Tiger Soul Aperture Opening

"Warm-up is over."

Chen Qing's voice, tinged with the scent of blood, echoed in the twilight. The ice cones on his back trembled, and blood soaked through his battle robe. His aura, weakened by injuries and exhaustion, was still falling, but his dark red, vortex-like eyes burned with an even fiercer fighting spirit.

The remaining two Azure Wolf Death Warriors, one leading and one following, their auras connected, pressed forward again with the Annihilation Wolf Domain, like a cold tide. The death warrior in the center had a dim black light on his chest, clearly showing that Chen Qing's previous saber strike had not been easy on him either.

The slender death warrior on the right changed his hand seals again. More icy blue crystals condensed in the air, emitting faint crackling sounds, filled with chilling killing intent.

Chen Qing took a deep breath, no longer suppressing the extremely pure and vast Deathly Silent Malevolent Energy that had surged into him after devouring the first death warrior. This power was completely different from his original Battlefield Malevolent Energy—colder, purer, carrying a sense of the end of all things.

Fierce Tiger Iron Body operated at an unprecedented speed, attempting to refine and fuse this powerful external energy. Agonizing pain shot through his limbs and bones as the old and new malevolent energies clashed fiercely within his Saber Meridian, as if trying to explode his body!

But he held his mind steady, using his perfected Black Tiger True Intent as a guide to forcibly control this violent process!

"Roar—!"

He let out an uncontrollable roar, not directed at the enemy, but to vent the pain and power within him! The Fierce Tiger Domain around him began to change in peculiar ways under the infusion of this new power!

The originally dark red domain deepened in color, faintly revealing a strange icy blue. The surging malevolent energy was no longer just brutal and murderous; it now carried a deathly stillness that froze the soul! Although the domain's range did not expand further, its refinement and oppressive power suddenly increased by a level!

[Fused Deathly Silent Malevolent Energy, Fierce Tiger Iron Body undergoes mutation, Proficiency +800!]

[Fierce Tiger Domain quality improved, contains 'Annihilation' trait!]

The expressions of the two Azure Wolf Death Warriors changed slightly. They could clearly feel that the aura of the opponent's domain had become more dangerous, even subtly suppressing their Annihilation Wolf Domain!

"We can't let him continue!" the central death warrior grunted hoarsely, his figure disappearing again. The transparent short sword, like a viper's tongue, struck directly at Chen Qing's brow! This time, the short sword was condensed with a point of extreme darkness, as if it could devour light!

The death warrior on the right attacked simultaneously. The dozens of icy blue ice cones were no longer scattered but condensed into a massive, spinning ice storm, emitting a piercing howl and sealing off all of Chen Qing's escape routes!

Facing this deadly strike, a hint of madness flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. Instead of retreating, he poured the newly fused and mutated malevolent energy, along with all his blood, qi, and true intent, into his ring-pommeled saber!

The saber body vibrated violently, emitting a groaning hum as if it couldn't bear the load! The dark red and blue malevolent energy was highly compressed, making the ring-pommeled saber seem like a demonic blade burning with dark flames!

He no longer used any techniques, just the simplest, most direct method: channeling all his strength through the great dragon of his spine, into his arm, and then into the saber—and thrusting forward!

Ching!

The moment the saber tip thrust out, the air in front of it seemed to be evacuated and distorted! A black and blue thread, as fine as a hair but condensed to the extreme, shot out silently, meeting the light-devouring dark sword tip and the massive ice storm behind it!

There was no earth-shattering explosion.

The instant the black and blue thread touched the dark sword tip, the central death warrior's transparent short sword, as if encountering its nemesis, shattered and annihilated from the tip, inch by inch! The black and blue thread continued its momentum, directly entering his arm!

At the same time, the thread collided with the ice storm!

There was no loud noise; the violent ice storm, like ice and snow thrown into a raging fire, instantly melted and vaporized, leaving not even a trace of moisture!

The central death warrior let out an extremely shrill scream. His entire right arm, along with half his shoulder, silently turned into nothingness under the erosion of the black and blue thread! There was no blood at the wound, only a patch of deathly silent charring!

His eyes were filled with endless fear and disbelief. His figure retreated violently, his aura instantly weakening to its extreme!

The black and blue thread, after piercing the ice storm and heavily wounding the death warrior, finally exhausted its power and dissipated into the air.

Chen Qing maintained his saber-holding posture, breathing heavily, his face as pale as paper. This strike had almost drained all his strength, and the injuries from the continuous battles erupted at this moment, making him sway precariously.

But he still stood, his gaze fixed on the last slender death warrior.

The slender death warrior, seeing his companion almost crippled and looking at Chen Qing, who was weak yet more powerful with a mutated domain, felt a clear intent to retreat for the first time in his cold and indifferent eyes.

He knew the mission had failed. If they continued to fight, all three of them would likely be left here.

Without hesitation, his figure turned into a wisp of black smoke and fled rapidly towards the camp, not even caring about his companion.

Chen Qing did not pursue; he was too weak to do so.

He watched the death warrior disappear into the twilight, then looked at the headless corpse on the ground and the heavily wounded Azure Wolf Death Warrior in the distance, slowly sheathing his saber.

It was at this moment that the surging energy within him, which had become turbulent due to the extreme burst and fusion, finally broke through the last bottleneck!

Boom!

It was like nine heavens' thunder exploding in his mind!

All three hundred and sixty-five apertures in his body resonated mysteriously with the mutated Saber Meridian at this moment! The spiritual energy between heaven and earth, along with the malevolent energy and deathly energy permeating the battlefield, poured into his body like an invisible pull!

No longer just circulating through the meridians, but directly opening and connecting the apertures, merging with heaven and earth!

A power far more vast and pure than that of the Meridian Condensing Realm, carrying a hint of heavenly might, was born and flowed within him!

Aperture Opening Realm!

He had done it!

His injuries healed at a visible rate under the scouring of this new power, his aura climbed steadily, instantly surpassing his previous peak, and continuing to grow!

The Fierce Tiger Domain around him automatically expanded, its range suddenly extending to five zhang! The dark red and icy blue within the domain became even more distinct, the malevolent energy seeming to have a life of its own, cheering and leaping, carrying the majesty of ruling over death and war!

[Breakthrough successful! Realm advancement: Aperture Opening Realm (Initial)!]

[Fierce Tiger Iron Body breaks through to the Perfected level (0/!)!]

[Fierce Tiger Domain advances, range five zhang, contains 'Slaughter' and 'Annihilation' true intents!]

[True Intents of Black Tiger Fist and Black Tiger Saber Technique awaken deeply, touching the edge of laws...]

Feeling the earth-shattering changes within him and the wondrous sensation of being vaguely connected to heaven and earth, Chen Qing slowly clenched his fist.

Power! This is the power of the Aperture Opening Realm!

He looked north, his gaze seemingly piercing through thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, landing on the Golden Wolf King's Tent.

Azure Wolf Death Warriors? They were merely stepping stones on his path to a higher realm.

Next, it was time to go to the Northern Mang Royal Court and personally retrieve the "key" that belonged to him.

He believed that the secret of Shattering Void, hidden within the ancestral Black Tiger Fist and Black Tiger Saber Technique, was located there.