Unless a deity personally descends to the lower realm, almost no one on the entire Douluo Continent could survive even a single strike when facing the Silver Dragon Princess.
Of course, the Silver Dragon King does not intervene in worldly matters lightly.
Most of the time, she must carefully avoid the gaze of the divine realm to maintain her concealment and safety.
In the original story, she only awakens and takes action when the life of the Beast God Emperor Tian is seriously threatened.
At that time, if Huo Yuhao insisted on killing Emperor Tian, he would have to face the revived Silver Dragon King.
However, only Emperor Tian could draw out the Silver Dragon King's assistance.
Even when the imperial sacred beasts, crucial to the spirit beast clans, were schemed against, and the spirit beast fortune of the Starry Great Forest was maliciously stolen—such a major event still failed to provoke the Silver Dragon King's appearance.
It cannot be ruled out that she herself is no match for that god king and thus dares not act rashly.
However, all these conjectures are merely guesses Lu Jingming made based on the memories in his mind; the actual situation might differ somewhat and may not be entirely accurate.
With Jingliu, a supremely powerful expert, providing escort and protection, Lu Jingming was both skilled and confident.
Without hesitation, he bypassed the Outer Zone of the Starry Great Forest and headed straight toward the more dangerous Inner Zone.
Stepping into the Inner Zone, sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, sprinkling scattered patches of light onto the forest floor.
For the first time entering the Starry Great Forest in person, Lu Jingming's eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement.
Everything around him—the varied shapes of the trees, the occasional flickers of spirit beast silhouettes—made him deeply feel the unique charm contained within this forest.
Lu Jingming looked around inquisitively. Towering trees blocked out the sky, thick layers of fallen leaves created a soft carpet beneath his feet, and from afar came the low growls and strange cries of spirit beasts, weaving together a mysterious symphony.
Jingliu walked calmly ahead, her senses alert to every sound around them, protecting Lu Jingming's safety.
Suddenly, a faint rustling came from a nearby thicket on the right. Lu Jingming's body tensed instantly, his gaze locking tightly on that direction.
Jingliu, however, remained calm, raising her hand to signal him to stay patient.
Out from the bushes emerged a small, adorable spirit beast. Its body was covered in brilliantly multicolored fur, and its eyes shone like two sparkling gems, curiously observing Lu Jingming and Jingliu.
Lu Jingming's eyes lit up. This little creature was second only to his beloved pink fox back home in terms of cuteness. But since he did not know much about spirit beasts, and the original story never mentioned such a beast, he could not recognize what it was. So, he turned his gaze to Jingliu.
Besides focusing on sword training and carefully instructing her students, Jingliu was also passionate about reading various books to deepen her understanding of the world.
Sure enough, she recognized the spirit beast Lu Jingming did not. Softly, she introduced, "This is an Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox. It possesses a certain degree of confusion ability. Judging by its current form, it's probably still juvenile and poses no real threat to you."
The Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox tilted its fluffy little head, its round, bright eyes curiously studying Lu Jingming and Jingliu. After a moment, apparently deciding these two posed no harm, it wagged its bushy tail and turned to leave.
Just then, a deafening roar filled with fury echoed from afar.
The sound rolled like thunder through the forest. The Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox was startled so badly it shuddered all over, freezing mid-step before scrambling frantically behind Lu Jingming, trembling.
Immediately after, a huge tiger-shaped spirit beast charged forward like a black storm, its body wrapped in roaring black flames.
Its blood-red eyes glowed with terrifying bloodthirsty intent, locking tightly onto the Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox hiding behind Lu Jingming, as if it intended to devour it alive the next moment.
Jingliu frowned slightly and whispered, "This is a Black Flame Demon Tiger, a millennia-old spirit beast. Looks like it's been hunting that Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox."
Lu Jingming glanced back at the trembling fox behind him, then fixed his gaze on the menacing Black Flame Demon Tiger.
This Black Flame Demon Tiger possessed both fire and dark attributes. As a millennia-old spirit beast, it barely met his requirements for a spirit ring to supplement his Martial Soul.
He had planned to first add a spirit ring to his "Black Abyss" Martial Soul, whose decomposition ability already inclined toward death and destruction attributes. Dark attributes would not be incompatible.
As for whether he could absorb a millennia-old spirit ring, Lu Jingming had no doubts. Since childhood, he had trained diligently under Jingliu's guidance, practicing the top-tier meditation techniques she had personally developed.
Long-term training had vastly improved his physical constitution beyond ordinary people. Moreover, with abundant resources, he had consumed countless precious materials to nourish and enhance his body.
Not to mention, he had successfully awakened twin Martial Souls—Black Abyss and White Flower—further elevating his physical strength.
For him, absorbing a millennia-old spirit ring was well within his capacity. Besides, the creative power granted by the "White Flower" Martial Soul made him fearless of injury.
However, after a moment of thought, Lu Jingming gently shook his head. Since this would be his first spirit ring, it was better to seek out a more compatible spirit beast.
Although the Black Flame Demon Tiger possessed some strength, it was far from a top-tier existence in the world of spirit beasts. Absorbing its spirit ring would likely grant him spirit skills that fell short of his expectations.
He was about to signal Jingliu to drive the Black Flame Demon Tiger away when suddenly, a piercingly sharp shriek echoed through the air.
The sound was like the roar of a volcanic eruption fused with the screech of metal fracturing, instantly slicing through the already tense atmosphere.
To everyone's surprise, the imposing Black Flame Demon Tiger trembled violently, utterly losing control, its eyes filled with sheer terror.
It no longer cared about hunting the Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox. Turning on its heel, it fled desperately back the way it came, moving so fast it seemed as if a peerless beast was in hot pursuit.
Not only the Black Flame Demon Tiger, but the Illusory Colorful Spirit Fox trembling behind Lu Jingming also showed pure fear in its little eyes. So frightened, it went limp and collapsed to the ground, looking utterly pitiful.
A faint, knowing smile curved on Jingliu's lips as she said lightly with an easy tone, "Looks like you're quite lucky."