78: Canglan Tiger Cub

Shen Xiaochuan stood in the muddy water, his ankles still seeping blood and his body covered in scars. He had just slain the Canglan Tiger, winning an extremely difficult battle. He thought the storm had passed, but trouble came one after another.

He looked down at the sky-rending blade in his hand, its edge stained with dried tiger blood and bits of flesh. The Personal Guard Squad was tying the tiger's corpse to a stretcher, pulling the ropes extremely tight for fear it might fall off during the journey.

His voice was hoarse: "Are the photos finished?"

The Adjutant ran over quickly: "Finished. We've recorded thirty-six angles, and the crystal core fragments have been collected."

"Good." He nodded slightly. "Notify Ling Feng to take the body back to Skydome City. Do not damage the fur on the way, and do not lose a single piece of bone—I want it brought back intact."

The Adjutant took the order and turned to relay it. Ling Feng stepped out from the group, carefully inspected the stretcher, and added a few wooden boards for reinforcement. He said nothing, only nodding to Shen Xiaochuan before waving his hand to signal the team to depart.

Shen Xiaochuan did not move. He watched the massive tiger corpse being slowly dragged away, its four sharp claws leaving deep furrows in the ground. He knew this tiger was worth a fortune—its flesh and blood could help one become stronger or even promote an Awakening; its fur was an excellent Advanced Material for refining equipment, which was exactly what Lolia needed.

He turned and walked toward the lakeshore.

Standing by the lake, he closed his eyes and released his Divine Thought. An invisible force swept across the lake bottom, and seconds later, a System prompt sounded.

【Successfully occupied the Rare-grade Gold Mining Lake】

【Obtained incense value +602】

He opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth curling upward. The mining lake was his. For now, it could not be developed immediately and could only be temporarily marked. He took out a recording stone, wrote "Southeast Wetland - Gold Mining Lake - To be Guarded," and handed it to the remaining soldiers.

"Arrange for two people to guard it in shifts. Strictly forbid anyone from approaching. Wait for my next command."

The soldier took the recording stone, saluted, and stepped back.

Having done all this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. His body was utterly exhausted, as if he had been hollowed out. His right arm was still twitching, and a sharp pain shot through his left foot the moment it touched the ground. He walked to a dry rock and sat down, leaning against a fallen tree trunk.

He began to replay the battle in his mind.

From summoning Dian Wei to possess him, to the chain backlash, and finally to the last strike into the tiger's belly... every movement replayed repeatedly. Especially when performing the "Thunderous Overlord Slash," he had almost failed and only endured through pure instinct—his mastery of the skill was still insufficient.

If he fought it again, would he still win?

Not necessarily.

He raised his hand and stared at his palm. His faith points were still steadily increasing, three points every second, in an unending stream. But resources alone were useless; if his technique couldn't keep up, he would still lose his life at a critical moment.

He made a mental note: he had to kill more enemies to accumulate faith points as quickly as possible to upgrade his skills, and he could no longer over-rely on Heroic Spirit power.

After resting for about ten minutes, he prepared to get up and leave.

Just as he was about to move, an unusual sound came from the distance, as if something was approaching.

He stopped and listened intently.

There it was again, softer this time, nearly swallowed by the wind.

Frowning, he followed the sound, pushing aside wet grass and silt. In a small hollow in the ground, four newborn lives were curled up together.

They were Tiger Cubss.

Soaked through and eyes not yet open, they huddled tightly together, shivering slightly. Their breathing was weak, but they were still alive. A trace of lightning attribute energy remained on them, originating from the same source as the dead mother tiger.

He crouched down and reached out to check the breath of one—it was still breathing.

He looked back toward the mother tiger's corpse. Her belly had been distended; clearly, she had just given birth. No wonder her strength was unstable during the fight and she had struggled so desperately at the end—it was all to protect these children.

So that was it.

He gently picked up one Tiger Cubs and placed it inside the warming pouch he carried. This bag was made from the inner membrane of a fire lizard and could maintain heat for eight hours. The other three were also carefully transferred, carried by two members of the Personal Guard.

"Pick up the pace," he shouted to the team ahead. "Get the Tiger Cubss back, the faster the better."

The team immediately accelerated. He walked in the middle, one hand pressing against the warming pouch, his pace much steadier than before.

It was already dark when they returned to Skydome City. People were coming and going at the city gate, and seeing them return with the tiger corpse, they all stopped to watch.

Someone recognized it as a Canglan Tiger, and their expression changed instantly.

"Is that a Canglan Tiger?"

"It's dead? Did the Lord really kill it himself?"

"What are those small ones..."

Someone muttered under their breath, "Could it be that he couldn't kill the big one, so he took the small ones to make up the numbers?"

Shen Xiaochuan's gaze turned cold, and he shouted sternly, "Whoever dares to spread more nonsense will be dealt with for disturbing military morale! Today, I will show you what military law means!" The man collapsed on the spot.

He stood on the steps before the city gate and raised his hand to signal for silence.

"These are four Tiger Cubss I rescued from the wetland. Their mother is dead, and they have no one to rely on. I do not kill young beasts, nor do I waste life. From this day forward, they fall under the jurisdiction of the God Kingdom and will be cared for by designated personnel."

The surroundings were pin-drop silent.

Just then, a man sneered, "What's with this act of righteousness?"

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes turned icy cold. "Is someone like you even worthy of speaking such nonsense here?" Before he finished speaking, two Personal Guards had already rushed forward and dragged the man away, his pleas for mercy vanishing instantly.

"Anyone who dares to touch them is defying my orders."

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire scene became solemn.

A moment later, applause broke out in the crowd. His reputation in the city climbed rapidly, and his prestige grew immensely.

He carried the warming pouch into the city. Aphrodite was already waiting by the plaza, and seeing him return, she immediately ran forward.

"Brother! Are you okay?"

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Can you do me a favor?"

The Little Girl looked up at him. "Tell me."

"These four Tiger Cubss need to be fed. They are too small and can only drink ordinary beast milk, three times a day, at fixed times and amounts. Can you take charge of this?"

Aphrodite's eyes widened. "Me? Can I?"

"You can," he said. "I believe in you."

She carefully took the warming pouch, looking down at the sleeping little tigers inside, and a smile gradually appeared on her face.

The surrounding atmosphere also softened. People discussed in low voices.

"So little tigers are this cute..."

"I heard drinking their milk can make you stronger?"

"Shh, don't talk nonsense, the Lord just ordered their protection."

Who could endure being questioned as a hypocrite? Shen Xiaochuan was determined to prove himself through action!

He stood quietly to the side, watching as Aphrodite carried the warming pouch slowly into the distance. She walked extremely slowly, for fear of disturbing the little lives in her arms. Two Believers followed behind her, carrying milk bottles to assist.

The city lights grew brighter. From afar came the sound of blacksmiths striking weapons, and children could be seen running and laughing in the streets. Anna came to report on her work, and seeing this scene, she gave a light laugh and quietly left.

He looked down at his hand. The bleeding had stopped, but the wounds remained. He would still need to tend to them tomorrow.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly felt a slight movement in his bosom.

It was that green-grey scale he had been carrying with him.

He took it out to examine it. On the back were carved the words "Year of Guiwei - Southeast Forbidden Land," the handwriting clear, as if intentionally left behind.

He gazed at it for a long time, his resolve firm: What exactly was hidden in that Forbidden Ground? One day, I will uncover the truth and make everyone who looked down on me kneel in submission!

In the distance, the first Tiger Cubs let out a soft cry from within the warming pouch.