Seven Kills of the Wind Tiger

Liang Zhaohuang held back and did not strike. Though his presence had been exposed, his position had not.

The Green Lotus within his innate spiritual art, the Five-Colored Lotus Flower, had an excellent ability to conceal his aura, especially here near the Mulberry Forest and the land of thorns.

The spiritual art just now, the Green Snake Vine, had already been cast among that patch of thorns before the enemy arrived, so when the Green Snake Vine erupted in attack, Liang Zhaohuang's position had not been exposed either.

He needed to keep his position well hidden and wait for a chance to launch a sneak attack on that Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits.

Although the effect of a sneak attack now would certainly be inferior to when his presence had not been exposed, any extra chance of victory was still good.

"Skulking rat who hides his head and shows his tail—get out here!"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits was wreathed in black wind from start to finish. His eyes were like cold stars in the night as he surveyed the surroundings, while his Spiritual Sense swept wantonly in all directions, searching for the enemy.

Liang Zhaohuang made no movement. The other party remained vigilant the whole time, and he could not find a suitable opportunity to strike.

One of them was in the open, the other in the dark, and for a time they were deadlocked outside the Mulberry Forest. Only from within the Liang Family did shouts and the sounds of battle continue to ring out.

Liang Zhaohuang felt somewhat anxious. He did not know whether the clan leader and the others could hold off those six Qi Refining cultivators of the Black Wind Bandits.

At this moment, the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits before the Mulberry Forest suddenly moved, pouncing straight into the Liang Family grounds.

Seeing this, Liang Zhaohuang's heart immediately tightened. Unable to stay hidden any longer, he struck directly.

An illusory Red Lotus instantly appeared, like a blazing Fireball, and blasted straight toward the other party. It was precisely the Red Lotus within his innate spiritual art, the Five-Colored Lotus Flower.

"Ha! Got you!"

Yet the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits showed not the slightest panic. With a cold shout, he flipped his hand and brought out a flying sword, chopping directly toward the Red Lotus.

That flying sword was pitch-black, wrapped in black wind and Sha Qi. As it cleaved down, a tiger's roar followed with it, filled with rage, frenzy, viciousness, and lamentation, rushing straight into the mind and spirit.

Within Liang Zhaohuang's dantian, the Black Lotus of the Five-Colored Lotus Flower appeared in his Sea of Consciousness, suppressing the Sea of Consciousness and blocking the impact of that tiger-roar demonic sound.

Though the innate spiritual art Five-Colored Lotus Flower was merely balanced and moderate, its strength lay in its completeness. Its five lotus flowers covered flight, concealment, attack, defense, and soul protection.

Among them, the water-aligned Black Lotus was used precisely to suppress the Sea of Consciousness and guard the soul.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion rang out. The flying sword struck the Red Lotus, and the Red Lotus instantly exploded, blazing flames surging in all directions. The flying sword wrapped in black wind and Sha Qi was also blasted away.

At this moment, Liang Zhaohuang formed a hand seal, and another spiritual art shot out.

The flames from the exploded Red Lotus rapidly gathered, transforming into a fire crow that danced through the air and pounced straight at the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits opposite him.

Spiritual art, Fire Crow Dance.

With the flames from the exploded Red Lotus assisting it, although this spiritual art of Liang Zhaohuang's was newly learned and barely practiced, its speed was indeed extremely fast. This was also a spiritual art he had deliberately chosen, for the sake of coordinating with his own innate spiritual art.

"Hmph! Hurricane!"

The Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits gave a cold snort. The sword art in his hand changed, and the flying sword that had been blasted away stirred up a hurricane and charged over, crashing into the fire crow and swiftly tearing it to pieces.

The flying sword swept up a violent gale and continued charging over.

Golden light flashed before Liang Zhaohuang. The Golden Lotus within the Five-Colored Lotus Flower rushed out and scattered in midair, its lotus petals like golden blades as they plunged into the gale, raising a storm of Golden Blades that collided with the hurricane, tearing against it, clashing and crashing against the flying sword.

A series of crisp ringing sounds rang out. The Golden Blade storm and the hurricane both collapsed, and the flying sword encircled by black wind and Sha Qi was knocked flying once more.

"Whoosh!"

A sharp cry abruptly rang out. From within the collapsed Golden Blade storm, a streak of golden sword qi shot out in an instant, striking straight at the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits.

Spiritual art, Geng Metal Sword Qi!

This was likewise a spiritual art Liang Zhaohuang had deliberately chosen to cultivate from the jade slip left behind by his predecessors. Used in coordination with the Golden Lotus, its effect was outstanding.

The sharp sword qi struck straight at him. This time, the flying sword had no time to block it.

But the black wind swirling around the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits became violent in an instant, spinning rapidly and surging forward. It collided with the Geng Metal Sword Qi, and the sword qi shattered outright. The encircling black wind was likewise broken through, leaving a brief gap, though it recovered again in the blink of an eye.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits waved his hand and recalled the flying sword. Although he wore a black scarf over his face, a grave look could be seen in his exposed eyes.

He stared at Liang Zhaohuang and said in a dark voice, "Innate spiritual art!"

"I didn't expect that a tiny Liang Family, founded for less than a hundred years, would actually have such an inheritance!"

"I truly did underestimate you!"

Liang Zhaohuang's expression was equally grave at this moment. In that exchange, he had nearly exhausted all his strength.

His innate spiritual art had been paired with newly cultivated spiritual arts, yet he had still failed to injure the other party in the slightest.

At this moment, he had no confidence at all in defeating the other party, and the battle involving the clan leader and the others within the Liang Family was truly worrying.

Thus, he said in a deep voice, "Black Wind Bandits, with me here, don't even think about breaking through the Liang Family!"

"I've already arranged for someone to go to the county and report the case. I advise you to flee for your lives at once. Otherwise, when the county lieutenant brings men here, not one of you will escape."

"Heh heh... haha!" The Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Black Wind Bandits let out a cold, strange laugh, then shouted in a low voice, "You're nothing but a little whelp who has just reached Foundation Establishment, and you really think I have no way to deal with you?"

As he spoke, the sword art in his hand changed, and with two fingers together, he smeared a streak of black light over that flying sword.

"Seven Kills of the Wind Tiger!"

With a low, fierce shout, the flying sword rose. It shook in midair and actually transformed into a black tiger, sweeping up a violent gale and carrying terrifying killing intent as it pounced viciously straight at Liang Zhaohuang.

Within Liang Zhaohuang's Sea of Consciousness, the Black Lotus suppressed everything, blocking all the killing intent and vicious aura that assaulted his mind and spirit.

Even so, when faced with the black tiger transformed from the flying sword as it pounced in to kill him, his expression still changed abruptly, turning dark and ugly.

Yellow light flashed around him, and within his innate spiritual art, the "Five-Colored Lotus Flower," the "Yellow Lotus" emerged, enveloping his body and protecting him.

Among the five "lotus flowers," the earth-aligned "Yellow Lotus" was precisely the one most skilled at defense.

Roar!

A tiger's roar shook the mind and spirit. The black tiger had already pounced upon him, Black Wind Sha Qi coiling around its sharp claws as they slammed fiercely into the illusory "Yellow Lotus," stirring up ripples one after another.

Then, without waiting for Liang Zhaohuang to counterattack, the black tiger leapt up, turned, and pounced in to kill him again, its might three parts heavier than before!

One pounce, two pounces, three pounces...

Its might grew heavier each time, and when it bombarded the illusory "Yellow Lotus," the destruction it caused also grew greater and greater.

From ripples surging, to Cracks appearing, until finally, with a crisp crack, the "Yellow Lotus" shattered!

The spiritual hand-seal in Liang Zhaohuang's hands immediately followed up. The shattered "Yellow Lotus" rapidly gathered together, transforming into an "earth shield" that blocked the black tiger's next pounce!

Spiritual art, Earth Spirit Shield!

With a cracking sound, the Earth Spirit Shield had only blocked a single strike before it had already shattered.

The black tiger leapt up again, sweeping up the accumulated might of the previous six killing pounces, and erupted completely as it pounced down for the seventh time!

Seven Kills of the Wind Tiger—the seventh pounce was the killing blow!

Liang Zhaohuang's expression was solemn to the extreme, and the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the "Black Wind Bandits" had also gathered his entire spirit into this one strike.

Just then, a streak of crimson light suddenly shot out from the "Mulberry Forest" at the side, striking straight at the Foundation Establishment cultivator of the "Black Wind Bandits."