I couldn't accept it… I was obsessed, like I was possessed."

Saying this, she suddenly raised her head, looking at Dai Chengfeng. "But I won't run away anymore. I've learned my lesson this time."

Looking at Hu Liena, who didn't seem to be lying, and recalling her from the original story—how she resolutely entered the Slaughter City after losing to Tang San…

For a moment, the figure before him and the one in his memory began to overlap.

Could it be…?

"There wasn't any heavenly treasure? You got my hopes up for nothing…"

"But whatever. The soul power gain and the Killing God Domain this time are satisfying enough."

Thinking this, Dai Chengfeng shook his head helplessly. "If that's the case, I hope you'll remember this lesson."

With that, Dai Chengfeng stopped talking and turned to walk deeper into Death Canyon alone.

But soon, light footsteps came from behind.

He turned around to see Hu Liena frozen in place like a child who had done something wrong, her ears and tail standing stiff with tension.

"Aren't you going to look for Xie Yue and Yan?" Dai Chengfeng frowned and asked.

"They're definitely safe now. After all, I lured away most of the soul beasts."

Hu Liena clenched the edge of her clothing tightly. "Right now, I want… to see how you train. I want to become as strong as you."

Her voice grew softer but carried an unmistakable determination.

"No!"

Dai Chengfeng finished speaking and continued walking forward.

But the footsteps behind him persisted. Hu Liena followed stubbornly, like a small shadow, staying ten steps behind.

From the shadows, Gui Mei's figure hid among the tree silhouettes, letting out a soft sigh. "Just as Young Master Qian Renxue left, Hu Liena clings to him next. This is truly…"

"Being handsome really lets you do whatever you want!"

---

In the days that followed, Dai Chengfeng continued his intense training and hunting routine.

He darted through the dense forest, precisely hunting down every soul beast.

Meanwhile, Hu Liena acted like a diligent observer. She even managed to produce a small notebook, its pages densely filled with notes:

Weather: Sunny.

Dai Chengfeng's training today was normal, as usual.

If there was anything unusual, it was…

The roasted chicken he made smelled amazing—I could smell it from here!

---

By the twenty-somethingth day of the month-long training in Death Canyon…

Today, at the entrance of Spirit City.

A luxurious carriage bearing the White Tiger flag of the Star Luo Empire entered the city gates under everyone's watchful eyes.

Inside the carriage, a gentle woman dressed in a moon-white gown anxiously gazed out the window at her surroundings.

Her features bore a five-tenths resemblance to Dai Chengfeng, but her brows were now furrowed with worry. "I wonder how Chengfeng is doing… Where is he being held?"

"Has that woman Bibi Dong tortured him?"

At this moment, a red-clad woman beside her gently took her hand. "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Although Young Master Chengfeng is in enemy hands, given his abilities, his life is not in danger."

"But as for hardships…"

"He must have endured quite a bit!"

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