Chapter 63. The Eldest Son of Mount Beak (3)

"Ah!"

"What, what is it? A tiger?!"

People were startled by the sudden, terrifying roar.

Though it was unclear where it was coming from, it was definitely the roar of a tiger.

However, the roar was far too loud. It spread out in all directions like thunder, and just hearing it made one's knees tremble.

Half of the people walking through the center of Kaifeng collapsed on the spot. Their legs had given out.

"Tiger, it's a tiger!"

"Run, run!"

"Aaah! Get out of the way!"

The commotion quickly grew. In any era, the threat of tigers was considered as terrifying a disaster as bandits.

In an instant, the streets turned into chaos. Merchants hurriedly closed their doors, and people who were walking on the streets fled without looking back.

Even though the bamboo grove was quite far from the streets, such a commotion broke out. The roar was that overwhelming.

'No.'

However, the young man drinking tea on the top floor of a luxurious tavern in Kaifeng was certain that this roar was not that of a tiger.

'This is not just any tiger.'

Surprise filled the young man's face.

'Such qi (氣)?!'

The roar carried an immense amount of qi.

He had never felt such qi before. It was a blend of boundless madness that shook the heavens and earth and a mysterious majesty.

A roar that resembled a tiger's, but with a presence that could not be compared to a tiger's roar.

'Uncle?'

He was sure. The source of this qi was coming from the bamboo grove where his uncle, who led the Huoming Hall, had gone.

However, neither his uncle nor the warriors of the Huoming Hall emitted such qi.

Snap!

The young man leaped out of the window.

* * *

Bang!

Struck by a ferocious blow, Ming Zhishan's body slid backward.

'Oh no!'

Ming Zhishan's face was pale with fear.

The faces of the fallen Huoming Hall warriors were even worse, pale and blue with terror.

Some of them were even foaming at the mouth, having suffered a mental shock from the roar that erupted right in front of them.

Whoosh!

The wind grew stronger.

A strong wind swept through the bamboo grove, where a gentle breeze had been blowing. Dozens of bamboo stalks, standing straight, swayed as if they might break at any moment.

Thud.

Ming Zhishan looked down at his trembling hand gripping the hilt of his sword.

Blood was flowing from a tear in his tiger's mouth. The shock of the blow had overwhelmed the protection of the Dongtian Gong (東天功) of his family.

'Terrible.'

The sudden amplification of power.

Ming Zhishan looked at Lian Huozheng.

Whistling!!

A gale wind swept around Lian Huozheng, who was standing with his head bowed.

It was a gale and a whirlwind. The bamboo leaves on the ground swirled around Lian Huozheng and soared high into the sky.

And that wind.

The wind, invisible to the naked eye, seemed to be tinged with a pure white light.

"Phew!"

As Lian Huozheng took a deep breath, thick veins bulged and then subsided repeatedly on his entire body.

Joy filled Lian Huozheng's face.

'It's done.'

The breath he inhaled was filled with even more abundant qi than before.

His lung capacity rapidly increased. The strength of his heart and lungs, which had been improved through intense training, was undergoing an ideal transformation.

It was as if his lungs had undergone a complete transformation. The robust lungs, incomparably stronger than before, gave him the confidence that he could run ten miles with just a breath.

Whoosh!

His lungs were filled with white true qi.

'White Tiger Qi (白虎氣)!'

White Tiger.

The White Tiger, one of the Four Symbols (四神), is the Metal Deity (金神) of the Gengyin (庚寅) year, symbolizing autumn. It is responsible for the lungs among the five organs and six腑 (fu) and maintains the body's robustness.

It was different from Xuanwu. While Xuanwu expelled turbid qi, the White Tiger maximized the qi received by the lungs and spread it throughout the body.

Crack! Crack!

His bones and muscles seemed to be changing.

Not breathing properly could damage the bones and muscles. Conversely, active breathing could enhance the quality of the bones and muscles.

That was the White Tiger. It pursued attack and advancement with extreme physical strength and vigorous breathing.

This was why Lian Huozheng had trained his body so intensely. The White Tiger Qi was difficult to summon without a solid physical foundation.

The guardian deity of the West, the ruler of the wind.

It was the manifestation of the Great Emperor of the West, the White Tiger.

"Scoundrel!"

Ming Zhishan shouted.

"What kind of evil technique (邪功) is this?!"

Boom!

Ming Zhishan kicked off the ground and charged at Lian Huozheng, seeing an opening in the still-standing figure.

Bang!

Ming Zhishan's eyes widened.

As he kicked off the ground and took the next step, Lian Huozheng was already charging at him.

'What!'

It was too fast. And it was powerful. The force transmitted through the earth was immense, as if it could shake a mountain.

Lian Huozheng's axe swung in a diagonal line.

Whoosh!

"Ugh!"

It was monstrous strength.

It was a completely different kind of power from before. The density of the force was beyond imagination.

Pushed back by the intense pressure, Ming Zhishan hurriedly prepared to attack.

But it was too late again.

Bang! Bang!

It was a terrifying advance.

He advanced by stomping the ground. It was an explosive physical strength and an overwhelming momentum. It was as if a fierce tiger was charging, emitting a dangerous killing aura.

This was the true martial arts of Lian Huozheng. During the Black Shadow Emperor era, he was notorious for his devastating offensive power and relentless combat skills.

His axe, which had been tinged with a green aura, was now infused with a pure white White Tiger Qi.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Each strike generated a monstrous shockwave. Ming Zhishan's broadsword repeatedly bent as if it might break.

'Too strong!'

The qi emitted from the axe was like a violent wave.

This was beyond his ability to handle. The storm-like force generated by the axe seemed to sweep through the heavens and earth.

Bang! Boom!

And that footwork.

It seemed to have no intention of evading or counterattacking. It was all about advancing, and advancing again. Moreover, he was maximizing the power of the True Foot technique to amplify the force of the axe two or three times.

Lian Huozheng's eyes came alive.

'Good.'

The White Tiger's footwork, the White Tiger Dominance Step (白虎君臨步).

It was different from the Immovable Pillar (怪柱不動) of Xuanwu. There was no retreat or defense in the White Tiger's martial arts.

And the weapon technique.

Whoosh! Bang!

"Ugh!"

A scream mixed with a groan finally erupted from Ming Zhishan's mouth.

'What kind of martial arts is this?'

It was neither spear technique nor sword technique.

Yet it was strong. Much stronger, more refined, and more ferocious than the martial arts he had used before summoning the strange wind.

The Tiger King Nine Thunder Stance (虎王九霹勢), powered by the White Tiger Dominance Step, was a high-dimensional offensive martial art that formed the foundation of the Beast Spear Technique but was incomparably superior to it.

Crack! Crack! Whoosh!

Ming Zhishan kept retreating.

He couldn't escape even if he wanted to. The gale winds from all directions suppressed his body's freedom. In the midst of it, he continued to be pushed back as if he were a bull that couldn't stop charging.

But he couldn't keep retreating forever. If this continued, he would be decapitated by the axe without even getting a chance to counterattack.

Ming Zhishan roared.

"Aaaah!"

Boom!

Lian Huozheng's axe faltered.

It was a secret technique of the Thousand Observations Divine Saber (千觀神刀) he wielded with the Dongtian Gong. In a brief moment, he managed to use the secret technique to escape the danger.

"You scoundrel!"

Now that he had escaped the attack, it was his turn. Ming Zhishan's sword seemed to say as much.

Whoosh!

The fast and fierce Thousand Observations Divine Saber charged at Lian Huozheng's entire body.

It was an extremely fast and violent sword technique. He had successfully drawn Lian Huozheng in, but the White Tiger Qi had not fully settled. It would be difficult to block it easily.

At that moment, the Xuanwu Qi emerged.

Rumble! Whoosh!

"Ugh!"

Ming Zhishan felt a shock that seemed to break his wrist.

'What, what is this?'

From Lian Huozheng's body, which had been summoning a white wind, a dark blackish-blue mist rose.

It was the invincible defense, the Twelve Walls of the Northern Heaven (北天十二壁). It was absolute defense following explosive attack.

The White Tiger was responsible for advancement and attack in battle.

Xuanwu repelled threats with a fortress-like defense.

Attack (攻) and defense (守), a perfect combination. Having obtained a steel shield, he now finally held a divine weapon (神兵) that matched the shield.

Rumble!

After defense came attack. He took another step toward Ming Zhishen, who had been knocked back, and swung his True Foot.

Bang!

Blood spurted from Ming Zhishan's nose and mouth.

It was an internal injury. He had blocked the attack, but the shock had shaken his entire body.

Lian Huozheng did not stop.

He used the White Tiger Dominance Step to unleash the divine attacks of the Tiger King Nine Thunder Stance.

Bang! Boom! Bang!

Bamboo stalks fell one after another. The blood Ming Zhishan spat out increased.

'I'm losing...'

The tide of battle had suddenly turned.

'How can such a person exist?'

He had blocked the attacks with instinctive responses, but gradually his strength was waning.

On the contrary, his opponent's martial arts were getting stronger. It was as if he was gradually adjusting a poorly fitting garment; his attacks were becoming more precise at a terrifying speed.

'...?'

At some point, Ming Zhishan saw an illusion.

It seemed as if a pure white tiger deity (虎神) was rising like a mist behind his opponent.

'Monster?'

There was a monstrous creature with four legs larger than palace pillars and a tail thicker than rafters, a long neck, and a beast's face.

The black stripes crossing the snow-white fur were like mountain ranges painted by a master artist. The two blue eyes glowed with a phosphorescent light, and the fangs that curved gently downward were like steel blades.

It resembled a tiger but was strangely different, more mysterious and majestic, the ruler of the West, looking down at him.

It was the White Tiger, one of the Four Symbols.

"Aaaah!"

Ming Zhishan, spitting blood, slashed his sword at Lian Huozheng's head.

Lian Huozheng's axe swung from the lower to the upper body.

Splat! Clang!

From the right thigh to the left shoulder, a deep gash appeared. The broadsword he held broke in half.

Lian Huozheng, who had swung the axe upward, immediately brought it down.

Ming Zhishan's eyes filled with despair.

The massive axe descending on him was like the claw of the tiger deity.

Crash!

The axe that shattered the skull pierced through to Ming Zhishan's chest.

It was over.

Squish.

"Huff."

Lian Huozheng, breathing heavily, pulled the axe out of Ming Zhishan's body and looked down at him with cold eyes.

'He was strong.'

Ming Zhishan was of the same caliber as his father. He was a martial artist (武道家) who had perfectly mastered both attack and defense, regardless of his martial arts level.

Because of this, he had been able to summon the White Tiger more easily than expected. In a way, he was a grateful opponent.

Lian Huozheng turned around.

Almost a hundred bamboo stalks had fallen. It was the mark of him pushing Ming Zhishan in a straight line.

And beyond that, one Huoming Hall warrior who had not fallen remained.

"This, this can't be."

Ming Zhishan, a high-ranking expert representing the Qingbai Wubing.

Such an expert had been defeated and killed by a young up-and-comer who had not yet reached his prime. It was an unbelievable event.

Lian Huozheng slowly walked up to the warrior and stopped three paces away.

He pointed his axe at the warrior.

"Are you a Ming?"

The warrior involuntarily shook his head. It felt like the only way to survive.

Lian Huozheng nodded and then suddenly swung his axe.

Bang!

A loud explosion echoed from a particularly dense area of bamboo.

Lian Huozheng said coldly.

"Come out."

"...My bones are aching."

Behind the broken bamboo, a young man in his late twenties appeared.

The young man, Ming Kanglin (明康林), asked with a tense face.

"Who are you, really?"

Lian Huozheng smiled brightly.

"You are a Ming, then."