Wind rose in the woods, sending peach blossoms dancing wildly.
Pink petals swirled through the sky on the wind, but along with their fragrance came an overpowering rank stench that made everyone instinctively cover their mouths and noses.
It was like rotting meat mixed with sweat and the smell of a wild beast, churning their stomachs like storm-tossed seas.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
An enormous noise came from nearby, each step like a heavy hammer striking the ground.
The officers held their breath and focused, their hands settling on their saber hilts.
Wu Yong drew close to Lu Guan, his expression solemn, and whispered, "Careful. With a commotion like this, it could very well be the White Bone Demon King."
Lu Guan glanced at Wu Yong and saw a hint of eagerness lurking in the young company commander's eyes.
He looked like a hunter who had spotted a fierce beast in the distance, both nervous and excited.
"If we join forces and use Gather Blood into a Blade, we might have a chance to keep it here for good!"
Wu Yong kept his voice extremely low, but could not suppress its fervor.
What young man did not yearn to win merit and make a name for himself? If they slew a great True Qi Realm demon while only in the Qi and Blood Realm, they would walk through the Demon Suppression Bureau with their backs straighter than others in the days to come.
All the more so because everyone in the first squad was a son of Langya, born into an aristocratic clan, and they craved honor even more.
With so many children in their clans, whoever distinguished himself first would gain an extra share of resources.
"Brothers, now is the moment to win merit and make our names!"
At Wu Yong's shout, they hesitated no longer and drew their sabers together.
Saber light flashed, reflecting the peach petals dancing across the sky.
As time passed, the noise drew ever closer.
The trees shook violently, their branches and leaves rustling loudly, and a rank wind struck their faces, whipping their robes into a frenzy.
An enormous creature finally came into view.
Within the tiger demon's bloody maw, sharp fangs gleamed menacingly. Its breathing rumbled like thunder, and thick saliva dripped all over the ground-the source of that rank stench.
"Roar!"
The tiger's roar crashed into their ears like thunder. Every officer present stiffened, their eyes filled with terror and confusion.
Wasn't this White Bone Mountain?
Why was... the tiger demon from Yellow Flower Ridge here!?
The eagerness on Wu Yong's face froze instantly.
Compared with the White Bone Demon King, the tiger demon of Yellow Flower Ridge was Qianqiu County's true scourge.
But it always remained deep within Yellow Flower Ridge and rarely ventured out.
Why had it appeared here today?
Could White Bone Mountain and Yellow Flower Ridge have joined forces?
The thought made Wu Yong's scalp prickle.
Watching the tiger demon advance step by step, Wu Yong clenched his teeth and forced down his fear. He was the company commander. He could not retreat.
"Form up!" he shouted, his voice trembling.
Clouds followed dragons; winds followed tigers.
Within the dense forest, fleeing meant certain death. Only fighting to the death without retreat offered a sliver of hope.
Wu Yong's breathing grew increasingly rapid, a trace of madness flashing in his eyes. His fingertips moved, already executing a secret method.
Qi and Blood surged madly from his Dantian, flowing through his meridians into his arms before gushing from his fingertips.
Even if he died, he would sever one of this demonic tiger's arms!
Everyone poured in their Qi and Blood frantically, and a long blade of Blood Qi took shape.
The blade stretched across the peach grove, its body crimson as molten iron, radiating scorching waves of heat.
Yet it lacked that keen edge.
"Brother Lu, help me!" Wu Yong shouted.
His voice had already changed pitch, turning hoarse and urgent.
Seeing that the most crucial stream of Qi and Blood still had not joined theirs, the young company commander seethed.
Damn it! Young after all-letting us down at such a critical moment!
He hurriedly glanced sideways, then froze.
The youth who had been standing beside him had vanished without his noticing.
Wu Yong whipped his head around and saw a figure ahead of everyone, drawing his saber and walking unhurriedly toward the tiger demon.
That figure stood straight as a spear, his steps steady, seemingly paying the tiger demon before him no heed.
"Lu Guan!"
Every officer stared in disbelief.
The tiger demon of Yellow Flower Ridge was a demonic faction unto itself, a great demon in the late True Qi Realm!
Who in all of Qianqiu County could match it?
Even Commandant Zhou, in the mid True Qi Realm, would have to give this tiger demon a wide berth.
They could not understand. At a time like this, what could a mere Qi and Blood Realm martial artist possibly do? Was he going to throw his life away?
Under the officers' gazes, Lu Guan looked at the enormous tiger head before him, frowned, and suddenly cursed:
"You stink beyond belief!"
The tiger demon's scarlet eyes studied Lu Guan indifferently, a savage smile spreading across its mouth.
"So you're Lu Guan?"
As it spoke, it raised a tiger paw the size of a millstone, its claws like iron hooks glinting coldly, and pressed it down toward the youth's head.
Deal with this one first, then feast.
At the thought of devouring so many delicious living medicines, even more thick saliva involuntarily dripped from its bloody maw, filling the air with a foul stench.
"I said, you really stink."
Suddenly, silver light flashed through the woods.
Lu Guan held his long saber, drops of warm, foul-smelling blood dripping from its edge.
On the ground lay a muscular arm ending in a tiger's paw.
"Roar!"
The next second, the tiger demon's agonized howl echoed through the woods. It abruptly clutched its right arm, stemming the torrent of blood.
What had happened?
The officers rubbed their eyes. They had not even seen when the tiger demon's arm had been severed!
From drawing the saber to severing the arm, only the blink of an eye had passed.
All they had seen was Lu Guan taking one step forward, and then the arm had fallen to the ground.
Immediately afterward, beneath their gazes, Lu Guan moved again.
Billowing white vapor rose behind him, concealing his figure completely.
The white vapor resembled morning mist, yet was a hundred times denser, like boiling steam gushing from the youth's body.
"That's... True Qi!" Wu Yong murmured, seemingly understanding why Lu Guan had not joined the formation.
How was this the perfected Qi and Blood Realm!?
Squelch!
Giving the tiger demon no chance to react, Lu Guan's True Qi pressed down upon it like a mountain, pinning its enormous body firmly in place.
The tiger demon struggled, its heavily muscled arms braced hard against the ground, gouging two deep furrows, yet it could not stand.
Before, Lu Guan had been so fast that it could not react at all.
Now, the youth before it swung his saber right in front of its face, and it did not even have the slightest ability to resist.
A great demon in the late True Qi Realm could not even roar beneath the suppression of Lu Guan's True Qi.
Its throat worked, squeezing out only a whimper:
"No... you can't kill me... I am..."
Before it could finish, an enormous tiger head flew into the sky.
"I don't care who you are."
"Demons die when they're killed."
Lu Guan wiped the Primordial Saber clean on its body before returning it to its sheath.
[Late True Qi Realm tiger demon, cultivated for three hundred and twenty years, poor aptitude. Extracted one hundred and twenty years of effective cultivation.]
At the panel's information, a glimmer of delight flashed in Lu Guan's eyes.
Only after finishing all this did he turn to look at the squad of officers.
Everyone stood solemnly, their eyes filled not only with shock, but also awe.
No one spoke. Within the peach grove, there was only the rustling of wind through leaves and the sound of blood gurgling from the tiger demon's headless corpse in the distance.
Lu Guan said nothing. He turned once more and walked slowly toward White Bone Mountain.
Until his figure disappeared from everyone's sight.