68: lifeline

The group ran for their lives, their ears filled with the crisp snapping of branches and heavy gasps.

Liu Chunsheng glanced back, the thing still chasing relentlessly twenty zhang away. The wound on its front left leg slowed it down but didn't diminish its persistence in the slightest.

"Brother Hu, stop chasing! Go back and eat!"

Liu Chunsheng shouted as he ran, his voice broken by gasps.

"We'll meet again someday, no need to see us off. We'll definitely meet again if there's a chance next time."

"Roar—"

His reply was a deafening roar, accompanied by the eerie cackling of a baby.

"Yes, yes! If you keep chasing, you really won't survive!"

"Those horses, consider them your toll fee!"

"Little Tiger Demon, hurry back!"

"..."

Seeing Liu Chunsheng provoking the Tiger Demon, the villagers also understood and occasionally turned back to shout a few words.

Before long, the fur on the Tiger Demon's body stood on end, clearly enraged to the extreme.

* * *

"Young Master, what are they doing? Are they not afraid of death?"

Xiao Tao followed closely beside Zhao Tieying, her apricot-shaped eyes full of confusion.

They were already at a disadvantage, yet they were still provoking it with words. What was that if not courting death?

"Don't rush, let's observe first."

Shen Jianxing spoke to reassure her. If he wasn't mistaken, these people were the villagers of Chang Sheng Village. According to his elder brother, Chang Sheng Village was a miraculous existence, a rare paradise.

There must be a reason for them to act this way.

"Young Master, the Tiger Demon's injuries are slowly recovering!"

A guard's voice came. Xiao Tao glanced back and, sure enough, the twenty zhang distance had already shrunk to just over ten zhang.

The wound on the Tiger Demon's front left leg was healing at a visible rate, and its running posture became increasingly fluid.

If this continued, the villagers behind would be in danger.

"Xiao Tao, get the remaining Red Cinnabar."

Shen Jianxing commanded in a deep voice.

"Young Master!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tao's eyes reddened with anxiety. How could she leave the Young Master's side at such a critical moment of life and death?

"Hurry!"

"Yes, Young Master!"

Xiao Tao gritted her teeth and slowed her pace, pulling out a small cloth bag from herPregnant, quickly untying the string and scattering the red powder into the air.

The powder drifted with the wind, forming a faint red barrier.

"Red Cinnabar."

Seeing Liu Chunsheng and the others somewhat puzzled, Shen Jianxing briefly explained, "It can interfere with the Tiger Demon's recovery speed."

Liu Chunsheng's eyes widened in surprise: "Little brother, you know a lot!"

He wiped a bead of sweat, suddenly enlightened.

"So this thing is called a Human-faced Tiger Demon! No wonder it has a human face."

"Little brother, thank you!"

Xiao Tao pursed her lips speechlessly, murmuring as she put away the cloth bag.

"You don't even know what this thing is, yet you dare to provoke it. You're truly brave!"

"Xiao Tao, do not be rude to our benefactors."

Shen Jianxing gently admonished.

Liu Chunsheng, however, gave a simple, honest smile.

"No problem, no problem."

Behind them, sure enough, amidst the red powder, the Tiger Demon's running speed did not continue to increase.

A confused expression appeared on its distorted human face, making it look even more bizarre.

Taking advantage of this momentary reprieve, Liu Chunsheng quickly comforted the injured San Wazi.

During the earlier fight, San Wazi had a deep gash on his leg, visible to the bone. Although the bleeding had stopped, his face was as pale as paper.

"Hang in there, San Wazi."

Liu Chunsheng patted his face, "When we get back, let Uncle Wu take a look at you."

"Brother Chunsheng, there's no need to trouble Uncle Wu for such a small injury."

San Wazi smiled awkwardly. He couldn't bear Uncle Wu's medical skills.

Although he said so, the large beads of sweat on his forehead and his slightly trembling body betrayed his stubbornness.

Fortunately, ever since they started to Cultivate, their recovery abilities had improved by more than just a little.

This kind of injury wouldn't kill anyone.

* * *

The wind whistled in their ears, and mud splattered beneath their feet. Everyone had only one thought in their minds—Chang Sheng Village.

After an unknown amount of time, as the outline of Chang Sheng Village gradually became clear, and the familiar wisp of cooking smoke appeared like a lifeline in their sight, Liu Chunsheng's heart, which had been hanging high, finally relaxed a little.

"We're almost there, brothers, put in some more effort!"

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

Just as the last person stepped into the Chang Sheng Village territory, another roar came from behind. The Tiger Demon's injuries had completely recovered, and it was chasing again, faster than before, clearly having gone completely mad.

After entering the Chang Sheng Village territory, the villagers gradually stopped running.

Some playful ones, like San Wazi, even turned and gave the Tiger Demon a mysterious smile.

Under the Tiger Demon's bewildered gaze, a dazzling bolt of lightning suddenly appeared, as if striking down from the Nine Heavens, directly blasting towards it.

Bullseye!

"Boom—"

The Tiger Demon's fur instantly turned black and charred, and its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Only a pair of bell-like eyes still held lingering unwillingness and shock, before slowly losing all movement.

Liu Chunsheng and the others collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, the joy of surviving a catastrophe washing over them.

After a long time, Liu Chunsheng finally recovered and knelt down, bowing towards the direction of the temple.

"Lord Chuping, thank you for saving our lives!"

"Thank you, Lord Chuping, for saving our lives!"

"It still has to be Lord Chuping, handling this little Tiger Demon is a piece of cake!"

"Speaking of which, why is this demonic thing so troublesome!"

"Good thing we ran back."

"Little Tiger Demon, how does it feel to travel thousands of miles just to die?"

"Don't listen to good advice, suffer immediate losses. In your next life, be a good Tiger Demon!"

"..."

* * *

The stunned Shen Jianxing and his group: "..."

Shen Jianxing's pupils suddenly contracted.

That bolt of lightning came without warning, like a silver spear hurled by a deity from the Nine Heavens, piercing the Tiger Demon's body with unerring precision.

The dazzling white light left a burning afterimage on his retina, and the thunder that erupted in his ears made his eardrums ache.

"This... how is this possible..."

Xiao Tao's gasp was drowned in the lingering rumble of thunder.

She gripped Zhao Tieying's arm tightly, her fingernails almost digging into his muscle.

Zhao Tieying, however, was oblivious, merely gaping, the scar on his face appearing particularly ferocious in the lightning's glow.

The Tiger Demon's massive body stiffened for a moment, then crashed to the ground like a skin deprived of bones.

The smell of charring mixed with the stench of burning fur assailed them, yet Shen Jianxing even forgot to frown—his entire mind was captivated by the scene before him.

"Is this the power of a god?"

One strike!

With just one strike, the Human-faced Tiger Demon that had chased them so frantically was reduced to scattered remnants.

What kind of heaven-defying method was this?

"Young... Young Master..."

Xiao Tao's voice trembled, "What... what kind of Dao is this?"

Zhao Tieying finally found his voice: "This subordinate has traveled the Jianghu for twenty years and has never seen such a powerful lightning Dao..."

Shen Jianxing did not answer.

His gaze passed over the charred Tiger Demon corpse and looked towards the inconspicuous small temple in the village—before the lightning was unleashed, he saw a white light illuminate there. That must be what his elder brother mentioned, the key to this journey.

And his lifeline!