The white bone staff swept with heaven-burning flames. Before it even reached him, the scorching heatwave choked Chen Qing's breath and curled his hair!
A peak Meridian Condensing Realm expert, with half a foot already stepping into the Aperture Opening Realm—his enraged strike held enough force to split steles and shatter rocks!
Dark-red vicious light shot from Chen Qing's eyes. He knew he absolutely could not meet it head-on! His footwork shifted in an uncanny change, and he pushed the shadow-clinging movement technique within the Black Tiger Fist intent to its limit, barely slipping past the edge of the staff! At the same time, his ring-pommel saber carried bleak black-red Killing Intent like a venomous snake leaving its hole, stabbing straight at the opening beneath Wugutuo's ribs!
"Humph! A trifling trick!" Wugutuo snorted coldly. The five fingers of his free left hand spread wide, and crimson flames instantly condensed into a flaming shield, precisely blocking the saber's edge!
Clang!
Flames and Killing Intent clashed violently with an explosive boom! Chen Qing felt a scorching, immense force transmit through the blade, numbing his arm as he borrowed the force to drift backward.
Wugutuo's brows also drew together slightly. That black-red Killing Intent was not only bone-chillingly cold, but also carried an erosive force that made the circulation of his flame true essence stall for an instant.
"What strange Killing Intent!" The killing intent in Wugutuo's eyes intensified. "I cannot spare you!"
He no longer held back. He swung the white bone staff and chanted under his breath. The crimson flames around him suddenly surged, transforming into several savage fire pythons that roared as they lunged at Chen Qing from different directions! The temperature soared, warping even the air!
At the same time, the surrounding Northern Barbarian guards came to their senses. Under the lead of their officers, dozens of elite soldiers fearlessly closed in, raising sabers and spears together to seal off every route of retreat for Chen Qing!
A powerful enemy's spells lay ahead, while an army blocked him on all sides! In an instant, Chen Qing fell into a desperate situation even more perilous than Soul Severing Valley and Eagle Beak Ravine!
Yet the fighting spirit in his eyes burned to its peak! The Fierce Tiger Iron Body within him circulated madly at an unprecedented speed, while his Black Tiger True Intent, perfected through countless trials, and the Killing Intent of the Meridian Condensing Realm completely boiled over!
"Good timing!"
He let out a long howl and stopped holding back, fully unleashing the Fierce Tiger Domain! This time, the domain did not merely suppress. That dark-red Killing Intent surged and roared like a living thing, faintly contending against the scorching fire pythons while enveloping the Northern Barbarian soldiers rushing in around him!
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Several Northern Barbarian soldiers charging at the front were struck by the dense Killing Intent and immediately seemed to suffer heavy blows. Their faces turned deathly pale, their movements stiffened, and they were easily cut down by the Black Tiger Camp soldiers following behind them. Chen Qing had drawn most of the attention, greatly easing the pressure on Old Niu's feint; some soldiers had already taken advantage of the chaos to charge over.
[Fierce Tiger Domain affected enemy forces. Proficiency +20]
Chen Qing himself danced as if atop a blade. Empowered by the black-red killing domain, both his speed and reactions rose another level. He narrowly avoided the pounces of two fire pythons, then traced a profound arc with his ring-pommel saber and cleaved the third fire python in two!
But Wugutuo's spells came in an endless stream. More fire pythons condensed into being, and at the same time, he pointed with the white bone staff. A concentrated crimson line of fire shot toward Chen Qing's glabella like a laser, unbelievably fast!
There was no avoiding it!
A ruthless gleam flashed through Chen Qing's eyes. Instead of dodging, he sharply raised his left arm, condensing dark-red Killing Intent to an extreme density over it as he forcibly met that crimson line of fire!
Sizzle—!
Like a red-hot iron plunged into icy water, black-red Killing Intent and crimson flames wildly annihilated each other amid a piercing shriek! The sleeve on Chen Qing's left arm instantly turned to ash. His flesh split open, and searing agony stabbed to his core; stark white bone was even visible! Had his Fierce Tiger Iron Body not already reached complete mastery, that strike could have crippled his entire arm!
[Suffered a lethal attack. Fierce Tiger Iron Body proficiency +100! Severe injuries!]
The intense pain completely unleashed Chen Qing's ferocity! Taking advantage of the gap after his opponent's attack, he stomped hard against the ground with his right foot and shot toward Wugutuo like a cannonball! His ring-pommel saber discarded every flourish, gathering all his strength, Killing Intent, and true intent into a single point as it stabbed straight for the other man's heart!
Trading injury for life! Black Tiger Saber Technique—Self-Sacrificing Strike!
This saber strike was fast! Ruthless! Resolute! It contained all of Chen Qing's will and power!
Wugutuo had not expected Chen Qing to be so fierce. In his haste, he could only hold the white bone staff horizontally before his chest to block!
Clang—!!!
A thunderous boom like great bells and ceremonial drums shook the night sky!
The tip of the ring-pommel saber struck precisely upon the center of the staff! Killing Intent and power condensed to their utmost limit erupted with a bang!
Crack!
The white bone staff, made from some unknown material, was actually forced to split with a crack by that single point of force!
Wugutuo suffered a heavy blow and spat out a mouthful of blood. He staggered backward, his eyes filled with disbelief! This staff of his was an inherited magical artifact, indestructible—yet it had been damaged by a junior at the initial Meridian Condensing Realm?!
Chen Qing was likewise sent flying backward by the recoil, his blood and qi churning. He crashed heavily to the ground and spat out another mouthful of blood.
The two had actually ended in mutual ruin!
But Chen Qing had achieved his goal! He had successfully held back the strongest enemy in the camp, buying Sun Quezi and Old Niu precious time!
The flames on the western side had already shot into the heavens, dyeing half the sky red and turning the entire Wild Wolf Plains into a sea of fire! The charred stench of burning provisions mixed with the smell of blood and filled the air. Shouts to extinguish the blaze, dying screams, and the clash of weapons mingled into a symphony of chaos.
On the southern side, Old Niu still led his men in frantically causing disturbances, drawing away a great number of guards.
"High Priest!" Several Northern Barbarian Officers hurried anxiously to Wugutuo's side.
Wugutuo looked at the camp engulfed in chaos, especially the flames soaring into the sky, and his heart bled! These provisions were vital to supporting the army on the front lines!
He stared fixedly at Chen Qing, who struggled to rise from the ground. Though badly wounded, Chen Qing's gaze remained as vicious as that of an evil ghost. Wugutuo wished he could tear him into ten thousand pieces! But he knew that putting out the fires and stabilizing the situation were the urgent priorities!
"Kill him! Kill him for me!" Wugutuo pointed at Chen Qing and roared hoarsely, like a madman.
More Northern Barbarian soldiers surged toward Chen Qing like a tide.
Chen Qing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Looking at the rushing enemies and the firelight dyeing the heavens in the distance, he showed not the slightest fear. Instead, a cold smile curved across his lips.
He took a deep breath, ignoring the severe injuries within his body as he gathered his remaining Killing Intent and Black Tiger True Intent once more!
It was time to test the power of this new killing move!
He abruptly raised his head, looked at the Northern Barbarian soldiers charging toward him, and opened his mouth.
No sound emerged.
Yet invisible, formless dark-red ripples containing ultimate destruction and spiritual impact suddenly spread outward from him like waves upon water!
Fierce Tiger Roar!
Where the ripples passed, the movements of the dozen or so Northern Barbarian soldiers at the front instantly froze. Their eyes turned vacant, then blood flowed from their seven apertures as they collapsed limply, devoid of breath! Their souls had been utterly shattered without a sound!
The soldiers farther away felt as though their heads had been struck by heavy hammers. They clutched their heads and screamed miserably, losing all combat ability!
Even Wugutuo in the distance was struck by this strange, soundless attack. He felt a sharp pain burst through his mind, darkness clouding his vision, and the injuries he had only just suppressed nearly flared up again!
[Used 'Fierce Tiger Roar,' killed Northern Barbarian soldiers... Proficiency +150! Spiritual power greatly depleted!]
The might of a single strike was terrifying indeed!
Seizing this brief chaos, Chen Qing no longer lingered in battle. He let out a long howl toward the soldiers still fighting under his command. "Retreat!"
Before his voice faded, he had already turned around. Like a wounded tiger, he sped along the planned retreat route! After a few rises and falls, his figure vanished into the darkness.
Hearing the signal, Old Niu and Sun Quezi immediately broke free from their entanglements as well. Leading their subordinates, they retreated like a receding tide and soon disappeared into the vast night.
Only the towering flames on the Wild Wolf Plains, corpses strewn across the ground, and Wugutuo's venomous roar remained behind.
"Chen Qing! I, Wugutuo, will not rest until one of us is dead!!!"
A tiger raided the wolf's den, then withdrew in triumph!
In this battle, the Black Tiger Camp had sent five hundred men deep into Northern Barbarian territory, burned their vital provisions depot, heavily wounded their High Priest, and slain countless enemies, while suffering only several dozen casualties themselves!
When the news spread, the Northern Frontier was shaken, and the Imperial Capital erupted in uproar!
From this day onward, the name "Fierce Tiger" Chen Qing truly shook the world!
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