Chapter 10: The Tiger-Slaying Mission

The "Heaven-Swallowing Art" is a special supernatural ability awakened by most carnivorous creatures after achieving demonic transformation. It is the very technique Wang Liang witnessed when the leopard-headed creature devoured a large group of soldiers in an instant.

Generally speaking, among creatures that practice this art, snakes and canines are the most adept; they are not picky eaters. Other carnivorous creatures often exhibit flaws after awakening this power. For instance, felines cannot digest grass or metal, which is why the leopard-headed creature was forced to spit out the armor and weapons after swallowing the soldiers. These are the fundamental weaknesses of this particular ability.

Da Niu and his companions were well aware of this, yet they had no way to exploit it. Da Niu’s brothers had tried numerous methods, even going so far as to commission full-body armor that left them immobile, just to wear it into battle against the tiger spirit. It proved useless. Eventually, they concluded that only entities composed of refined metal could avoid being consumed by the Heaven-Swallowing Art. However, such metallic entities are incredibly rare, and even if one existed, it was not someone they could easily enlist. Thus, upon hearing of Wang Liang’s origins, a hope took root in Da Niu’s heart.

Wang Liang was somewhat intrigued by the proposal, but the problem was that he was not the metallic entity Da Niu and his companions assumed him to be. He saw no reason to risk his life for a favor. Just as he was about to refuse, a faint, almost imperceptible white light flashed across his left hand.

[Temporary Quest: Tiger Slayer 2]
[Quest Description: Use the Tiger-Slaying Axe Rune of the Gannan Xiao Family to participate in the slaying of the Tiger Vanguard.]
[Quest Rewards: Furniture Crafting Blueprint (Tiger-themed, random), Supernatural Ability (random).]
[Note: The Gannan Xiao Family exists to slay tigers; wherever tigers are to be slain, the Gannan Xiao Family must be remembered.]

Before Wang Liang could even accept the quest, the Tiger-Slaying Axe Rune on the back of his hand injected a beam of white light into his mind. It contained methods for crafting, nourishing, strengthening, and utilizing the power of the rune. Of course, since Wang Liang was not a member of the Gannan Xiao Family, he lacked the core techniques; what he possessed was merely the method to strengthen the rune’s single-strike potential.

Looking at the materials required, Wang Liang hesitated for a moment before saying, "I need all the information you have on that tiger. Also, I have a list of materials here; help me prepare them."

Although the vast quantity of materials Wang Liang requested made Da Niu’s face pale, he gritted his teeth and agreed for the sake of his vengeance. After Da Niu left to gather the supplies, Wang Liang did not depart. He sat where he was, closed his eyes, and began to commune with the Tiger-Slaying Axe Rune on his hand.

Soon, he uncovered the truth about the rune. It turned out that the rune he had obtained from the elderly man—who had been reduced to nothing but a head—was the old man's final remaining strength. The elder had originally intended for Wang Liang to kill the demon tiger, thereby activating the rune’s return mechanism with the tiger's energy so it could fly back to the Gannan Xiao Family. However, since the tiger was primarily defeated by Wu Er, with Wang Liang only delivering the final blow using his Life-Severing Blade, the rune had only partially fulfilled its function. Consequently, it lacked the power to return on its own and ended up attached to Wang Liang’s hand. Furthermore, because Wang Liang had left the game immediately afterward, the rune effectively became his. Wang Liang had remained oblivious to this because he had not encountered such a situation before, and the rune itself possessed no sentience.

The situation had changed now. By accepting the Tiger-Slaying quest again, the rune had officially recognized Wang Liang. If he succeeded in killing the Tiger Vanguard this time, the rune would transform into one of his own innate abilities. Understanding this causal link, Wang Liang became even more interested in the quest. He felt he could capitalize on this opportunity to master at least a few lethal techniques. Therefore, when making his demands to Da Niu, he specifically requested the highest-grade nourishing methods of the Gannan Xiao Family, aiming to secure a better reward upon the successful slaying of the tiger.

There were still many things to address. Wang Liang pondered the most critical issue: how to face the Tiger Vanguard’s Heaven-Swallowing Art. Based on Da Niu’s words, the art was nearly invincible—one either had to be an entity that could not be swallowed, or possess magical power far exceeding that of the Tiger Vanguard. Da Niu’s initial plan had been to rely on Wang Liang’s identity as a meteor-iron incarnation to avoid being consumed. But Wang Liang knew his own nature; he was clearly not of that path. Thus, he had to be stronger than the Tiger Vanguard. Or perhaps... a thought flashed through his mind: what would happen if the Tiger-Slaying Axe Rune were swallowed?

As the thought crossed his mind, a flood of information appeared in his consciousness. This time, the information was different—fragmented and filled with mere conjectures. It was unclear if this was due to insufficient data or because the rune itself was not that powerful to begin with.

Just as Wang Liang was studying the rune, Da Niu hurried back. He was carrying various materials, including cinnabar ore and blood. Wang Liang noticed that Da Niu was now wearing a hood. Upon entering the Iron Mountain Tavern and removing it, Wang Liang saw that one of Da Niu’s horns had been broken off, and it appeared that a large portion of his wool had been shorn. Da Niu, however, seemed indifferent to these injuries. He placed the materials before Wang Liang and asked with some confusion, "Why aren't you eating? Is the food not to your liking?"

Wang Liang glanced at the metallic food and smiled. "Now is not the time to eat. Let us eat after we have killed that tiger spirit. Let me process these materials first."

With that, Wang Liang took all the materials Da Niu had brought. Borrowing a large bowl from the waiter, he poured in the blood-based ingredients and began adding the ore. He wished he knew how to refine them using fire, but he lacked the training and knowledge. In the end, he simply followed the information transmitted by the rune, using his own techniques to blend the blood and materials.

After infusing the blood with a large amount of ore, the mixture slowly turned into a vermilion, translucent substance. Wang Liang extended his left hand—the one marked with the Tiger-Slaying Axe Rune—and coated every corner of it with the liquid, layer by layer. He stopped only when his hand had turned a deep blood-red.

"Once my hand returns to its original color, we can set out. But before that, I need to prepare a few more things."