Huang Dahu passed away very peacefully.
……
*Crackle, crackle, crackle—*
More and more electric arcs danced across Huang Dahu's body, gradually coalescing into a suit of armor around him. His expression grew increasingly ferocious, as though he were suppressing agonizing pain.
"Big Brother!" the black tiger roared frantically. "You can't!"
"Heh." Huang Dahu glanced back at him. "Silly little brother, my greatest regret right now is that I didn't unleash this move on the day your brothers met their tragic ends. That single moment of hesitation became the biggest regret of my life. Today, you must make it out alive! As long as you survive, the glory of our Laotudingzigou tiger demon lineage will never end! *Haaah—!*"
Seemingly unable to hold it in any longer, countless lightning dragons erupted at once from his limbs, bones, eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. The blinding radiance lit him up so brightly that his striped yellow fur looked like that of a white tiger!
Their branch of tiger demons had taken form from wild beasts just two generations ago, but living in human cities and absorbing civilization had made them fundamentally different from wild demons driven solely by survival instinct.
Back when Huang Dahu was studying human history in their basement, he discovered that humans were adept at using concepts like community and heritage to unite various forces.
He had thought at the time that if their branch of tiger demons multiplied and flourished, centuries or millennia down the line, they might well become a mighty demon clan, just like those ancient royal families in the demon realm whose heritage had lasted thousands of years.
The first step to establishing a heritage was knowing one's origins. Thus, he had named their branch after the birthplace of the brothers, just like human clans such as the Li clan of the Central Plains or the Yang clan of Tianbei...
One day, the Laotudingzigou Tiger Demon Clan would make its name known across the world!
Alas, disaster had struck without warning, shattering his dream. All that filled his mind now was that even if he never returned, he would avenge his brothers.
What he was unleashing now was the ultimate killing move he had comprehended from the Thunder Tiger Shocking Heaven Fist.
"He's using the power of lightning to stimulate his blood vessels, meridians, muscles, and bones..." Zhao Xing'er discerned the secret of the technique, slightly astonished. "Doing this draws out even greater combat power, but once the fight ends, his entire body will be completely ruined... That really is ruthless."
"Hahaha!" Huang Dahu laughed loudly. "This is the profound truth I comprehended from the Thunder Tiger Shocking Heaven Fist, granting me power beyond all limits! This level of lightning stimulation is something the frail bodies of you humans could never fathom. This is a technique belonging entirely to my Laotudingzigou tiger demon lineage, and I gave it a name all my own—"
"Shocking Thunder Heavenly Tiger Fist!"
"He literally just rearranged the words of the original name?!" Da Pao and Er Pao marveled in astonishment from the side. "As expected of someone who lived in human cities for over a decade—such terrifying cultural depth!"
"You literally just said it's a rearrangement, so where on earth do you see 'cultural depth'?" Zhao Xing'er said, speechless. "Still, while your fighting spirit is admirable, it will only make me go all out against you."
Despite her words, the martial spirit red glow in Zhao Xing'er's eyes had vanished.
As a cultivator specializing in the martial path, she understood better than anyone the price Huang Dahu was paying to burn his life away. Once this battle concluded, even if he survived, his meridians would be almost entirely shattered, reducing him to a crippled tiger.
Such an opponent earned her respect.
*Boom—*
As Huang Dahu's aura surged violently, he shouted to the black tiger, "Xiao Hei, go! Get out of here! Win or lose today, the bloodline of our clan will carry on through you!"
"Big Brother!" The black tiger seemed reluctant.
"Get moving!" Huang Dahu roared.
"Boss, it's time for us to make a move too." Zhao Xing'er turned, intending to call Yue Wen to join the fray, only to find that he had vanished. "Huh?"
Looking up, she saw Yue Wen had somehow materialized right behind the black tiger!
"Who just stands around waiting while an enemy powers up their ultimate move?!" Yue Wen shouted. Flying sword in hand, he unleashed a surge of sword qi, thrusting in a sneak attack toward the black tiger.
His combat philosophy remained unchanged: eliminate the weakest enemy first.
"Big Brother, I'm not leaving, Big Brother..." The black tiger had still been wallowing in sorrow over his elder brother unleashing the Shocking Thunder Heavenly Tiger Fist when he suddenly noticed a deadly blade thrusting from behind. His mournful wail instantly morphed into: "Big Brother, save me!"
*Whoosh—*
Just as Yue Wen's sword qi was about to strike, Huang Dahu, radiating white light, blurred in a near-instantaneous flash, whooshing into position right above the black tiger's head.
Clenching his fist, he gathered his power.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
As the punch came crashing down, Yue Wen's figure abruptly vanished. Yet even though the blow struck empty air, it still unleashed a violent thunderclap explosion mid-air!
Feeling the mortal threat, the black tiger instantly changed his tune: "Big Brother, I'm out of here! Take care of yourselves!"
With that, he spun around, transformed into a wisp of black smoke, and fled once more.
Huang Dahu had no time to reply. In the next split second, he whirled around and launched a soaring fist at the charging Zhao Xing'er! *Whoosh—*
"Come at me!" Zhao Xing'er shouted.
With a flick of her hand, she brought out an eyebrow-length bronze staff and clashed fiercely with the incandescent Huang Dahu!
When it came to beating a tiger, a staff was simply the handiest weapon.
*Bang, bang, clatter, clatter, boom, boom, boom!*
The close-quarters clash erupted in an instant. Both figures moved like lightning, far too fast for the naked eye to track. Every collision between them triggered a double explosion of true qi and lightning, creating a dazzling spectacle.
That physical martial prowess alone could produce such an earth-shattering clash made it hard to believe these were cultivators of the lower three realms.
……
Meanwhile, on the other side, seeing Huang Dahu pinning down Zhao Xing'er, the two roe deer demons converged and charged straight toward Yue Wen!
Yue Wen had actually used his shadow talisman secretly to close in on the black tiger earlier, aiming for a stealthy one-shot kill on the backline, never expecting Huang Dahu to react so fast. Fortunately, he had swiftly shot a shadow talisman back to his original spot, allowing him to teleport back.
Turning into an afterimage, he came and went at will.
It was just a pity he had let the black tiger get away—the fight had barely started, and a pile of evil-suppressing coins had already slipped through his fingers.
Da Pao and Er Pao resorted to the most straightforward tactics. Flanking left and right with wrench and hammer in hand, both leapt into the air, howling as they pounced down to slaughter him.
Yue Wen used his sword-control art to thrust straight at the more heavily injured Er Pao, the blasting sword qi knocking him back. At the same time, with a flick of his wrist, he shot a purplish-black shadow talisman toward Da Pao, who swatted it away with his wrench.
Right after, Da Pao brought his wrench crashing down—a single graze would surely mean death or maiming!
Yue Wen's figure flickered again, *whoosh*, reappearing where the shadow talisman had been deflected.
Though he hadn't had this technique for long, he had already comprehended it and practiced extensively within the visualization diagram. He was proficient enough with it to risk using it in real combat.
If he were even slightly rusty, an errant teleport could literally split his head from his body, and he wouldn't dare pull it out.
Yet he realized this move wasn't omnipotent either. When he used it this second time, before he could even attack, Da Pao had already anticipated his landing spot in mid-air and swung a hammer right at him!
"Over here!"
While roe deer demons might not be the brightest, their combat instinct was top-notch, seemingly innate. Relying on its perception of killing intent, it pinpointed Yue Wen's location in an instant.
*Bang!*
With no time left to dodge, Yue Wen raised his shadow talisman to block, but the immense force still sent him flying over a dozen meters, plowing a deep trench into the ground.
Almost simultaneously, Zhao Xing'er was also blasted away by a punch from the rampaging Huang Dahu, crashing down heavily right beside Yue Wen.
*Whoosh—*
Dust and debris billowed around them. Lying on the ground, Zhao Xing'er remarked, "His desperate secret technique really is formidable."
Yue Wen looked at her clear, serene eyes and shouted, "How are you supposed to fight looking that benevolent?! Where's your rage? Where's your martial spirit red glow?!"
"But I..." Zhao Xing'er replied, a bit conflicted. "I'm not angry right now."
Seeing Huang Dahu burning his very life to fight, she truly found it hard to muster any anger.
Getting angry was sometimes like giving birth: not having one when you didn't want to and having one when you did were both terribly difficult.
Some who didn't want to popped one out after a quick trip to the bathroom, while others who desperately wanted to couldn't produce one no matter what.
"Let me tell you, if you don't beat him today, I won't settle a single cent of the income from this livestream with you!" Yue Wen waved his hand and declared, "And next month, your base salary gets slashed in half!"
"Aiyah, you dog of a crook!" Red light instantly flared in Zhao Xing'er's eyes. "That's my hard-earned money! What right do you have to dock it?!"
"Heh," Yue Wen sneered. "Our contract states that failing to complete regular work duties means performance pay won't be disbursed. Right now, this is your job assignment! Go!"
"Think about which is easier to win: a fight against a tiger demon, or a lawsuit with labor arbitration?!"
Just as the dust settled, he shoved Zhao Xing'er out.
Huang Dahu, diving through the air to attack, was suddenly met by Zhao Xing'er surging skyward, drenched in incandescent red light! Behind her loomed an enormous phantom—crimson light piercing the sky, sporting a golden circlet, brimming with terrifying ferocity.
With the exact same eyebrow-length staff, in the blink of an eye, she seemed to have transformed from the pilgrim who beat tigers into the pilgrim who beat the old Jade Emperor!
Was that even fair?!
In the next second, Huang Dahu could no longer see Zhao Xing'er—only an endless sea of crimson radiance. In his ears rang a faint roar: "Die, you evil capitalist—!"
Crimson dyed the heavens; a solitary staff struck toward the sky!
*Boom—!*
Chapter 46