Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger

The capital, the Zhao Clan.

Deep within a manor spanning a hundred mu, a young man sat cross-legged in a training room.

He had handsome features, sharp brows, and bright eyes. Faint energy fluctuations lingered around him.

With every breath, visible currents of air swirled around his body-a contained aura that only a Domain Realm expert could achieve.

Zhao Ming, the eldest son of the Zhao Clan's direct line, was twenty-five, at the middle stage of the Domain Realm, and an inheritor of the Zhao Clan's bloodline.

His superpower was the SS-rank "Thunder Body." After awakening, his body gradually became elemental, granting him immunity to most physical attacks. He also commanded powerful Lightning-Type superpower techniques, their might far surpassing that of ordinary Lightning-Type awakeners.

After breaking through to the Domain Realm, he had also awakened the Zhao Clan's bloodline technique: the Battle Spear Art.

His spear mastery was unrivaled, and his skill had even touched upon spear intent.

Among his peers, he was acknowledged as a prodigy.

Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in."

A man in black entered and bowed. "Young master, news has arrived from Jiangcheng."

Zhao Ming opened his eyes, a glimmer of lightning flashing within them.

"Speak."

The man in black presented a confidential report. "This is the latest investigation into the man named Lin Jin who has been spending time with Miss Su."

Zhao Ming took the report and skimmed it.

"Lin Jin, an orphan. Awakened suddenly. Suspected bloodline inheritor. Has demonstrated multiple abilities, instantly killed a B-rank anomaly, and caused the mysterious deaths of two Source Energy Stage awakeners from Dark Moon."

After reading it, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Interesting."

The man in black asked respectfully, "Young master, this man is a suspected bloodline inheritor and has close ties with Miss Su. Should we pay particular attention to him? Or... take certain measures?"

Zhao Ming rose and walked to the window.

"A bloodline inheritor..." he murmured, a trace of disdain in his voice. "An unaffiliated bloodline inheritor. No matter how powerful his awakening, how far can he go without a clan's resources and cultivation methods?"

He turned to look at the man in black.

"Send someone to approach him."

The man in black lowered his head. "Please give me your instructions, young master."

"Give him two choices." Zhao Ming stood with his hands behind his back. "First, join the Zhao Clan and become my follower. Our clan has countless resources. We can help him fully awaken his bloodline, and his future achievements will be limitless."

"Second." He paused, a chill flashing through his eyes. "Tell him to stay away from Qianxue. She is my fiancée, and I don't want any unnecessary misunderstandings."

The man in black hesitated. "What if he refuses?"

Zhao Ming smiled with condescending confidence.

"How much could an unaffiliated bloodline inheritor know of the world? He'll understand that following the Zhao Clan is his best choice." He waved a hand. "Go. If he knows what's good for him, I wouldn't mind another capable subordinate. If he doesn't..."

He did not finish, but his meaning was already clear.

The man in black bowed and withdrew.

Zhao Ming turned to gaze at the lake outside the window, his eyes deep.

Su Qianxue, that stubborn woman. Did she think running to Jiangcheng would let her escape this marriage alliance?

Naive.

There was nothing he, Zhao Ming, wanted that he could not obtain.

As for that Lin Jin...

He shook his head.

An unaffiliated bloodline inheritor who had appeared from some unknown corner was not worth dealing with personally.

Night lay deep, and Jiangcheng was shrouded in silence.

Lin Jin returned to his rented room and sat by the window, replaying what Su Qianxue had said during the day.

Powerful clans, Dark Moon, blood momentum. This world was becoming more interesting.

He stood, about to wash up, when his brow suddenly furrowed.

Mind's Eye of the Kagura!

The Uzumaki Clan's unique sensory ability was a top-tier reconnaissance method even in the Hokage world.

Within his perception, an unfamiliar energy fluctuation was awakening somewhere outside the city.

Unlike the cold, chaotic aura of anomalies, this energy was purer and more violent, with a hint of primal wildness.

"A demonic beast?" Lin Jin murmured.

He had seen relevant records in the Paranormal Bureau's files.

Besides anomalies, this world also had demonic beasts. Unlike the sinister anomalies, they were living beings born naturally between heaven and earth, and some even possessed intelligence equal to that of humans.

The one awakening now had considerable energy.

Lin Jin stood and walked to the window.

He closed his eyes and unleashed the Mind's Eye of the Kagura at full strength. His perception spread like invisible ripples, crossing the city and passing over mountain forests before finally locking onto a remote stretch of mountains twenty li east of the city.

The energy grew clearer and stronger.

It surpassed B-rank. At least A-rank.

Moreover, it seemed to be moving in a certain direction.

Lin Jin opened his eyes, a flicker of interest passing through them.

An A-rank demonic beast was equivalent to the Origin Energy Realm in this world, or a Jōnin in the Hokage world. If he could subdue it, perhaps it could become a useful fighting force.

He pushed open the door, and with a flicker, his figure vanished into the night.

East of the city, Azure Glow Mountain.

This was a sprawling expanse of remote mountains and ancient forest. Few ventured here because of the treacherous terrain. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled light and shadows across the ground.

Lin Jin appeared out of thin air on the branch of an ancient tree.

Standing high above, he looked down into a valley.

At the center of the valley, an enormous creature lay on a slab of bluish stone, seemingly asleep, yet also seemingly absorbing the essence of the moon.

It was a tiger.

But no ordinary tiger.

Its body was a full three meters long, covered in silvery-white fur marked with deep blue patterns resembling traces of lightning.

A sharp horn, also silvery-white, protruded from its forehead, gleaming with a faint, cold light beneath the moon.

Most striking of all was its tail. Rather than an ordinary tiger's tail, it was segmented, with a forked tip shaped like lightning. Arcs of electricity occasionally danced at its end.

Lin Jin landed silently and stopped behind a rock fifty meters away from it, then used the Investigation Technique.

[Target: Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger]

[Strength: A+ rank (can grow)]

[Abilities: Lightning control, powerful physique, understands human speech, high intelligence]

[Danger level: Low]

[Note: A royal bloodline among demonic beasts. Can reach S+ rank upon maturity.]

A+ rank was equivalent to the peak of the Origin Energy Realm.

Its S+ rank upon maturity would be equivalent to the peak of the Domain Realm, or the peak of Kage Level.

Just then,

the system's voice rang out right on cue.

[Ding! System mission issued]

[Mission: Capture the demonic beast "Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger" and sign a Summoning Contract with it]

[Mission reward: 200 points of World Power]

[Note: Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger, an A+ rank demonic beast capable of growth. Possesses Lightning-Type superpowers, high intelligence, and the ability to speak human language. If subdued, it will become a capable fighting force.]

Two hundred points.

Including the 200 points he had earned from killing the two Dark Moon members earlier, he now had 360 points. Another 200 would give him the 500 points he needed to unseal Kamui.

The corners of Lin Jin's mouth curled slightly.

Perfect timing.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lin Jin's eyes.

Just then, the enormous tiger suddenly opened its eyes.

They were amber, with faint lightning flickering within the pupils. It slowly turned its head, its gaze landing precisely on the rock where Lin Jin was hiding.

"Human, come out."

A deep voice rang out, carrying the rasp unique to a beast, but its words were clear. It was indeed human language.

Unsurprised, Lin Jin stepped out from behind the rock.

Moonlight fell over him, illuminating his calm face.

The Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger stared at him, its amber pupils contracting slightly.

"You carry a dangerous aura." It slowly rose, standing two people tall on all fours. "Human, you're no ordinary awakener. What have you come here for?"

Lin Jin did not answer. He simply looked it over, as though inspecting an object.

That gaze made the Saber-toothed Thunder Tiger deeply uncomfortable.

It was the king of this mountain forest and had never met a match since the day it was born. The human awakeners who trespassed on its territory either died at its hands or fled in disgrace.

Yet the man before it looked at it as though it were prey.