A sharp cry tore through the forest.
The beast—a Flame-Fanged Ground Tiger—erupted from the shadows like a bolt of death, its hulking frame nearly the size of a horse, rippling with golden-black muscle. Its claws, like sabers, lashed out with enough force to gouge through steel.
Tang San's eyes flashed. "Scatter!"
In a practiced movement, the Shrek students burst apart. The tiger's claws crashed down where Tang San had just stood, smashing a deep crater into the soil. Dirt and leaves exploded into the air. A deafening roar echoed through the canopy, shaking birds from the trees.
Zhao Wuji remained unmoving, arms folded, standing like a silent mountain in the distance. His instructions were clear: unless their lives were at risk, he would not intervene.
This was their trial.
---
Li Wei darted between trees, his Diendriver flashing into his hand. His heart pounded, but his breath remained steady.
[KamenRide: Diend!]
A flash of blue light erupted around him, his form shifting into Kamen Rider Diend again. Metallic armor wrapped around his body, and a visor snapped into place. Energy surged through his limbs, sharpening his senses like a blade honed to perfection.
He need to find a way to reduce the consumption of the transformation. Maybe the higher level or the next rank of upgrade, as a Soul King maybe as quality upgrade he consumption will be more minimal.
As his realm increase, he know that the consumption decrease it just recovery cannot outweighs the consumption.
"Let's start with something light."
He inserted a card into the side slot of his Diendriver.
[KamenRide: Gaim!]
From the flash, a figure clad in samurai armor descended, brandishing orange-themed blades.
"Gaim, go and provide cover for Zhuqing!" Li Wei shouted. It not only for him but it also for others to know his move.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded once and disappeared into the shadows. The Gaim summon lunged forward, clashing with the tiger's claw to buy her time. Sparks flew. Gaim held firm, his twin blades pushing back against the beast's raw strength for a precious second.
Zhu Zhuqing emerged behind the beast, her claws glowing purple. Her first claw strike raked across its flank—fast, precise, and deadly. But the tiger's skin was like armor. The hit barely drew blood.
"Tch." She clicked her tongue and vanished into shadow again.
The tiger twisted with terrifying speed, its tail sweeping like a whip. It crashed into Oscar, who barely blocked it with his sausage tray, tumbling backward with a groan.
"Oscar, fall back!" Dai Mubai shouted.
The White Tiger Prince activated his martial spirit. His body expanded, muscles surging with raw energy as white stripes ran down his arms.
"White Tiger Shield Barrier Body!"
With a roar of his own, Dai Mubai charged in from the front. He met the tiger's next pounce head-on, their claws clashing. The shockwave knocked nearby branches off trees.
"Rongrong!" he barked.
Ning Rongrong was already moving, two of her seven-colored auxiliary spirit rings shining beneath her feet.
"Seven Treasures, Boost: Strength! Speed!"
Twin beams of light bathed Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
Boosted by Rongrong, Dai Mubai forced the tiger back two steps with sheer strength. His claws locked with the beast's, muscles bulging with exertion.
Li Wei quickly inserted another card. "[KamenRide: Blade!]"
A blue-armored swordsman appeared beside him, brandishing his glowing weapon. Li Wei didn't wait. "Final FormRide: Blade!"
The summoned Rider shimmered, transforming into a massive glowing blade. With a grunt, Li Wei caught it, nearly staggering under its weight.
"Dai Mubai—clear the way!"
Dai Mubai gritted his teeth, then pivoted and delivered a crushing kick to the tiger's face. The beast reeled.
Li Wei lunged in, blade raised. "Dimension Slash!"
The sword carved a streak of glowing energy across the tiger's flank. This time, blood flew.
The beast shrieked and lashed out wildly.
"Xiao Wu, now!" Tang San called.
Xiao Wu's pink silhouette flipped into the air like a ribbon. Her soft voice cried out, "Waist Bow!"
Her body twisted midair and locked onto the tiger's neck. With a powerful roll, she slammed the massive beast to the ground using its own weight.
Tang San was already moving.
His blue silver grass whipped forward, coiling around the tiger's limbs. "Bind!"
The beast thrashed violently, but Tang San's spirit power surged, thickening the vines. The tiger screeched and tried to shred them, but his grip held fast.
From the shadows, Zhu Zhuqing struck again. Her claws raked across the exposed underside, scoring a deeper wound this time.
The tiger howled.
"Almost down!" Li Wei shouted.
But just then—the beast's eyes flashed with savage cunning.
A golden glow burst from its body—its innate spirit ability.
The air warped, pressure exploded outward, and the bindings shattered.
Tang San was thrown back, coughing blood. Xiao Wu tumbled across the ground like a ragdoll.
The beast's eyes locked on Rongrong.
In that instant, Li Wei's breath caught. "No—!" Rongrong still do not realize it as she focus on helping the others increase their strength.
Without thinking, he slammed another card into his Diendriver.
[BuffRide: Kabuto!]
He fired.
A bolt of energy streaked toward Oscar, who had just scrambled to his feet.
Clock Up!
Time dilated. Oscar's body moved like lightning.
He dashed in front of Rongrong, catching her by the waist and rolling both of them aside just as the tiger's claws ripped into the earth where they'd stood.
Li Wei gasped for breath. That used a chunk of soul power—but they were alive.
"Rongrong, Oscar, fall back again! Tang San—status?!" he yelled.
Tang San rose, face bloodied but eyes steady. "I'm good. Let's finish it."
He thrust his hand forward. "Blue Silver Grass—Poison Needle Vine Form!"
From his palm, the blue silver grass shimmered, now tipped with needle-like barbs. It launched forward and speared into the tiger's wounds, injecting venom.
The beast jerked, frothing at the mouth.
Zhu Zhuqing dove in one last time, claws glowing. She crossed them over the tiger's throat in an X-shaped slash.
With a final gurgling roar, the beast collapsed. Unconscious.
Even with Zhu Zhuqing trying to attack it's weak point, the difference in rank and strength can be seen at this times.
"Stop, do not kill it. We do not need it's ring and the one who intrude his territory was us." Li Wei shout suddenly to prevent them from finishing the spirit beast.
"Why Li Wei?" Hearing that Ning Rongrong question. She do not understand why he want to prevent them from killing it.
"If we mindlessly killing the spirit beast, there will be a time that the spirit beast itself will extinct and the profession of soul master will disappear." Li Wei explain.
The rest of them hearing this can understand it but some still has doubt. "What do you mean? There a lot of spirit beast." Dai Mubai ask still skeptical on the answer.
"That must be because spirit beast need to cultivate longer than the human. In the of human if they can reach title douluo they can live for three hundreds year and only need at least below hundred years of cultivation. But for spirit beast they need longer, hundreds to thousand and hundred thousand of years." Tang San quip from the side, interject to add his own reason.
Silence fell.
Only the sound of panting breaths and the rustling wind through trees remained.
Li Wei dismissed the summoned blade, letting it shimmer into motes of light. He fell to one knee, sweat dripping down his brow.
"Everyone okay?" Dai Mubai asked, breathing heavily.
"I'm fine," Tang San said, standing tall despite the blood.
"Scratched," Zhu Zhuqing muttered, wiping a smear off her cheek.
"Just bruises," Oscar said, offering a sausage to Rongrong.
"I never want to be that close to a tiger again," she muttered, taking it.
Li Wei looked over the team. All accounted for. No serious injuries.
Zhao Wuji finally stepped forward, slow and deliberate.
"Well done," he said, voice deep and steady. "That was a thousand-year-old Flame-Fanged Ground Tiger. Not many groups of yours level could've taken it down."
Li Wei exhaled, then stood. "We'll only get stronger."
Zhao Wuji smirked. "You'd better. This forest doesn't get easier."
He turned and gestured forward. "Rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we go deeper. Oscar still needs his third ring. I will go thrown the tiger away from here"
The students exchanged looks.
More battles awaited.
But for now—they'd won.
And they would be ready for whatever came next.