The real tiger
Lu Heng did not look back.
He knew that if he showed any sign of panic, the hunter lurking in the shadows would immediately abandon his restraint and launch a surprise attack.
With only a few dozen meters left to the cabin, the return journey was relatively safe, though the lingering sense of being watched from behind remained ever-present. Despite being on guard, having just eliminated the Mirror Image Snow Demon and obtained the Disguise Pearl, his tense mind inevitably relaxed for a moment. It was this momentary lapse in concentration that gave the lurking beast an opportunity.
The deathly silence of the forest was abruptly shattered in the next instant.
Without a roar or any warning of rustling leaves, an extremely violent gust of air suddenly burst forth from his side and rear! The massive body swept through the forest at high speed, the compressed wind pressure crashing down on him, locking down all his space to dodge.
Lu Heng's vision was obstructed, and he relied entirely on the strong winds and changes in airflow that he sensed through his skin, letting instinct override thought.
He jerked his arm violently, gripping the hilt of the knife tightly with his five fingers, and swung it horizontally backward, the Bronze Hunting Blade sweeping out with a short, sharp whistling sound. This strike was extremely hasty, without any build-up or aiming, merely an instinctive block in a desperate moment, solely to force back the attacking shadow.
But the speed of the attacking object far exceeded expectations.
The shadowy figure moved with extreme agility, twisting its body lightly in mid-air and gliding precisely to the side, easily dodging the horizontal slash. The dodge was swift and clean, without any unnecessary movements, clearly demonstrating its mastery of close combat. During its patient days of lurking, it had already figured out the rhythm of human sword strikes.
In the instant it dodged the blade, the black shadow's thick, hard tail suddenly straightened and lashed out with tremendous force!
A dull thud echoed through the forest.
Bang!
The hard tail limb slammed heavily into Lu Heng's left shoulder, the immense force instantly penetrating his body. He was forced back three steps, half of his body went numb instantly, a dull, heavy pain shot through his bones beneath his skin, and his torso stiffened in a shudder. The hilt of the knife in his palm trembled violently, his tiger's mouth ached and went numb, and his fingertips almost dropped the weapon.
Having landed a successful blow, the beast showed no further greed.
It was extremely cautious. As soon as it landed, it pushed off the ground with all four limbs and retreated, quickly creating a few meters of distance between them. It stood firmly in the snow-covered forest, crouching low and locking onto Lu Heng, without rushing in again.
The tense standoff lasted until the two sides completely separated, freezing the moment in time.
Lu Heng steadied himself, lowered his waist to steady himself, and looked up intently. With the help of the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest, he finally saw the predator in front of him clearly.
The moment he saw it clearly, his mind went blank, and a clear look of astonishment appeared in his eyes.
Its body was covered in thick, grayish-brown hide, with raised, hard keratinous patches growing on its back and head, like interlocking layers of rock, the texture cold and rough. Its limbs were strong and solid, standing firmly in the snow like a rock, the tips of its claws slightly protruding, causing the snow to sink in slightly. Its narrow, dark tiger eyes were fixed on his figure, full of pure, wild killing intent.
Forest Rock Tiger.
At that moment, Lu Heng finally understood.
The one who fought so fiercely to the point of near death was merely a false phantom created by the mirror image.
But standing before him now was a living, breathing, real Forest Rock Tiger.
It turned out that the lingering sense of being watched for days was not an illusion at all. The tiger had been lurking in this forest for a long time, following, observing, and lying in wait day after day, figuring out his travel routes, daily routines, and fighting habits. It patiently waited for the critical moment when he was relaxed on his way home and closest to his dwelling to launch a fatal surprise attack.
After a brief moment of shock, the composure needed for survival instantly suppressed the turmoil in my heart.
Lu Heng quickly regulated his disordered breathing, gripped the Bronze Hunting Blade tightly again, and the cool metallic touch made him more calm and composed.
He neither rushed to attack nor retreated to dodge.
Under the watchful gaze of Forest Rock Tiger, he flicked his wrist repeatedly, unleashing several slashes with each rise and fall of his arm.
One cut, two cuts, three cuts...
The biting wind of the blade ripped through the stagnant, cold air of the forest, and wherever the blade swept, the accumulated snow shattered and flew away, the sharp pressure of the blade spreading out directly.
His idea seemed somewhat frivolous.
He wanted to see if he could force the tiger back with the deadly intimidation of the Bronze Hunting Blade alone.
He knew very well that the sharpness of this blade was the instinctive nemesis of all wild beasts, enough to cleave through a tiger's rocky hide and inflict a fatal wound.
Sure enough, the state of the Forest Rock Tiger underwent a subtle change in sight.
As the sharp blade approached, its crouching body tensed slightly involuntarily, its front paws shifted slightly, its muscles taut with tension, and a clear look of fear appeared in its eyes. It could sense the deadly threat posed by the blade and instinctively feared its sharp, cold light.
Even though it was filled with fear, it did not retreat an inch.
The narrow tiger eyes were fixed on Lu Heng's entire body, the pupils constricted, the killing intent heavy. Although it was clearly wary of the blade, it showed no intention of retreating.
Lu Heng instantly understood.
Heavy snow has sealed off the mountains and frozen the entire forest. The harsh winter has caused all the creatures in the forest to hibernate, and small prey have disappeared from the entire area. For the top predators that have taken up residence here, food has become extremely scarce, and every hunting opportunity is extremely precious.
He, alone, full of vitality and with a slender build, was the most conspicuous and complete prey in the forest at that moment.
For this starving adult tiger, fear was nothing compared to the survival instinct driven by hunger.
Even if it's dangerous, we must eat meat.
It had its eyes fixed on itself, patiently waiting for this day to hunt it down, and it would never easily give up the chance to kill it just because of a few gusts of wind.
In the silent snow forest, a man and a tiger faced each other from afar, the air completely still, and a suffocating killing intent enveloped the surroundings.
Lu Heng's gaze turned cold, and a thought quickly formed in his mind.
His Storage Space still contained a lot of fresh meat from exotic beasts, all of which were supplies left over from past hunts.
Perhaps they could offer this meat as a bargaining chip to appease the tiger and gain a chance to escape safely.
After days of relentless battles, he was exhausted both physically and mentally, and his body was already worn out. He had just been struck in the back and injured half of his body. He really didn't want to immediately start another extremely dangerous life-or-death struggle, and he didn't want to bleed and get injured again. Being able to retreat and escape safely was undoubtedly the most effortless option.
But Lu Heng immediately rejected the idea as soon as it arose.
I don't know what a tiger looks like, but a cat, with greed and coldness etched into its bones, can never be tamed.
Offering meat today will not earn gratitude or withdrawal; it will only embolden this tiger, making it believe it can be bullied and plundered. After a brief respite, it will only follow and spy on him more frequently, relentlessly pursuing him day after day, convinced that he is a continuous source of food.
This is a completely wild, adult Forest Rock Tiger, a top predator in the forest, wild to the bone and ruthless in its killing instincts.
A mere taste of meat cannot satisfy its appetite, much less buy it true peace. Giving in will only sow the seeds of endless trouble.
Having figured out all the key points, the last trace of looseness in Lu Heng's eyes completely disappeared.
His arm muscles were completely tense, his hand holding the knife was as steady as a rock, and his eyes were fixed on the tiger in front of him, their killing intent completely equal.
Even against a fake, mirrored tiger, he fought desperately.
Now, thanks to the Tiger Potion, his physique has been fully enhanced, with strength, speed, and endurance far surpassing what he had before, and he also has a sharp weapon at his disposal.
Even if the person before him was a true overlord of the forest, he had the confidence to go all out.
With no way to retreat, the only option is to fight to the death.