Hunting the Tiger

Black Wind Stronghold is a force within the jianghu, a mere drop in the ocean. They were not prominent at all, yet in just a few days, they managed to build quite a reputation, making many players remember this unremarkable faction. This naturally caught the attention of the authorities.

The authorities have always maintained an attitude of curiosity and research towards the Comprehensive Martial World.

They had even arranged for many people to enter the Comprehensive Martial World long before the beta test, attempting to control this world.

However, the progress might not have been good, which led the authorities to decide to open the Comprehensive Martial World to the entire world, arranging for players to enter in the form of a game.

To players, the Comprehensive Martial World is a strange place full of wonders, but in the eyes of the authorities' experts, it's not that extraordinary.

Especially a mere bandit faction like this. The authorities' experts had frequently interacted with such small factions in the past, using them as initial stepping stones.

And now, this unremarkable small faction has suddenly produced a prominent figure, seemingly heralding some special event.

At this moment.

Inside a tavern in Linxin City, Huizhou, three martial artists wearing bamboo hats were sitting at a table in the back, discussing Black Wind Stronghold.

"From what I see, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold only has Inner Qi Realm strength and hasn't learned any advanced martial arts. Although he's a small BOSS, his HP might be much higher, but he's not that difficult to deal with. This time, the three of us will take him down directly and see if we can trigger any special events,"

a player dressed in blue with a curved saber said calmly.

A woman in yellow sitting beside him shook her head slightly, "Although the three of us have Inner Qi Realm strength, we don't have the advantage of terrain. If we just charge up the mountain like this, Black Wind Stronghold has many men. If we can't take down the leader immediately, we'll be in danger."

"Junior Sister Zuihua is right. I think it's better to use strategy. Isn't Black Wind Stronghold currently recruiting people? Let's send some people to join, and then we can cooperate from the inside and outside to take down that leader,"

a man wearing cowhide bracers said.

The youth with the curved saber nodded, "Brother Qingniu makes sense. However, this way, the time wasted on this matter will be longer, and we might miss the famous hero Lu Xiaofeng."

"That's fine. Lu Xiaofeng came to Huizhou to investigate the Green Robe Pavilion, and he hasn't arrived yet. We can adapt as we go. The main thing now is to complete the task assigned by our superiors and thoroughly investigate Black Wind Stronghold."

"Alright, let's set off now, and also contact some new brothers to join Black Wind Stronghold first."

Two days later.

On the hillside behind Black Wind Stronghold.

More than a dozen mountain bandits were scattered around, trembling with fear, watching the confrontation between one man and one tiger on the hillside.

The man was a towering figure, dressed in a tight-fitting warrior outfit. His muscles were bulging and prominent, their outlines unable to be concealed by his clothing. His gaze was sharp and cold; anyone who met his eyes felt as if they were being burned and would unconsciously look away.

The tiger was a massive adult tiger, its body covered in yellow and black stripes.

It held its head high, circling the towering man. It opened its mouth and stuck out a blood-red tongue, licking its sharp teeth. Its white whiskers bristled like needles, and its whole body shivered. Its sharp claws dug into the ground back and forth, showing growing impatience.

"Come on, little sick cat!"

Jiang Dali beckoned and provoked the fierce tiger under the fearful yet admiring gazes of the dozen mountain bandits, letting out a hearty laugh.

The fierce tiger seemed to sense the provocation. Its tiger eyes suddenly flashed with a fierce green light. With a sudden roar, the entire hillside seemed to tremble violently. Amidst the startled cries of the dozen mountain bandits, it pounced fiercely, its fangs bared, tail erect, charging at Jiang Dali.

At that moment, the ground vibrated, and the leaves crunched underfoot. A fierce, bloody smell assaulted their faces.

Jiang Dali's eyes narrowed, and he laughed heartily as he unleashed his move.

In an instant, his body seemed to expand with a creak, his muscles swelling and knotting. His skin tone turned from green to a faint gold.

He struck suddenly, his five fingers retracting as if in prayer, and slapped at the charging tiger.

Great Vajra Palm—Salute to the Buddha!

Weng—

A fierce aura instantly erupted, and Jiang Dali's inner energy surged madly.

At that moment, the tiger's fierce claw landed on him first. The claw extended with a ceng sound, and one could faintly see sharp nails at least ten centimeters long.

If an ordinary person were to be hit by this tiger claw, they would surely be ripped open.

However, this tiger claw struck Jiang Dali's sturdy body with a peng sound, only causing him to stagger. The sharp claws felt as if they were scratching hard wood, only breaking the surface skin.

At the same time, Jiang Dali fiercely struck the tiger's head. The Great Vajra Palm force instantly erupted, an exceptionally strong and fierce energy that surged forth with unparalleled might.

Immediately, a tiger's howl echoed across the hillside.

The fierce tiger, struck by Jiang Dali's palm, was dazed. The force of its second claw strike was significantly reduced.

"Again!"

Jiang Dali laughed heartily, enduring the tiger's second claw, and pushed his right palm forward with "Buddha's Mercy."

This strike, with its internal and external energy, was a more forceful technique.

Buddha's Mercy, to save wandering souls!

The moment the palm was unleashed, the surrounding air seemed to flee madly.

The fierce tiger felt a powerful pressure crashing towards it and couldn't help but retreat. Its tail swept through the bushes, making rustling sounds.

Bang!

Another tragic tiger howl.

Wounded, the fierce tiger's eyes became even fiercer. Large plumes of hot air billowed from its nostrils. It opened its bloody maw and roared again, shaking the surrounding trees. The echoes reverberated as it leaped forward again, pouncing at Jiang Dali.

"Vajra Bow!"

Jiang Dali roared wildly, unleashing a palm strike in mid-air.

Boom—

Suddenly, it was as if a fierce wave of energy erupted from nowhere, like the earth caving in and rocks collapsing, a surging tide clearing the sky, its power so strong it stirred up everything around.

In an instant, all of Jiang Dali's inner qi was completely drained.

The charging fierce tiger was struck by this powerful palm strike, letting out a pained howl as it stumbled to the ground. Yet, its vitality was incredibly tenacious, and in a fit of feral rage, it roared and charged at Jiang Dali.

Whoosh—

Its tail whipped out like a bronze whip.

"Such strong vitality, but you're still seeking death!"

A sharp glint flashed in Jiang Dali's eyes. He drew his saber with his right hand. With a flash of golden light, the Nine-Ringed Golden Saber slashed down.

Hum hum—

The nine rings trembled lightly.

The tiger's tail was severed in two with a single strike.

The fierce tiger let out a mournful roar, rearing up on its hind legs, its front paws flailing wildly at Jiang Dali.

"Die!"

Jiang Dali forcefully drew a breath and swept his saber in a diagonal slash.

After a few more strikes.

The ground was slick with blood. The fierce tiger lay dead on the ground, emitting whimpering sounds. Its abdomen rose and fell slightly twice before falling still.

"Hoo—"

Looking at the fierce tiger's corpse on the ground, Jiang Dali inhaled the surrounding air, thick with a bloody, murderous aura. He felt his blood surge even more. He couldn't help but laugh heartily, taking out his hip flask and taking a long drink.

The dozen or so mountain bandits watching were filled with excitement, a mix of fear and reverence. The hairs on their bodies stood on end and remained that way for a long time.

Seeing that the fierce tiger was dead, they finally dared to tiptoe over, showering Jiang Dali with praise.

"Alright, this vicious tiger is dead. It's revenge for our brothers who died in vain. Let's carry the tiger's carcass back. We'll eat tiger meat and drink to celebrate tonight!"

Jiang Dali waved his hand, giving the order, and focused his attention on the two prompts he had just received.