Ferocious Tiger

After Yun Ji's scolding, Yun Long had become much more sensible.

His formerly impulsive temperament had also grown far steadier.

As they searched through the mountains, he consciously kept to the rear of the group.

Silently listening to the hushed discussions of the three Lineage elders ahead.

Gradually, through the words of these three elders, Yun Long seemed to discover an entirely new world.

Only then did he realize that, in the past, Yun Ji had shouldered every storm and hardship for the younger generation.

Yun Long followed with the group as well, but his thoughts had grown much deeper.

He also noticed that Yun Ji was leading the party at a pace far slower than during their usual hunting trips.

After pondering it carefully, he gradually guessed part of Yun Ji's intentions.

This was to let any reckless, hotheaded fools who could not hold themselves back go ahead and scout the way first.

No matter how many savage beasts there were in the Jingyang Mountain Range, their total number was still limited.

Moving more slowly would undoubtedly allow them to avoid many unknown dangers.

At the same time, Yun Long was secretly considering the Ninth Prince's true purpose.

The Ninth Prince, Fang Yuanhua, had hurried them into the mountains, yet after they entered, he seemed unconcerned with the pace of their search, as though he had simply left them to fend for themselves.

Father was right. This matter is anything but simple. There must be many secrets hidden beneath the surface. Yun Long thought.

The night had deepened.

The mountains were plunged into pitch-black darkness, so dark one could not see a hand before one's face.

Any faint rustle of wind or grass that reached their ears was magnified endlessly by the deathly still surroundings, plucking at their taut nerves.

Yun Ji's expression was grave as water.

No matter how slowly he walked, the group had now ventured deep into an unknown region he had never set foot in before.

Though all of them were Xiantian martial artists and could roughly make out their surroundings even in the dark—

It was ultimately nowhere near as clear or comfortable as daytime.

In the deep forests at midnight, the lurking savage beasts held a greater advantage than humans.

Suddenly, Yun Ji's ear twitched slightly.

His gaze abruptly sharpened!

"Careful, something's coming!"

Yun Ji lowered his voice, but his tone carried an unquestionable urgency.

"Judging by the sound of it tearing through the air, it isn't human!"

"It's moving this fast—it's an adult Wind Tiger!"

Drawing on his abundant experience, Yun Ji swiftly voiced his judgment.

"The beast is behind us! Ah Long, be careful!" Yun Ji spun around and shouted a warning.

Clang—!

A deafening, muffled metallic crash suddenly exploded through the silent forest!

A solid Golden Bell phantom burst forth around Yun Ji in an instant, blazing with dazzling radiance amid the dark mountain woods.

The Wind Tiger had actually chosen Yun Ji, whose aura seemed comparatively weaker within the group, as its point of breakthrough!

Yet it had not expected that this seemingly weakest link was actually the one with the strongest defense!

"This beast has already reached Late Xiantian!"

Yun Ji forcibly swallowed the blood surging up his throat and warned the others in a low voice.

The three old friends beside him—Li Pinghu, Shi Tie, and the others—were all seasoned veterans. There was no need for him to specifically remind them now.

The instant the Wind Tiger revealed itself, they had each gone on guard.

Strike while it was down and take its life!

The Wind Tiger's full-force blow had slammed viciously into Yun Ji's Golden Bell Shield, and it had not come away unscathed either.

The most obvious change was that its proud speed had dropped sharply after that collision.

Li Pinghu, Shi Tie, Yun Ji, and Yun Long swiftly took up positions in four directions, faintly surrounding the Wind Tiger at the center.

The Wind Tiger's pair of ghostly green beast eyes flickered with savagery and unease.

It clearly did not dare lightly attack Li Pinghu, whose aura was the strongest and deepest among them.

Cunningly, it chose Yun Ji again, who appeared to have suffered a loss of vital energy.

However, after entering the Xiantian Gong, Yun Ji's true qi had long since become utterly different from before. Both its purity and his strength had undergone a qualitative leap.

At this moment, compared to Li Pinghu, he was no longer far behind.

Naturally, the Wind Tiger gained no advantage from this pounce.

Instead, Yun Ji spotted an opening and struck three times in succession, every slash landing near its old wound and forcing it to roar furiously as it retreated again and again.

The formidable strength Yun Ji displayed at this moment left Li Pinghu and Shi Tie unable to hide the shock in their eyes.

They had been old friends for many years.

Everyone knew exactly how much each other was worth.

Yun Ji's aura had clearly not yet reached Peak Late Xiantian. How could the change in his displayed strength be so immense once he fought?

Yun Ji exchanged a glance with his two old brothers, and they understood each other without words.

With perfect tacit understanding, they began shifting their positions. On the surface, they seemed to be encircling the Wind Tiger, but in truth, they cleverly drove the already panicked beast toward Yun Long.

They were creating an excellent opportunity for Yun Long to temper himself.

Seeing this, Yun Long drew a deep breath and circulated the true qi within his body.

Facing the charging Wind Tiger, he steadily unleashed the Golden Bell Shield.

Hummm!

Golden light flared, protecting him firmly and successfully blocking the Wind Tiger's impact, leaving it no chance to flee.

At the same time, his gaze was sharp as he carefully searched for the beast's weakness.

Seizing an opportunity, Yun Long let out a low shout and unleashed the fierce, forceful Arhat Fist!

The wind of his punch howled as it struck the Wind Tiger's already wounded abdomen squarely.

The Wind Tiger let out a shrill, miserable howl. Its massive body convulsed a few times before falling utterly silent.

"This beast was already carrying serious injuries."

Shi Tie stepped forward, carefully examined the Wind Tiger's corpse, and spoke in a low voice.

"It seems we happened to block its path back to its lair."

By the time the three old men gathered around, they had already roughly figured out the Wind Tiger's true condition.

"It fled so desperately. Its lair is likely not far from here."

Yun Ji swept his gaze over the dark woods around them and spoke slowly.

"Once Ah Long finishes regulating his breath and recovers, we'll search carefully."

"Who knows? We might find an unexpected harvest."

The night wind blew, and only the faint chirping of insects remained in the forest.

The Wind Tiger was dead. Under the protection of Li Pinghu, Shi Tie, and the others, Yun Ji sat cross-legged and silently regulated his breath.

Though the Golden Bell Shield had protected him during the fierce battle earlier, directly withstanding a Late Xiantian Wind Tiger's full-force strike had still drained him greatly.

Li Pinghu stared at the faint milky-white aura lingering around Yun Ji. The earth-shattering Golden Bell Shield and domineering blade technique from before were still vivid in his mind, and he finally could not hold back any longer. "Old Yun, this... why is your true qi milky white? And that skill of yours just now..."

His tone was full of uncertainty and shock.

Shi Tie beside him also wore an inquisitive expression. He was clearly equally confused by Yun Ji's strange state, as well as Yun Long's inconceivable Golden Bell Shield, Arhat Fist, and dazzling golden true qi.

"Yeah, Old Yun," Shi Tie chimed in in his deep, booming voice. "It's not just you. That boy Ah Long's Golden Bell Shield, Arhat Fist, and that pure golden true qi—your Yun Clan never had such an inheritance before, did it?"

Li Pinghu was even more direct. "Do I not know the foundations of your Yun Clan? Those few crude techniques of yours would make it difficult to even reach the Houtian stage without some talent, much less Xiantian! So what exactly is going on now?"

As an old friend of several decades, he knew the Yun Clan's inheritance like the back of his hand. It was utterly ordinary. If Yun Ji had not possessed some talent and been willing to endure hardship, he could never have cultivated to the Xiantian realm, let alone possess such formidable strength now.

Not far away, Yun Long quietly pricked up his ears, his heart itching with curiosity. He too wanted to know how his father would explain things to his two uncles.