Lin Luo’s expression shifted as he blurted out the name upon seeing the savage creature before him. This White Tiger was immense, far beyond any ordinary tiger; it was several times larger than an elephant, emanating a terrifying aura of malice. Its pair of brass-bell eyes stared fixedly at him, filled with pure violence and slaughter.

If it were merely its colossal size and frightening presence, it wouldn't have been an issue—Lin Luo had witnessed larger beings before. However, this White Tiger’s strength shocked him: it had reached the initial stage of the Earth Tier. Its cavernous mouth was agape, its tail swaying back and forth, looking ready to strike at any moment.

The Four Sacred Beasts!

Lin Luo immediately recalled what Yong Lin had told him earlier. Without a doubt, this creature was one of the legendary Four Sacred Beasts... the White Tiger!

If the White Tiger was here, then its master, the Dark King? A sense of unease involuntarily surfaced in Lin Luo’s heart. But before he could ponder further, the White Tiger opposite him roared and charged.

"ROAR!!!" The sound was earth-shattering, louder than thunder. Even Lin Luo couldn't help but knit his brows; his ears buzzed painfully.

"Damn it!" Lin Luo was furious. Facing an enemy as powerful as a Sacred Beast, especially one that was likely the Dark King’s pet, he wouldn't hold back. He immediately summoned his strongest shield to block in front of him.

Boom!

A deafening crash sent violent shockwaves scattering outward, causing the very space around them to tremble.

"Hmph!" Lin Luo grunted softly, a trace of pain evident in his tone. Although the White Tiger's attack had been blocked, the sheer impact force numbed his arm, sending both him and the shield flying backward.

While his overall strength surpassed the White Tiger's, the White Tiger, being the most offensively powerful of the Four Sacred Beasts, possessed formidable might that couldn't be trifled with. In a burst of power, even overcoming opponents across tiers was not impossible.

Of course, given Lin Luo’s current strength, the White Tiger couldn't gain a significant advantage. Simultaneously with knocking Lin Luo back, the rebound force from the Strongest Shield also sent the beast tumbling away through the air, looking utterly disheveled.

"Die!" While suspended mid-air, Lin Luo’s shield instantly transformed into a sharp arrow. With a flick of his finger, the Strongest Spear shot out like a bolt of lightning, locking onto the White Tiger with the intent to kill.

Regardless of whether the White Tiger was the Dark King’s pet, since it sought his life, he certainly wouldn't stand idle. As the saying went: strike first or suffer later. If the Dark King had summoned it, killing it now would be eliminating a strong foe before the main confrontation.

The instantaneous burst power of the Strongest Spear nearly surpassed the speed of light; the moment it launched, it was already closing in on the White Tiger. The terrifying offensive power even scorched the air, creating sparks. Just as the White Tiger was about to be skewered by the strike, its massive body contorted in the air in an unnatural manner, allowing it to narrowly evade the attack.

"What the hell! Is this guy a gymnast?!" Lin Luo nearly spat blood. He had aimed for the White Tiger's abdomen. At this distance, at this speed, and with the tiger’s sheer bulk, escape should have been impossible. Yet, the tiger forcefully contracted its belly as its body twisted—such flexibility would make even a bodybuilding champion bow in defeat.

With the first attack missing, Lin Luo didn't hesitate to recall the light arrow... Although the Strongest Spear was forged from all his capabilities, using it was akin to deploying a semi-physical entity; it could only be recalled, not erased. Furthermore, with his current power, he couldn't unleash a second spear, nor could he wield the spear and shield simultaneously.

"ROAR!!!"

The White Tiger, having barely dodged the attack in mid-air, seemed utterly enraged. The killing intent in its roar increased geometrically, making it look even more ferocious. Following this roar, its already large form began to expand again—in the blink of an eye, it swelled to the size of a small mountain.

"I..." Lin Luo was so aghast he couldn't speak. Capable of changing size—this White Tiger was no simple creature.

Faced with such a colossal beast, Lin Luo had to focus with every fiber of his being. The moment the tiger plummeted toward him, the spear he had just recalled instantly morphed back into his shield. This time, the shield’s defensive coverage widened, enveloping his body entirely like a golden bell protecting him.

Bang!

When the White Tiger’s enormous body collided with the shield, it was like the Five Elements Great Mountain pressing down on Sun Wukong. Lin Luo was completely obscured beneath the beast; he was entirely pinned down.

Because the White Tiger was so immense, although the force hadn't yet injured Lin Luo, the ground beneath them could not bear it. His feet immediately sank into the earth, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult for him to move.

Damn it, just one White Tiger is this strong; if the Four Sacred Beasts gathered, it would be disastrous... Lin Luo was shocked, but this only solidified his resolve to eliminate the White Tiger.

"Ahhhh!!!" Lin Luo let out a mighty roar, unleashing his innate divine strength. The massive body was suddenly pushed upward by him, then whoosh, it was flung skyward.

This result wasn't due to his brute strength alone—no matter how capable he was, he couldn't single-handedly blast a mountain-sized White Tiger into the sky based on stamina alone. It was achieved by utilizing the rebound force of the Strongest Shield.

As the White Tiger ascended, Lin Luo shot upward rapidly, raising his right hand. With a whoosh, a plume of black flame erupted from his fingers, instantly condensing into a gigantic palm of flame that descended upon the White Tiger with the momentum to destroy everything.

This time, the White Tiger could not dodge. The palm, large enough to encompass a man, slammed squarely into the tiger's chest, followed by a boom, and in an instant, the beast dissipated into smoke.

"Hm?" Killing the White Tiger should have been a cause for celebration, but Lin Luo couldn't smile; instead, his expression grew grave, because something felt deeply strange... Even at his current strength, his Destruction Black Flame shouldn't be capable of instantly vaporizing an Earth Tier expert. Moreover, the White Tiger was so large—how could it dissolve so quickly? Could it be...

"Clap, clap, clap! That was magnificent. You truly haven't disappointed me, Bright King."

Just then, a voice sounded from behind him. Lin Luo spun around sharply and saw a handsome young man standing on the ground not far away, applauding with a smile, looking remarkably friendly.

"System detected the Beast Taming Tome. Master: Dark King. NP Walker, Core Ability: Beast Taming. Strength Evaluation: Mid Earth Tier." The moment he saw the man, a voice echoed in Lin Luo's mind.

It really was the Dark King!

"Though I somewhat suspected it was you, seeing you now is still a surprise, Dark King," Lin Luo’s heart tightened, but his expression remained composed as he smiled faintly. However, he was slightly puzzled; why had the Dark King concealed his actual name? How had he managed it?

"Heh heh." The Dark King chuckled lightly and lowered his hands, acting as if he were addressing an old friend. "I believe I arrived in this world before you did, though I only entered this grand barrier a few days ago."

"What are you doing here this time? Trying to deal with me?" Lin Luo maintained an air of casualness, asking with a smile.

The Dark King shook his head. "No, I have no such intention. I despise violence."

Despise violence? Tell that to a ghost!

Lin Luo curled his lips into a sarcastic smile. "Is that so? Did that White Tiger just come out to look for a meal?"

"Did that displease you? Well, that’s understandable." The Dark King gave a wry smile. As he spoke, he flicked his fingers. Suddenly, a dazzling, radiant ring appeared above him. At the four cardinal points of the ring, the Four Sacred Beasts were positioned, though they were miniature, only the size of ordinary wild animals, and appeared to be in deep slumber, motionless.

"If I truly intended to fight you, do you think you would have stood a chance?"

Lin Luo’s expression immediately turned serious. The Dark King was Mid Earth Tier; even a one-on-one fight would strain him. Moreover, with the Earth Tier Four Sacred Beasts present, if a real fight broke out, he would definitely be outmatched—though escaping should not be difficult.

"Then what is your purpose in coming here? You didn't just come for a chat over tea, did you?"

"Of course not. I merely came to provide intelligence." As he spoke, he withdrew the Four Sacred Beasts.

"Huh?" Lin Luo almost thought he misheard. The Dark King providing him with intelligence? Was this some kind of joke?!

But the Dark King’s expression confirmed he was serious. "You should know, there are Three Kings among the Walkers: you, me, and the Evil King. My greatest enemy isn't you; it's the Evil King!" As he said this, his face darkened, revealing a subtle trace of hatred. He then looked toward Lin Luo. "And that Evil King will be arriving in this world soon."

"How do you know that?" Lin Luo was somewhat surprised by the declaration.

"I naturally have my sources of information." The Dark King regained his previous calm demeanor and smiled slightly. "My purpose in coming here today is to tell you exactly that."

"You're awfully kind," Lin Luo scoffed, unwilling to believe it.

The Dark King seemed completely unfazed by the sarcasm in Lin Luo’s words and chuckled. "Heh heh, it’s not entirely altruistic. After all, there is currently a balance of power among the Walkers with the three kings. If you die, the Evil King will become too dominant, and then he will focus solely on dealing with me, which would be terrifying."

The concept of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold' lent some credibility to his words, but Lin Luo knew the Dark King wouldn't have revealed this for just that reason; there had to be other calculations involved. He said in a deep voice, "Then why don't you stay? We can deal with the Evil King together. Just relying on me, even with preparation, I might not defeat him."

He also had his own subtle agenda: keep the Dark King and the Evil King here, then, depending on the situation, unite with the girls of Gensokyo to turn the tables!

However, the Evil King clearly wouldn't fall for such a scheme. He simply shook his head and said, "Didn't I already mention it? I hate violence and avoid starting battles. Furthermore, although you cannot defeat the Evil King right now, the current you might actually be capable of eliminating him."