112 The Skyborne Tiger King

"Xintian, we've been traveling all day and everyone is exhausted. Let's get some rest instead of going out," Huo Wanping said, calling out to Li Xintian.

"Grandmother, that's fine. You all should rest as well."

Li Xintian had originally intended to set up some defenses around the area to prevent any danger from approaching, but since Huo Wanping had spoken, he chose to listen. He returned to the spot he had prepared, lay down, and before long, the sound of steady breathing filled the air as everyone fell asleep.

A thousand meters away, a tiger lay on the ground, yawning. It looked up at the moonlight, stood up, and shook its massive body. Then, it opened its mouth and spat out a group of vengeful ghosts, known as chang gui. They were stuck together at first, but as they separated, there were twenty of them in total.

"Go to the ruined temple immediately and lure them out," the tiger commanded. Receiving the order, the ghosts flew off, rushing toward the temple.

At the entrance of the ruined temple, two servants were sitting guard. Suddenly, a cold, ghostly wind blew past, causing them to wrap their clothes tighter around themselves.

"It's freezing. You wait here; I'll go inside and get our cloaks, and I'll bring one for you too," one of them said, rubbing his hands together.

"Wait, listen. It sounds like there's someone out there." The other servant, who had been about to nod, paused when he heard a sound.

"Help! Help me!"

"Let's go take a look." Upon hearing his companion's voice, the man stopped, but then he heard the cries for help. It was a woman's voice—gentle and sweet.

"Have you forgotten what the young master said? Whatever happens, consult the young master first," the other man said, holding him back.

"You're right. We should tell the young master first." Remembering Li Xintian's instructions, they dared not leave. Instead, they turned back and entered the temple. This decision saved their lives, but Li Xintian had already opened the door; the gust of cold wind had already awakened him.

"Young Master, you're awake? There's trouble. We heard a woman calling for help," the servant explained.

"Come inside quickly and don't listen any longer." Li Xintian reached out, pulled them inside, and shut the door firmly.

"What you just heard was the deceptive call of the chang gui. They sound like beautiful women to lure you in. If you had rushed out blindly, even your corpses would be gone by now." Seeing their confusion as to why he wouldn't help, Li Xintian explained the situation.

"Xintian, there are at least twenty chang gui outside. They've all arrived," Hu Qiuyan said, stepping to his side.

"We didn't encounter any when we passed through here before. Why are there chang gui now? There must be a tiger nearby. I'll go out and take a look. You stay here and don't alarm the others; they won't dare come inside."

"Also, no matter what you hear, do not go out. The chang gui are masters of mimicry, capable of imitating voices and human forms. Even if you see someone who looks like me, covered in blood, do not go out," Li Xintian instructed her and the servants, wondering why they hadn't encountered this on their previous journey.

"Yes, Young Master." The servants naturally dared not defy him.

"Xintian, stay safe. I'll take care of things here," Hu Qiuyan said, knowing the temple needed someone in charge.

"Good, I'm counting on you."

Li Xintian opened the temple door and saw the twenty chang gui. They were all in different forms, but their eyes burned with resentment, wishing for others to join them in death. Li Xintian stepped out, closed the door behind him, and used his Haoran Zhengqi (the energy of noble spirit) to draw a character for "circle" on the door. Upon seeing the noble energy, the ghosts dared not approach.

Li Xintian summoned his Zouwu, jumped onto its back, and commanded, "Find the tiger."

As the Zouwu departed, it swiped its tail at the ghosts, causing them to let out piercing wails. The beast then leaped into the air. Led by the Zouwu, Li Xintian soon spotted a magnificent tiger. It had a pair of wings covered in tiger fur, and its body was three meters long.

"To think you actually found me, you have some skill. Wait, isn't that a Zouwu? If I could absorb you, I would certainly be able to evolve further." The tiger wasn't afraid; instead, it flapped its wings and flew up, looking down at Li Xintian and the Zouwu.

"Who are you?" Li Xintian demanded, having never seen a tiger like this before.

"I have lived here for ten thousand years. This is the first time I've emerged in all that time. Who am I? Ten thousand years ago, I was known as the Motley Tiger. Now, I am the Flying Tiger King." The Flying Tiger King licked its paws as it spoke. The barbs on its tongue were thick and dense, and Li Xintian could see that the tongue itself was as thick as a man's wrist.

Hearing this, the Zouwu bristled, baring its teeth.

"I've never heard of your esteemed name. If you call off these ghosts, we could be friends." Li Xintian’s expression darkened; the creature had lived so long, yet the moment it appeared, it sought to devour humans. He had to soothe the agitated Zouwu.

"You aren't qualified to be my friend. If you obediently hand over the Zouwu, I might consider it," the Flying Tiger King said, stopping its grooming.

The Zouwu could no longer endure this. In a blink, it dashed toward the king, raising its front paws to strike.

"A petty trick! You dare show off before me?" The Flying Tiger King inhaled, unleashing a powerful tornado. Li Xintian and the Zouwu couldn't dodge in time and collided head-on with the gale. The Zouwu’s face was distorted by the wind, but its hide was thick, and it remained unhurt.

Seeing his clothes torn, Li Xintian released his Haoran Zhengqi, forming a protective barrier for himself and the Zouwu. Raising his other hand, he unleashed a bolt of pale blue lightning, which shattered the tornado and struck toward the king.

The moment the Flying Tiger King saw the noble energy, its pupils contracted. As the lightning approached, it flapped its wings and dodged to the side. Undeterred, the king unleashed two wind blades and another tornado, attacking them like a typhoon.

"Zouwu!" Li Xintian shouted. The beast understood immediately, moving with such speed it seemed to tear through space, shattering the wind blades and the tornado into nothingness.

"I knew the Zouwu wouldn't be defeated so easily. It seems I must show some real strength. That was merely a warm-up." The Flying Tiger King wasn't surprised. It opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar that rivaled any sonic technique. Its body began to swell, its muscles rippling with power. Its fangs grew longer, resembling those of a saber-toothed tiger, and its fur turned a fiery red, glowing so brightly in the night that it looked like a second sun.

"Flying Tiger King, bring it on!" Li Xintian released even more noble energy and floated into the air; it was no longer suitable to remain on the Zouwu's back.

"You think this is all I have?" The Flying Tiger King channeled its demonic energy, manifesting a massive phantom image that covered its body, growing to the size of a mountain.

"A Dharma form," Li Xintian muttered. The Zouwu had used this same technique during their previous battles. The beast grew to match the tiger's massive scale. Li Xintian controlled his noble energy to manifest a giant tiger head of his own.

"Zouwu, let's end this quickly." Li Xintian took a running stance and charged.

The heat radiating from the Flying Tiger King reached 3,000 degrees Celsius. Though less than the surface of the sun, it was scorching. The sky turned a deep red, and the air itself felt like a furnace. Protected by his noble energy, Li Xintian dove toward the king. His manifested tiger head bit down on the king's wing, emitting a sizzling sound. With a powerful flap, the king threw Li Xintian aside.

The Zouwu seized the opportunity, pouncing on the king with its claws. The collision sent shockwaves rippling through the air, scattering the clouds. The Zouwu whipped its tail at the king, but the king tucked its wings around its body, blocking the strike. The Flying Tiger King then curled into a ball and rolled toward the Zouwu. The Zouwu countered with its own body, sending the king tumbling backward.

As the king struggled to steady itself, Li Xintian seized the chance, kicking the king in the throat while his noble energy-formed tiger head clamped down tight. The king let out a pained howl, feeling the suffocating pressure. The Zouwu flashed behind the king and bit into its wing.

The Flying Tiger King shrieked and began to spin like a top, trying to shake them off. However, the burning noble energy caused its Dharma form to falter, and it began to shrink. The king felt its demonic power being obstructed. As a ten-thousand-year-old demon, it quickly realized the source was Li Xintian’s noble energy.

Sensing grave danger, the king stopped spinning and pushed its temperature to the limit. Li Xintian felt his clothes starting to char, and the Zouwu pulled back, feeling as though it were being roasted. Gritting his teeth, Li Xintian traced a character for "Righteousness" in the air and slammed it into the king's body before kicking off and retreating.

"Noble energy!" The Flying Tiger King finally recognized the force. It tried to purge the energy from its body, but the noble spirit was like marrow—impossible to expel. As long as Li Xintian was present, he controlled the energy, and the king could not force it out. The king had no choice but to envelop the energy with its demonic power to stop it from further destroying its body.

"Speak! What do you want in exchange for removing this energy from my body?" the Flying Tiger King demanded, looking at Li Xintian with its remaining pride.