Cao Xueqing had also seen and recognised the Five-Leaf White, but it was of no use to her.
Seeing Lin Xiao continuously retreat, she had assumed he had no intention of seizing the Five-Leaf White. After all, the two spirit tigers were formidable, and trying to snatch it would be like stealing food from a tiger’s mouth—a fight to the death.
If she could retreat and strike Lin Xiao from behind, he would surely die.
But she hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to use a skeleton to stealthily pluck the Five-Leaf White while she was entangled with one tiger and he with the other.
Now, the prize was in Lin Xiao’s hands, and the tiger facing her, enraged and mistaking her for Lin Xiao’s accomplice, attacked her with full force.
Escaping it now seemed impossible.
The claw print’s power was extraordinary, forcing her to fight with all her strength.
“Radiant Ten Thousand Cracks!” Cao Xueqing unleashed the second form of her Sky-Splitting Fist, her strongest strike. The immense fist beam, carrying void-shattering force, collided with the massive claw print.
Boom!
A heaven-shaking explosion erupted, with vast waves of energy surging through the air. Cao Xueqing was forced back.
The Golden-Furred Spirit Tiger unleashed another massive claw print, even stronger than before.
“Life-Extinguishing Yin Sword!” Cao Xueqing shouted coldly, icy mist billowing from her. The temperature plummeted, and she slashed her short sword, sending a chilling sword beam tearing through the void with overwhelming coldness, as if half the sky were freezing.
The terrifying icy sword beam clashed with the tiger’s furious strike, unleashing torrents of energy that collapsed several peaks below.
On Lin Xiao’s side, the male Golden-Furred Spirit Tiger, also enraged, fought him desperately, unleashing deadly attacks.
The Five-Leaf White, guarded for countless years, had been taken before fully ripening, driving the tigers into a frenzy.
Lin Xiao alternated between the Immortal Skeleton Art, Heaven-Sealing Stone Hand, and spiritual techniques, barely holding his ground against the tiger, retreating repeatedly in perilous combat.
The tigers, in their desperation, were overwhelmingly powerful.
The battle lasted a little over half an incense stick’s time. Both Lin Xiao and Cao Xueqing were bloodied, as were the tigers, heavily wounded.
Cao Xueqing’s fight was fiercer. She had even activated one vein of her Three-Vein Yin Body but still couldn’t defeat the female tiger.
However, the female tiger’s injuries were far worse, giving Cao Xueqing the upper hand.
Lin Xiao, though less injured, was at a slight disadvantage, relying mostly on evasion.
The battle had reached a fever pitch.
Roar! The tiger facing Lin Xiao charged, its massive claw unleashing immense brute force in a close-range attack.
“Finally recovered!” Lin Xiao rejoiced inwardly. The effects of the Body-Penetrating Forbidden Essence Powder had worn off, and the boundless vital energy within the three layers of chaos surrounding his dantian surged powerfully.
He drew his Shaking Light Broken Sword, its wild martial intent enveloping him, enhancing his hands.
His fourth-grade advanced spiritual energy was also channelled into it.
Within his dantian, he pushed his vital energy to its limit, manifesting a mid-tier Earth-grade dantian phenomenon.
He prepared to end the tiger with his strongest stance.
Roar!
A dragon’s roar echoed as earthy yellow light bloomed from his dantian. A blood-red dragon phantom appeared behind him, radiating an ancient, primordial aura that shook the heavens and suppressed all directions.
Clang!
In an instant, Lin Xiao’s broken sword struck the tiger’s claw, a sharp metallic clang ringing out. The immense collision seemed to shatter the void.
Pfft!
The tiger’s massive, tough claws were severed by the Shaking Light Broken Sword, which also cut into its foreleg, slicing it off and sending blood spraying.
The tiger was thrown back some distance.
Roar! The tiger roared in pain, its eyes filled with fear, intimidated by the blood dragon phenomenon.
“Shaking Light Sword Art!” Lin Xiao charged forward, gripping the sword with both hands. His body turned transparent, radiant white light bursting from him, illuminating the entire area.
Under the Shaking Light Sword Art, the broken sword seemed to awaken, radiating terrifying fluctuations like raging waves, spreading in all directions with overwhelming pressure.
The heavens seemed unable to contain the sword, trembling as if on the verge of breaking.
“Kill!” Lin Xiao shouted, swinging the sword. A blinding sword beam erupted, carrying world-annihilating force, slashing at the wounded tiger.
Roar! The tiger roared, unleashing power from its remaining claw.
But, crippled and panicked, it couldn’t muster much strength. Its attack was instantly shattered by the powerful white sword beam.
Pfft!
As the light faded, the tiger’s body was cleaved in two, blood raining down.
A mid-tier fifth-rank male Golden-Furred Spirit Tiger was utterly slain.
Roar! Seeing its mate killed, the female tiger roared furiously, glaring at Lin Xiao while unleashing overwhelming force against Cao Xueqing.
It clearly intended to kill Cao Xueqing quickly before attacking Lin Xiao.
“Two-Vein Yin Body!” Cao Xueqing had no choice but to go all out. The tiger’s threat was severe, and she was unwilling to let Lin Xiao escape.
Whoosh! Icy mist surged from her, chilling the air as if it would freeze solid. The temperature dropped drastically.
Behind her, two veins glowed with radiant white light, exuding an intensely cold aura.
She had activated two veins of her Three-Vein Yin Body!
Boom!
Cao Xueqing slashed her sword, a chilling sword beam shattering the tiger’s power and cleaving its body in two, blood spraying wildly.
Both Golden-Furred Spirit Tigers were now dead.
But Cao Xueqing’s expression was grim. Activating two veins of her Three-Vein Yin Body had drained her immensely.
Her gaze met Lin Xiao’s, sparks practically flying between them.
“Cao Xueqing, it’s time we settled this!” Lin Xiao gripped his broken sword, his powerful third-level Martial Venerable aura radiating freely.
After being pursued for so long, he could finally fight without restraint.
