Killing a chicken requires an ox cleaver

"What the hell! Aren't you a mortal?!"

The Black Tiger Beast was utterly terrified. Looking at its surroundings, its heart pounded incessantly.

Realizing the person before it was a cultivator, and one it couldn't possibly defeat, the Black Tiger Beast, which had just threatened to devour Su Changqing, now had only one thought: escape!

It quickly turned around and bolted, not daring to slow down for fear that Su Changqing would strike again with his sword and end its life.

"One strike didn't kill it?"

Su Changqing, his white robes unstained, watched the fleeing Black Tiger Beast and shook his head slightly, as if lamenting that his single strike hadn't been fatal.

Seeing that the Black Tiger Beast had survived the initial blow and was now attempting to escape, Su Changqing wasn't about to let such a good training opportunity slip away. He immediately formed another hand seal.

Several formation flags flew from Su Changqing's embrace, positioning themselves in the air at the four corners around the Black Tiger Beast. Immediately, a transparent barrier materialized along with the flags.

"I'm so unlucky. I just gained sentience and started cultivating, and I run into a human cultivator like this. Isn't this just asking me to die? This tiger lord wants to live for another hundred years!"

The Black Tiger Beast, unaware that the formation had already been set up around it, was still focused on escaping. It was secretly congratulating itself for not being pursued when it suddenly ran into something with a bang, bouncing back.

"What was that!"

The Black Tiger Beast's head throbbed from the unexpected collision. Shaking its head, it finally reacted. Seeing nothing in front of it, it felt utterly bewildered.

Sensing the spiritual energy around it begin to surge, the Black Tiger Beast felt a sense of impending doom. It cautiously extended a paw forward, only to feel a transparent barrier blocking its path.

"What in the world is this?!"

Having lived its entire life on Nine Yin Mountain, the Black Tiger Beast had never seen anything like this formation. It only knew that something had trapped it. Enraged, it slammed a punch towards the transparent barrier.

With a bang, followed by a sharp roar, its tiger claw felt as if it had struck steel or iron. A searing pain shot up to its skull.

Even with its full-strength punch, the barrier showed no sign of breaking.

"With this Four Directions Earth Trapping Array, you think you can still escape?"

Su Changqing, having witnessed the Black Tiger Beast's actions, couldn't help but chuckle. He slowly walked towards the beast, his long sword in hand.

"It was you! You did this!"

The Black Tiger Beast instantly realized that this human was behind everything. It gritted its teeth and shouted at Su Changqing.

Now possessing sentience, it understood that this human was determined to kill it. The fact that Su Changqing hadn't pursued it earlier was because he had a backup plan to prevent its escape.

"Roar! This enrages me! I'm not one to be trifled with either. Today, I'll fight you to the death, human!"

Knowing escape was impossible, the Black Tiger Beast's fury reached its peak. It abandoned any thought of fleeing and decided to fight this human cultivator with all its might, hoping for a sliver of survival.

The Black Tiger Beast transformed into its ghastly form once more. Taking a powerful step back, its entire body leaped several meters into the air. In a predatory pounce, its sharp claws raked towards Su Changqing.

"Good!"

Su Changqing shouted, his eyes fixed intently on the charging Black Tiger Beast.

This is more like it. Practicing moves unilaterally is so boring. Combat is much more exciting!

In an instant, the Black Tiger Beast was less than a meter away from Su Changqing. It felt a surge of delight, thinking this human cultivator was a fool for not dodging its attack.

My claws can easily cleave through giant rocks with a single swipe. No matter how powerful you human cultivators are, you are still flesh and blood. How will you stop my claw attack?

You'll be torn to shreds by me!

The Black Tiger Beast thought this, already picturing Su Changqing being ripped apart by its claws. But just as its claws were about to descend, its pupils widened in shock.

As the Black Tiger Beast was about to strike, Su Changqing, who had been right in front of it, suddenly vanished. Its claws struck empty air.

"Where is he?!"

The Black Tiger Beast landed on the ground, stunned and unable to comprehend. It had been so close to hitting the human, how could he have just disappeared?

"Right here."

Su Changqing's voice drifted lazily from behind it.

The Black Tiger Beast whipped around, staring at Su Changqing in disbelief. Hadn't he just vanished? How had he reappeared in the same spot?

Are you playing magic tricks with me?!

Su Changqing yawned lazily. He had expected the Black Tiger Beast, at the eighth level of Foundation Establishment, to have some strength, but it turned out to be useless. He had merely used some movement techniques and toyed with it.

"Alright, this is boring. I'm done playing."

A smile touched Su Changqing's lips. He silently formed a hand seal, and the formation flags flew up again, soaring towards the Black Tiger Beast and trapping it within.

The previously clear skies over Nine Yin Mountain were instantly replaced by dark, swirling clouds as the formation flags descended. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, shaking the very foundations of Nine Yin Mountain. All living creatures were struck with terror, beasts retreated into their dens, and birds flew back to their nests.

"Ten Thousand Heavenly Thunder Array!"

"Gale Swordplay!"

"Desolate Falling Violent Body Fist!"

Su Changqing, who had been leisurely observing moments before, now focused his gaze, unleashing all his divine abilities. His powers were unleashed like a torrent, all directed at the Black Tiger Beast.

Instantly, heavenly thunder rolled, sword energy surged, fist shadows erupted, and various mystical techniques exploded forth, causing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth to churn wildly. Light and shadow scattered in all directions.

If anyone else had witnessed this scene, they would have mistaken it for a divine spectacle and prostrated themselves in worship.

The party involved, the Black Tiger Beast that called itself the Great Black King, had now collapsed onto the ground, its heart as dead as ash. Its eyes stared blankly at the scene, its spirit already dead before its body.

"I just gained sentience, and you're this strong, but you didn't say anything? Not only that, but you have to use all sorts of divine abilities and techniques just to kill me?!"

BOOM! WHOOSH! CRASH!

Heavenly thunder, sword energy, and fist shadows, along with various Daoist arts, all struck the Black Tiger Beast. The commotion kicked up dust from Nine Yin Mountain, which only faintly settled after a long while.

The Black Tiger Beast was no longer visible. Only a few charred pieces remained in the several-meter-deep pit, presumably the Black Tiger Beast's flesh and blood, scorched by the heavenly thunder.

"Boring, not satisfying enough."

Su Changqing shook his head slightly. He had thought it was a master, but it turned out to be a low-tier opponent. It had made him excited for nothing.

However, this battle wasn't entirely meaningless. At the very least, he could still handle a Foundation Establishment stage opponent with ease. This showed that even though he was only at the ninth level of Qi Refining, he already possessed strength comparable to the upper three stages of Foundation Establishment.

Su Changqing didn't even glance at the Black Tiger Beast, which had been reduced to ashes. He stretched his limbs, but he didn't forget his main task. The Desolate Orchid Water Lily was still waiting for him to find it.