The White Tiger Demon felt his head ringing from the impact, his body wracked with intense pain. His skin was torn, his bones cracked, and his blood had turned black from the wounds. But when Qin Yun''s life-threatening sword attack came rushing toward him, the White Tiger Demon’s heart trembled. His instinct to survive made his eyes widen in horror. He could only barely make out the blurry image of Qin Yun’s sword as it approached, and in a panic, he instinctively raised his left claw holding the battle axe to block.
Despite being severely wounded, the White Tiger Demon reacted quickly, using his battle axe as a shield in front of him.
“Damn it, I can’t strike at his vital spot now,” Qin Yun thought, his expression changing slightly. Yet, his sword did not hesitate and continued its deadly course. He swiftly redirected it to slash at the White Tiger Demon’s arm that was gripping the battle axe.
“I’ll sever your claw first!”
Swish!
Qin Yun’s sword was incredibly fast, fierce and relentless. The White Tiger Demon, despite his injury, managed to block his vital areas with the battle axe. However, he had no time to react this time, and the sword directly slashed into the demon''s arm.
The White Tiger Demon thought, “Judging from the power of the previous strike to my tail, this should only injure my arm…”
Before his thought could finish, an intense pain shot through him.
Thud!
The sword slashed through with tremendous force, and the claw holding the battle axe dropped to the ground with a sickening thud. The White Tiger Demon could hardly believe what had just happened. His arm, strong as it was, had been severed with a single stroke. Qin Yun’s sword was brutal and unstoppable.
The moment his claw fell, Qin Yun, using the full momentum of his attack, was about to swing for another strike when—
Boom!
A gust of black wind swept around the White Tiger Demon, and in an instant, he shot backward.
“Quick escape,” Qin Yun muttered, his gaze narrowing. He did not give chase. After all, if the White Tiger Demon truly wanted to escape, even with his own speed, Qin Yun knew he wouldn''t be able to catch up. Even high-level cultivators at the Innate Golden Elixir realm would have difficulty keeping up with the White Tiger Demon’s speed. The legendary “Water God,” who had terrorized Guangling County for more than two centuries, had only about half the speed of the White Tiger Demon.
As the White Tiger Demon retreated, he quickly passed by the battle axe that had been struck by the thunder, snatched it up with his right claw, and soared into the air.
Harnessing the black wind, the White Tiger Demon hovered high above and let out a sigh of relief.
“My hand…” He looked at his severed left claw and then glanced down at the battle axe that Qin Yun was stepping on. “My axe!”
Though his claw was severed and his injuries severe, with his formidable physical cultivation, he could regenerate the lost claw over time, especially with the help of his master. However, that would require consuming a lot of precious supplements and would take time.
But compared to his severed claw, the White Tiger Demon was far more distressed about losing his battle axe.
The two axes were the result of years of accumulation. He had spent thirty years saving up to obtain the second battle axe.
“Damn you,” the White Tiger Demon growled. He glared at Qin Yun and said, “You’ll regret this.”
His thoughts churned. "I could only block his sword with both of my axes before! Now I’m left with just one, and even in my prime, I wouldn’t be able to defend against that sword. Not to mention, I’ve been hit by thunder, badly wounded, and lost a claw. I’m barely at thirty percent of my strength. If I stay down there, I’ll only die.”
“That last sword was too powerful! My physical strength, especially my front claws, is unrivaled, and yet he managed to sever my claw with a single blow? Did he hide his strength when he struck my tail earlier?” The White Tiger Demon also recalled the previous battle. During Qin Yun’s life-threatening strike, there had indeed been a moment where his technique seemed to have reached its limit, unlike the earlier attacks, which had a mystical, unpredictable flow.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
“It must have been his killing move. Though it had a flaw, the power was immense,” the White Tiger Demon thought grimly.
“Damn it! If not for the thunder striking me, I could have blocked his attack with both axes! Now, with only one left, I can’t defend. I never thought that I’d lose a claw…”
He looked down once more, his eyes falling on the faintly visible figure of the young woman, Yi Xiao, beside Qin Yun. A flash of hatred flickered in his eyes.
Back at the foggy lake canyon, Qin Yun looked up at the White Tiger Demon hovering in the sky, holding one battle axe and manipulating the black wind. He wasn’t coming down.
“He’s too afraid to come down,” Qin Yun said. “These demons are all cautious. I heard that the Water God, who’s caused so much chaos, is afraid of encountering a high-level Innate Golden Elixir cultivator, which is why he never ventures far from the rivers.”
“Same with the White Tiger Demon. Once the situation turns against him, he’ll retreat to the sky.”
On the ground, the White Tiger Demon was already fast enough to escape. But in the air, he was even harder to catch. He was a natural wind controller, and after years of training, his flight skills were unmatched. To chase him down was nearly impossible.
Yi Xiao stepped forward. “These major demons are always cautious. My master has several senior cultivators who want to deal with the Water God. Even the Water God, for all his tyranny, stays near the river and flees as soon as he senses danger.”
Qin Yun nodded. “It’s true. Those who are weak can’t defeat the Water God, and those who are strong can’t catch him in the water.”
The White Tiger Demon, hovering in the sky, flew toward a group of nearly a hundred demons gathered below. He grabbed the horn of Cangya Mountain.
“Retreat! All of you retreat to the outer area of the Fog Lake Canyon! Hold the line and wait for the thousands of demons to arrive. Then we’ll see how they stop us!” The White Tiger Demon’s voice echoed, filled with fury, as he gave orders.
“Understood, White Tiger King,” the demons quickly responded, retreating as commanded.
The more demons there were, the more terrifying the threat. The airborne ones, those burrowing underground, and those with various strange abilities would soon surround Qin Yun and Yi Xiao.
“Humph! The Sword Immortal is just one person. He can’t possibly block all the attacks. One tiny mistake, and he’ll be struck. Human bodies are rarely as strong as a demon’s,” the White Tiger Demon thought, feeling emboldened. “As for that female cultivator, so what if she has a magic tool? Controlling a magic item still requires the consumption of true essence. With so many demons attacking her at once, her true essence will run out quickly.”
“She’s just a junior who hasn’t even reached the Innate stage. She must have used up most of her true essence with that Thunder Technique earlier.”
“Once her true essence is exhausted, she’ll die.”
The White Tiger Demon had made up his mind. He would kill them both—not only for revenge but to reclaim his battle axe. As for the spiritual fruit, that was a secondary concern.
Qin Yun and Yi Xiao both knew that the most dangerous threat was the thousands of demons that would soon surround them.
“Brother Qin, I’ve expended most of my true essence casting the Thunder Technique. Even the Five Elements Thunder Law, I can only cast maybe seven or eight more times,” Yi Xiao said, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.
“It’s fine. Leave it to me. You focus on staying alive for now. I’ll handle the rest,” Qin Yun said, looking down at the massive tiger claw that had already been severed. The claw was thicker than his waist, and the severed portion was almost as tall as he was. The tiger’s fur was valuable, and the curved claws on it were longer than his own sword!
As for the massive battle axe beside him, it was over ten feet tall, and its weight was extraordinary. This axe alone was a treasure.
Qin Yun sheathed his sword and grabbed the battle axe with one hand and the severed tiger claw with the other.
“Let’s go. The old servant, Uncle Qian, is on the cliff. We need to hurry and make sure he’s not harmed by the demons,” Qin Yun said, already spotting Uncle Qian on top of the mountain.
“Right, let’s go,” Yi Xiao replied.
Both of them moved swiftly, faster than the average demon, and raced toward Uncle Qian’s location.
As they ascended the mountain, they saw the bodies of demons scattered around. Most had been torn apart by claws or pierced through by sharp objects, some even bitten to death. It was clear that the demons had been fighting among themselves.
None of the demons had made it to the top of the mountain.
“Uncle Qian must have stopped them below the cliff,” Yi Xiao said as they quickly made their way up. “If he were trying to escape, he could have just run far away. He had no reason to risk his life like this.”
“He’s protecting Jia Huai Ren,” Qin Yun responded, “Uncle Qian is quite famous in Guangling County. Among the nineteen demon leaders under the Water God, none were stronger than this old dog demon. The Water God invited him to join several times, but he never accepted. He’s always been loyal to the Jia family. I heard he used to be a regular dog the Jia family raised, but after an accident, he became a demon. He’s always served the Jia family faithfully, and it was thanks to him that Jia Huai Ren was able to join a cultivation sect and eventually open the path to immortality.”
Yi Xiao fell silent after hearing this.
The two of them reached the top of the mountain and saw Uncle Qian sitting there.