Three Brothers Who Fought the "Tiger"

Flying Light's hideous beast head contracted again, returning to human form. Only a few Azure-Gold Scales remained around his neck, too slow to retract, while streaks of filthy blood mixed with drool still stained his cheeks.

"Hmph. A Lower Beast relying on Thunder Arts dared covet what belongs to this king."

At the Outer Scenery realm, once the "Nature Root" had been completed, a cultivator indeed possessed many wondrous powers.

The toughness of their body and the tenacity of their vitality were far beyond those of ordinary cultivators.

Moreover, his true form was a Mutant Scaled Demon, naturally thick-skinned and tough-fleshed. Even with "Li Thunder" suppressing him by nature, he could hardly be slain in two or three sword strikes.

Unfortunately, "Li Thunder" bore far too much malice toward him. Its innate suppression rendered at least a tenth of his Dharma Power sluggish and difficult to circulate. He had no time to deploy many of his methods, which was why Li Fuchan had managed to keep him entangled for so long.

Yet, thinking back now, Flying Light felt something was amiss.

He had had no time to consider it earlier. Now that he replayed the battle from beginning to end in his mind, he began to detect several things that did not add up.

Li Fuchan's every move had looked fierce, but in truth, they had all been rigid and mechanical.

It had not been particularly obvious in close combat.

After all, sword light had woven a net and thunder had rolled. But once they pulled apart, when it was time to command lightning and attack from afar, the cracks began to show.

A Thunder Cultivator whose weakness was fighting with lightning?

It was the greatest joke under heaven.

From beginning to end, most of the lightning Li Fuchan unleashed had been empty bluster. Every truly lethal attack had been delivered against him with that sword.

It had become even more obvious after he manifested his Outer Scenery.

That "Lightning-Struck Wood" had appeared out of thin air, looking immensely formidable as lightning filled the sky and rained down upon him. But on reflection, those bolts had mostly served to block his movements and force him into close combat.

Even Li Fuchan's opening move, seizing the initiative with a surprise sword strike, had seemed too deliberate. Or rather, he had been concealing something all along.

Flying Light suppressed his misgivings.

Now was not the time to probe them.

He slowly turned, directing his gaze toward the toppled stone pillar at the entrance to the Cave Abode.

He was no fool. He had vaguely sensed Fei Cai's scheme.

Earlier, he had been too occupied to spare it any attention. Now that he had collected himself, he saw through it at a glance.

He looked toward where Fei Cai stood.

Fei Cai was looking at him too. Across the wreckage of the Cave Abode, their eyes met.

Fei Cai neither hid nor fled. He simply stood quietly beside the toppled stone pillar, his face even bearing the faintest suggestion of a smile.

The stone wall behind him was spattered with scorch marks and filthy blood left by the battle, making his thin face look especially pale.

"Fei Household Head." Flying Light's voice turned cold, carrying undisguised killing intent. "Don't you owe this king an explanation?"

At those words, Fei Cai calmly straightened his clothes and headwear, then bowed respectfully to Flying Light. His voice was steady. "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on slaying the villain here."

Flying Light narrowed his eyes, his pupils contracting into slits that glinted coldly. "You mean to rebel?"

Fei Cai straightened and shook his head, facing that oppressive killing intent.

"Fei Cai would not dare. I only ask that the Fei Household be left a thread of hope for survival."

Flying Light had been using Fei Yiming's descendants to refine a spiritual treasure. Thirty-six direct descendants of the Fei Household had died already.

Flying Light stared at him for a moment. Then a strange smile appeared on his face, still smeared with filthy blood and rouge, as though he had heard an utterly absurd joke.

He nodded, his tone filled with condescending pity. "It seems this king has treated your Fei Household far too generously. So generously that even a fool like you dares rebel against this king, just as Fei Yiming did."

Fei Cai offered no defense.

He reached into his Storage Bag and slowly drew out a great halberd.

The great halberd was pitch-black, its blade mottled with rust, looking wholly unremarkable. Yet when he held it, its shaft gave a deep hum, as though an ancient thing that had slumbered for years had finally seen daylight again.

He planted its butt on the ground and looked at Flying Light, his gaze calm as still water. "I, Fei Cai, seek nothing else in this life. I ask only that our ancestor's bloodline continue."

Flying Light looked at the great halberd. It was the weapon Fei Yiming had once carried at his side.

After the Fei Household's ancestor passed away, this halberd had never appeared in the world again. He had not expected to see it in Fei Cai's hands today.

Flying Light said no more. He turned his hand, and an azure gleam appeared again.

He had no desire to waste more words on this fool. He would simply kill him.

Just then, hurried footsteps suddenly sounded outside the cave. A lesser demon stumbled inside and dropped to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling. "Y-your Majesty! Someone has come outside. He says you must hand over his elder brother, or... or he'll raze Filth Mountain!"

The azure gleam in Flying Light's hand paused. Green light danced in his eyes again as he sneered. "Playing ghosts and spirits."

He set Fei Cai's matter aside for the moment.

He went outside to look, and indeed found someone there.

White robes, white sleeves, purple hair, and golden eyes; an imposing aura of pure energy surrounded him, and radiant light flashed between his brows. He certainly looked much more like an immortal cultivator than Li Fuchan had.

But Flying Light had exceptionally keen eyes. At a glance, he could tell that the man's purple hair had been dyed with some sort of liquid, and even his golden pupils had been stuck on.

Flying Light's tone was hostile. "If you want to fight, then come at me openly. Why resort to these skulking tricks?"

At this, the immortal cultivator rebuked him. "You vile demon, stop spouting nonsense and hand over my elder brother!"

Flying Light asked, "Your elder brother? Then who are you?"

"I am Li Fuchan's younger brother, Fuchan Li."

Flying Light could not be bothered to waste words with him. He said coldly, "I've already eaten Li Fuchan. If you want to die, come join him."

Hearing this, Fuchan Li's eyes widened in fury. "Demon, you dared kill my elder brother! Pay with your life!"

Before his words had faded, the Three Lights burst from between his brows together. Golden Light like swords, Illuminating Light like a tide, and Treasure Light like lotuses surged toward Flying Light.

Seeing his opponent actually unleash such methods, and with no lightning left to suppress him, Flying Light charged straight into the attack. They fought head-on, and after several dozen exchanges, he pierced Fuchan Li's heart.

Now, at last, he realized something was wrong.

"An Outer Scenery cultivator—why was his Blood Qi so feeble?"

Flying Light frowned, unable to unravel the mystery.

When he returned to the cave, Fuchan Li's scalding heart's blood was still dripping from his hand.

He casually tossed the limp corpse onto the ground, where it lay beside Li Fuchan's headless body, exuding an indescribable eeriness.

He flicked the droplets of blood from his fingertips. No longer in a hurry to kill Fei Cai, he instead clasped his hands behind his back and paced a couple of steps. Stopping beside the two corpses, he looked down and examined them, then suddenly spoke. "Fei Cai, just where did this man come from? What is his background? Explain it clearly, and this king will leave you an intact corpse."

Fei Cai, too, was utterly bewildered.

He had long planned to use this opportunity to draw Flying Light's attention, along with that of the other households, toward Filth Mountain, giving the Fei Household a chance to migrate north.

Li Fuchan was certainly not his only measure.

But without Li Fuchan, even by a conservative estimate, he and the six sons of the Fei Household would all have died on Filth Mountain.

Otherwise, coming alone without bringing the Fei Household's six sons would inevitably have aroused Flying Light's suspicion.

Li Fuchan's appearance had drawn all of Flying Light's attention to him.

This allowed Fei Cai to preserve not only the Fei Household, but the six sons as well.

Yet, by his reckoning, Li Fuchan should not have died so quickly. Now, not only was Li Fuchan dead, but his younger brother was dead too.

But where had this younger brother come from?

Absurd. Truly absurd.

Seeing that Fei Cai remained silent, Flying Light's expression darkened, and he asked no more.

He let out a long breath and said through gritted teeth, "Since that's the case, there's no need to speak. I'll kill you first, then personally hunt down those filial sons and worthy grandsons of Fei Yiming's. As for that Spirit Object, this king will simply take it early. It will only require a little more effort."

The azure gleam in his hand blazed. He raised his sword high, about to slash down at Fei Cai.

Just then, a commotion suddenly sounded outside.

"Demon! Demon! Pay for my elder brother's life! Pay for my elder brother's life!"

Flying Light's narrow eyes narrowed at the inner corners while the outer corners kept lifting. His azure-gold scales locked together layer upon layer with a metallic clang, and his voice was almost a hiss. "What an irritating beast."

Flying Light moved, rushing after him.

Without even looking at the man, he immediately attacked.

Yet this fellow proved maddeningly difficult to deal with.

He weathered Flying Light's assault head-on, shouting, "I am Chanli Fu! Demon, pay for the lives of my two elder brothers!"

Flying Light was so furious that he laughed, the sound chilling. "I don't care what kind of cicada you are. This king will turn you into a dead cicada."

Before his words had faded, he was already pursuing his foe.