As the injured tiger limped back to its den, Li Qing emerged from the thicket, wielding a broad-bladed knife.
"Roar!"
The wounded tiger immediately became alert, growling at Li Qing with bared teeth. Despite its injuries, its ferocity remained undiminished.
However, Li Qing had come to hunt it, so how could he be intimidated?
His steps were steady and swift; with each stride, his internal power began to circulate, keeping his body in a taut state!
Seeing Li Qing closing in, the tiger revealed its sharp fangs, issuing a final warning.
In just a few breaths, Li Qing was already very close to the tiger. He halted, standing face to face with the beast.
For a moment, his thoughts wandered; he never expected that he would have the courage to hunt a tiger alone, and he felt not a trace of fear within.
"Although it's an injured tiger, I might as well play the role of Wu Song this time!"
Li Qing chuckled, swiftly drawing a Bone-Piercing Nail from his waist. His fingertips swirled with internal power, enveloping it with his external force.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his finger, the Bone-Piercing Nail shot out, slicing through the air with a whistling sound.
In an instant, a spray of blood erupted from the tiger's shoulder.
Though the tiger was covered in fur, its defensive capabilities were astonishing. A regular person would have been pierced through by such a strike, yet the tiger merely bled a small amount.
"Roar!"
This time, the already injured tiger was completely enraged. With the strength of its three legs, it lunged at Li Qing.
Dragons from the clouds, tigers from the wind!
A howling wind seemed to sweep through the forest as Li Qing felt the ferocious tiger charging at him, as if it had transformed into a massive mountain, exuding immense pressure!
In an instant, Li Qing's internal power surged, and his external force rippled outward.
Facing the charging tiger, he did not evade but drew his knife and slashed!
Swish!
The blade flashed, severing one of the tiger's claws that had struck at him.
However, the tiger's other claw came crashing down, directly hitting Li Qing's chest.
Bang!
Wearing spiked iron armor, Li Qing felt a tremendous force strike him, causing his blood energy to surge and his chest to feel constricted.
He staggered back three steps but then steadied himself in the stance of the Ancient Hammer Technique, uniting his waist and legs with the solid ground for support.
"Roar!"
The tiger howled in pain; in an instant, one of its claws had been severed, and the claw that struck Li Qing's iron armor was also injured.
The sharp spikes on the armor had pierced into the tiger's paw, causing significant damage.
Once he regained his footing, Li Qing drew three more Bone-Piercing Nails and flung them out.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Three more piercing sounds echoed as blood erupted from the tiger's back.
At this point, victory was assured.
Having made ample preparations, Li Qing faced the injured tiger with confidence.
However, he did not intend to end the battle immediately; instead, he performed an action that left Old An wide-eyed in shock.
Clang!
Li Qing tossed the broad-bladed knife to the ground, producing a crisp metallic sound.
"This..." Old An wanted to speak but ultimately closed his mouth, fearing he might disrupt Li Qing's hunt.
Li Qing's reason for discarding the knife was not to show off; he wanted to use the injured tiger to hone the True Intent of the Fierce Tiger he had learned.
"Come on, I won't use a knife; I'll fight you barehanded!" At this moment, Li Qing's eyes burned with intensity as he faced the ferocious tiger, eager for the challenge.
The tiger seemed to understand, shaking its head before slowly approaching Li Qing.
"Roar!"
This time, the tiger did not pounce but instead approached cautiously, rising on its hind legs and striking down with its powerful paws.
Li Qing showed no fear; he stood firm in the stance of the Ancient Hammer Technique, using the strength from the True Intent of the Fierce Tiger to unleash a tiger fist!
Bang!
Man and tiger engaged in a fierce struggle, relying solely on raw power.
Throughout the fight, Li Qing remained vigilant, protecting his head from being struck.
At the same time, he unleashed a flurry of attacks—legs, fists, elbows—enhanced by both internal power and external force, transforming into lethal weapons.
He was testing the results of his training in the Golden Body Technique, eager to see how far his physical defenses had progressed.
Unfortunately, while the Turtle Breathing Technique complemented the Golden Body Technique, the latter's advancement had not been ideal. Despite his efforts, Li Qing had yet to successfully grasp this skill.
Without relying on any external force, mastering this technique, which did not depend on talent, required three years to reach the first level!
Now, Li Qing had only been training for less than six months, making it difficult to achieve mastery.
However, his physical strength was not solely from the Golden Body Technique; it also stemmed from the Ancient Hammer Technique and the True Intent of the Fierce Tiger, combined with the Light Luo Leg. After rigorous training, even among external force martial artists, he was a formidable powerhouse!
As the battle continued, the tiger's strength began to wane.
It had sustained severe injuries, having just fought off a giant python, and now faced Li Qing. There was no chance of survival.
"Roar!"
The injured tiger let out a reluctant roar, as if it knew its time was short, its cry filled with despair.
Li Qing, however, was not one to show mercy; he could not let the tiger escape. His goal in ascending the mountain was to obtain the tiger's bones.
"Kill!"
Li Qing unleashed all his internal power and external force, concentrating it in his fists.
Boom!
A gust of wind swirled around him as his powerful fist struck the tiger's head with ferocity.
Bang!
The tiger fell, completely devoid of life.
Hunting a tiger alone, a true hero of the mortal realm!
No matter where one was, being able to slay a tiger single-handedly was undoubtedly a mark of a true hero!
Li Qing stood beside the tiger's body, panting heavily. This battle had drained him significantly, even more than his previous encounter with the Yan family in the Eternal Night World.
"Truly a wild tiger; even injured, it is so difficult to deal with, full of ferocity!"
Yet, despite his words, the joy in Li Qing's eyes did not diminish in the slightest.
The tiger bones were in hand!
After spending so long in Sheng Tian, he had finally gathered all the materials for two medicinal wine recipes!
This was undoubtedly a joyous occasion; once the medicinal wine was brewed, his martial arts progress would soar, and he would no longer need to rely on time to grind through.
Meanwhile, Old An, who had witnessed everything, was completely stunned.
This young man had truly killed a mature tiger with his bare hands. Although the tiger was injured, it still left him in awe and respect.
After catching his breath, Li Qing regained some strength, picked up the broad-bladed knife, and hung it back at his waist. Then, he hoisted the tiger's body onto his shoulders!
External force martial artists possess the strength to lift a cauldron!
This saying was not mere talk; warriors of this level were characterized by their extraordinary strength!
"Let's go, Old Man."
(End of Chapter)