“That’s the Tiger Command Army!” Qing Feng, usually taciturn, shouted in alarm, his face etched with deep wariness.
As his words fell, distant roars of tigers echoed through the air.
“Roar!” “Roar!” “Roar!”
Amid rolling clouds of dust, massive tigers—each as tall as a man—charged forward. Atop each sat a black-clad man, their faces half-covered by hollowed iron masks, exuding a menacing air. A chilling killing intent radiated from every one of them.
“The Tiger Command Army?” Lin Xiao frowned slightly, turning to Qing Yun.
“They’re the most terrifying bandits in the Chaos Lands—elusive and unpredictable. Rumour has it their leader is a fearsome Martial Sovereign who can control tiger beasts. Every member of the Tiger Command Army is a seasoned killer, each paired with a third-tier tiger spirit beast. They have no fixed base, making even the Chaos Lands’ super factions wary of them,” Qing Yun explained, her voice tinged with lingering fear.
“A Martial Sovereign who can control tiger beasts!” Lin Xiao’s brow arched.
Spirit beasts, with spirit cores in their heads, were notoriously hard to tame. Controlling them required either a high-tier spirit controller—beyond those who could enslave humans—or a unique ability to suppress specific beasts.
A spirit controller surpassing human enslavement would need to be sixth or seventh tier, a rarity not just in the Chaos Lands but across the entire continent.
At that level, forming a team of mere Heavenly Martial fighters would be unnecessary.
That seemed unlikely.
Eliminating that possibility, the alternative was clear: the Tiger Command Army’s leader possessed a special power to suppress tiger beasts.
What worried Lin Xiao more was the strength of those charging toward them. If it was their leader or a Martial King, it’d be incredibly dangerous.
“Rumble!”
In moments, the rolling tide of beastly shadows closed to within a thousand yards. Their unmasked aura was formidable.
As they came into sharper focus, their numbers became clear—twenty in total.
The strongest aura belonged to a man in a grey iron mask leading the charge, radiating ninth-level Heavenly Martial power. His overwhelming momentum far outstripped ordinary fighters of that realm.
This eased Lin Xiao’s mind slightly. No Martial Kings or above—just a small detachment of the Tiger Command Army.
But he didn’t let his guard down. Though they were only twenty, paired with their tiger spirit beasts, it was like facing forty Heavenly Martial foes. Higher-tier beasts could match two or three humans, making this force roughly equal to his own.
“Full alert!” Lin Xiao’s brow twitched. A longsword appeared in his hands, raised high as he gripped it with both.
No need for his warning—his team was already on edge, their power pushed to the limit.
Qing Yun and Qing Feng were even more tense. In their minds, encountering the Tiger Command Army meant slim odds of survival.
Lin Xiao’s eyes locked ahead. As the Tiger Command Army closed to a few hundred yards, he bellowed, “Attack!”
“Boom!” “Boom!” “Boom!” …
Blinding bursts of light erupted, dazzling blade and sword beams illuminating the sky. Immense, unstoppable power surged forward, a sea-like wave of energy sweeping through. The ground’s grass was uprooted, dust swirling into the air.
“Scatter!” The grey-masked leader shouted ahead. The twenty tiger beasts, as if well-drilled, split swiftly to either side, their explosive speed like lightning. In a blink, they flanked Lin Xiao’s group.
“Rumble!” “Rumble!” “Rumble!” …
Deafening blasts rang out as the ground trembled under the overwhelming force, but it all hit empty air.
After dodging the attack, the twenty riders and their tigers used the shockwave’s momentum to accelerate, encircling Lin Xiao’s group from both sides.
Their swords and blades slashed out, unleashing brilliant, piercing beams. Terrifying waves of power cleaved forward, howling ominously.
Qing Yun and Qing Feng’s faces paled as they hurriedly summoned their strength.
“Trouble!”
Lin Xiao’s brow furrowed. His own surging power flared up. These foes were disciplined—counterattacking the moment their strike missed. Few could muster a strong response so quickly.
Fortunately, Shengyuan Academy’s disciples were gifted and strong. In that brief window, many managed a second strike. Bright bursts flared, torrents of power crashing outward like a tidal wave.
“Boom!”
A thunderous roar erupted as colliding forces unleashed a sea of energy. Heaven Gate disciples, shielded by brilliant vital energy, flushed red from the impact. Some spat blood, others were flung to the ground.
In their haste, fewer than half of the fifty-plus had attacked, and with less-than-peak force. Most of the backlash surged toward them.
“Kill!” A youthful voice spat from the grey-masked man. The riders and beasts charged at the fifty-plus group.
Each Tiger Command soldier wielded a massive blade or sword, brimming with immense power, slashing up close. Their tiger mounts clawed viciously, razor-sharp talons seeming to tear at space itself, radiating terrifying strength.
“Two on one! The rest, surround them! Leave the leader to me!” Lin Xiao roared, stomping forward and charging head-on.
“Whoosh!”
Dodging a tiger’s claws, Lin Xiao leapt higher. Thunder essence surged within him, the Thunder Sword Art activating. His sword slashed down, igniting a booming gust of wind and thunder.
Clang!
The swords clashed, a shrill metallic screech ringing out. Sparks of lightning flared between them, scattering outward.
The fierce impact forced both back a few steps. Lin Xiao was mildly surprised—this Tiger Command squad leader was strong, the shock numbing his hands.
The grey-masked youth’s lips twitched with astonishment. He hadn’t expected such a young teen to wield such power.
“Hmph!” With a cold snort, the youth spurred his tiger forward. The beast lunged, and he swung his sword, unleashing a torrent of sword qi.
The third-tier high-level beast’s massive claws swiped at Lin Xiao’s knees.
A diagonal sword above, tiger claws below—it was a tricky combo to counter.
