Among tiger-type Spirit Beasts, there were many that were extraordinarily powerful—yet not a single one could be counted among the truly renowned ferocious beasts. That alone spoke volumes about just how deeply the dragon race feared them.
Within the tiger lineage, there were even species capable of ascending to godhood. But from the perspective of the dragons, allowing a tiger to rise and rule over all Spirit Beasts was unacceptable. They would rather maintain the current balance than risk such an outcome.
In Douluo IV, if not for the emergence of the Little Dragon God, Lan Xuanyu, the two Spirit Beasts most likely to unify the Spirit Beast race would have both been tiger-type beasts. That alone was enough to prove just how powerful—and how dangerously uncontrollable—the tiger lineage truly was.
As for this unfortunate creature before them, Chen Ming could roughly piece together its fate.
After breaking through to the hundred-thousand-year level, it had likely become a target within the Star Dou Forest, with other Spirit Beasts seeking to eliminate it. Unwilling to accept such an end, it had charged out of the forest, intending to take humans down with it—only to ultimately become Golden Crocodile Douluo's hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring and Spirit Bone.
It had sought to avoid dying at the hands of dragons… only to fall instead to a Spirit Master with a draconic-descendant Martial Soul.
What a bitter irony.
"The bone marrow… it's still active?" Chen Ming murmured in surprise. He placed a hand on the tiger bones and infused a trace of Spirit Power, immediately sensing a faint resistance emanating from within—the golden bloodline still lingered, still resisting him despite the passage of time.
Even with only half the skeleton remaining, its sheer size was astonishing. Lying there, it was larger than a fully grown yak, and its density surpassed even that of refined metal. If used in medicinal refinement, it would be more than enough to sustain Chen Ming's needs for a long time.
If the marrow could be extracted through proper methods and combined with other materials to temper the body, the improvement in physical strength might even surpass what one would gain from absorbing a ten-thousand-year torso Spirit Bone.
As expected of a golden Spirit Beast tied to the White Tiger lineage—even in death, its value remained extraordinary.
"So long as it's useful to you, that's all that matters," Golden Crocodile Douluo said, visibly relieved.
"Master, seniors," Chen Ming continued after a moment's thought, "I'd like to spend the next few days studying the records within Spirit Hall and attempt some medicinal refinement."
"Tiger bones are already exceptional materials for strengthening the body. A hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast's skeleton is a treasure among treasures. With the right combinations, it could even increase the age limit of Spirit Rings that a Spirit Master can absorb."
"Is that so?" Qian Daoliu considered briefly before nodding. "Very well. I'll have someone escort you to the Spirit Hall archives—you may consult any of the texts freely. If you need anything, just inform us. As Golden Crocodile's disciple, you are no outsider to us."
"While we no longer have skeletons of this caliber, Spirit Hall still possesses an abundance of high-quality Spirit Beast bones and flesh. If you require them, come to me."
"Once your identity has been publicly announced to the world, I will arrange for you to enter the Star Dou Forest to obtain your next Spirit Ring."
"Based on your earlier requirements, we've already identified a suitable Spirit Beast. It was originally intended for someone else, but it is absolutely perfect for you. Though it is not a true dragon, it is among the strongest draconic descendants beneath true dragons."
"What kind of Spirit Beast is it?" Chen Ming asked.
"Have you heard of the White Armored Earth Dragon?" Qian Daoliu replied.
"The White Armored Earth Dragon… a dual-attribute draconic descendant with metal and earth elements, closely related to the dragon race, and considered top-tier," Chen Ming said, recalling what he knew. "Compared to the Heavy Armored Earth Dragon I originally awakened, it shares the same dual attributes—but with metal as the primary and earth as secondary, the reverse of mine."
"Its skeleton and scales are exceptionally hard, like metal that has been repeatedly refined. In terms of defense, it's slightly inferior to the Heavy Armored Earth Dragon, but its offensive power and agility are far greater. It's a ferocious carnivorous dragon-type beast—one of the top-tier existences among draconic descendants."
Chen Ming quickly organized the comparison in his mind.
The Heavy Armored Earth Dragon was like a giant clad in massive, cumbersome armor—its defense overwhelming, every movement carrying immense strength. Yet because of its sluggishness, its offensive capability was lacking, and it leaned heavily toward defense, rarely taking the initiative to attack.
The White Armored Earth Dragon, on the other hand, was more like a fully armored warrior who still retained speed and flexibility. Its defense was by no means weak, but it also possessed a strong predatory instinct and aggressive nature.
Though its defense wasn't as extreme, it excelled in both offense and defense. It could rely on its durability to trade blows head-on in battle, making it equally suited for both assault-type and defense-type Spirit Masters.
It is precisely because the White Armored Earth Dragon has higher offensive capability and aggression—making it more threatening—that the Heavy Armored Earth Dragon is considered a high-level Spirit Beast, while the White Armored Earth Dragon is a top-tier Spirit Beast.
However, though their names are similar, they are not close relatives, but distant ones.
One had long ago taken the path of stacking raw defense, becoming something of an evolutionary relic with little further development. The other followed the path of a balanced predator, representing a more modern evolution within the dragon lineage.
According to Chen Ming's own reasoning, both likely originated as hybrids of earth dragons and terrestrial dragons, differing only in their bloodline proportions and evolutionary focus.
The Heavy Armored Earth Dragon followed the terrestrial dragon route—its armor thick but impure, relying on sheer mass to achieve greater defense.
The White Armored Earth Dragon, by contrast, descended from the earth dragon line. Its scales weren't especially thick, but each one was like refined metal, forged through countless temperings—light yet incredibly tough.
Its name came from those very scales: light, pure, and capable of reflecting a silvery sheen like polished metal.
For the Heavy Armored Earth Dragon, greater thickness meant greater strength. For the White Armored Earth Dragon, strength came from larger size and tougher, more refined scales.
Only upon reaching the hundred-thousand-year level would the two undergo a qualitative transformation, each beginning to evolve along the other's path—one refining and thinning its armor, the other consuming metals to thicken and reinforce its scales.
"In the past, within the Star Dou Forest, there was once a White Armored Earth Dragon that broke through to the hundred-thousand-year level, evolving into a White Armored Holy Dragon—a true member of the dragon race. However, it was hunted down by experts from Spirit Hall over two thousand years ago."
"That White Armored Holy Dragon later produced an offspring with a Hell Demon Dragon whose cultivation exceeded fifty thousand years. The result was a naturally occurring variant dragon—an exceptional mutation. That offspring now has a cultivation of six thousand four hundred years."
"It isn't a true dragon, but in many ways, it surpasses one. It possesses four attributes—darkness, water, metal, and earth—and is a born king within its kind. It even has the ability to absorb incoming attacks, converting them into Spirit Power to heal itself."
"Originally, this Spirit Beast had been reserved by a Spirit Hall elder whose Martial Soul was also the White Armored Earth Dragon, intended for a descendant. It had been under constant surveillance. But recently, after negotiations and the exchange of medicinal resources and other assets, it had been reassigned."
Qian Daoliu explained all of this in detail.
"A hybrid offspring of a White Armored Holy Dragon and a Hell Dragon… a variant Spirit Beast," Chen Ming murmured, clearly surprised. He hadn't expected something this exceptional.
Among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, Zi Ji was the ruler of the Hell Demon Dragon race. That clan was one of the few remaining true dragon lineages in the world today. Zi Ji's dragon bloodline was said to be on par with Di Tian, earning her the reputation of a rising star among dragons.
Even though Zi Ji certainly could not represent the entire Hell Demon Dragon species, it still clearly demonstrated how terrifyingly strong their foundational bloodline was.
An offspring born from a hundred-thousand-year White Armor Holy Dragon and a fifty-thousand-year Hell Demon Dragon—such a Spirit Ring at six thousand years of cultivation might very well surpass even ordinary ten-thousand- or twenty-thousand-year a Spirit Rings in quality.
For this third Spirit Ring, Chen Ming genuinely felt anticipation rising in his chest. Especially for a mutated Spirit Beast with such perfectly integrated bloodlines—even if it wasn't a true dragon, it might end up being more useful to him than an actual dragon species.