Chapter 32: Big Tiger

The Wind Rises in Kyushu

Beside the dying embers of a campfire, Lu Ye devoured a large snake, a full ten feet long and as thick as an arm. The snake meat was tender and white, leaving a delicious taste in his mouth.

It had been half a month since he ran out of Spirit Pills, and his progress during this time naturally wasn't as fast as before. However, it was better than he expected. At this rate, he could break through the barrier of his Ninth Spirit Aperture in another month.

The reason for this progress was something he had discovered.

Refining essence into Qi was more efficient than absorbing spirit energy.

Where did essence come from? Without Blood Qi Pills, the only option was to eat!

He had noticed this when he first ate wolf meat. Later, he hunted other beasts and found that the meat from the Spirit Creek Battlefield was very nourishing. The larger the beast, the more pronounced this effect was.

He wasn't adept at absorbing spirit energy, perhaps due to his low innate talent, making it difficult to guide spirit energy into his body. But things he ate were different; as long as he could digest them, they could supplement his Blood Qi. He could then refine his Blood Qi into spirit power, which served the same purpose of enhancing his strength.

So, in the past half-month, the beasts in the vicinity suffered. Lu Ye’s appetite had already increased after his apertures opened, and now that he specialized in refining essence into Qi, he ate even more.

This led to an absence of beasts within several miles of his cave. Lu Ye had searched for quite some time today before finding this large snake.

Midway through his meal, the cave entrance darkened, and a rank smell wafted in.

Lu Ye looked up to see a massive figure standing at the cave entrance, emitting a low growl.

Lu Ye quickly rose, took out his longsword from his storage bag, held the sword in one hand, and a Fire Serpent Talisman in the other, secretly activating his spirit power.

He had lived here for a month without encountering other cultivators or powerful beasts, believing it to be a peaceful place. He never expected to be disturbed by an uninvited guest today.

Lu Ye had anticipated such a situation, so despite his surprise, he remained calm and quickly made the correct preparations.

The cave was narrow. If the opponent dared to charge in, the Fire Serpent Talisman in his hand could give them a good show. If the Fire Serpent Talisman wasn't enough, he had other talismans. Failing that, he could slap a Vajra Talisman on himself, and his longsword wasn't just for show.

Only then did Lu Ye clearly see what this uninvited guest was: it was a large tiger.

Its entire body was covered in pristine white fur, spotless. A large "King" character marked its forehead, and its two amber eyes were captivating.

Lu Ye's gaze met the tiger's eyes, and his mind wavered for a moment. He knew he had encountered a formidable creature.

He had killed many beasts during this time, some even larger than this tiger, but none had ever exerted such pressure on him as this large tiger.

One should know that he was now a cultivator with eight opened apertures.

This was no ordinary beast; this was likely a demonic beast with some cultivation!

Demonic beasts were different from ordinary beasts; they understood cultivation. Legend had it that if certain crucial spirit apertures were opened, some demonic beasts could transform into human form.

This was the origin of the saying in Kyushu: "Demons cannot transform without opening apertures, humans cannot cultivate without opening apertures."

Many sects also accepted some demonic cultivators as disciples because most demonic cultivators were physically strong, making them natural talents for body cultivation.

Lu Ye currently didn't know much about the cultivation world of Kyushu, so he was naturally unaware of this information.

He only knew that his current situation was troublesome. Trapped in the cave, with the large tiger blocking the entrance, there was no way out unless he fought his way through.

But he didn't know the strength of this large tiger.

During their standoff, the tiger roared at him, making Lu Ye even more nervous, almost activating the Fire Serpent Talisman in his hand!

"Boy, are you the one killing everywhere?" A thunderous voice echoed in the cave, making the surrounding rocks tremble and fall.

Lu Ye couldn't help but freeze, looking at the large tiger in utter astonishment.

"It is I, this Great King, who is speaking, you ignorant brat!" As if sensing Lu Ye's confusion, the large tiger spoke again.

Lu Ye's heart sank. This was bad; he seemed to have underestimated the tiger's strength. This creature could already speak human words. He didn't know its cultivation level, but it seemed to be much more powerful than him.

"This Great King is asking you a question, why are you not speaking?" The tiger had a short temper and roared again, a threatening growl rumbling in its throat.

What was destined to happen would happen. Lu Ye had no choice but to bite the bullet and deny it: "It's not me!"

The large tiger raised a paw and slammed it down, making the ground seem to shake. "If not you, then who else? In this thirty-mile radius, you are the only human!" It paced back and forth at the entrance, its tiger eyes fixed on Lu Ye. "This is this Great King's territory. Without this Great King's permission, you dared to wantonly slaughter this King's food. It seems you don't wish to live!"

Lu Ye's scalp tingled, feeling that his life hung by a thread.

However, he understood why the large tiger had come looking for him. This place was its territory, and the beasts he had killed were its food within its domain. Lu Ye had killed too many in the past half-month, attracting the tiger's attention, and it had followed some clues to find him.

"Tell me, how do you intend to resolve this matter?" the large tiger asked again.

By now, Lu Ye was less flustered than before. Although a demonic beast negotiating with him felt strange, it was better than the other party attacking him without a word.

He frowned and said, "I've already eaten them. How do you want to resolve it?"

The large tiger stared intently at him and said, "Hand over your Spirit Pills, and this matter will be settled. If you dare to refuse, this place will be your burial ground today!"

"I have no Spirit Pills," Lu Ye shook his head. If he had Spirit Pills, why would he need to kill beasts for meat?

The large tiger said, "Spirit Stones will do too!"

"I have no Spirit Stones either."

The Sect Master hadn't prepared any Spirit Stones for him, perhaps thinking Lu Ye didn't need them yet?

"Neither this nor that. I think you want to die!" The large tiger was clearly growing impatient.

Lu Ye sighed, "I truly have none!"

"Then what do you have in your storage bag?" the large tiger demanded.

"Some talismans, and a bottle of healing pills," Lu Ye replied truthfully.

"What a pauper!" The large tiger couldn't help but sneer. "Give me the healing pills, and this matter is settled."

"What do you want healing pills for?" Lu Ye's expression was a little strange.

"What's it to you? Give them to me quickly!"

"Alright..." Lu Ye reluctantly agreed, took out the bottle of healing pills from his storage bag, pondered for a moment, and slowly placed it on the ground.

"Throw it over!" the large tiger commanded.

Lu Ye looked at it. "Why don't you come and get it yourself?"

"I told you to throw it over!" Lu Ye's attitude undoubtedly enraged the large tiger, and it roared fiercely.

"Fine." Lu Ye lifted a foot and kicked the bottle across the ground. At the same time, he activated the Fire Serpent Talisman in his hand. With his spirit energy surging, the talisman transformed into a red light, striking towards the large tiger like a fiery snake.

That wasn't all. He stomped his foot, his body moving like lightning, and charged forward with his sword drawn.