33: Killing Tiger

Thirty li of mountain paths were quickly left behind beneath Li Qinghe's feet.

He wore the heavy leather-and-iron inner armor his master had given him, with his own hunting gear over it; sweat soaked his undershirt, sticking to the cold iron plates uncomfortably, yet providing a strange sense of security.

The ten heavy armor-piercing spikes in his quiver clattered softly as he ran, producing a dull metallic sound.

The closer he got to the Poisonous Miasma Valley on the western foothills of Black Wind Ridge mentioned in the intelligence, the more oppressive the air became.

A faint, grayish-green mist with a rotting, sweet, and metallic scent began to permeate the forest, making him feel nauseous as he inhaled it.

The vegetation grew twisted and bizarre, and the number of venomous insects, snakes, and ants increased noticeably.

Li Qinghe had already activated the [Breath Concealment Art], his entire being seeming to blend into the shadows and moisture of the forest, his footsteps light and his breathing long and subtle.

Like an experienced lone wolf, he followed the precise coordinates from the intelligence, silently creeping toward the depths of the Poisonous Miasma Valley.

Finally, at the edge of a damp hollow surrounded by massive, strange rocks and covered in slippery moss, he found his target.

In the center of the hollow, beneath a relatively dry boulder, lay a massive creature.

It was exactly the adult male tiger with pale golden markings on its forehead mentioned in the intelligence!

Its body length definitely exceeded twelve feet (about four meters), its shoulder height nearly reaching Li Qinghe's chest; its massive skeleton was wrapped in thick muscle, radiating a sense of explosive power.

At this moment, the vicious tiger was in an extremely strange state.

Its eyes were tightly shut, but its massive body was twitching violently and irregularly; the breath puffing from its nose and mouth wasn't ordinary white mist, but wisps of dark red Aura!

The ground beneath it was a mess, with the vegetation withered and charred as if scorched by invisible flames.

The air was thick with a heavy smell of blood and a violent, beastly Aura.

It was undergoing a transformation! Right before his eyes!

The power of the Blood Fiend Grass was rampaging through its body, tearing at its sinews and flesh, forcibly pushing it toward a non-human Domain!

The intelligence indicated there were nearly three days left until completion, but looking at its current state, it had clearly reached its most critical—and most vulnerable—moment!

He couldn't let it finish! Otherwise, no one in Li Family Village would be able to stop it!

Li Qinghe's heart hammered against his ribs like a drum, his palms slick with cold sweat, yet his gaze remained as cold as a rock.

There would only be one chance!

He silently took the hunting bow from his back, his movements slow and steady, fearing that even a slight breeze might alert the beast on the brink of fury.

He didn't choose an ordinary steel arrow, but instead unhesitatingly pulled out one of the [armor-piercing spikes] given to him by his master!

The cold, refined iron arrowhead glinted with a lethal, eerie light in the dim surroundings.

Li Qinghe took a deep breath as the two pulse gates in his body operated at full capacity; wisps of cool, moist Spiritual Qi were rapidly mobilized, silently coating the arrowhead to form a barely visible film of water with a faint chill—this was the strongest enhancement he could currently achieve!

The bowstring was slowly drawn back, making a faint but ear-piercing "creak."

Li Qinghe focused all his concentration on the tip of the arrow, locking onto the vital spot of the vicious tiger's soft side-neck, which was slightly heaving due to its twitching!

Just as the bowstring was about to be fully drawn!

The vicious tiger in the center of the hollow opened its eyes!

They were no longer the pupils of a beast! They were blood-red vertical pupils filled with chaos, pain, tyranny, and an eerie red glow!

It seemed to have sensed the cold killing intent locked onto it!

The transformation was forcibly interrupted, and the agonizing backlash along with the violent energy inside its body instantly found an outlet!

"Roar—!!!"

A deafening tiger roar, saturated with endless pain and fury, exploded in the Poisonous Miasma Valley like a thunderclap!

A visible wave of sound, carrying a foul wind and blood mist, surged outward!

Pebbles fell from the surrounding strange rocks, and the grayish-green poisonous miasma was momentarily dispersed!

The transformation ended, and the vicious tiger went completely berserk!

Its massive body sprang up with an unnatural agility, and with a foul wind, its blood-red eyes instantly locked onto Li Qinghe at the edge of the rocks!

That gaze was filled with a madness to tear any living thing before it into pieces!

Li Qinghe's pupils constricted!

There was no time to think; relying almost entirely on a hunter's instinct, he released his fingers from the string the moment the vicious tiger lunged!

"Twang—!"

The bowstring snapped loudly!

The armor-piercing spike, enhanced with the coldness of water spirits, turned into a barely visible gray shadow, tearing through the air with a piercing whistle as it shot straight at the vicious tiger!

Pfft!

Blood splattered!

The armor-piercing spike accurately struck the vicious tiger's shoulder blade!

The refined iron arrowhead, backed by Li Qinghe's full-strength shot and the water spirit enhancement, possessed incredible power, sinking deep into the flesh until only the fletching remained!

A stream of dark red blood with a scorching heat sprayed out!

"Awooo—!"

The vicious tiger let out an even more painful and enraged howl; the massive impact caused its lunging form to falter in mid-air, but after landing, it only stumbled once before lunging toward the rock where Li Qinghe was hiding with even greater speed and a powerful Aura!

The armor-piercing spike embedded in its shoulder seemed only to have added to its ferocity!

It was too fast! Too ferocious!

Li Qinghe's scalp tingled; he threw down his longbow, drew the hunting knife from his waist, and rolled to the side like a civet cat!

Boom!

The rock where he had been hiding was struck by the vicious tiger's massive paw, sending stone chips flying and leaving several terrifying claw marks inches deep!

A foul wind hit his face, carrying a scorching heat and a heavy smell of blood.

Li Qinghe rolled several meters away in disarray, but before he could even steady himself, the massive shadow of the vicious tiger was already upon him like a ghost!

A massive tiger paw, with a whistle that tore the air, came crashing down toward his head! The tips of its claws glinted with a metallic, cold light!

There was no way to dodge!

A look of ruthlessness flashed in Li Qinghe's eyes; instead of retreating, he advanced, crouching low and infusing his hunting knife with Spiritual Qi, sending a cold, watery light as he stabbed fiercely toward the vicious tiger's soft underbelly!

Simultaneously, he projected the sensory power of the [Water Mirror Technique], attempting to capture the trajectory of the vicious tiger's movements!

"Pfft! Rip!"

The hunting knife successfully pierced the vicious tiger's belly, but it only went in a short distance before being firmly jammed by the tough muscle and fascia!

Meanwhile, the vicious tiger's massive paw slammed heavily into Li Qinghe's chest!

"Bang!"

A massive, overwhelming force struck him!

Li Qinghe felt as if he had been hit by a stampeding bull; his chest throbbed with pain, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string!

"Pfft!"

He slammed heavily onto the slippery moss several meters away, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

A dull pain emanated from his chest, but more prominent was a cold, resilient sensation—it was the leather-and-iron inner armor!

The iron plates embedded in the inner armor let out a tooth-grinding groan of distortion; the massive force was dispersed, but the impact still made his internal organs churn and his ribs ache!

Without this inner armor, that single claw strike would have certainly torn a hole in his chest!