Su Yu leaped into the air and landed directly on the Demon Tiger's back.
With a powerful stomp, the Demon Tiger let out a whimper and collapsed under the pressure.
After absorbing the Ice Empress's soul ring and soul bone, Su Yu's physical strength had been significantly enhanced. He wasn't sure how much strength he now possessed, but it had to be at least 80,000 pounds as a starting point—perhaps even as much as 90,000 pounds.
After all, there was the nurturing effect of the Life Gold, the amplification of the Ice Empress's soul ring and soul bone, and the natural growth of his body.
The increase in strength was beyond doubt.
Such immense physical power was absolutely at the level of a Titled Douluo.
Using it to subdue a 25,000-year-old Demon Tiger was child's play.
With one foot, Su Yu pinned the Demon Tiger to the ground, the enormous force completely suppressing it.
Still furious, Su Yu slid down the tiger's body and slapped its head.
The tiger's head smashed into the ground, leaving it dizzy and disoriented.
Su Yu, still unsatisfied, gave it a few more slaps.
The Demon Tiger was nearly rolling its eyes in pain, its large eyes filled with grievance as its tail wagged submissively. It had completely surrendered.
"Attacking me and then trying to run away? You've got some nerve."
"Do you believe I won't skin you and make a tiger-skin skirt?"
Su Yu's anger turned into a laugh. It had only been a few years since he last came back, and now the soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest couldn't distinguish between who was in charge anymore.
"Roar!"
The Demon Tiger growled softly, flipped onto its back, and exposed its soft belly—a gesture of complete submission among tiger-type soul beasts.
"Humph, now you know how to submit. What were you doing earlier?"
Su Yu snorted, though any lingering displeasure had already dissipated.
Still, he continued to scare it with his words.
The Demon Tiger showed a pitiful, pleading expression, crawling toward Su Yu like a puppy and gently nudging his pants. Its tail wagged non-stop.
Amused by the sight, Su Yu chuckled. He couldn't figure out where this tiger had learned such antics.
A tiger behaving like a dog—it was quite the oddity.
With a faint smile, Su Yu lightly kicked the tiger.
"Get up. You'll be my mount for now."
The Demon Tiger immediately scrambled to its feet, shook off the dirt from its body, and carefully knelt again, letting out a low growl of submission.
"Now that's more like it."
Satisfied, Su Yu nodded and climbed onto its back, temporarily commandeering a ride.
"Let's go!"
"Roar!"
With a roar, the Demon Tiger bolted toward the depths of the mixed area.
Normally, it would never dare to charge so recklessly into the depths of the mixed area, especially near the core zone, where countless powerful soul beasts resided.
But with the little tyrant riding on its back, the tiger wanted to see which soul beast would dare stop them.
With this thought, the Demon Tiger grew even more excited, occasionally letting out low growls, as if flaunting itself for the other beasts to see.
It was, undeniably, acting tough while riding on Su Yu's reputation.
After all, being this little tyrant's mount was an entirely different level of prestige.
Even though it was just a mount, it was the mount of someone no one dared provoke—a badge of honor.
The Demon Tiger's posturing was so effective that even top-tier soul beasts turned and fled at the sight of them.
None wanted to risk being caught and taught a lesson by Su Yu.
Riding on the tiger's back, Su Yu felt the wind rushing past and revealed a carefree smile.
The Demon Tiger was swift, moving through the forest like a phantom. In less than ten minutes, they were nearing the core zone.
Just then, Su Yu heard a commotion.
He patted the tiger lightly, and it instinctively slowed down, cautiously stepping forward to see who was foolish enough to approach them.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted, followed by an overwhelming shockwave.
Trees toppled en masse, and a massive figure leaped out.
The shockwave struck the Demon Tiger, enraging it. The tiger let out a thunderous roar, its cry echoing through the forest.
The sound waves rippled outward, startling the massive figure.
It was a giant, over ten meters tall, covered in black and white fur with two heads perched on its shoulders.
Both heads bore single eyes that glowed with an intimidating light.
The giant radiated an aura of alternating black and white energy. Its face was filled with tension, as though fleeing from something terrifying.
But when it spotted Su Yu and the Demon Tiger, its two heads froze in shock, and its massive body trembled.
It wasn't afraid of the tiger—it was the figure riding on the tiger's back that struck fear into its heart.
One of the Star Dou Forest's most infamous troublemakers.
The giant's fear deepened. Just its luck—escaping one threat only to encounter another disaster.
Su Yu observed the giant with curiosity.
It was a Twin-Eyed Cyclops, a rare variant among cyclops species.
Possessing both light and dark attributes, it was classified as a powerful, top-tier soul beast.
Its cultivation was clearly beyond 10,000 years.
In terms of raw combat power, the Demon Tiger under Su Yu might not even be its match.
Bloodlines were everything to soul beasts. For those with strong bloodlines, surpassing levels was a simple matter.
Although the Twin-Eyed Cyclops couldn't compare to beasts like the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear or the Titan Giant Ape, it was still part of the second tier of soul beasts.
But why was such a powerful beast fleeing so desperately?
Raising an eyebrow, Su Yu extended his spiritual power outward, and a smile soon spread across his face.
He had sensed a very familiar aura. No wonder the Cyclops didn't dare fight back—it could only run for its life.
"Roar, roar, roar!"
(How dare you disturb the master!)
The Femon Tiger growled threateningly, pretending it was ready to attack.
The Twin-Eyed Cyclops looked conflicted, cursing inwardly. It hadn't meant to. It was just fleeing blindly in panic.
But it was clear that this little tyrant wouldn't let it off easily.
It didn't even dare to run.
Disturbing Su Yu was already its fault. If it dared to flee, it would be walking straight into a dead end. If those powerful beings decided to settle the score, there would be no place it could hide.
A ten-thousand-year-old soul beast with its spiritual intelligence awakened, especially a top-tier soul beast, was no less intelligent than humans. The Twin-Eyed Cyclops naturally understood the consequences of offending Su Yu.
"Roar!"
The Twin-Eyed Cyclops suddenly knelt with a heavy thud, bowing repeatedly while roaring incessantly toward Su Yu.
Among soul beasts, the hierarchy was extremely strict, and Su Yu's status in the Star Dou Forest was nearly at the pinnacle. Even ferocious beasts like Di Tian and Bi Ji had to show him respect. The Cyclops' act of kneeling and submitting was not excessive in the slightest.
If Di Tian were here, just to disturb Su Yu, he would've crushed the Cyclops without hesitation.
"Alright, I get it. Get lost." Su Yu waved his hand, clearly uninterested in further engagement.
The Twin-Eyed Cyclops felt as if it had been granted a new lease on life. But as it thought about the little demon chasing it from behind, its face twisted in despair again.
Still, it dared not run. Running would mean certain death. But staying put...
Staying might not end well either. After all, the one chasing it was clearly after its life.
The Cyclops found itself in a deeply complicated situation.
Su Yu gazed ahead intently. After a moment, a dazzling golden light entered his field of vision. It was like a small, radiant sun, shining brilliantly.
Its entire body resembled translucent crystal, exuding a peculiar texture. It somewhat resembled a lion, its body covered in shimmering golden fur.
Its four claws resembled dragon claws, seemingly stepping on flames. Its snout was longer than a lion's, and beneath the golden fur was a layer of fine golden scales.
What was most peculiar was that it had three eyes. Its normal pair of eyes shone golden, while the vertical pupil on its forehead gleamed with an enchanting red hue.
If one had to describe this soul beast, it could only be called stunningly beautiful.
Such a soul beast existed only as one unique entity in the Star Dou Forest.
The Emperor Auspicious Beast—Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The golden light streaked forward rapidly. By the time Su Yu noticed her, the beast was already two hundred meters away.
She quickly noticed Su Yu as well. A trace of human-like shock flickered in her golden eyes. Her previously sprinting figure suddenly halted, leaving two long marks on the ground.
Yet she paid no attention to the marks, focusing instead on the figure atop the Demon Tiger.
That familiar silhouette stirred memories in her heart.
He… was back?
Su Yu dismounted from the Demon Tiger and patted it.
"You can leave now," Su Yu said indifferently.
The Demon Tiger seemed reluctant. After all, it had just established this connection.
But Su Yu had spoken, and it dared not disobey. It could only turn and leave step by step, frequently looking back.
"You, go as well."
Su Yu glanced at the Twin-Eyed Cyclops.
A glimmer of relief flashed in its singular eyes. Was this real?
Judging by Su Yu's demeanor, he wasn't joking. The Cyclops shot a glance at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion before scurrying off quickly.
To think it could leave unscathed—what a stroke of luck!
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion ignored her fleeing meal, focusing solely on the man walking toward her step by step.
"Mingli, I'm back."
Su Yu stood before Di Mingli, extending a hand as though to stroke her head.
But before he could touch her, Di Mingli suddenly lunged forward, pinning the unguarded Su Yu to the ground.
Both of her front claws pressed down on Su Yu's chest.
She lowered her head, her two golden eyes locking onto Su Yu's. Her clear, crisp voice rang out:
"You still know how to come back?"
"Why didn't you just die out there?"
"What are you even back here for?"
Her words were filled with resentment.
Su Yu had been gone for three years without leaving a single word behind. It was clear he hadn't cared about her at all.
Did he have any idea what these three years had been like for her?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her claws pressing harder against Su Yu's chest.
Of course, she controlled her strength, not wanting to hurt him.
But Su Yu, no longer the same as he was before, didn't even flinch under her pressure.
"Mingli, I had my reasons. Try to understand, okay?" Su Yu said with a gentle smile.
Di Mingli snorted. "I don't want to understand."
"You said you'd be back soon. Do you know how long I've waited for you?"
She turned her head away, clearly still upset.
Su Yu chuckled helplessly. He gently reached out, turning her head back toward him as he spoke softly:
"Alright, alright. I was wrong, okay? I shouldn't have taken so long to return and visit our little princess."
"Hmph, at least you know."
Di Mingli huffed indignantly.
Su Yu couldn't help but laugh. He reached out, gently stroking her cheek. The fine scales beneath her golden fur felt smooth and warm to the touch.
"Can you let me up now, my adorable little princess?" Su Yu asked, smiling.
"Hmph!" She gave a light snort before lifting her paws.
Su Yu sprang to his feet, dusting himself off with a burst of soul power, leaving not a speck of dirt behind.
Di Mingli walked up to him, gently nudging him with her large head.
"What is it?" Su Yu asked, puzzled.
"You made me lose my meal as soon as you got back. You owe me compensation," she said, her voice crisp but firm.
Su Yu's eyes glinted with amusement as he quickly understood her meaning.
With a chuckle, he asked, "How should I compensate you then?"
"I want roasted meat. Lots and lots of roasted meat," she said, raising a paw to make her demand.
Su Yu smiled to himself.
Ah, Mingli, your desires are too easy to read.