Chapter 21: Three-Eyed White Tiger
Morning came, and after rising from the stone bed, he began the day with qi circulation meditation. Wol had complained that the stone bed was too hard and uncomfortable, but to him, this rigid slab always helped him maintain his. To a cultivator, a soft bed was an item that weakened both body and mind. That was his personal creed.
With the mission now complete, he finally had time to visit the markets of Dancheol Fortress. He needed a formation artifact to protect the cave and flood with the Gold Vault Formation, providing at least minimal defense in his absence. Since he had black ironwood, he could commission one, but the spirit stones he had for payment were a bit iffy.
He had taught ancient script and received thirty low-grade spirit stones from Wol, but he had no idea how much it would cost to commission a formation artifact in Dancheol Fortress's markets. Selling the shugakwi's carapace would be ideal, but he'd have to judge based on the situation. He'd confirmed that a Nascent Soul expert from the Beast Sect was scouring the Gaun Mountains with eyes wide open, hunting the killer of his disciple, so disposing of the shugakwi carapace required caution.
Of all people, it had to be a master who doted on his disciple so fiercely... Busy with his own cultivation, yet personally roaming for revenge—how much must he have cherished the boy?
Without selling the shugakwi carapace, he'd need to gather more spirit stones somehow... But taking another mission would waste too much time on the formation artifact. On the way to Dancheol Fortress, maybe hunt some 3rd-grade yokai? He'd taken down a 3rd-grade shugakwi, so even two attacking together should be winnable.
Hunting 3rd-grade yokai en route to Dancheol Fortress was the cleanest way without wasting time. After meditating adequately in the cave, he set off straight for Dancheol Fortress. It lay a hundred thousand li east of Unkak Sect, so this journey would be a long one. Positioned at the eastern edge of the Gaun Mountains, Dancheol Fortress bordered the Kingdom of Chu, drawing its investigators to the markets alongside cultivators from outside the mountains for brisk trade.
After leaving Unkak Sect, he boarded his boat-shaped flying artifact and took to the skies. While flying through the eastern Gaun Mountains, he spread his divine sense searching for 3rd-grade yokai. No yokai qi signatures detected.
He repeated the process, landing at likely spots mid-flight to probe with divine sense. A day passed, then two, with no sign of a 3rd-grade yokai. Low-altitude flight yielded nothing, so he decided to climb higher. At this point, risking encounters with flocks of flying yokai, spotting them from above seemed better.
From high up, he spread his divine sense, diving into caves to check for yokai. After three days of wandering, he finally spotted a Three-Eyed White Tiger, a 3rd-grade yokai, sprawled asleep on a massive boulder. Its third eye on the forehead was closed.
Activating Silver Stealth Art, he approached cautiously. Flame Orb could kill it easily, but might damage the pelt, so he aimed for a clean kill. The three-zhang-long white tiger's closed-eyed slumber radiated pressure stronger than the 3rd-grade shugakwi—befitting a superior yokai.
Closing from ten zhang to nine... He drew the White Serpent Flying Daggers from his storage ring, poised to charge. Eight zhang, seven... At five, the third eye snapped open, firing a silver beam at blinding speed.
He hastily erected a barrier and hurled a White Serpent Flying Dagger at its eye. Boom! The silver beam shattered the barrier, grazing his waist. Even the glancing hit drew blood in torrents.
Sprinkling Wood Life Powder on his waist, he punched the charging tiger. It roared, swinging a massive forepaw. Ku-wang! Struck, his hand and chest bloodied, he flew ten zhang to crash against a rock. Another silver beam followed instantly.
Barrier up, he rolled, barely dodging. Explosions pulverized nearby rocks, sending stone dust and dirt flying. Time for Flame Orb? Confidence from slaying a Core Formation initial Beast Sect cultivator and the 3rd-grade shugakwi faded; humility returned.
Drawing Flame Orb, he launched a dozen fist-sized fireballs at the charging tiger. Perung! It twisted to evade, but couldn't dodge all. Flames erupted fiercely, engulfing its body. Nearby trees ignited, fire spreading wildly.
The tiger screamed in agony, lunging. He dodged the mad charge, firing more fireballs. After about fifteen minutes of flailing ablaze, it collapsed, seemingly dead. Approaching to extinguish the flames with cold qi—the pelt can't be too damaged...
As he prepared, the fallen tiger's third eye glowed blood-red. The burning white fur turned blood-red. Ku-heo-rung! Its earth-shaking roar chilled him. Now a Three-Eyed Blood Tiger, it shook, blood-red aura snuffing the flames.
It glared with murderous eyes, advancing slowly. The qi pressure intensified. "I yield. Will you become my spirit beast?" The reply: a blood-red beam, stronger, faster than silver, reeking of fishy blood that dizzied him.
Five White Serpent Flying Daggers shielded him but shattered instantly, the beam piercing barrier and Silver Armor. The impact hurled him thirty zhang back, body screaming in agony like it might shatter. He rose swiftly, dodging the forepaw.
Should've set up Flame Dragon Formation and lured it in... Spirit stones and time deterred him earlier; regret now was useless. Focusing on evasion, he closed for close combat with punches and kicks. It's still just 3rd-grade. Yokai don't train divine sense.
Gathering divine sense, at point-blank, he unleashed practiced Illusion Soul Capturing Art. Most sense depleted; the tiger froze, eyes glazing. Now! Remaining five daggers targeted the forehead eye, detonating on impact.
Kwang! Massive explosion beheaded it. Lucky. Was ready to pour all mana into Flame Orb for a Flame Dragon otherwise...
Approaching loot, the pelt was singed only near the head; the rest better than expected. Blood-red fur reverted to white. Reaching for White Serpent Flying Daggers, he realized five destroyed by beam, rest self-detonated—all gone.
Mana sufficient, he formed cold qi daggers to skin it, bagging blood. Claws extracted into storage ring. Head obliterated; no third eye recovered. Valuable, surely...
As he finished and turned to leave, a question arose. Why did the Three-Eyed White Tiger suddenly turn blood-red and power up? Battle adrenaline dismissed it then, but odd now. Never heard of it as a mutation yokai. Sudden power at death's door screamed mutation otherwise.
Curiosity unquenchable, he inspected internals. Beside heart: palm-sized blood-red ore. "What is this?" Dizzying stare, thick blood stench. Divine sense revealed nothing. Reeking of demonic cultivator use, likely precious; stored it. Markets would identify.
Before resuming to Dancheol Fortress, he meditated in safety, healing wounds, recovering sense. Fully restored, flew east on artifact. With Three-Eyed White Tiger down, low flight cautiously—then flying yokai flock.
Avoiding combat, persistent ones felled by Flame Orb. Long journey demanded mana conservation. After shaking them in a windy gorge, relief. Flying yokai were tenacious pests.
Deeper in, anomaly sensed; divine sense revealed hundreds of Ice Blue Birds clinging to walls—2nd and 3rd-grade mixed. Sharp cry echoed; flock swarmed responsively.
Veering artifact over gorge to flee. Hundreds pursued, hurling ice pillars. Fireballs and punches shattered incoming ones, protecting boat.
Kwang! Kwang! Sky filled with hundreds; drew Flame Orb for fire wall. Too many pierced through. Emergency stops, turns dodged what could; black ironwood boat endured singles, but hundreds demanded acrobatic piloting.
Aerial circus battle: Flame Orb attacks, fists for savable to save mana. Fleeing flock, fight when caught, cull some, repeat escape. Over a day, conserved mana using body alone against pillars.
Depleted mana meant no flight or escapist arts—flying yokai fodder. Hid aura in trees; flock sniffed quick. Midway, mana empty: dismounted, hid, meditated while fleeing.
Sleepless three days/nights, direction toward Dancheol Fortress. Nearing limit, dantian agony like rupturing; landed, hid in rocks for meditation. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivator dead to flock.
Brief meditation, Silver Stealth Art, crawled through brush. Who knew when flock reappeared.