Scorpion Tiger

The four of them quietly approached the cave. As the distance closed, a foul, beastly stench seeped into Zeng Fan's nose, strong enough to make him want to vomit. White beast bones lay scattered throughout the nearby grass—surely all the work of this Scorpion Tiger.

Yao Ling'er and Chen Yan were hiding around the cave. They signaled to the two men that they were ready, and Zeng Fan and Wang Ying exchanged a glance.

"Move!"

Zeng Fan immediately picked up a stone the size of a human head from the ground, swung his arm, and sent it whistling into the cave.

"Roar, roar, roar, roar!" A furious bellow came from within the cave. A foul wind rushed toward them, and a monster roughly three meters long appeared before their eyes. Its entire body resembled a tiger, but its tail was a gleaming black scorpion tail. Its eyes were blood-red as it glared at Zeng Fan and Wang Ying, its sharp claws scratching deep marks into the ground in agitation.

"Now!" Zeng Fan shouted.

Two packets of medicinal powder flew from the grass nearby toward the Scorpion Tiger. The monster already possessed intelligence, and it tried to dodge when it saw the two objects flying at it. But how could they let it have its way? The powder exploded in midair, instantly enveloping the Scorpion Tiger. White smoke rose wherever it landed, as though it could corrode the skin.

The Scorpion Tiger let out a cry of pain. This was an idea Zeng Fan had come up with. Humans were best at using tools, and divine weapons and sharp artifacts would naturally inflict greater damage on monsters. Unfortunately, Zeng Fan did not yet have the ability to obtain such things, so even these little tricks could produce miraculous effects.

He had asked Yao Ling'er to make some poison that would work when scattered directly. After all, getting a monster to eat it was somewhat unrealistic. The resulting powder could corrode the Scorpion Tiger's fur and hide, lowering its defenses and allowing the attacks of Zeng Fan and the others to penetrate more effectively.

After letting out a pained roar, the Scorpion Tiger charged toward the two women with bloodshot eyes. Wang Ying immediately intercepted it. Facing such a vicious beast, Wang Ying did not dare be careless. He attacked with all his strength, stepping back to avoid the claws slashing at him before whipping his leg viciously into the Scorpion Tiger's abdomen. Yet the Scorpion Tiger merely paused before attacking Wang Ying again.

"This thing's hide is really thick." Seeing that Wang Ying's attack had done little damage, Zeng Fan knew this would definitely be a tough battle.

"Hit the places where it's been corroded!" Zeng Fan called to Wang Ying before joining the fight. Seeing the two men charge at it together, the Scorpion Tiger showed not the slightest fear. Instead, it grew even more ferocious. It gathered strength in its hind legs and leaped, taking the initiative to pounce at Zeng Fan. A tiger claw came crashing down toward his head. Zeng Fan drew all the Spiritual Energy in his body and rapidly gathered it into both arms, while Fish Dance unfolded at that very moment. He tried his best to avoid the strongest frontal force, but the claw still raked his arm. Zeng Fan's entire body was sent flying backward. Just as the Scorpion Tiger was about to move again, Wang Ying had already blocked it.

Zeng Fan rolled twice across the ground to bleed off the impact. Raising his hands, he saw two long bloody gashes across his arms, accompanied by a searing pain.

"This thing is really strong." Zeng Fan's expression turned grave. They had to attack the Scorpion Tiger's weakness as soon as possible. Otherwise, the two of them would never defeat it head-on. When that happened, they could only retreat.

With that thought, Zeng Fan charged forward again. Wang Ying was already fighting with all his strength, constantly blocking the Scorpion Tiger's claws. From time to time, its tail stabbed in from strange angles, shining with a cold light. Whenever Wang Ying could no longer hold on, Zeng Fan stepped in to block the attack. Working together, the two men managed to battle the Scorpion Tiger back and forth. Yao Ling'er and Chen Yan watched from a distance. After all, neither woman's cultivation was very high, and neither had much experience in combat. They could only keep a close eye on the situation and help the others retreat if anything went wrong.

When the Scorpion Tiger sent Wang Ying flying yet again, Zeng Fan finally found an opening. He slammed his fist into the Scorpion Tiger's abdomen, where its fur had already been stripped away. The Scorpion Tiger let out a pained roar, and its movements became sluggish. It was clearly injured.

"It finally worked!" Zeng Fan and Wang Ying's spirits lifted. If they could not inflict any damage on the Scorpion Tiger, they would have no choice but to cut and run.

The two men worked together, pulling and dragging the Scorpion Tiger into the fight. As the battle dragged on, they grew increasingly adept at controlling its rhythm, while the Scorpion Tiger's injuries grew heavier and heavier. Finally, when Zeng Fan blocked one of its bites, Wang Ying seized the opportunity to unleash his killing move.

"Eagle Claw Hand!"

Wang Ying's hand plunged directly into the Scorpion Tiger's abdomen. He gave a forceful yank, tearing out its organs by sheer strength. With a mournful cry, blood sprayed uncontrollably from the wound. The Scorpion Tiger began attacking the two men wildly, but it was already at the end of its tether. Now, they only needed to wait for it to bleed to death.

The Scorpion Tiger's frenzied attacks only accelerated its blood loss. After venting its fury, its massive body crashed to the ground, sending dust flying in all directions.

"It's finally dead!" Zeng Fan slowly steadied the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy within his body. Although he was somewhat exhausted, he could not suppress the joy in his eyes. The Body Tempering Fruit was finally in his hands, and his cultivation speed would increase considerably.

Yao Ling'er cried out happily beside him and headed toward the cliff, preparing to pick the Body Tempering Fruit.

Just then, a sudden change occurred. Zeng Fan suddenly felt his scalp prickle as a sense of danger rose in his heart. Three clear whistles reached his ears. Although he had no idea what they were, Zeng Fan immediately rolled across the ground, shouting a warning at the same time.

"Everyone, watch out!"

But it was already too late! Two cries of pain rang out, and Zeng Fan's heart sank. He looked toward the spot where he had been standing moments ago. A sharp arrow was embedded there, its fletching still trembling lightly while its head had vanished into the ground. Judging by its force, if it had struck him, it would have left a bloody hole in him.

"Someone's ambushing us!" Zeng Fan's heart sank as he looked toward Wang Ying. An arrow was pinned through Wang Ying's left shoulder. His face twisted as he forcibly gripped the shaft and let out a low growl, pulling it straight out and bringing a spray of blood with it.

Wang Ying had reacted slightly slower than Zeng Fan. After hearing the warning, he had only had time to turn his body aside, causing the arrow aimed at his heart to shift toward his shoulder. Although he had dodged the killing blow, his left arm was already difficult to move.

The other cry of pain had come from Chen Yan. She was lying on the ground, an arrow lodged in her abdomen. Although she was still alive, she could no longer fight.

"Coming at the right time is better than coming early. What a lot of trouble you've gone through for us. The Scorpion Tiger has been dealt with, the Body Tempering Fruit has ripened, and there are even two little beauties. What a haul today." A mocking voice approached from afar as three figures slowly appeared.

Zeng Fan focused his gaze. Three men came into view. There was nothing unusual about their builds, but their faces were astonishingly similar.

"Three brothers?" Zeng Fan's heart sank further. At present, only he, Wang Ying, and Yao Ling'er still had any fighting strength. Wang Ying was seriously injured, Zeng Fan had suffered minor injuries and expended a great deal of stamina, and Yao Ling'er was not skilled in combat.

Most importantly, from what Zeng Fan could sense, all three men on the other side were actually at the pinnacle of Body Tempering Bone!