Martial Arts to Supremacy

Li An planned to stay in the deep mountains to temper himself through fighting with demonic beasts. He was already able to easily kill a first-tier demonic beast equivalent to a human cultivator in the early awakening stage.

For several days in a row, Li An walked steadily through the increasingly deep and secluded forest. The surrounding vegetation had grown wildly to waist height, and the towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, making it difficult for even sunlight to penetrate the thick canopy. The forest was filled with an increasingly strong wild atmosphere, and the occasional birds and beasts that flew by all carried a ferocity far exceeding that of the ferocious beasts on the outskirts.

He knew in his heart that he had already stepped into the core area of ​​the mountains surrounding Qingyang City. This was no longer an area where ordinary first-level ferocious beasts roamed. If he was not careful, he would encounter a fatal crisis.

As he traveled, he remained constantly on edge, maximizing his senses to avoid several waves of lurking ferocious beasts.

After traveling for about an hour, the air in the forest ahead suddenly became hot and dry. The original moist scent of grass and trees was replaced by a scorching, fishy wind that felt slightly burning and stinging on the skin.

Li An suddenly slowed his pace, his brows furrowing tightly. A strong sense of crisis rose in his heart, far more intense than when he first encountered the Black Scale Wolf. He could clearly sense that not far ahead, an extremely powerful ferocious beast was lurking, its ferocious aura pressing down on him like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.

He held his breath, slowly moved his body, hid behind an ancient tree, and peered ahead.

In the open valley ahead, a giant tiger covered in crimson flame-patterned fur lay lazily on a boulder, its eyes half-closed and wisps of crimson flame occasionally escaping from its mouth and nostrils. The surrounding vegetation, scorched by the flames, had already turned withered and brittle.

This giant tiger was far larger than the black-scaled wolf, with a body length of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters). Its body was strong and powerful, with bulging muscles in its limbs and sharp claws and teeth. The king-shaped pattern on its forehead glowed with an eerie red light, and a faint fire-elemental spiritual energy surrounded its body. Its violent and ferocious aura swept across the entire valley, and just looking at it from afar was enough to make people feel terrified.

"Crimson Flame Tiger, a second-tier ferocious beast, comparable to a human cultivator at the Gathering Phase Realm. Its physical body is incredibly strong, and it can control flames. A single burst of flame can incinerate metal and stone!" Judging from its body, it has probably already reached the peak of the second tier, and there are signs of a breakthrough.

Li An's heart sank to the bottom. He had seen records of this ferocious beast in his family's ancient books and knew its terror far surpassed that of the Black Scale Wolf. With his tempered body alone, he could easily kill a first-tier Black Scale Wolf, but facing a second-tier Crimson Flame Tiger was undoubtedly like throwing an egg against a rock.

He dared not linger for a moment, slowly withdrew his gaze, and carefully retreated, intending to bypass the valley and find another way forward.

But as he took his third step back, he accidentally broke a dry tree branch.

A soft "click" sounded particularly jarring in the silent valley.

The Crimson Flame Tiger on the boulder instantly opened its eyes. Its eyes were as red as flames, filled with endless ferocity, and it locked onto the direction where Li An was hiding. Its massive body suddenly stood upright and let out a roar that shook the mountains and forests.

"roar--!"

The tiger's roar was like a thunderclap, echoing through the mountains. Leaves and branches fell from the trees. Li An felt a sharp pain in his eardrums, his mind trembled, and he almost lost his footing.

After roaring, the Crimson Flame Tiger stomped its limbs on the ground, its massive body transforming into a crimson afterimage, carrying a blazing heatwave as it charged toward Li An. Wherever it passed, the grass and trees instantly burst into flames, and the ground was scorched by the tiger's burning claws.

Li An's expression changed drastically. Knowing that he had no way to avoid it, he immediately stopped hesitating, tensed all his muscles, pushed his physical strength to the limit, stomped his feet hard on the ground, and quickly dodged to the side.

boom!

The Crimson Flame Tiger pounced fiercely on the ancient tree where he had been hiding. Its thick claws instantly tore through the hard trunk, and the huge ancient tree collapsed with a crash, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

Just as Li An regained his footing, the Crimson Flame Tiger turned around, its jaws wide open, and a condensed crimson fireball instantly formed, shooting towards him. Wherever the fireball passed, the air was scorched and distorted.

"not good!"

Li An exclaimed in alarm and immediately leaped into the air, twisting his body with all his might. The fireball grazed the hem of his clothes and crashed into the ground behind him, exploding with a deafening roar, sending dirt flying and igniting a raging fire.

After landing, Li An dared not rest for a moment, relying on his keen agility to constantly dodge and weave through the forest. The Crimson Flame Tiger's speed, strength, and defense far surpassed his own; every pounce and every fiery attack carried deadly intent. He dared not confront it head-on, and could only keep moving, searching for a chance to survive.

However, the Crimson Flame Tiger's attacks became increasingly ferocious. Its claws swept across, and flames engulfed everything. Li An dodged, but he was still a step too slow. The force of the tiger's claws struck his shoulder, and he instantly felt a sharp pain. His clothes were torn, and several deep claw marks that revealed the bone appeared on his shoulder. Blood gushed out instantly.

A sharp pain shot through him, and Li An staggered. The Crimson Flame Tiger seized the opportunity, leaping up and looking down at him with its gaping maw, biting down hard on his head. Its sharp fangs gleamed with a cold light, as if it wanted to tear him to pieces.

At the critical moment of life and death, a resolute glint flashed in Li An's eyes. He could clearly feel that the gap between himself and this second-tier ferocious beast was like an insurmountable chasm. If things continued like this, there would only be one way out: death.

He roared in his heart, unwilling to perish like this. After years of forbearance, he had just embarked on the path of defying fate. How could he be buried in the tiger's belly!

A deep-seated obsession suddenly erupted, and at the same time, the jade book within his body quietly emitted a warm yet domineering golden light, instantly sweeping across his entire body and merging into every inch of his bones and every drop of his blood.

His body, which had been weakened by pain and exhaustion, was suddenly gripped by a tearing pain. Then, Li An’s body began to grow wildly. His body, which was originally only seven feet tall, instantly grew to more than ten feet tall. His skin glowed with a faint golden light, and his wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. The bloodstains on his shoulders scabbed over and fell off instantly.

His aura suddenly surged, and his strength, speed, and defense all increased dramatically. The aura emanating from his body was in no way inferior to the Crimson Flame Tiger in front of him!

Ang Lee felt an inexhaustible surge of power within him, his muscles and bones emitting joyful thunderous sounds, and all his previous fatigue and pain vanished.

Just as the Crimson Flame Tiger's fangs were about to bite him, Li An suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a fierce light. He roared and stretched out his hands, grabbing the Crimson Flame Tiger's upper and lower jaws tightly.

boom!

A tremendous force erupted from his arms, forcefully stopping the Crimson Flame Tiger's attack.

A hint of surprise flashed in the Crimson Flame Tiger's eyes, which was then replaced by a deeper ferocity. It struggled desperately, trying to break free from Li An's hands, but no matter how hard it tried, it could not budge him an inch.

Seizing the opportunity, Li An exerted force with both arms and slammed the massive body of the Crimson Flame Tiger onto the ground, causing the ground to shake violently and dust to fly up.

Before the demon tiger could get up, he leaped forward, his fists raining down like a storm, each punch containing terrifying power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, precisely striking the vital points around the Crimson Flame Demon Tiger's body.

The Crimson Flame Tiger let out a series of mournful howls, its fiery aura gradually dimmed, its once ferocious momentum rapidly weakened, blood stained the soil beneath it, and its struggling movements grew weaker and weaker.

After unleashing countless punches, the Crimson Flame Tiger finally fell silent, its massive body limp on the ground, lifeless.

Li An also exhausted all his strength. His body, which had been stimulating its potential, slowly returned to normal. He was completely drained, his legs went weak, and he collapsed heavily to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his muscles and bones ached terribly, his consciousness gradually blurred, and he eventually fainted, only able to breathe weakly, barely clinging to life.