Cold Claws Split Golden Astral Force!

The young Tiger Demon's claws moved so fast they were just afterimages.

It pounced down with claws, each strike aimed at Lu Zhengyi's throat and neck.

Lu Zhengyi's earthy yellow aura settled beneath his feet, and he calmly dealt with the claw-like winds that swept towards him.

This Tiger Demon was faster than he had expected, and its claws were harder than refined iron. He could only block its attacks and rarely had a chance to retaliate.

The blade flashed and slashed, clanging and clashing.

The tiger's claws scraped against the blade, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound, and then a nick the size of a fingernail appeared.

Lu Zhengyi's eye twitched, his heart aching with heartache.

He had just sharpened this knife yesterday; the blade was so sharp it could reflect a person's image, and the edge was incredibly razor-sharp.

Another pounce landed, and the young Tiger Demon roared in anger.

A golden light suddenly burst forth from the claw blade, and Demon Power poured into the claw tip, transforming into a thick Golden Astral Force, which slammed heavily onto the blade!

Click--!

The blade snapped in two.

The broken blade spun out and plunged into a distant boulder, piercing right through it.

Lu Zhengyi's thumb and forefinger split open, and blood seeped out between his fingers.

He gripped the remaining half of the broken knife and took a half-step back.

We can't keep fighting like this.

That beast's claws are harder than his knife; a few more claw strikes and it won't just break the knife.

I need to change tactics, create some distance, and use Core Illumination... The thought was only halfway through when a loud thud suddenly came from the other side.

Lu Zhengyi his head to look.

The Army-Breaking Spear pierced through the White-Foreheaded Tiger Demon, the spear tip protruding through its back. The massive demon's body hung motionless on the spear shaft.

In that instant, he didn't even have time to be happy.

He was still clutching half a broken sword, barely managing to fend off a Tiger Demon, while Yang Xiao's side was already finished!?

The young Tiger Demon saw it too.

Its attack froze in mid-air.

A sudden, heavy stench of blood swept into its nostrils.

"Big brother?"

It roared, but there was no response.

Its claws were still hanging in front of Lu Zhengyi, but its eyes were staring straight ahead.

The next moment, it went completely insane.

Demon Power exploded from its body, its white fur stood on end, its eyes turned bloodshot, and it let out a heart-wrenching roar.

Lu Zhengyi did not let this opportunity pass him by.

The broken blade plunged into the Tiger Demon's ribs, slicing a deep wound that exposed the bone.

Blood gushed out, but the Tiger Demon merely frowned slightly, turned around without even looking, and pounced on Yang Xiao.

"Stop!!"

The roar tore through the mountains and forests.

It lunged forward with all its might, abandoning its previous caution and flank maneuvers, its trajectory now fully exposed to Yang Xiao.

A straight line reveals a huge flaw.

Yang Xiao twisted his spear and pulled it back, spraying blood everywhere.

The White-Foreheaded Giant Tiger's corpse lost its support, and the half-human shape, no longer sustained by Demon Power, swelled back to its original form, transforming into a massive White Tiger that crashed onto the rocks.

Yang Xiao didn't look at it for long.

His Core Illumination Light gleamed.

The howling wind that had been stirring the mountains and forests had ceased with the death of the caster, and the churning force that had been pressing down on Core Illumination had vanished completely.

There's no need to guard him for twenty feet anymore.

The hundred-foot-long Core Illumination Light unfolded again, and five-colored halos spread out along the rocks, illuminating the entire mountain range.

The moment the young Tiger Demon pounced into Core Illumination's range, the power of the Mountain Suppression Earth Pattern pressed down upon it.

A yellowish-brown halo enveloped its forward momentum, like a mountain pressing down on its shoulders.

The attack suddenly faltered.

It slowed down, so slow it was visibly slow, as if it had plunged into deep water.

Yang Xiao thrust his spear straight at the target.

Puff--!

The Army-Breaking Spear pierced his chest, pinning him to the ground.

The Tiger Demon's claws continued to claw forward, but the movements became smaller and smaller until finally it stopped moving altogether.

The mountains suddenly fell silent.

The wind stopped.

It was so quiet that you could hear the lingering blood in the chests of the two Tiger Demons, the muffled thuds of their last heartbeats.

Lu Zhengyi stood there, stunned, holding the broken half of the knife.

He had witnessed Yang Xiao kill the Leopard Demon; he finished it off in just over ten breaths, as fast as slaughtering a chicken.

But the two beasts in front of them were the White-Forehead Hanging-Eyed Tiger brothers under Yellow Wind Mountain's command.

When the two demons appeared together, they were enough to rival the Demon Suppression General, who was ranked among the top five in Qingzhou. He was prepared for a fierce battle, and even to retreat wounded.

Now, one end lies across the rocks, the other is dead from Yang Xiao's spear.

Lu Zhengyi approached the young Tiger Demon's corpse, his gaze falling on the thick, stiff whisker, which he then unconsciously tugged at.

The tiger's head tilted slightly with the movement, but showed no reaction.

He then let go.

Yang Xiao bent down and took out two scalding hot Demon Core from the two tiger corpses. He estimated that they were at the Core Illumination Late-Stage Realm, with incredibly powerful Demon Power.

He carefully put away the Demon Core, and seeing that Lu Zhengyi was still staring at the tiger corpse, he spoke up to remind him.

"General Lu, it's time to go."

Lu Zhengyi responded, turned and took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, picked up the broken sword, weighed it in his hand, and tucked it back into his waistband.

Yang Xiao raised his eyes and looked in the direction of Yellow Wind Mountain.

The fight just now was quite loud.

The howling wind and the desperate battle between the two Core Illumination Realm Demon King could be heard for dozens of miles.

If there really is a demon in Yellow Wind Mountain following the commotion... He glanced at Lu Zhengyi; having someone with him would be a bit troublesome.

The mission is now complete; there is no need to linger.

He channeled his Spiritual Power, drawing out strands of Spiritual Power to bind and tighten the two enormous demon corpses, making them easier to drag.

Lu Zhengyi down, picked up the Azure Dragon Saber, and took the lead to guide the way.

On the way, Lu Zhengyi glanced at Yang Xiao several times, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

I've completely lost face today. First, I was mocked by that Leopard Demon, and then the Leopard Demon was easily dealt with by the other party.

They came to Rosy Dawn Ridge to fight the Tiger Demon together, but his own precious sword was broken and served no purpose.

At best, it was just a personal performance?

The thought filled him with shame, and he was even speechless as he faced the black armor he wore.

The area outside the government office in Sanbao Commandery was empty.

The Leopard Demon corpse brought back earlier was placed in the middle, and now two tiger corpses have been added, making three huge demon bodies placed side by side.

Even though it has been dead for a long time, it still carries a strong, malevolent, Demon Power, making it impossible for ordinary martial artists to get close.

The area outside the open space was packed with people— the Demon Suppression Guard, yamen runners, and ordinary citizens who had rushed over upon hearing the news. They chatted and exclaimed in amazement, creating quite a lively scene.

An old Captain pushed through the crowd and walked in.

He recognized the Leopard Demon first.

With its dark, mottled patterns and enormous body, this Demon King had been probing Sanbao Commandery for countless years, and everyone in the county knew it.

He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a sound, his gaze shifted forward.

Two White Tiger.

White fur, with a black "king" character stripe on its forehead, and piercing white eyes.

The old Captain's legs went weak on the spot, and he had to be supported by the person next to him to avoid collapsing. His finger trembled as he pointed at the tiger's corpse, unable to utter a coherent sentence for a long time.

Some people asked where the tiger came from, some asked if Yellow Wind Mountain had attacked, and others pushed their way to the front, eager to ask Lu Zhengyi questions.

"General! Should we send more men to patrol the border?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhengyi instinctively reached out to give an order.

He's been saying these things for seventy-nine years: how many people to deploy, which section to patrol, when to rotate shifts—he can rattle them off effortlessly.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he suddenly stopped.

Now, the Leopard Demon is dead.

The two Tiger Demons who came to set up the trap also died.

The remaining scattered demons, the old troops being wiped out, and the patrols being reorganized all need to be dealt with, of course, but those subordinates can handle it according to the rules, so there's no need for him to do so.

The threat that he needed to be most vigilant about was completely gone during this trip.

What else needs to be monitored at the border?

He didn't know either.

He only snapped out of his reverie when his subordinate urged him again.

"Let's... let's tidy this place up first."

Yang Xiao, who had been standing to the side, saw him staring intently at the demon corpse and asked him a question.

"General Lu, where's the battle report?"

"The Governor-General ordered me to assist him, so I don't need to write the report of merit, do I?"

He had just been appointed Demon Suppression General, and was completely unfamiliar with the paperwork and procedures in various prefectures.

He came with Lu Zhengyi on this mission, and now that the demon has been killed and the evidence is complete, it is naturally up to him to handle the follow-up matters.

"No need, I'll do it." Lu Zhengyi a dry laugh.

He glanced down at the broken knife in his hand, realizing he had just lost his composure. He then handed the knife to his subordinate and asked someone to bring him pen, ink, and a notebook.

Yang Xiao finished tidying up and was about to follow him into the house.

Lu Zhengyi suddenly stopped, turned around, cupped his hands, and bowed respectfully.

"My words were inappropriate in Qingzhou."

Then, he glanced at the Leopard Demon's corpse in the center of the open space.

"Without you today, we wouldn't have been able to stop that Leopard Demon and the two White Tiger."

Thank you for this courtesy.

After saying that, he ignored Yang Xiao's reaction and quickly stepped into the room, spread out his books, and began to write.