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Meng Chuan stood calmly on the arena. Two soldiers dragged away the demon goat's corpse, and others briefly wiped down the stage. According to the rules of the Demon Slaying Grand Event, if a Dao Academy disciple wins, they can continue to stand on the arena and fight new demons. As long as you possess sufficient skill, Yuanyang Palace will arrange even stronger demons for you.
Just then, another prison cart was pulled onto the stage.
"Hm?"
Meng Chuan's pupils contracted. Inside the cart was an extremely emaciated demon, yet its skeletal frame was massive, making its body appear huge even while sitting cross-legged within the cage. Its dark yellow eyes scanned its surroundings, and its body was covered in dry fur with black and yellow stripes.
"A tiger demon?" Meng Chuan inwardly gasped.
"It's a tiger demon!""It's actually a tiger demon!" The Dao Academy disciples exclaimed in surprise. Among demons, types like pig demons and wolf demons were very common, mostly ordinary, though occasionally some extremely powerful ones would emerge. However, tiger demons were rare; even the weakest tiger demon was considered a Great Demon.
A government official laughed loudly, "Everyone, this is the first Great Demon at this Demon Slaying Grand Event, and it's a tiger demon! Of course, it has been starved for a long time, so its body is much weaker, and its muscles and bones have deteriorated. It only possesses about thirty percent of its peak strength. It will be Meng Chuan's opponent, and also the opponent for any Marrow Cleansing realm Dao Academy disciples. Be warned, even with its greatly reduced strength, it is still superior to you. You must be careful."
*Clang.*
The cage door was pulled open. The one-armed man looked at the tiger demon and said coldly, "Win ten consecutive matches, and you can return to your cell and enjoy a month of fine food and wine."
"Ten matches?"
The tiger demon slowly emerged from the cage, its body hunched. It scanned its surroundings. Among the spectators surrounding the arena, it could sense terrifying threats from over a dozen individuals: the deans of the Eight Dao Academies, experts from the Five Great Clans, high-ranking government officials, and Yuanyang Palace's Mei Yuanzhi, the one-armed man, among others—eighteen in total. Even at its peak, these formidable humans could have slain it with a single move. What it didn't know was that more than half of the experts in Dongning Prefecture who had grasped 'potential' were present today.
Of course, the most terrifying presence was the one seated in the main position. The Master of Yuanyang Palace sat there, feeling like a sun in the demon's perception! It feared that even a slight emanation of power would be enough to suppress and kill it.
"My first opponent is this little fellow?" The tiger demon looked at Meng Chuan on the other side of the arena. "Truly weak."
"Tiger demon!" Meng Chuan's concentration heightened to the maximum. The light in his eyes was restrained, but his killing intent surged fiercely. Yet, he remained rooted to the spot. This position was at the edge of the arena, so if the tiger demon lunged, it would have to be careful not to go beyond the boundaries – any demon stepping off the arena was doomed to die!
First, he would probe the tiger demon's strength, then formulate a battle plan.
*Whoosh.*
With a single leap, the tiger demon brought a rush of bloody wind, appearing before him in an instant. Meng Chuan immediately darted aside, retreating rapidly to evade while simultaneously striking out with his blade. However, his attack was blocked by the tiger's claw, sending Meng Chuan staggering back several steps upon landing.
"My greatest strength, speed, is actually matched by it," Meng Chuan thought, surprised. "Its strength is twice mine. This is only thirty percent of its peak power? Fortunately, while its combat techniques are proficient, it hasn't reached the 'Unity Realm' level."
"I'll use my strengths to attack its weaknesses.""I have a chance to kill it!"
Meng Chuan made his decision instantly. Ordinary Dao Academy disciples would be nervous fighting a demon for the first time, usually only able to unleash about seventy percent of their full strength. Meng Chuan was different; the suppressed fire deep within him erupted upon encountering a demon. He became even more excited! His focus sharpened! His mind and body united perfectly, allowing him to unleash even greater power. This was his combat state. In this excellent state, he could perform beyond his usual level.
"It dodged? Interesting." The tiger demon growled softly and lunged again.
Meng Chuan, surprisingly, charged forward to meet it. His speed was no less than the tiger demon's. Unlike the tiger demon's head-on charge, Meng Chuan's movement technique was more elusive, like a gust of wind. They passed each other. In the instant they crossed paths, Meng Chuan silently unleashed a strike. This blade technique was the 'Deceptive Blade Stance' from the *Falling Leaf Blade* — designed purely for surprise.
The blade light cut across the tiger demon's abdomen, tearing through its fur and flesh.
"You wounded me?" The tiger demon, having stopped, touched its abdomen, its expression growing more ferocious. Meng Chuan, however, simply stared back, muttering, "Kill." He charged forward again.
*Swish, swish.*
They crossed paths once more. Meng Chuan refused to get entangled with the tiger demon. Relying on his elusive movement technique, he would strike and immediately disengage. He knew well that if they truly engaged in close combat, the tiger demon, with its formidable body and immense strength, could easily trade blows. A single blade strike from him was a minor injury to the tiger demon, but a single claw from the tiger demon could gravely wound or even kill him.
On the arena, the tiger demon, accompanied by a bloody wind, relentlessly chased Meng Chuan, who repeatedly struck and disengaged. Every three to five exchanges, a new wound would appear on the tiger demon's body. Clearly, Meng Chuan's blade technique was superior. As the wounds multiplied, the tiger demon's injuries gradually worsened.
*Pffft.* Another strike, this time extending the previous wound on its lower abdomen, making it three times larger. Blood sprayed, causing the tiger demon to stumble. Its eyes turned red as it stared at the human youth. Meng Chuan continued to gaze at it with cold intensity.
"He actually gravely wounded the tiger demon.""Why do I feel like this Meng Chuan isn't someone who just comprehended the Unity Realm? The power he's unleashing is even fiercer.""He's incredibly calm, giving the tiger demon no chances."
The high-ranking members of the Five Great Clans, the deans of the Dao Academies, and the government experts exchanged glances and murmurs, clearly impressed.
"A'Chuan." Liu Qiyue, however, was extremely nervous. Every clash between Meng Chuan and the tiger demon filled her with immense anxiety. That was a Great Demon!
"Is this what Meng Chuan pursues?" Yun Qingping watched, somewhat dazed. In her eyes, Meng Chuan was a dull, foolish blockhead who only knew how to cultivate all day and had too gentle a temper, which she disliked. But today, on the arena, Meng Chuan, who had terrifying killing intent and had slain the demon goat with a single strike, and now, the Meng Chuan who was repeatedly fighting the tiger demon, his killing intent restrained but even more frightening and ferocious... This was also Meng Chuan!
"Is this his true self?" Yun Qingping felt as if she had been mistaken all along. The Meng Chuan who seemed ordinary in everyday life, now revealed a ferocious intensity amidst the bloodshed. Perhaps, marrying him wouldn't be so bad. But what her family had done couldn't be undone.
The wound on the tiger demon's lower abdomen was very deep, but its muscles contracted quickly to stop the blood flow. However, the tiger demon's speed had still decreased by a third. It stared fiercely at Meng Chuan, radiating malevolent aura. But Meng Chuan completely ignored its malevolent aura, appearing like the calmest hunter, ready to take its life at any moment.
*Whoosh.*
Meng Chuan lunged forward again.
"ROAR!" As they drew near, the tiger demon, while lunging, simultaneously opened its maw and let out a furious roar. With the roar, distorted black ripples surged outwards in all directions. The tiger demon's black and red fur suddenly flared with light across its entire body, its eyes faintly glinted with gold, and the power of its swiping claws surged dramatically.
"Hm? It actually possesses demon king bloodline? It's been imprisoned for over a year, and we never discovered it. It was hidden quite well." The Master of Yuanyang Palace, seated in the main position, was startled. An invisible force enveloped every part of the distant arena, ready to intervene at any moment. If the arranged demon proved more powerful than expected, it would be Yuanyang Palace's mistake.
The roar hit him head-on. Meng Chuan felt a deafening roar in his ears and a buzzing in his head, but the more critical the moment, the more focused his mind became, and he managed to remain lucid. Facing the surging power of the claws, he instantly shifted from offense to defense. Having practiced defending against his sister Qiyue's arrows almost daily for many years, Meng Chuan's blade technique was exceptionally skilled in self-protection.
*BOOM!!!* Meng Chuan felt an incredibly heavy and terrifying force transmit through his blade to his entire body, and he involuntarily flew backward. As he flew backward, Meng Chuan quickly touched the arena floor with his foot, retreating even faster. The tiger demon immediately followed with a lunge, narrowly missing Meng Chuan. Meng Chuan retreated directly off the arena and landed on the ground, staggering and using his blade to steady himself so he wouldn't fall.
*Pfft.* Meng Chuan couldn't suppress a mouthful of blood, which he spat out, his face pale. Blood also seeped from both his ears, a result of the roar.
"It actually escaped?" The tiger demon stared at Meng Chuan below, its heart filled with shock. Facing death, it had been forced to expose its hidden demon king bloodline. Its critical 'Tiger Roar' would normally disorient an enemy, allowing it to seize the opportunity to kill. Yet, this human youth, even with blood flowing from his ears, had perfectly blocked its technique. While being blasted backward, he had unhesitatingly pushed off the arena, retreating even faster to escape. This prevented its second lunge from succeeding.
"Chuan'er." Meng Dajiang rushed over immediately, and Liu Qiyue also ran over anxiously.
"This Meng Chuan..." The Master of Yuanyang Palace, however, watched with sparkling eyes. Many powerful cultivators appeared to have high realms and potent techniques during practice. But in a life-or-death battle, performing at sixty or seventy percent of their true strength was considered good. Some, however, could perform beyond their usual level. How much one could unleash in combat was related to many factors, including combat wisdom, willpower, and state of mind. Those who were skilled in battle, even if their realms were similar, could sometimes consecutively kill three or four equally strong opponents.
"This is his first time fighting a demon this year, isn't it?" The Master of Yuanyang Palace was very satisfied. "I hope he can truly become a Godfiend."
Meng Chuan felt his hearing gradually returning. Meng Dajiang, checking him with internal energy, said, "Chuan'er, your ears are just concussed, nothing serious. They'll fully recover in a few days."
"Mmm." Meng Chuan nodded. "It was very wise of you to retreat from the arena immediately. This tiger demon actually concealed a demon king bloodline." Meng Dajiang stated solemnly, "Since it has exposed itself, even if it survives this time, it will be sent to the prefecture capital."
"Next up..." Suddenly, a voice rang out.
Meng Chuan looked over. The speaker was the government official holding the list, who smiled and announced loudly, "Yuanyang Palace, Yan Jin!"
"Hm?" Everyone present was surprised. Weren't they supposed to be Dao Academy disciples from the Eight Dao Academies? After Meng Chuan, it should have been the Marrow Cleansing realm disciples from the Dao Academies. Why was it someone from Yuanyang Palace?
"My Yuanyang Palace also has a junior who wishes to try," the Master of Yuanyang Palace said with a smile, nodding slightly to the white-robed youth behind him. The white-robed youth stood up directly and walked towards the arena.
"What, also in the Marrow Cleansing realm?" The arena was filled with powerful experts, who could naturally discern the aura of the white-robed youth. He clearly hadn't cultivated a Godfiend body yet and was still in the Marrow Cleansing realm.
"A Marrow Cleansing realm cultivator, to fight a tiger demon?" Everyone was somewhat astonished. Even Meng Chuan was surprised; he knew well how formidable the tiger demon was.
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