Chapter 57: The Vengeful Spirit and the Ferocious Tiger

The Thunder Pearl suddenly erupted with dazzling light, releasing a surge of thunder energy that was absorbed by the Sea of Thunder, causing it to instantly double in size.

Qi Sea Third Level, breakthrough.

Ling Chi was overjoyed—was this not killing two birds with one stone? Sensing the turbulent and majestic changes within his Sea of Thunder, he resolved that beast cores were truly precious. He wondered if the Four Seas Trading Guild sold them ready-made; wasn't this the very shortcut he had been seeking? Ling Chi mused over this in his heart.

After a short while, Ling Chi continued dissecting the blue serpent, heading straight for its head. Sure enough, he found a beast core radiating cold blue energy.

After repeated probing, the Thunder Pearl showed no further reaction, confirming for Ling Chi that his Thunder Pearl only consumed beast cores with thunder attributes. But thunder beasts were rare; from now on, it would all depend on luck.

He stowed away the cold attribute beast core, discarded the serpent flesh—its foul stench rendering it inedible—keeping only the gall and skin, and extracted two tendons, twisting them into a belt around his waist.

Ling Chi, carrying his saber, pressed deeper into the ancient forest; he had yet to find the creature that had bitten through the mountain fiend’s leg and was in no hurry to leave.

Now that he had reached Qi Sea Third Level, his speed had visibly increased. Using Thunder Flash, he could leap a hundred yards in a single breath, though the physical drain was substantial.

Ordinary cultivators at this level could only perform Thunder Flash two or three dozen times before exhausting themselves, but Ling Chi had no such fear—his Sea of Thunder was inexhaustible.

Ling Chi continued searching the forest, relying solely on his physical prowess to move quickly yet quietly in this perilous environment.

His eyes and ears were keen, his spiritual sense enveloping a hundred yards around him; he dared not fully extend it, lest overexertion leave him mentally fatigued—a dangerous state in such surroundings.

He glimpsed something dart past and hurriedly crept after it.

It was a young man in blue, his filthy clothes unwashed for years, smeared with unidentifiable animal fluids, as though he had been swallowed and spat out by some creature.

A sudden thought struck Ling Chi; he picked up a pebble, flicked it with his fingers, and it landed softly on the stranger’s nape.

The man turned to look at him, his face pale with a hint of purple, lips black, hair matted to his skin with sticky fluids, limbs concealed beneath his clothes. It was, unmistakably, a Chang Ghost.

Chang Ghosts were people devoured by tigers, transformed into slaves to lure others into becoming prey. The saying “serving as a Chang for the tiger” originated from this.

Where there was a Chang Ghost, an evil tiger was surely nearby. This Chang Ghost possessed the strength of the Opening Meridian Realm—so the tiger must be at least Qi Sea level.

Ling Chi’s eyes gleamed—his opportunity had arrived; this place was his fortune.

The Chang Ghost, oblivious to Ling Chi’s presence, continued onward. Ling Chi followed at a distance.

Today, he thought, I’ll make you a guide for me. Let’s see how your tiger master treats you.

The Chang Ghost wandered for a long time, finding nothing, then quickened his pace in one direction.

Excited, Ling Chi hurried after him, afraid to miss the feast. After a long trek, he heard a tiger’s roar not far ahead.

The Chang Ghost shuddered in fear, slowing down, which infuriated Ling Chi—cowardly wretch.

Now that they’d reached the end of the road, Ling Chi decided not to leave him alive. His pace quickened, arm straightened, and his saber flashed, cleaving the Chang Ghost in two.

Dozens of strands of spiritual energy flowed back to Ling Chi—this wretch had harmed many. Where in these wild woods had he come from?

Ling Chi stopped pondering, unleashed his full speed, and charged toward the tiger’s roar.

The evil tiger, sensing its Chang Ghost had failed yet again, roared in anger, only to realize the next instant the Chang Ghost’s presence had vanished.

The Qi Sea Second Level evil tiger was alarmed—something powerful had eliminated the Chang Ghost, likely someone of its own realm.

Savage beasts who reached Qi Sea level were no fools. It prepared to flee, to avoid trouble.

As it exited its den, it was struck by a volley of thunder, unable to dodge, its body scorched black.

Ling Chi arrived at the tiger’s lair to see a massive black-spotted evil tiger emerging. Without hesitation, he sent a bolt of lightning at it.

The sudden attack enraged the beast; its innate Tiger Fiend erupted, manifesting a giant spectral tiger behind it, which lunged at Ling Chi.

Ling Chi drew his blade, leapt into the air amidst a storm of thunder, and struck the spectral tiger, causing it to waver.

“Ha!”

The syllable shattered souls.

A miniature thunder dragon burst forth; the Tiger Fiend shadow was instantly destroyed.

Thunder rolled, scattering leaves and trees for a hundred yards.

The evil tiger staggered as if struck hard. Ling Chi planted his blade and charged; his fists, like cannonballs, were tightly clenched. He twisted his waist, swinging his fist like a boulder tumbling from a mountaintop, smashing into the tiger’s side.

“Crack!”

Bones splintered. The tiger’s eyes, large as a child’s head, bulged; before it could cry out, Ling Chi’s second punch landed, breaking its ribs.

His fists fell like rain, battering the tiger like a sandbag, making it thud and thump incessantly.

Ling Chi, exerting all his strength, brought his elbow down like a spear, crashing onto the tiger’s neck. Its head slumped to the ground, lifeless, four hundred strands of thunder spiritual energy returning to him.

Just before attacking, Ling Chi had a sudden inspiration—he wanted the tiger’s complete hide for his master’s upcoming birthday.

Seeing the tiger was weaker than himself, he decided to use his fists.

He sliced open the tiger’s corpse, discarded the organs, and kept everything else to carry back.

Tiger bones and meat were precious, especially from a Qi Sea realm beast.

He pried open the tiger’s jaws, probing until he found a shimmering beast core, swirling with fiendish energy—a true Fiend Core.

Within the tiger’s den, a mountain of jumbled bones—human and animal—was piled high. Among them were the two thick leg bones of the mountain fiend; the tiger had indeed bitten it.

Ling Chi flicked a particle of pure Yang energy, igniting the bones until they turned to ash.

He hoisted the several-hundred-kilogram tiger corpse, ready to return home, retracing his path. Passing by the small lake, he found the two serpent carcasses devoured, only their stark white bones remaining.

Ling Chi explored the lakeshore, sliced off a bloody chunk of tiger meat, and tossed it into the water. Through the clear depths, his sharp eyes could find nothing.

Shaking his head in disappointment, he carried the tiger off. The once wild forest, now cleared, was eerily silent; the atmosphere grew strange, and Ling Chi’s heart began to tighten.

It was happening again—the sensation of being watched, just as before. He expanded his spiritual sense to two hundred yards, his current limit, but found no living beings within range.

The watcher was surely beyond two hundred yards. As the feeling intensified, Ling Chi guessed this time the entity would make its move.

Feigning ignorance, Ling Chi rested his hand on his saber’s hilt, preparing a thunder strike.

Passing the massive boulder from earlier, he acted as if stopping to rest, set down the tiger corpse, twisted his waist to loosen his muscles, all the while scanning his surroundings.

At the instant he grasped the tiger corpse, his hair stood on end, goosebumps erupted, his scalp tingled, back chilled—his sixth sense and martial intuition flared.

He saw a pair of feet atop the boulder beside the tiger corpse. He was certain that when he set the tiger down, nothing had been there.