Chapter Thirty-Six: Battle with the Saber-Toothed Tiger (Part One)

"Everyone, enough talk. With this creature's nature, now that we've run into it, we can't escape. We'd best prepare for battle," Senior Brother Chen said, frowning slightly as he put a stop to the argument between Senior Sister Zhong and Wei Qiu.

Ji Mo kept silent. She had a notable trait in her character: she never spoke rashly about things she didn't understand. After listening to the exchange between Senior Brothers Chen and Jiang, and Senior Sister Zhong, only one thought remained in her heart: the saber-toothed tiger before them was exceedingly powerful. In its presence, fleeing would not be easy; their only way out was to fight. With that thought, she gripped her White Jade Flood Dragon Whip in her hand.

The saber-toothed tiger blocked their path, not rushing to attack. It looked down on Ji Mo and the others with a gaze that seemed almost mocking. Whether it understood their conversation was unknown, but its eyes were filled with a taunting intelligence. This was what set demon beasts apart from wild beasts—not only were their combat abilities unmatched, but their intellect was far superior as well.

It's do or die! Senior Brother Chen and Senior Brother Jiang exchanged a glance and simultaneously launched their assault on the saber-toothed tiger. With a flick of his hand, a pair of deep crimson hammers appeared in Chen's grip. He clashed them together, and a bolt of golden lightning materialized, crashing down upon the tiger's head. At the same instant, Jiang produced a blazing red longsword, leapt into the air, and swung a torrent of searing flames toward the beast.

The saber-toothed tiger roared, its four paws pounding as it charged directly at Senior Brother Jiang, ignoring the golden lightning that struck its back. The thunderous crack left only a patch of singed fur, causing no real harm. Witnessing the tiger withstand the lightning unscathed, Senior Brother Jiang was shocked and dared not go head-to-head with it. He twisted his flaming sword midair and retreated rapidly in another direction.

Having achieved nothing with its initial assault, the saber-toothed tiger became enraged. It roared again, twisting its massive body in the air to pursue Senior Brother Jiang relentlessly, not willing to let its marked prey escape. Jiang landed not far from the woman surnamed Zhong.

Just as he touched down, the saber-toothed tiger was already snapping at his heels. Shocked and desperate, Jiang could do nothing but swing his sword with all his might. Man and beast clashed in a dazzling close-quarters encounter. The tiger slapped at the sword, sending Jiang flying, but the flames surging along the blade ignited the fur on its paw. In pain, the beast stamped the ground fiercely, extinguishing the fire instantly.

Senior Sister Zhong, so close she could feel the ground shake, seized the moment when the tiger stamped its paw. She raised her golden ruler and brought it crashing down on the beast's head. As a seventh-rank Qi Refiner who had also reached the peak of the postnatal body-forging stage, she struck with all her might. Even with its incredibly tough skull, the saber-toothed tiger was left reeling, its head ringing. Meanwhile, Senior Brother Chen closed in, bringing his hammers down with lethal force.

Not only was Senior Brother Chen an eighth-rank Qi Refiner, but he had also reached the Transcendence stage in body forging. His red-gold hammers were his signature weapons. If those hammers landed true, even a body as formidable as the saber-toothed tiger's would suffer mortal wounds, if not worse. The beast, no fool, sensed this danger. In a whirlwind motion, it dodged just before Chen's hammers struck, leaving them to smash nothing but air.

Though it had evaded the hammers, the blow from Senior Sister Zhong's golden ruler had already driven the beast into a frenzy. As soon as it dodged, it raised its head, crouched, and launched itself at Senior Sister Zhong in a wild fury. Terrified, she dared not face it head-on and turned to flee, heading straight for Ji Mo.

The tiger's roar was as much a weapon as its claws. The force of its cry sent Ji Mo's blood surging, her breath coming short. Just as she steeled herself to resist, she saw Senior Sister Zhong charging toward her. There was no time to think; Ji Mo tightened her grip on the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip, ready to strike the moment the beast closed in.

The tiger was so swift that, just as Senior Sister Zhong reached Ji Mo, it was already at their heels. Ji Mo did not run. She raised her whip to lash out, but at that very moment, Senior Sister Zhong suddenly shoved her—something Ji Mo had not anticipated. Caught off guard, she was pushed directly into the path of the saber-toothed tiger.

Startled and furious, Ji Mo found herself about to collide with the beast. Her hand couldn't bring the whip to bear in time. In desperation, she ducked low and swung her left fist at the tiger's lower jaw. For tigers, leopards, and even snakes, the jaw is always a vulnerable spot. Despite the saber-toothed tiger's thick hide and flesh, Ji Mo's punch made it howl, sending it tumbling through the air. And this, despite her not even using her full strength. Had she struck with all her might, she would have shattered its jaw.

Stung by this underhanded blow, the saber-toothed tiger was driven into a frenzy. Landing on its feet, it immediately turned and lunged at Ji Mo. Having bought a moment to catch her breath, Ji Mo saw the beast charging again. She twisted her body, leapt into the air, and brought her White Jade Flood Dragon Whip down in a flash of lightning.

At the moment Senior Sister Zhong pushed Ji Mo, Senior Brothers Jiang and Chen, along with Wei Qiu, all turned pale. If Ji Mo were to die because of Senior Sister Zhong, none of them would have a good end upon returning to Thunder Peak. They had no time to berate Senior Sister Zhong; they roared in unison and charged toward the saber-toothed tiger.

But Ji Mo's quick thinking turned the tide. Not only did she fend off the tiger, but she was now locked in combat with it, leaving the others no easy opportunity to intervene. They had no choice but to stand aside, watching the fierce duel unfold.

Crack! The silver whip traced a beautiful arc through the air and landed squarely on the tiger's shoulder. The beast, which had scarcely regarded the whip as a threat, was sent flying by the blow. Senior Brothers Jiang, Chen, and Wei Qiu stared in astonishment. If Ji Mo's punch before could be attributed to luck, this whip strike was pure skill. They knew well how tough and powerful the saber-toothed tiger was, but Ji Mo's whip had sent it soaring. Was this her true strength?

Not only were they stunned, but Senior Sister Zhong, who had just shoved Ji Mo, was filled with both fear and awe—amazed at Ji Mo's power, and anxious about how she would answer for her betrayal.

The saber-toothed tiger, struck by Ji Mo's whip, now bore a deep wound across its back, the bone visible beneath the torn flesh. Shocked, it roared at Ji Mo but dared not attack again. In truth, its fury was directed less at Ji Mo herself and more at the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip in her hand—a weapon that filled it with soul-deep terror.