Fire Python Tiger Cubs

"Leopard Girl, was it? You're so young—why learn nothing useful and insist on ambushing people?" Lin Changqiang walked expressionlessly toward the girl, raising his right hand threateningly. "If you want our Identity Tokens, you've picked the wrong targets."

"Stay your hand!"

Just as Lin Dong was feeling slightly surprised, an urgent shout suddenly rang out nearby. Leaves rustled, and a figure leaped from the undergrowth, appearing before the three of them. It was Wu Yun.

Lin Dong frowned slightly when he saw Wu Yun. "What is this about?"

"Sorry, sorry, this is all a misunderstanding. Look, there are so many people here. Why would we possibly target you? We only approached you because we wanted to cooperate." Wu Yun glanced at Lin Changqiang and explained somewhat nervously. "She's my friend, Mu Lingsha. She only wanted to test your strength."

"If you wanted to know our strength, you could have openly come to spar with me instead of shooting arrows at me while I was resting with my eyes closed." Lin Dong looked at Wu Yun irritably, unable to fathom what this guy had been thinking.

"Hehe, we were in a hurry and didn't think it through." Wu Yun smiled awkwardly, but inwardly he was deeply shaken. He had assumed that Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong, like himself, were both at the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering. Now, however, it seemed he had seriously underestimated them.

"Forget it. Since it was a misunderstanding, let it go." Lin Dong shook his head helplessly. "Tell us about this cooperation first. With your strength, getting ten Identity Tokens should be easy. Why do you need to work with us?"

"It's not about the Identity Tokens." Wu Yun lowered his voice. "We found a Fire Python Tiger here!"

"A Fire Python Tiger? How could that kind of demonic beast appear here?" At the name, Lin Dong's hand trembled involuntarily. He then looked at Wu Yun strangely. "Are you crazy? A Fire Python Tiger can rival a Heaven Origin Stage expert. We can't handle that thing."

"Don't worry. That Fire Python Tiger is injured right now, so it isn't much of a threat. More importantly, it gave birth to three cubs!"

"Cubs?!" Lin Dong drew a deep breath, and his expression shifted. Adult Fire Python Tigers were extremely fierce, but because of their violent nature, they could only be tamed if raised from infancy. Thus, whoever obtained Fire Python Tiger Cubs would gain a pet capable of rivaling a Heaven Origin Stage expert in the future!

If this news got out, every major force in Qingyang Town would probably turn green with envy. After all, even the Lin Family only had four Heaven Origin Stage experts.

"Lei Li and Xie Yingying have already gone over there. They brought some helpers too, so I had no choice but to come find you. You know that if the Lei and Xie Families obtain the Fire Python Tiger Cubs, it won't be good for the Lin Family or our Mad Saber Martial Hall." Wu Yun's expression was grave.

"Then let's go quickly. Once we get them, the Lin Family gets one, your Mad Saber Martial Hall gets one, and the last one can serve as compensation for injuring her." Thinking of Xiao Yan and knowing nothing could go wrong, Lin Changqiang added, "But we choose first."

"Haha, Brother Changqiang, now that's generous!" Seeing Lin Changqiang finally agree—and agree to take only one cub—Wu Yun burst into laughter, his face full of excitement. Even Mu Lingsha, who had just climbed back to her feet nearby, was stunned. Lin Changqiang had displayed far greater strength than they possessed; with a casual strike, he had defeated her, an Eighth Layer of Body Tempering fighter. His cultivation had surely reached the Earthly Yuan Stage.

"No time to lose. Let's set off now." Lin Dong quickly rose to his feet, clearly deeply invested in the Fire Python Tiger Cubs as well.

Wu Yun said no more. He nodded, turned, and took the lead in sprinting toward the right side of the forest. Lin Changqiang and the others swiftly followed.

The group raced through the forest, encountering quite a few other contestants along the way. Whenever anyone appeared ready to make a move, however, an arrow suddenly tore through the air and slammed into the ground before them. The violently quivering arrow shaft made them understand that if such a wooden arrow struck their bodies, it would leave a bloody hole.

Thus, their journey was fairly unobstructed. Even so, they ran for roughly ten minutes before reaching their destination.

"We're here." Wu Yun stopped amid a cluster of trees and spoke in a low voice to those behind him. Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong hurried forward a few steps and looked beyond the brush.

Before them lay an open patch of woodland. More than a dozen figures holding spears stood within it, and the two leading them were Lei Li and Xie Yingying.

At the center of the group stood a demonic beast over three meters tall. Its entire body was covered in blazing crimson fur. Its head was that of a tiger, savage and ferocious in appearance, while its tail stood erect behind it like a fiery python.

At that moment, the Fire Python Tiger, which should have looked majestic and imposing, appeared exceptionally weak. Blood continuously gushed from its body, staining the entire ground crimson. Only upon seeing its wounds did they understand why Wu Yun had said it was no longer much of a threat.

With injuries like those, even if no one attacked it, it would eventually die from excessive blood loss. Lei Li and the others had evidently realized this as well, so they only launched several probing attacks rather than engaging it head-on. After all, a Fire Python Tiger at full strength could rival a Heaven Origin Stage expert. Its desperate counterattack would not be easy to deal with.

"The Fire Python Tiger Cubs are on those rocks behind it." Wu Yun's eyes burned with excitement.

They immediately looked toward the rocky outcrop behind the Fire Python Tiger. Sure enough, three tiny beasts, their bodies stained with blood and their eyes still unopened, were constantly rolling about atop the rocks, trying to stand.

"They really are Fire Python Tiger Cubs!" Even Lin Dong, who had always been calm and composed, could not suppress the excitement in his eyes.

"Hehe, see? I told you so." Seeing Lin Dong's expression, Wu Yun chuckled and then looked at Lin Changqiang. "What do we do next?"

"Isn't it obvious? That big fellow is about to die. We wait for it to breathe its last, then Lin Dong holds off Lei Li while I hold off the other members of the Lei and Xie Families. You two go straight for the cubs, then meet us at the place we agreed on." With Xiao Yan involved, Lin Changqiang was uncharacteristically serious.

"Are you sure?" Wu Yun immediately grew uncertain. Lei Li's side had more than ten people, and Lei Li himself had already reached the Earthly Yuan Stage. Even if Lin Changqiang and Lin Dong were both at the Earthly Yuan Stage, they probably could not hold out for long.

"Don't worry. Trust us." Lin Dong smiled and waved a hand. He had great confidence in Lin Changqiang's Fire Dance Whirlwind. With that, they all turned their attention back to the clearing.

The Fire Python Tiger was clearly in an extremely dire state. Facing attacks from Lei Li's group from multiple directions, it could only sluggishly drive them away. Yet as it ran, blood sprayed across the ground behind it.

Boom!

Such injuries were obviously fatal. The Fire Python Tiger did not run for long before letting out a despairing roar and crashing to the ground.

As they watched the Fire Python Tiger finally breathe its last, wild delight surged into Lei Li and the others' eyes. Their figures flashed, and they rushed toward the three Fire Python Tiger Cubs.

"Move!"