Winged Divine Tiger

"Disciple, I sent you to gather some firewood, so why have you fallen asleep here?"

A voice suddenly rang out by Lu Chuan's ear.

"Eh?"

Lu Chuan, who was lying on the ground clutching his head and groaning, froze at these words. He followed the sound and saw Shen Gongbao standing at his feet with a smile.

Because he had read the story of the Investiture of the Gods, he knew that Shen Gongbao was a petty man who stirred up trouble everywhere, so he had never held a good impression of him.

Yet at this moment, the image of Shen Gongbao in his eyes was so towering, radiating light like the sun...

The moment he saw Shen Gongbao, Lu Chuan's taut nerves and muscles instantly relaxed.

He knew he was safe now; his life had been snatched back from the brink.

Lu Chuan closed his eyes and let out a long sigh of relief. He suddenly had the urge to hug Shen Gongbao and weep with joy.

Damn it, this trip to gather firewood had been far too stimulating. Not only had he encountered a demon, but he had nearly become its meal and never returned.

No one knew how much pressure he had been under while chatting and laughing with that female demon just moments ago.

Of course, he was lucky that the demon had taken the form of a beautiful woman rather than revealing her terrifying true self.

Otherwise, his teeth would have been chattering, let alone being able to chat and laugh with her without changing his expression.

"Mas... Master..."

Lu Chuan looked at the smiling Shen Gongbao at his feet and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Disciple, get up quickly. The ground is cold." Shen Gongbao stepped forward and reached out to pull him up.

Lu Chuan stood up and brushed himself off, then his expression suddenly changed. He pointed behind him and said, "Master, it's bad! Behind us, there is... there is..."

"There is what?"

"A demon..."

"A demon, is it?"

At this, Lu Chuan looked up at Shen Gongbao suspiciously and asked, "Master, since you knew, why didn't you come to save your disciple earlier? Why let me suffer such a fright?"

If he knew he had encountered a demon, why not come to his rescue immediately? Was he doing it on purpose to watch him make a fool of himself?

The towering, radiant image of Shen Gongbao in his eyes began to lose its luster, and his stature slowly started to shrink.

"Silly disciple..."

Shen Gongbao patted Lu Chuan on the head and laughed, "If I hadn't taken action to save you, how would you have had the chance to escape?"

"That's not true, I was carried away by a strange wind..." Lu Chuan retorted.

But halfway through his sentence, he seemed to realize something and hurriedly asked Shen Gongbao, "Could it be that the strange wind was you, Master..."

"Indeed!"

Shen Gongbao smiled and took two steps forward. Just as he was about to say something, the heart-stopping sounds of a dragon's roar and a tiger's howl echoed from not far away.

Furthermore, two beams of light shot into the sky, manifesting as a dragon and a tiger locked in fierce combat, their brilliance illuminating the heavens.

"Wretched beast! You have lurked here for years and claimed so many lives. Since I have encountered you today, I cannot let you remain."

Shen Gongbao was enraged at the sight. He gripped his right hand in the air, and with a flash of light, a cold, gleaming sword appeared. He struck the pommel with his left palm.

Whoosh!

The sword appeared wreathed in light, and after the strike, it flew out like an arrow released from a bow, instantly pinning itself into the massive, vicious dragon head.

"Ah!"

The dragon-shaped phantom let out a woman's shriek and plummeted from the sky with a thunderous crash into the forest below.

"Roar!"

The yellow light that had been fighting her immediately let out a majestic tiger's roar.

Following that, a mottled, giant tiger over three meters long, with wings growing from its ribs and a pair of saber-teeth, rushed out and pounced into the forest.

"Master, so that giant tiger..."

Lu Chuan looked at Shen Gongbao with excitement. This Master was truly formidable!

He had thought Shen Gongbao had left him to die, but he hadn't expected that this Winged Divine Tiger had been sent by him.

"It seems I misunderstood him," Lu Chuan felt a pang of guilt.

Shen Gongbao said, "That is my mount."

"So impressive! Master, I want one too."

Lu Chuan felt as if stars were appearing in his eyes again, though this time not from a concussion.

A Winged Divine Tiger!

He remembered an idiom... yes, "like a tiger with wings added."

As the name suggested, it meant a tiger that had grown wings, used to describe something already powerful that becomes even more formidable after receiving great help.

He never expected to see a winged tiger in reality today. It was truly an eye-opener, a real eye-opener...

"Do you desire your master's Winged Divine Tiger?" Shen Gongbao asked with a smile.

Lu Chuan nodded incessantly. Who wouldn't want such a majestic, awe-inspiring, and peerlessly domineering tiger with wings?

Furthermore, this Winged Divine Tiger possessed the strength to battle demons; it was truly the most suitable choice for a bodyguard, and taking it out in public would be incredibly prestigious.

Thwack!

Shen Gongbao slapped Lu Chuan on the head again, laughing and scolding, "You brat, you haven't even been my apprentice for half a day, and you're already eyeing your master's Winged Divine Tiger."

Lu Chuan looked at Shen Gongbao with a resentful expression.

Damn it, I didn't expect to be slightly played by Shen Gongbao while I wasn't paying attention.

He hadn't even said he was giving it away, yet Lu Chuan had been nodding eagerly. However...

The temptation of this Winged Divine Tiger was truly greater than that of a sports car from his past life!

Shen Gongbao said, "Go, carry back the firewood you gathered earlier. I will wait for you here."

Lu Chuan nodded. Now that he had Shen Gongbao here to back him up, what was there to fear, even if there were demons and ghosts?

He retraced his steps along the path he had come from and soon returned carrying the bundle of firewood.

Shen Gongbao nodded, turned around, and began to walk away. "Let's go, back we go."

Lu Chuan hurriedly shouldered the firewood and followed.

Soon, the two returned to the dilapidated temple where they had taken shelter earlier, and Shen Gongbao instructed Lu Chuan to arrange the firewood.

Hiss!

After Lu Chuan did as he was told, he saw Shen Gongbao extend a finger, and a cluster of flames emerged from the tip.

Shen Gongbao flicked his finger, and the cluster of flames flew out with a whoosh, landing on the firewood and spreading rapidly until a bonfire was formed.

Lu Chuan said with great envy, "Master, your magic is amazing."

"This is the Five Elements Daoist Art, the foundation of the Daoist arts of my Mystic Gate. Every disciple under the Mystic Gate can perform it; there is nothing amazing about it."

Shen Gongbao shook his head and smiled, saying, "Furthermore, 'Law' is Law, which refers to the methods of cultivation, while 'Art' is Art. Daoist arts and demonic arts are both Arts; you must not confuse the two."

Lu Chuan said, "This disciple will remember that."

Whoosh!

Just as they were speaking, a sudden gust of wind swept into the dilapidated temple, sending the thatch flying everywhere. Lu Chuan hurriedly raised his arm to shield his face.

When the wind died down, he saw a majestic Winged Divine Tiger standing in the temple.

It was also... a saber-toothed tiger!

Lu Chuan glanced at its mouth, at the two long fangs like sharp swords, and secretly added in his heart.

At this moment, the Winged Divine Tiger stood obediently before Shen Gongbao, holding the sword Shen Gongbao had left behind earlier in its mouth.

Shen Gongbao nodded, raised his left arm, and lifted his right sleeve; the Winged Divine Tiger transformed into a streak of yellow light and flew into his sleeve.

"Master, that demon..."

Seeing the Winged Divine Tiger return, Lu Chuan tentatively asked.

Shen Gongbao replied, "It was eaten by the Winged Divine Tiger."

Lu Chuan let out an "Oh," only to hear Shen Gongbao ask in return, "Do you know who this small, dilapidated temple we are staying in is dedicated to?"

"As long as you don't say it's that demon from earlier, I'm fine," Lu Chuan said casually.

Shen Gongbao glanced at Lu Chuan indifferently and said, "It is exactly her."

"Ah?" Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan was so shocked his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He exclaimed in astonishment, "Isn't this... a temple? How is it dedicated to a demon?"