Chapter 8

After clearing the traps set by the Fire Wolf Gang on both sides of the path in the dense forest, Ling Tian immediately rushed back to where the carriage was parked.

However, as soon as Ling Tian lifted the pearl curtain of the carriage, he was struck as if by lightning, his face turning deathly pale, for Mu Xian had vanished without a trace.

Ling Tian circled the carriage several times, but found no signs of a struggle, nor any traces of a third person besides himself and Mu Xian. This only added to his anxiety and confusion.

Ling Tian instinctively believed that Mu Xian had been abducted by hidden enemies. The fact that this had happened was entirely due to his own carelessness, which filled him with shame and anger, leaving him at a loss for how to explain the situation to the Mu family.

While Ling Tian was immersed in endless self-reproach and anger, a piercing howl from deep within the forest suddenly reached his ears.

At first, Ling Tian paid no attention, as the Divine Judgment Mountain was teeming with beasts, and the appearance of a Flame Demon Tiger was nothing out of the ordinary.

Gradually, however, Ling Tian realized something was amiss. From the sounds, he deduced that the Flame Demon Tiger was evenly matched with its opponent, which was why the battle was so prolonged. This left Ling Tian quite surprised.

A Flame Demon Tiger was a third-stage beast, with strength comparable to a peak True Essence Realm cultivator. In Shitan Town, there were only a few True Essence Realm cultivators, and they certainly wouldn't be idle enough to come to the Divine Judgment Mountain to play with tigers. Outsiders wouldn't provoke a Flame Demon Tiger either, as there were many more valuable beasts to hunt in the Divine Judgment Mountain, and the Flame Demon Tiger was particularly difficult to deal with.

If it were any other time, Ling Tian would have been curious enough to investigate the situation in the dense forest, but now, with Mu Xian's disappearance weighing heavily on his mind, he had no interest in anything else.

"Could Mu Xian have grown impatient and gone home on his own?" Ling Tian sometimes had to venture dozens of meters into the forest to clear the traps, and he wasn't sure if he and Mu Xian had passed each other.

"Even if Mu Xian has disappeared, I should still explain the situation to my sister-in-law. And during my absence, the family elders will surely not remain idle. I must return to the family as soon as possible."

With a deep glance in the direction of the Flame Demon Tiger's roar, Ling Tian turned and sped toward Shitan Town.

In the depths of the Divine Judgment Mountain, Mu Xian was still locked in a fierce battle with the Flame Demon Tiger.

After nearly an hour of fighting, even though Mu Xian's body had been enhanced, beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his forehead, and his clothes were drenched in sweat.

However, Mu Xian's gains were significant. His footwork was fluid and graceful, his sword light dazzling and precise, and the coordination between his steps and sword techniques was approaching perfection.

"The Sword Steps are already at the pinnacle, and the Short Sword technique has reached a level of mastery. However, this black iron sword is too long to fully utilize the power of the Short Sword technique," Mu Xian murmured, a satisfied smile flashing across his face.

"Since your mission is complete, I won't play with you anymore." Glaring at the still formidable Flame Demon Tiger, Mu Xian let out a light shout. The heavy sword shadows in his hand merged into one, like a bolt of lightning, striking the Flame Demon Tiger's body with the force of a thunderclap.

The sword shadow tore through the sky, producing a deafening sound as it struck the Flame Demon Tiger's claws.

When the sword and claws collided, a grating metallic sound echoed in the air, and sparks flew.

Mu Xian's attack did not cause any damage to the Flame Demon Tiger's claws, leaving only a white spot on them. In contrast, the black iron sword in Mu Xian's hand developed a notch.

"Roar!"

The Flame Demon Tiger seemed to be thoroughly enraged by Mu Xian's provocation. It let out a roar and charged at Mu Xian with a ferocious momentum. In mid-air, its body stretched out, its limbs suddenly spread, and its size increased several times, like a massive tidal wave, instantly engulfing Mu Xian.

As the Flame Demon Tiger pounced, a powerful force erupted, sweeping in all directions. Trees were snapped in half, and the ground was riddled with deep cracks.

"Beast, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time." Sensing the sudden surge in the Flame Demon Tiger's aura, Mu Xian not only showed no fear but even smiled.

In the next moment, Mu Xian's body mysteriously appeared behind the Flame Demon Tiger. His hands moved rapidly, and countless powders fell like a fine rain onto the Flame Demon Tiger's body.

When the powders landed on the Flame Demon Tiger, it let out a long roar. Numerous growths sprouted from its body, making its once nearly perfect appearance grotesque.

The Flame Demon Tiger was bewildered by the sudden changes in its body. It let out cries of pain, causing waves of turmoil in the forest.

At the same time, the Flame Demon Tiger slammed into boulders, ancient trees, leaped high, and crashed down, rolled on the ground, and dug at the earth, completely ignoring Mu Xian, its enemy.

For a time, the forest was filled with the sounds of destruction. Trees within hundreds of meters were snapped, and large craters appeared, while the Flame Demon Tiger's once flawless body began to bleed profusely, mixing with its fiery red fur.

Mu Xian, like a small boat in a storm, always followed the Flame Demon Tiger, continuously sprinkling medicinal powders with his hands.

The blue, red, and green powders fluttered like beautiful fairies, dancing freely in the air before playfully landing on the Flame Demon Tiger's back.

However, once they made contact with the Flame Demon Tiger's body, they clung to it like a parasitic disease, rapidly merging into its body, no matter how much the Flame Demon Tiger struggled.

As the colored powders seeped into the Flame Demon Tiger's body, its aura grew stronger, and Mu Xian's eyes shone brighter. His divine sense was firmly locked onto the Flame Demon Tiger's body, not daring to waver.

In his previous life, Mu Xian's research in the field of medicinal herbs had reached its peak. When he could casually create top-tier potions, he began to lose interest in alchemy and started researching the forbidden field of magic herbs.

Compared to medicinal herbs, magic herbs had stronger effects, greater power, and a wider range of uses.

However, magic herbs had a fatal flaw: their side effects were too severe. They often sacrificed one function to enhance another, sometimes even sacrificing most functions to enhance a single one.

Due to the almost destructive side effects of magic herbs, they were viewed as dangerous and were shunned and despised by the secular world. Even with his great reputation, Mu Xian only dared to secretly research magic herbs.

Among the many magic herbs Mu Xian studied, there were both highly toxic substances that could instantly collapse a person's vitality and top-tier elixirs that could easily help cultivators and beasts advance in rank.

Once he delved into the field of magic herbs, Mu Xian couldn't stop. He discovered that magic herbs were the true elixirs, while the elixirs widely recognized in the cultivation world were only a narrow definition. Compared to the effects of magic herbs, the elixirs on the market seemed like children's toys.

Unfortunately, Mu Xian had only just begun his research into magic herbs and hadn't had enough time to build up the strength to legitimize them when he was betrayed by his senior brother.

What Mu Xian was now using on the Flame Demon Tiger was the Five-Color Blood Spirit Powder, which could cause the Flame Demon Tiger to undergo a transformation and advance in rank. It was made from Blood Spirit Grass, combined with Blood Python Branch, Iron Scripture Ginseng, Red Sand Leaf, and Jade Skin Flower. Mu Xian had casually picked these herbs while fighting the Flame Demon Tiger and used them on it.

"Thud"

"Thud"

When all the herbal powders in Mu Xian's hands were used up, two towering blood columns erupted from the Flame Demon Tiger's back. The growths that had been moving around inside its body seemed to find an outlet and began to emerge from its back.

In the next moment, a sudden change occurred.

The Flame Demon Tiger shook the growths that had emerged from its body, and then its body actually rose into the air.

The growths that emerged from the Flame Demon Tiger's back formed two large fleshy wings, allowing the Flame Demon Tiger to soar into the sky.

The Flame Demon Tiger floated quietly in the air, the blood-red in its eyes rapidly fading, replaced by a calm and indifferent gaze.

In the next moment, the Flame Demon Tiger silently landed in front of Mu Xian, coiled its body, and extended its head toward Mu Xian, its eyes filled with gratitude.

Mu Xian smiled and gently stroked the Flame Demon Tiger's forehead, as if petting a kitten. The Flame Demon Tiger did not resist but lowered its head, allowing Mu Xian to stroke it, its eyes showing great enjoyment.

As a third-stage beast, the Flame Demon Tiger had already developed intelligence. It knew exactly what had happened to its body. Without the human in front of it, it might have taken decades or even a century to advance, and it might have become prey to other beasts. After all, the Divine Judgment Mountain was vast, and there were countless higher-stage beasts.

Although the Flame Demon Tiger could not speak, it felt genuine gratitude toward the human in front of it and could sense the goodwill the human was showing.

"You are as red as fire, so I will call you Xiaohuo. You are the first beast I have in this world, and I hope you will always accompany me as I grow." Mu Xian was very satisfied with the Flame Demon Tiger's performance, and thinking of his unfulfilled ambitions from his previous life, his heart was stirred, and he murmured softly.

The Flame Demon Tiger seemed to understand Mu Xian's words. It raised its head and let out a long roar, then nodded in a human-like manner.

"Xiaohuo, I'm a bit tired. Guard me for a while and let me have a good sleep. This is your territory, so don't let me down." Feeling the drowsiness coming over him, Mu Xian said to the Flame Demon Tiger.

The Flame Demon Tiger, seeing Mu Xian underestimate it, glared with dissatisfaction and then roared to the sky, the sound echoing through the clouds, lingering for a long time. It seemed to be venting its dissatisfaction to Mu Xian and warning other beasts not to enter its territory.

Mu Xian smiled at the sight and then collapsed to the ground.

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End of the chapter.