Chapter 226: Giant Tiger

The cultivators, initially seething with anger at their companion's sudden departure, ceased their curses. They exchanged glances and, in each other's eyes, saw a flicker of fear.

Although they had been in an extremely disadvantageous position moments ago, they felt little concern beyond some annoyance. They were confident that even if they couldn't defeat the mechanical puppets, a skyward escape would be effortless.

However, the fate of the one who had fled instantly shattered their comforting illusion. Despite being protected by numerous defensive spells and wielding protective artifacts, he had been unable to withstand even a hint of the light beam. This sight sent shivers down their spines.

Furthermore, cultivators who had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, like themselves, feared death immensely. Having finally achieved the ability to live much longer than mortals, they were unwilling to surrender their lives so easily.

That terrifyingly thick light beam was indeed incredibly powerful!

Had it been aimed at their protective barrier instead of the fleeing cultivator, they genuinely doubted they could have withstood it.

The more the cultivators pondered, the greater their panic grew, sparking a strong desire to retreat.

However, with their opponent holding a distinct advantage, they knew that any attempt to retreat would be met with fierce resistance. They were caught in an inescapable dilemma.

High above them, concealed within a cloud, Han Li felt a sudden chill from the shock, making him even more wary of revealing himself.

Yet, he was reluctant to simply leave.

Confident in the exceptional speed of his newly acquired Divine Wind Boat, Han Li decided to remain airborne and observe, reasoning that he could escape in time even if detected.

The bluish-red cloud formed by Han Li's artifact, hovering directly above the cultivators and puppets, was quite conspicuous. Fortunately, Han Li had piloted his boat to an extremely high altitude, well over a hundred *zhang* from the ground.

Consequently, neither the surrounded cultivators nor the puppet master hidden in the forest had detected Han Li thus far.

Han Li knew this concealment wouldn't last indefinitely, but lowering the cloud would expose him completely.

Furthermore, his top-tier artifact, the "Azure Blaze Miasma," crafted from two dragon eyes, not only possessed the remarkable ability to obscure his presence and prevent precise targeting, but its greenish-red mist also contained residual elixir from a black dragon. Unwitting contact with this mist could cause dizziness, disorientation, and slow, unnoticed poisoning.

With such a unique artifact offering both defense and stealthy harm, Han Li would not readily abandon its use.

In a moment of urgent inspiration, Han Li spotted a low grey cloud drifting not far above him. Delighted, he slowly maneuvered towards it, eventually submerging himself and his protective cloud-miasma within its depths.

With that, Han Li's presence was completely obscured.

Free from immediate concern, he could now safely continue observing the struggle on the ground.

It was clear that the super light beam had instantly shattered the confidence of these Foundation Establishment cultivators. Though they continued to deploy various artifacts and appeared to be fighting intensely, Han Li observed that their power was significantly diminished compared to the initial onslaught.

This clearly indicated that each individual was harboring their own intentions and was unwilling to combine forces against the enemy.

As Han Li subtly shook his head, an elder cultivator inside the barrier seemed to sense the deteriorating situation and suddenly shouted into the forest:

"Are you truly intending to exterminate us? We are disciples from several sects in Yuanwu Nation. Killing us would mean offending the entire cultivation world of Yuanwu Nation simultaneously. Are you not afraid of inviting calamity upon yourself?"

"Heh heh! Calamity?"

"Had you said that before I killed the cultivator who attempted to flee, I might have given it some thought. But with one dead already, offending one is no different from offending many. I might as well kill everyone; perhaps then no one will ever know."

"We bear no ill will! If you are willing to cease hostilities, we swear we will absolutely keep this matter secret!" another, visibly younger, cultivator hastily pledged.

"Hmph! Swearing? I find that utterly unconvincing! You've been stealthily trailing me for such a long time, and you claim to have no ill intent? Were you planning to invite me for a meal? Besides, I am not even from your Yuanwu Nation. So what if I truly offend your nation's cultivation world? Do you intend to follow me back to the Thousand Bamboo Sect's main headquarters to demand justice? If so, then I would genuinely commend your master's audacity!"

A remarkably stiff voice emanated from the forest, one that sounded very familiar to Han Li.

"It's him?" Han Li wondered to himself, a hint of surprise in his thoughts.

The voice was unmistakable; it belonged to the burly man who had purchased the mechanical beast puppet at the auction. From their exchange, it was clear that these cultivators had secretly trailed him immediately after the auction, hoping to uncover the puppet beast's secrets through dubious means. Little did they know, this individual from the Thousand Bamboo Sect had already detected their intentions and set a trap, cornering them alive here.

"Everyone, fight him! This fellow clearly intends to kill us to silence us!" The initial speaker was not foolish; he immediately roused the fighting spirit of the other cultivators, urging them to fight to the death.

"Fight me to the death? Are you even worthy? You can't even defeat my puppet subordinates, so what makes you think you can fight me? I'm done playing with you all; it's time to send you on your way!" The burly man's voice was still stiff, but the killing intent in his words was unmistakable.

As his voice trailed off, a tremor shook the ground from within the forest, followed by heavy, rhythmic "thump, thump" footsteps emerging from the trees. This caused both the cultivators inside the barrier and Han Li in the sky to exchange bewildered glances, uncertain of what was unfolding.

Though the footsteps were heavy, they were swift. In a blink, the source reached the edge of the forest, revealing itself clearly to everyone. A colossal mechanical tiger, roughly five or six *zhang* tall, squeezed out from the tree line. Perched atop its massive head was the cloaked, burly man.

Stunned by the mechanical tiger's immense size, the cultivators secretly realized that the giant light beam they had witnessed earlier must have been unleashed by this very beast.

Upon appearing, the burly man wasted no words, simply patting the tiger's head.

Instantly, the mechanical tiger beneath him slowly opened its jaw, and points of white light began to coalesce within its massive maw. Concurrently, the other puppets attacking the barrier immediately ceased their assault, retreating a few paces in unison.

The cultivators, sensing the dire situation, almost simultaneously pressed their hands against the barrier—their sole protection. While the thought of abandoning the shield and fleeing crossed every mind, the immediate and grim example of their fallen comrade deterred anyone from rash action.

The enormous white light beam reappeared! This time, with the combined efforts of the cultivators, the super beam was forcefully resisted by the barrier, resulting in a temporary stalemate.

Although Han Li was positioned very high, his exceptional eyesight allowed him to clearly observe that the cultivators showed no signs of triumph despite successfully repelling the attack. Instead, as significant amounts of spiritual energy drained into the barrier, their faces turned progressively paler.

Han Li, however, knew that such a powerful attack couldn't endure for long and should dissipate swiftly. The cultivators within the barrier evidently understood this as well, which explained their grim determination to hold on.

As expected, the light beam only lasted for a moment, gradually thinning before vanishing from the tiger's mouth.

The surviving cultivators finally showed signs of relief. They withdrew their hands from the barrier and let out a collective sigh.

However, upon witnessing this, the burly man sneered. He suddenly uncovered a hidden compartment on the tiger's forehead, then, with a flick of his wrist, tossed in a mid-grade fire-attribute spirit stone. Immediately, the white light that had faded from the tiger's mouth reignited, leaving the opposing cultivators utterly stunned.

Han Li, observing from above, couldn't help but click his tongue, speechless at the extravagant waste of a mid-grade spirit stone for a single full-power attack from the mechanical tiger. This wasn't merely a magical battle; it was a blatant assault on the cultivators with an abundance of spirit stones. It seemed the Thousand Bamboo Sect in that distant land was indeed overflowing with wealth, possessing spirit stones in vast quantities!

As Han Li's thoughts drifted, the cultivators, who had previously shown a semblance of unity, finally scattered under the immense threat.

With their spiritual power nearly depleted, prolonging the resistance would only delay the inevitable. It was far more reliable to accept their fate and attempt to escape independently.

True to form, the burly man commanded the giant tiger, which unleashed two colossal light beams, one after the other, sweeping down two more cultivators. Their fates mirrored that of the first, equally gruesome and leaving their bodies charred.