Chapter 34

In a life-or-death situation, this white tiger still had the leisure to joke around. Wu Zhenggong was surrounded by a red mist, and at first glance, it seemed as if he was draped in red and gold. However, what he said did make some sense; the sword qi cultivation of this uncle, the head of the Sword Sect of Mountains and Waters, was indeed weaker than that of his fellow disciples.

The Sword Sect of Mountains and Waters practiced sword dao, and after cultivating sword qi, there was no longer a need to use real swords, but to directly condense qi into a sword. The sword qi formed should be as "pure and condensed" as possible, with the more pure and condensed the better. Just now, Wu Zhenggong's sword qi split a small tree into pieces, looking fierce and powerful, but it actually indicated that his sword qi was impure and mixed. Splitting a tree was easy, but if it were a cultivator's magical tool or other protective magical item, or a protective shield formed by magical power, it would probably just scatter upon impact.

Wu Zhenggong had always been highly self-regarded, both fond of boasting and extremely concerned about his reputation. Just now, in front of the monk Baku, he was shaken by the tiger's roar emitted by the tiger demon's mystic core, causing his body to waver. He was also deeply engrossed in criticizing the 'unworthy disciple' with great enthusiasm, so he was caught off guard. Otherwise, with his cultivation, at such a distance, if he had been focused and on guard, it would not have been so easy for a tiger demon that had just transformed to disturb him with its roar. If this were to be known, it would be a laughingstock. Moreover, he was talking confidently in front of the high monk Baku at that time!

Wu Zhenggong was now both ashamed and angry. He cursed his three disciples in his heart, thinking they were truly useless, unable to subdue such a small tiger demon. If they had used a sword formation to trap it earlier, he wouldn't have been embarrassed in front of Baku! He didn't care about his status and personally chased after the tiger, only to be mocked again by the white tiger. The tiger demon's casual ridicule hit a sore spot, making his face turn frighteningly dark! He gritted his teeth and secretly vowed that once he caught this tiger demon, he would flay it and tear it apart to satisfy his hatred! He then fully mobilized his magical power, making his figure even faster.

Although the white tiger was joking, it was also deliberately provoking the old man to create an opportunity to counterattack or escape. It was cautious in its heart. This area was a large open space, and not far ahead was a dense forest. When it escaped earlier, it had already decided to head for that forest. Compared to the open space, once it entered the forest, it would be greatly advantageous.

Just then, the white tiger suddenly heard a sharp whistling sound coming from ahead. Looking up, it almost jumped in fright, seeing three sharp green sword qi streaks rushing straight at it. The old man from the Sword Sect of Mountains and Waters had finally reacted, and his cultivation was far superior to the white tiger. He immediately condensed three sword qi streaks to intercept the white tiger.

The white tiger had no choice but to turn to the left and flee, but before it had taken two steps, another whistling sound came, and three more sword qi streaks rushed towards it. The white tiger cursed the old man for being despicable, roared, and turned to charge at Wu Zhenggong.

Wu Zhenggong was also taken aback. Why did the white tiger turn around and charge at him? Did it want to die? He had just condensed three sword qi streaks to prevent the white tiger from escaping to the right. The three sword qi streaks had just been released and were about to turn to block the white tiger from the right.

He thought the white tiger would flee to the left after encountering the sword qi, so he sent three more sword qi streaks to the left. Then, he thought the white tiger would flee to the right after being attacked from the left, so he cleverly sent three more sword qi streaks to the right!

He didn't expect the white tiger to dare to charge at him head-on. Wu Zhenggong didn't care about the extra three sword qi streaks, stopped, and sneered. His right hand formed a sword shape, and a green sword qi flickered at his fingertips, waiting for the white tiger to get closer to strike it down with one blow! He thought that with his sword qi cultivation, this one blow would split the white tiger's belly and make it bleed all over the ground. Thinking of this, his sneer grew even more pronounced!

The white tiger, of course, knew his intentions, but given the current situation, it had no choice but to fight for its life. Only by injuring this old man would it have a chance to escape. As it ran swiftly, it opened its mouth and spat out its mystic core. The mystic core immediately emitted a deafening roar, not spreading out but focusing on Wu Zhenggong. It seemed that the tiger demon had mastered this skill very well!

The white tiger charged, and the roar reached Wu Zhenggong's ears. He mobilized the red mist to resist the impact of the roar on his spirit. In an instant, the red mist flowed around him, and he saw the white tiger leap towards him. The red mist suddenly burst, enveloping his figure, and the sword qi at his fingertips grew sharply. He swung his sword, and the sword qi aimed straight for the white tiger's neck, intending to cut off its head!

At this moment, a Buddhist chant was heard, and the monk Baku suddenly appeared, leaping between the sword qi and the white tiger. He struck out with both hands, and two golden lights shot out, hitting the sword qi and the white tiger. The white tiger was immediately knocked to the ground, motionless, seemingly stunned. The golden light and the sword qi collided without a sound, and they directly merged and canceled each other out, without any collision.

Wu Zhenggong saw this and felt a chill in his heart. This monk was far more skilled than him. One punch looked extremely powerful, but it actually neutralized his sword qi without directly colliding with it. More impressively, the monk simultaneously struck the white tiger with a powerful punch, showing his ability to use two different techniques at the same time, achieving a level of perfection. This left Wu Zhenggong deeply shocked. The monk was of the same generation as him, but his cultivation of the Vajra Dharma was far beyond his reach, making him feel somewhat embarrassed!

The monk Baku resolved the conflict with his two punches, landed lightly, and smiled at Wu Zhenggong, "Mr. Wu, I apologize. I come to ask for a favor!"

Wu Zhenggong's lips twitched, and he forced a smile, "Master, you are too polite. What is your request?"

As they were talking, the three disciples of the Sword Sect of Mountains and Waters ran over, swords in hand, ready to attack the fallen white tiger, but Wu Zhenggong stopped them. They dared not act rashly and stood behind Wu Zhenggong.

The monk Baku then smiled, "Mr. Wu, I come from White Tiger Temple. Today, I saw that this demon's original form is a white tiger. By a stroke of luck, I felt a connection and want to ask for a favor to make this demon my mount! I have twelve Clear Spirit Pills here as a token of gratitude. What do you think?" He then took out a white porcelain bottle.

Wu Zhenggong thought, "Monk Baku, you practice asceticism and always travel on foot. Using this white tiger as a mount would be a violation of your vows. You are asking for this demon's life for this reason, and if I don't give you face, it would be hard to explain. Besides, you are offering a bottle of Clear Spirit Pills, known for their ability to detoxify and purify the body. You are willing to give such valuable pills for this demon! However, you will see through the lie that this demon attacked us unprovoked... Well, I guess you have already noticed something was amiss, otherwise you wouldn't have come to ask for this demon's life. But even if you see through it, what can I do? I can simply deny it, insisting that the demon attacked us unprovoked. Cultivators would never believe a demon over a respected elder of the Sword Sect of Mountains and Waters."

He thought for a moment and then laughed, "Master, you are too polite. Your compassion for this creature is admirable. A word from you is enough, and there's no need to offer the pills. If you command it, we will spare the demon. As for the pills..."

One of the disciples with a hooked nose behind him urgently said, "Uncle!"

Wu Zhenggong waved his hand to stop him, "No need to say more, I have my reasons!" He then smiled at the monk Baku, "As for the pills, I cannot accept them. If the cultivators find out, they might think I traded the demon's life for a bottle of pills!"

The monk Baku smiled, "Mr. Wu, we met at the Buddhist and Daoist Conference ten years ago. Today, you and your disciples are practicing in the world, and we meet by chance. I offer these pills to your disciples as a token of goodwill. Please don't refuse!"

Wu Zhenggong laughed, "If you insist, I cannot refuse. Can you, please, take it! You three, thank Master Baku!"

The disciple with the hooked nose stepped forward, took the porcelain bottle, and returned to the others. They all bowed to the monk Baku, who also clasped his hands in return. Lu Zheng, standing behind the monk, saw everything clearly and was even more disapproving of Wu Zhenggong.

Wu Zhenggong smiled, "Master, we have delayed our journey for this matter. We must hurry to the human world. If you have time, please visit the Chugao Peak of Tongmeng Mountain. The Sword Sect of Mountains and Waters will welcome you! Please!"

With that, he led the three disciples away.

After they left, the monk Baku gently tapped the white tiger's forehead, releasing the seal. The white tiger immediately stood up and transformed back into the tiger-skinned man. He said, "Your punch was truly powerful, sealing my original form and making me immobile. You are truly skilled!"

The monk Baku smiled, "Since you are unharmed, let's go our separate ways." He then turned and left.

The tiger-skinned man hurried after him, "I am a tiger, not a man. I heard clearly that you saved me from that old man and said you wanted me as your mount. Since you saved my life, I can be your mount without any problem!"

The monk Baku smiled, "I see that you have a simple