Chapter 39: The Armored Flame Tiger

The Rebirth Pill melted instantly as it entered Su Yao’s mouth, and she immediately felt a surge of spiritual energy flooding into her body.

Hm? It is sweet, but isn’t it dissolving a bit too fast?

The next second—

A strange sensation welled up within her, as if something alive was pushing out from inside her body.

She looked down at her hands.

What she saw made her leap to her feet in shock!

“What on earth is this?!”

Xiang Nan covered his eyes, thinking, Not my fault—you wouldn’t listen, after all.

For a little fairy such as herself to suddenly have filthy black mud oozing out of her body? Oh no!

Fortunately, it was the dead of night in the outskirts, where there was hardly any light. Only the faint moonlight rendered people little more than vague silhouettes.

Su Yao hurriedly hid her hands behind her back and stammered, clearly anxious, “I have something urgent to do—gotta go!”

If they saw her like this, where would her dignity as a fairy go?

Xu Jiya was busy inspecting her new hidden weapon and hadn’t noticed anything amiss with Su Yao. By the time she looked up, she only caught a glimpse of Su Yao’s retreating figure darting away like a startled rabbit, vanishing into the night. The dusk was too thick to track her.

Xiang Nan, of course, knew exactly what was happening. But—no, he couldn’t say a word.

“Huh? What’s wrong with Yao Yao? She was just vowing to hunt the beast, and now she’s run off first?” Xu Jiya frowned, perplexed. Anyone would be baffled.

Given what she knew of Su Yao, she was not the kind to flee the battlefield. Did something really come up?

“Maybe… nature called. Don’t worry about her. The two of us together can handle this,” Xiang Nan reassured her.

Otherwise, if he chased after her at such a moment, wouldn’t Su Yao kill him?

Though Xu Jiya was still uneasy, she had no choice but to accept it. Still, she worried for Su Yao, who was now alone.

Fortunately, Su Yao was skilled in her cultivation and, with her cat-like night vision, she could move freely even in the dark.

The rumbling grew louder.

The unknown beast hiding in the dense woods was drawing closer.

It was too late to run now.

The two exchanged a glance and positioned themselves on either side of the sound, ready to strike from both flanks.

When the beast burst from the forest, they would attack from different angles.

Xiang Nan gripped his staff. With his current strength, no ordinary beast could rival him—unless it was a third-tier or higher monster.

Beside him, Xu Jiya readied her hidden weapon, finger poised on the trigger, determined to fight to the end.

The night wind carried a chill.

Beneath the moon, the suburban woods seemed especially dark and foreboding.

Quiet—eerily quiet.

Only the pounding of his own heart echoed in Xiang Nan’s ears.

Suddenly, the forest birds exploded into flight.

A deafening roar.

A massive black shadow leapt from the woods, charging straight at Xiang Nan.

Whistling through the air, Xu Jiya unleashed a volley of darts at blinding speed.

But none hit their mark.

The shadow was too swift!

With a shout, Xiang Nan brought his staff up in a powerful block.

The beast’s front claws slashed at an angle, deftly brushing the staff aside and sending it off course.

The force of impact left Xiang Nan’s palms numb, nearly knocking the staff from his grip.

Such power—the beast was truly monstrous!

He staggered back several steps, using the momentum to absorb the blow, the ground beneath his feet furrowed by two long trenches.

Once he steadied himself, he finally got a good look at their adversary.

He gasped.

Before them stood a colossal tiger, at least four meters long, its entire body armored in dark, mottled plates.

It roared.

The great beast crouched low, powerful hind legs coiled, eyes gleaming crimson, horns jutting menacingly from its head.

Its maw yawned open, revealing three rows of razor-sharp teeth, glinting with bone-chilling menace under the bright moon.

Beside him, Xu Jiya’s face had gone deathly pale.

“Ironclad Flameburst Tiger! A third-tier monster!”

“Judging by its build and movements, it’s at least a third-tier, three-star beast!”

From their brief clash, Xiang Nan already understood the monster’s terrifying strength.

A third-tier beast not only boasted a massive frame and overwhelming might, but also possessed supernatural abilities.

The Ironclad Flameburst Tiger was so named for a reason: its body was as tough as iron armor, and its atavistic powers enabled it to hurl fireballs as weapons.

Sure enough, in the next instant—

The beast’s body shuddered. Its crimson jaws parted, and a tongue of fire, half a meter wide, shot out in a blazing torrent.

The flames crackled like lightning, reaching them in a split second.

Xiang Nan lunged diagonally, planting his staff and vaulting out of the way.

Even moving so nimbly, the heat still scorched his hands, burning away a good deal of his arm hair.

On the other side, Xu Jiya fired dart after dart.

But the Ironclad Flameburst Tiger evaded each attack with perfect timing, bounding clear with feline agility.

It turned its massive head, eyes fixed on Xu Jiya, the source of its fury.

Its blood-red jaws opened wide—a searing tongue of flame shot straight at her.

“Ah!”

Xu Jiya’s pupils contracted in terror as she screamed in despair.

The fiery torrent was about to engulf her.

But at the last moment, a massive black cloth dropped from above, wrapping itself around her.

At the other end, Xiang Nan pulled with all his strength, yanking Xu Jiya out of the fire’s path.

Coughing, Xu Jiya gasped, “Brother Xiang, this Ironclad Flameburst Tiger is too much for us!”

Smoke curled from her body. If it weren’t for the black cloth, she’d already be a human fireball.

“Well, that’s luck for you! I’ve never tried taking a third-tier spirit pearl before!” Xiang Nan dropped the cloth and gripped his staff tighter.

The Flameburst Tiger’s ferocity set his purple blood ablaze, surging within him.

“Let’s see how you handle my Five Wolves Eight Trigrams Staff!”

With a burst of speed, Xiang Nan shot toward the beast like an arrow.

The Flameburst Tiger, twice thwarted in its attacks, was already seething with rage.

Seeing Xiang Nan charge, it didn’t bother to dodge.

With a thunderous roar, it met him head-on.

Ironclad Flameburst Tiger—let’s see if this little bit of damage is enough to faze me.

Foolish, insignificant humans—how dare they attack me head-on?

Its claws, newly sharpened, hungered for fresh blood and flesh.

The tiger lunged, claws outstretched, aiming straight for Xiang Nan.

But mid-pounce, as their bodies crossed paths, Xiang Nan spun deftly in midair. With a flick of his staff, he sidestepped the beast’s direct assault.

The next instant, he landed behind the tiger.

His staff, swift as a viper, struck down hard on the back of the beast’s neck.

The Flameburst Tiger roared with fury. Landing, it rolled and shook its head, charging again with renewed vengeance.

This time, you’ll learn just how fearsome I am!

Its movements were so rapid, it seemed almost a blur.

If not for the length and reach of Xiang Nan’s staff, he might have fallen victim to the beast’s assault.

Once more, he angled his staff to deflect the tiger’s tremendous force, then seized an opening and slammed his staff down with all his might.

The beast’s strength was truly unmatched.

Round after round, they clashed—over a hundred exchanges—and the Flameburst Tiger only grew fiercer with each bout, showing no sign of fatigue.

Though Xiang Nan’s staff landed blow after blow, the beast’s dark, armored hide absorbed every strike, enduring the punishment without faltering.