Chapter 72

After resting for three hours, the sky was just beginning to brighten. For Xu Dong and his two companions, three hours was enough to recover most of their injuries. By consuming the divine power fruit, they stimulated their potential, guided their genetic segments, and activated their flesh armor. Both cellular activity and life energy had undergone a qualitative leap, significantly enhancing their recovery capabilities. At a certain stage of advancement, they could even regrow severed limbs, and only decapitation, heart extraction, or complete dismemberment could kill them.

As daylight approached, Blood Helmet City fell into a state of dormancy. There were no pedestrians on the streets, and the candidates hid themselves. Patrol teams from the Order Shelter donned their standard patrol gear and began their daily rounds. The vast city of Blood Helmet was quiet and stable.

Xu Dong was startled awake by Prayer and Sunshine's words last night. He had originally planned to remain hidden and wait until nightfall before moving. However, he changed his mind and decided to make good use of the daylight hours. He held two qualification certificates, and the mission was two-thirds complete. Although he wasn't entirely confident about the remaining one-third, he wasn't as anxious as he was on the first night. His mood relaxed, and he decided to leave the city to learn the Fierce Tiger Style. In fact, he had long planned to leave the city.

After all, the camp commander of the gate guards could enhance ordinary qualification certificates. Although meeting the camp commander was not easy, it was still a viable option. Since it was one of the methods, even if it was very difficult, Xu Dong was willing to do some preparation for any unexpected needs.

When he shared this idea with Prayer and Sunshine, Prayer shrugged indifferently and agreed to leave the city. As for Sunshine... seeing the stunning girl with a curvaceous figure and distinctive personality choose to leave the city, he immediately changed his mind and eagerly agreed to follow.

With their opinions aligned, the three set off without delay.

Although the city was under strict curfew, with residents hiding in their homes, the city gates of Blood Helmet City remained open. Surprisingly, there were no patrols on that stretch of road, which implied that the organizers and the city officials were quite willing for the candidates to take their fights outside the city.

Xu Dong and his companions arrived at the city gates without incident. To Xu Dong's surprise, the soldier who had initially tried to block them was the one to greet them. The soldier immediately recognized Xu Dong, and a flash of jealousy quickly crossed his eyes. However, he had to maintain a polite and proper demeanor, smiling and asking, "Is Lord Dong planning to leave the city?"

The soldier's reaction made Xu Dong reflect deeply. This was indeed an era where the strong were respected and power was paramount. Possessing strength meant possessing dignity and earning respect. Xu Dong nodded slightly, "I plan to leave the city. Is there anything I should be aware of?"

The soldier thought for a moment and lowered his voice, "Lord Dong, the city gates will close earlier than usual these past two nights. Don't miss the time, or you'll have to go through a lot of trouble to get back in. Also, many skilled candidates have chosen to leave the city these past two days. The situation outside the city is not as peaceful as inside. Be cautious in everything you do."

There was a hint of flattery in his words, as he hoped to mend their relationship. If Xu Dong joined the army, he wouldn't want to be in a dire situation.

Xu Dong and the others were slightly taken aback by the soldier's words, realizing that many powerful candidates had already left the city.

They bowed in gratitude and led the two and the dog away.

After the three left, a sinister man followed them out. He flashed his badge, which was neither gold nor jade, but bore a powerful and vigorous "Yang" character, indicating that he was from the Yang family. The Yang family held immense power in Blood Helmet City, and the gate guards dared not say a word. The soldier immediately stepped aside to let him pass.

Xu Dong was unaware that a killing god was quietly approaching.

Blood Helmet City was vast, and the lord's territory was even more extensive. The large forests and plains outside the city provided ample hiding spots. Xu Dong and his companions could easily find a secluded spot to spend the day, unless someone was deliberately tracking them.

Xu Dong was a person with clear goals. Since he had decided to learn the Fierce Tiger Style, he found a quiet and safe place and began to read the leather scroll containing the cultivation method. After reading through it, Xu Dong gained a certain understanding of the Fierce Tiger Style. The Fierce Tiger Style consisted of six sets of techniques, ranging from simple to difficult:

Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike!

Tiger Crouch Split Strike!

Coiling Tiger Whip Strike!

Tiger Back Adhesion!

Fierce Tiger Continuous Claw!

Savage Tiger Circular Kick!

Each technique corresponded to a level. For example, a one-star Awakened could only perform the Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike, while a two-star Awakened was required to fully unleash the power of the Tiger Crouch Split Strike. This was because to execute the techniques effectively, one needed to use the power of the flesh armor.

It was only then that Xu Dong realized how fortunate they had been to kill Yang Buk, who had already mastered the Coiling Tiger Whip Strike!

While Xu Dong was reading, Prayer also joined him. Her ponytail fluttered in the wind, and the strands of hair brushing against his face caused a slight tickle, which was quite pleasant. After reading through the entire text, Prayer nodded slightly and whispered, "The person who created this cultivation method is quite skilled. Even if one cannot fully utilize the power of the flesh armor, using it to train the body is still beneficial. With prolonged practice, one's aura becomes fierce, and even if the techniques are just for show, when executed, they are like a tiger descending from the mountains. Not bad!"

She glanced at Xu Dong, "I'm not trying to belittle you, but it's impossible to learn any of the Fierce Tiger Style techniques in a day. Moreover, practicing any method will inevitably consume a lot of energy. I suggest you take it easy. Greed leads to indigestion, and don't let it affect your performance in the first trial of the adventurer's assessment."

Prayer knew that Xu Dong intended to eliminate as many opponents as possible in the next three days, so she emphasized this point.

Xu Dong, being stubborn, ignored her advice. He was determined to do what he had set out to do. It was simple: if he was going to do it anyway, why listen to discouraging words that would only make him hesitate and falter?

Seeing that Xu Dong wouldn't listen, Prayer was somewhat annoyed and began her own cultivation, hoping to improve her strength before the final assessment. The more strength she had, the better her chances of survival.

As for Sunshine, he had no grand ambitions, only a love for women and wine. The forest was nothing but trees, and he was getting bored. He wanted to play with the wind-up toy, but the dog had to keep watch. Bored, he could only fiddle with the flowers and grass on the ground.

Xu Dong read the Fierce Tiger Style carefully and deeply, until it seemed etched in his mind. He then put it away and walked to an open area in the forest. He spread his feet shoulder-width apart, closed his eyes, and recalled every scene from his encounter with the yellow-striped saber-toothed tiger on Gray Cloud Mountain before he became an Awakened.

In his mind, the yellow-striped saber-toothed tiger leaped and pounced, its ferocity unmatched. The leaves scattered in its wake, and its aura was wild and domineering. The sense of that ferocity, deeply ingrained in his memory, gradually became clear. Xu Dong felt as if he had returned to that moment, once again facing the powerful tiger that had no chance of defeat.

Suddenly, Xu Dong's eyes snapped open, a fierce light flashing in them. He couldn't help but roar, like an enraged tiger. He suddenly kicked with both feet, sending a cloud of dead leaves and mud flying two meters high, which then scattered. Using the force from his kick, Xu Dong pounced! At the same time, his right hand formed a claw, fingers curled, like a fierce tiger's paw, and he tore at the trunk of a nearby tree with a ripping sound.

Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike!

The trees, over a hundred years old and extremely tough, had a large piece of bark torn off by Xu Dong's claw!

However, Xu Dong himself was not unscathed. The body of a one-star Awakened was still somewhat weak, and one of his fingernails cracked and split under the force, the flesh separating, and blood immediately flowed.

But Xu Dong seemed to forget the pain, tilting his head and falling into a deep contemplation, carefully sensing the Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike he had just executed.

"No, this isn't right. First, the aura is chaotic and not truly domineering. Second, the attack is scattered when it hits the target, not as precise as Yang Buk's well-honed technique..."

Muttering to himself, Xu Dong returned to his previous position, focused his mind, and carefully experienced the technique again, launching another Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike.

Another piece of bark was torn off. However, Xu Dong was still unsatisfied and continued to repeat the technique.

"No, the position of my feet when I start is off by a bit!"

"No, the angle of my claw should be raised by three degrees!"

"Still not right, the slight bend in my fingers is too much, hindering the concentration of force!"

The stubborn Xu Dong seemed to transform into a pure cultivation fanatic, breaking down and practicing each movement of the first technique of the Fierce Tiger Style, striving to execute the Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike as perfectly as possible. Even without fully utilizing the power of the flesh armor, he was secretly comparing his form and spirit to that of Yang Buk, who had spent years mastering the Fierce Tiger Style.

If anyone knew of Xu Dong's thoughts, they might have mocked him. After all, it took years of hard work to achieve such results, and he thought he could learn the form in just a short while? What a fantasy!

Sunshine, bored and fiddling with the flowers, could only watch Xu Dong repeatedly execute the Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike. At first, he was dismissive, probably mocking Xu Dong's various mistakes and imprecisions, thinking, "Why bother? It's just the Fierce Tiger Style for Awakened. Is it really necessary to be so intense? Life is short, enjoy it while you can."

But gradually, Sunshine's expression became serious. He heard Xu Dong's roars and growls, which grew more fierce and domineering as time passed. His Tiger Pounce Heavy Strike also began to show a hint of ferocity and wildness.

Sunshine swallowed hard, his face full of disbelief, "This guy has incredible insight! In just an hour, he's already showing a hint of the technique's essence!"