Chapter 100: Jiang An Battles the Tiger

“Soul Devouring Demon Form, activate!”

The Black Tiger Master’s aura surged dramatically. His lustrous green hair stood on end, each strand bristling wildly. With a fierce shout, he struck his chest with a heavy fist, then spat forth a stream of crimson and emerald essence toward the great black tiger.

The essence struck the “King” character emblazoned on the tiger’s forehead, instantly absorbed as if breaking a seal. A prolonged, thunderous roar erupted from the beast, shaking the surrounding wood and stone within dozens of meters into fragments. Suddenly, the tiger’s eyes blazed with an intense green light, like ghostly, abyssal orbs radiating from a dark chasm. It howled continuously, its already massive form visibly swelling in size. In mere moments, before Jiang An stood a colossal black tiger, as large as a small mountain.

Swirling black mist and overwhelming demonic energy radiated from the beast; it had truly become a formidable demon beast.

Roar!

With a mighty swipe of its paw, the Soul Devouring Black Tiger sent forth several razor-sharp wind blades. Jiang An shifted swiftly, but the ancient tree behind him paid the price—it was sliced into several smooth segments.

So fast! Jiang An watched clearly—just a fleeting swipe of the tiger’s paw unleashed such devastating power.

“Haha! With the Soul Devouring Demon Form in play, your life is in my hands now!” The Black Tiger Master, having lost a mouthful of his essence, had already retreated to the side. His face pale, he snarled viciously, “Soul Devouring, tear him apart!”

At his command, shadows flickered. The black tiger lunged with such speed it vanished from sight, a terrifying feat for a creature of such massive bulk. Jiang An too became a blur, weaving through the battlefield alongside the tiger’s shadow. Each flash unleashed catastrophic damage to the terrain, cleaving the earth and rock under the tiger’s razor-sharp claws into mangled ruin.

What was once a pristine mountain forest was plowed repeatedly, leaving behind a landscape scarred and pockmarked, hideously disfigured.

Bang!

Caught unawares, Jiang An was struck on the back by the tiger’s sweeping tail, sending him flying. His clothes were shredded to tatters by the force, and a purplish-red whip-like scar marked his back.

No wonder the Black Tiger Master claimed the great black tiger could withstand a top-tier Third Realm expert for more than the span of an incense stick’s burning. It was no exaggeration; in this state, the tiger’s strength and speed were truly astonishing—Jiang An himself had barely escaped unscathed.

“That’s it, exactly like that!” The Black Tiger Master was ecstatic as he watched. His formidable foe had taken its first wound. The first injury meant the second was imminent. This time it was the tail; next time, he vowed, he would tear off your head! At this moment, the master’s fear of Jiang An seemed to dissipate.

Yet Jiang An remained calm and unshaken—not humiliated, nor angry. After all, his cultivation was only at mid Qi Refinement stage. Though his body, forged through the Tribulation Scripture, was powerful, his cultivation limited his invincibility. He was even somewhat pleased—someone had helped him raise such a massive black tiger without sparing any cost.

Today, this immortal would be a tiger-slaying hero like Wu Song.

Resolutely, Jiang An set aside all caution and prepared to unleash his full strength.

Just then, the enormous tiger lunged again, like a dark cloud overshadowing the earth. Jiang An neither dodged nor retreated. He inhaled deeply, blood surging wildly through his veins. His right arm swelled noticeably, muscles rhythmically contracting as they coiled immense power.

Boom!

A single punch, like a mighty hammer, struck the black tiger and sent it flying. With a swift move, Jiang An appeared above the beast and descended like a thousand-pound weight, gripping the tiger’s broad back with iron-clad legs clamping tight around its belly. Pressing down fiercely, he pinned the great beast into the earth. A thunderous crash sounded as dust and debris billowed. The tiger’s limbs sank deep into the soil, immobilized.

Before it could struggle free, Jiang An’s fists rained down like a tempest, battering the tiger’s massive head relentlessly.

In full force, Jiang An was fiercer than any beast—a fist faster and heavier than the last. The black tiger howled in agony, struggling to shake off its rider. But Jiang An, immovable as a mountain, held firm, hammering blow after blow with the tenacity of a true tiger slayer.

Tiger fur and blood splattered with each strike. Even this black tiger, stronger than an elephant tenfold, could not withstand the relentless pounding. Though battered and dazed, its resilience ran deep. The tiger’s fury only grew, determined to fight to the bitter end.

But Jiang An’s energy, though enduring, could not sustain such exertion indefinitely; it seemed he would soon have to resort to his martial arts.

Roar!

In the brief moment Jiang An’s focus wavered, the tiger seized the opportunity. It arched its spine, flinging Jiang An off its back. The beast sprang free, and while Jiang An was still airborne, it crouched then unleashed a sudden burst. Its black fur bristled like a hedgehog, transforming into countless sharp steel needles shooting forth like a dark storm, seeking to pierce its foe.

Jiang An was ready. The first form of his Ten Dragon Fist—the One Dragon Break—was unleashed. A gigantic golden dragon’s head materialized, exuding overwhelming majesty and roaring mightily as it charged forward.

This was the clash of dragon and tiger.

The first time Jiang An used One Dragon Break was at the Qi family estate, where he had restrained most of its power. The second was at Mountain River Residence No. 1, used partially to avoid destroying his own home. This time, he would unleash its full might.

Dragon’s roar! Tiger’s howl!

Under the golden dragon’s rampage, the tiger’s steel needles shattered like black mist, dissipating into nothingness. The dragon’s head, like a shooting star descending from the sky, crashed into the great black tiger. The air around the tiger tightened like a cage, locking it in place. Desperately, the tiger charged the dragon head with all its might.

Boom!

A golden sphere appeared, expanding rapidly, shining like the blazing sun. A terrifying aura radiated from it. The stunned Black Tiger Master suddenly snapped to attention and fled—there was no choice but to run for his life.

Endless golden light swept across the land, illuminating heaven and earth. The explosive energy it carried tore through everything, ripping the surroundings apart. Even the ground trembled under its might.

Then, silence returned. The golden light vanished, the shockwaves dissipated. In the battlefield’s heart lay a horrifying crater, thirty to forty meters wide and nearly ten meters deep—a silent testament to the recent devastation. At the bottom lay the scorched black tiger, utterly lifeless, wisps of smoke rising in a tragic yet hauntingly beautiful scene.

Smack.

Jiang An could bear no more. Exhausted from overexertion, he collapsed to the ground, his breath faltering. His pores opened wide, and sweat poured like a torrent. He panted heavily, faint wisps of white steam rising from his head.

The Black Tiger Master was no ordinary Grandmaster, and the enlarged black tiger was equivalent to ten such masters. Killing both in one fell swoop nearly pushed Jiang An to his limits. Of course, if he had used the Twin Dragons Entwined technique, it would have been much easier—one punch, one kill, leaving nothing but ruins. But without the support of Cold Spirit Qi, his cultivation was too weak for that. Besides, he had his eye on the tiger’s corpse, so he couldn’t pulverize it outright—that would have been a wasted effort.

Jiang An rose, a blue light flickering around him as he conjured fresh garments with his magic, then approached the Black Tiger Master.

The master, slowed by the residual force of One Dragon Break, had lost both legs and was crawling forward with his hands, stubbornly tenacious.

“Enough crawling. You still serve a purpose to me,” Jiang An said softly.

The words stirred something deep within the master. Still alive? That meant he need not die. With great effort, he flipped over and looked up at Jiang An. Though in pain, he forced a flattering smile.

“I understand now the might of the demon,” he said, “I was blind to your greatness. If you would spare my life, I promise that the Divine Herb Mountain will no longer consider you an enemy! I swear it by heaven! You may even impose restrictions on me if you wish. Oh, and I can tell you a great secret.”

Facing death, the Black Tiger Master abandoned all pride, desperate to survive by any means.

Jiang An truly had no desire to kill him. Last time he’d gone too far and killed Bao Yi, and still felt some regret. Smiling, he crouched down and tended simply to the master’s wounds, sparing him from dying before he could speak.

“Tell me this great secret. If I am satisfied, I may lessen your suffering,” Jiang An said gently.

But to the Black Tiger Master, this smile was colder than eternal ice. Hastily, he said, “Actually, the empty Lang Stone you obtained was taken from Divine Herb Mountain. It contains nothing! As for the treasures inside, we had already removed them long ago.”

He watched Jiang An’s expression carefully, fearing that this revelation might provoke rage. But to his disappointment, Jiang An showed no reaction. The Lang Stone and its inheritance were of the estate—they meant nothing to him.

“Good, you’re honest. Now then…” Jiang An was about to press to the main point when his brow suddenly furrowed.

“There are fools who want to scavenge here. I’ll be right back.”