The cave was spacious, about five or six meters wide, with clear signs of excavation on the walls, indicating it was not naturally formed but dug out by human hands.
“Li Feng, this cave was likely a cultivation site in the past, possibly existing for countless years. There might be something left behind by a senior, or there might be nothing at all,” Ge Feng said, approaching Li Feng. “The beast isn’t here now, likely deeper in the cave. Should we go check it out?”
“Of course, we should take a look,” Li Feng said firmly. Having come this far, there was no reason not to explore. If this cave was indeed a senior’s cultivation site, there might be something useful.
“Alright, let’s go in and see,” Ge Feng agreed eagerly, curiosity piqued about what lay within.
“I’ll take the lead, Ge Ying in the middle, Ge Feng at the rear,” Li Feng said, turning to Ge Feng.
“Fine,” Ge Feng nodded, understanding that Li Feng’s arrangement was to protect Ge Ying.
Li Feng drew the large saber from his back. It had belonged to the one-eyed man. As Li Feng was skilled in saber techniques but lacked a weapon, he had taken the one-eyed man’s saber after killing him.
Seeing Li Feng head deeper into the cave, Ge Ying quickly followed.
The trio walked about ten meters to a bend. The cave was already dim, and at this point, it was pitch black, where one couldn’t see their hand in front of their face.
Darkness had little effect on martial artists, especially those in the Innate Realm, who could see clearly in the dark. But Li Feng and his companions were not Innate Realm martial artists, so the darkness still affected them.
Fortunately, they were prepared. Li Feng wore a high-powered headlamp, while Ge Feng and Ge Ying each pulled a spotlight from their spatial bags.
Seeing their spotlights, Li Feng was a bit speechless. He had considered bringing a spotlight but lacked a spatial bag, making it inconvenient. He hadn’t expected Ge Feng and Ge Ying to each have one.
This was likely a difference between modern and ancient martial artists. For modern martial artists, technology still had its uses.
The three exchanged smiles and continued forward. But at the same time, they grew increasingly vigilant. From the tracks on the ground, the beast was nearby.
“Everyone, be careful,” Li Feng said gravely, slightly raising his saber, ready to strike at any moment.
After walking about a hundred meters, they reached a small cave chamber, roughly the size of half a football field. The ceiling was embedded with luminous pearls, illuminating the chamber as if it were daylight.
On one side of the chamber lay a massive tiger. Unlike ordinary tigers, this one was four to five meters long, with a pair of wings on its back.
“Could this be a Flying Tiger?” Li Feng thought of the legendary Flying Tiger, though that was a demonic beast, while this tiger clearly had only a trace of such a beast’s aura.
Unbeknownst to Li Feng, this tiger merely possessed a sliver of the Flying Tiger’s bloodline.
As they entered the chamber, the tiger noticed them. Its eyes gleamed with fury, and with a low roar, it pounced.
“Be careful!” Without hesitation, Li Feng slashed out, sending a one-meter-long saber qi toward the tiger.
Though massive, the tiger was quick and agile, dodging Li Feng’s saber qi with a leap, then roaring and charging at him again.
Li Feng sneered, stomping the ground and leaping into the air, slashing again.
“Saber Cleaves the Universe!”
Multiple saber qi slashes sealed off all the tiger’s paths. Sensing danger, the tiger roared, swiping with its claws.
The claws deflected some of the saber qi, but Li Feng’s attacks were numerous, leaving several bloody gashes on the tiger’s body.
“Roar…”
The tiger roared in fury. The wounds didn’t deter it; they fueled its ferocity. It slammed its claws toward Li Feng.
Li Feng dodged in a flash.
Boom…
The cave wall was sliced like tofu by the tiger’s claws, stones tumbling down.
“What a beast,” Li Feng’s pupils shrank. If those claws had hit him, he wouldn’t even know how he died.
“Die, beast!” Ge Feng and Ge Ying shouted, charging with their swords.
“Ge Feng, Ge Ying, be careful!” Li Feng warned, slashing at the tiger again.
“Roar…” The tiger roared, its tail sweeping Ge Ying away while it dodged Ge Feng’s sword with a leap.
At that moment, Li Feng’s saber qi struck, slicing a deep, bone-exposing wound on the tiger.
“Sister…” Ge Feng’s face changed, seeing Ge Ying flung away.
“Ge Feng, kill the tiger first!” Li Feng shouted, stopping Ge Feng from checking on Ge Ying. The tiger’s strength was unexpected, and even Li Feng wasn’t confident in killing it quickly. If they didn’t act fast, the consequences could be dire, and all three might perish here.
Ge Feng’s expression shifted, but he was rational enough to prioritize. He charged at the tiger with his sword.
The tiger was formidable, its claws like steel, pulverizing rock with a single swipe. Li Feng and Ge Feng fought together but couldn’t subdue it quickly.
Li Feng knew they couldn’t delay. Ge Ying’s condition was unknown, and if she was badly hurt, time could cost her life.
The tiger wasn’t without weaknesses—its eyes were its vulnerability.
With this in mind, Li Feng drew two throwing knives.
Whoosh, whoosh…
Two silver streaks flashed, piercing the tiger’s eyes—Li Feng’s throwing knives.
“Roar…” Blood poured from the tiger’s eyes as it roared skyward, its claws frantically striking the cave walls.
“Mountain-Toppling Sea!”
Dodging a claw, Li Feng unleashed a palm strike, wave after wave of force hitting the tiger, striking dozens of blows and forcing it back several steps.
Seizing the moment, Ge Feng rushed forward, thrusting his sword into the tiger’s body.
“Roar…” The tiger roared, its wings flapping, sending Ge Feng flying.
“Die!” Li Feng flashed forward, slashing.
With a squelch, the tiger’s head was severed, and it collapsed.
Li Feng landed lightly, staring at the dead tiger, shock in his eyes. The tiger’s combat strength was unexpectedly fierce. Despite numerous wounds from him and Ge Feng, its fighting spirit hadn’t waned. If he hadn’t blinded its eyes, killing it wouldn’t have been so easy.
“Ge Feng, you okay?” Li Feng approached Ge Feng.
“I’m fine,” Ge Feng said, looking toward Ge Ying.
Li Feng hurried over, checked her, and sighed in relief. “She’s fine, just unconscious.”
Ge Feng relaxed.
Li Feng lifted Ge Ying, placing her gently, and pinched her philtrum. She woke faintly. “What happened to me?”
Seeing Li Feng, her face flushed, then she remembered something. “Li Feng, what about the tiger?”
“It’s dead. We’re safe now,” Li Feng replied.
“Really?” Ge Ying sat up, looking at Ge Feng. “Brother, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just exhausted,” Ge Feng shook his head, standing. “That tiger was too strong, likely at the fifth level of the Acquired Realm. If Li Feng hadn’t blinded its eyes at the critical moment, killing it wouldn’t have been easy.”
Li Feng nodded. The tiger’s strength was indeed around the fifth level of the Acquired Realm, stronger than any of them. Ge Feng was at the third level, Ge Ying at the second, and while Li Feng was at the second level of the Qi Refining Realm (equivalent to the second level of the Acquired Realm), his prior body tempering gave him a physical strength of 100,000 jin, making his true combat power around the fourth level.
In Li Feng’s previous life, martial artists didn’t practice body tempering. He had assumed this era’s martial artists did, but from Ge Feng and Ge Ying’s situation, they hadn’t tempered their bodies either, instead cultivating true qi directly through internal techniques.
Thus, this era’s Acquired Realm was equivalent to Li Feng’s Qi Refining Realm. But having tempered his body, Li Feng’s strength and combat ability surpassed those of the same realm.
Even so, defeating the tiger was a fluke. The cave’s confined space limited the tiger’s strength. In a different environment or without his throwing knife skill, killing it wouldn’t have been so easy.
“You’re both amazing. I’m useless, couldn’t even withstand one hit from the tiger,” Ge Ying said, her expression dim.
“You just lack experience. Train in this area, and with your strength, you could hold your own against the tiger,” Li Feng smiled. “Alright, enough of that. Let’s see what’s in this cave.”
With that, Li Feng glanced toward a corner of the chamber.
