Chapter 66: Slaying the Tiger

Wang Liang himself had not expected to sever the demon tiger's right foreleg with such ease. Gazing at the limb as it sprayed blood, Wang Liang, for the first time in battle, found himself momentarily stunned.

This rare opening was seized by Wu Er, who delivered a punch directly to the demon tiger’s left temple. The force of the blow caused the tiger’s head to lurch toward Wang Liang, nearly knocking the Nascent Soul standing atop the beast’s skull flying.

At the level of a Nascent Soul, one begins to possess a natal magical artifact. Whatever level of existence this demon tiger had attained in the past, it was clear he had not wasted the last four years. With a flick of his finger, Wang Liang and his companions felt the ground tremble as the bluestone slabs paving the area suddenly took flight. The demon tiger had actually refined these slabs into a magical artifact.

It was unclear how the demon tiger had made this choice, but refining these slabs into a natal artifact was a brilliant move. The tiger had rested on these slabs daily, constantly nourishing them with his essence, and since Wu Er had died here, his own demonic energy had permeated the stone. Since the tiger’s power shared the same source, it was naturally the easiest to control. More importantly, the method for refining the slabs was simple—akin to the techniques used for gold bricks—which any player could acquire, meaning the demon tiger had not needed to go to much trouble to learn the craft.

As the demon tiger’s Nascent Soul gestured, the bluestone slabs rose from the ground. While they had not yet been refined to the point of changing size at will, they were sufficient for the tiger’s needs. As the slabs soared upward, they slammed toward Wang Liang like a massive cyan wall.

The next instant, the Indominus Rex, Xiaohui, charged from nearby, his tail sweeping out to deflect the slabs. Wang Liang snapped back to reality, realizing he had been dazed in the heat of battle. A cold sweat broke out on his brow at such an inexcusable lapse. He raised his Life-Severing Blade and, utilizing the gap created by the rising slabs, struck once more at the demon tiger.

The demon tiger now spotted the creature that had blocked his tail swipe. Though he had never seen a beast like the Indominus Rex, its size and appearance provoked an immediate reaction. With a roar, the tiger lunged for Xiaohui’s throat.

Xiaohui’s reflexes were even faster. He opened his massive jaws to bite at the tiger’s waist, while the Screaming Scythe on his right claw struck at the tiger’s back like a bolt of lightning.

Dissatisfied that his prey had been stolen by Xiaohui, Wu Er stepped forward and delivered a direct punch toward the tiger. However, as the tiger had already leaped forward, Wu Er’s strike landed squarely on the tiger’s chest from the left. Having lost one foreleg, the tiger’s pounce was already compromised. Struck by Wu Er, his trajectory shifted to the right, effectively delivering himself into the jaws of the Indominus Rex.

Xiaohui did not miss the opportunity. He clamped his jaws down, his razor-sharp teeth poised to pierce the tiger’s flesh. Yet, the demon tiger’s Nascent Soul offered a faint smile. With a flick of his finger, the tiger’s body instantly transformed into a bluestone slab, and Xiaohui’s fangs bit uselessly into the stone. In the next moment, the slab rapidly expanded, forcing Xiaohui’s jaws wide apart. Simultaneously, the tiger appeared beneath Xiaohui, his remaining left claw swiping toward the dinosaur’s abdomen.

Xiaohui was no mere beast acting on instinct; created as a biological weapon, he possessed innate combat intelligence. Upon realizing he had bitten into stone, he tilted his head back and brought his forelimbs down, instinctively clawing at the spot where the tiger had appeared. Xiaohui’s foreclaws were similar to those of a raptor; his massive talons could easily lift a two-meter-tall human, and they were sharp and hard enough to pierce through dinosaur hide. The angle and force of his strike exceeded the expectations of any normal beast, and his claws tore into the tiger’s body. Xiaohui clamped his jaws shut, locking the bluestone slab in place; if the tiger had no other tricks, he was finished.

Yet, the demon tiger had been capable of killing Wu Er and seizing Jingyang Ridge; he naturally possessed his own power. The moment Xiaohui’s claws struck, the tiger’s body shuddered, and all his fur stood on end like barbed needles.

At that moment, Wu Er suddenly appeared behind the tiger, having used the momentum of the clash to leap onto his back. As he rose, he struck the tiger’s occiput with a punch. The blow was clean and steady, the wind of the punch carrying a searing scent of wine and a sense of unstoppable momentum.

This was something the demon tiger had never anticipated. It was a side of Wu Er he had never before displayed. The tiger did not know that when Wu Er had died by his hands all those years ago, it was because Wu Er had been too drunk to fight back; later, as a vengeful ghost, Wu Er had been denied wine, his essence shrouded by ghostly gloom. This time, spurred by the obsession of his brother, Wu Da, Wu Er had regained his wits, allowing him to unleash his full potential.

The punch, imbued with Wu Er’s desperate longing for life and his lingering resentment over his past defeat, landed squarely on the tiger’s crown. The force dissipated the tiger’s bristling fur, and as the tiger’s head slammed into the ground, a distinct indentation appeared at the back of his skull.

Xiaohui did not let the opportunity slip; he brought his head down, smashing the bluestone slab onto the tiger’s head. Wang Liang followed with a slash, aiming for the Nascent Soul atop the tiger. He had never heard of a demon foolish enough to expose his Nascent Soul. Wang Liang intended to cleave it in two. He had no doubts about his success; his "Shocking the Hundred Miles" technique utilized the power of lightning, which could inflict significant damage even on a Yin Spirit, let alone a Nascent Soul.

Wang Liang’s strike caught the tiger completely off guard. The lightning-induced tremors of the Life-Severing Blade filled the Nascent Soul with dread. Instinctively, he raised a hand, and a bluestone slab materialized to block the blade. But Wang Liang had anticipated this. The moment the slab appeared, a seven-colored ruler flew from behind him.

The ruler struck the slab, releasing seven bubbles of different colors that enveloped it. Simultaneously, Wang Liang pressed down with his blade, slicing three inches above the tiger’s head and shattering the Nascent Soul.

Deprived of his Nascent Soul, the demon tiger let out a roar and began to thrash. By now, Wu Er had landed on the tiger’s neck, his left hand pinning it down while his right hand pummeled it with rhythmic, heavy blows. Wu Er’s attacks had become instinctive; his fists struck like a pile driver—devoid of grace, yet devastatingly effective.

Wang Liang watched as blood poured from the demon tiger’s seven orifices, and the beast’s body slumped lower and lower, its life force rapidly fading away.