Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Slaying the Tiger at Hulao (Part 2)
Beside the mountain path, in front of a dense forest, a dilapidated temple appeared in Zhang Yuan’s sight.
Although the night was moonless and the wind was strong, reducing visibility in the mountains to near zero, Zhang Yuan could still clearly see the plaque hanging above the lintel—Mountain God Temple.
This Mountain God Temple was small, with half of its gate collapsed on the ground and the other half half-open.
Inside, it was pitch black.
Zhang Yuan stopped in front of the temple, then walked in without hesitation.
Inside the hall was empty, with a solitary statue standing alone. The incense table and incense burner that should have been placed in front were all missing, obviously not tended to for a long time.
However, there was still a pile of firewood in the corner of the hall.
The firewood was prepared by merchants and travelers along the mountain road. Some, when caught off guard by unforeseen circumstances, would spend the night in the temple, making firewood indispensable. Everyone followed an unspoken rule—use some, replace some.
Zhang Yuan thought for a moment, then went to gather a large bundle of firewood and set up a campfire in front of the statue.
Snap!
He snapped his fingers, and a bit of Pure Yang Fire, condensed from Gang Qi, fell into the pile of firewood, quickly igniting it.
The bright and warm firelight instantly dispelled the darkness and chill from the hall!
It also illuminated the statue.
Hmm?
Zhang Yuan glanced at the statue in front of him.
He felt this statue was somewhat different from the mountain god statues he had seen before.
He couldn’t pinpoint exactly how it was different.
After all, he was not a Daoist Cultivator.
Of course, Zhang Yuan didn’t mind.
Just a clay stone statue!
He took out a cushion from the Storage Space, placed it in front of the campfire, then sat down and brought out food and drinks.
Soon, the rich aroma of barbecue spread throughout the hall.
Speaking of which, the seasoning and spices Zhang Yuan used for grilling were bought from the Hulan Tribe.
After eating and drinking his fill, Zhang Yuan sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, practicing the Primordial Celestial Spirit True Method.
As time ticked by, the mountain night grew colder. Occasionally, a cold wind blew in from outside, lifting sparks from the campfire into a dance.
When the firewood was nearly burnt out and the firelight gradually dimmed, an evil wind suddenly surged in, nearly extinguishing the flame.
In the next moment, a ghostly white figure silently appeared at the temple gate.
Its head, body, and limbs were intact, yet it lacked facial features. It floated three inches above the ground, moving without a speck of dust.
At the instant this eerie figure appeared, ghostly whispers began to echo in the hall, and the dim firelight cast shadows of ghostly figures and apparitions.
Some clawed fiercely, some twisted and deformed!
Sitting cross-legged on the cushion, Zhang Yuan suddenly opened his eyes.
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
At this moment, Zhang Yuan hadn’t noticed the Mountain God Statue behind him shudder slightly.
A pair of lifeless eyes emitted a strange red glow, and its features began to change. The face widened, the forehead protruded, coarse hair emerged, and tusks sprouted from its mouth.
It had transformed into the form of a fierce tiger!
Lowering its head, it glared fiercely at Zhang Yuan, silently opening its bloodthirsty maw.
Zhang Yuan had just stood up, grasping the handle of the Taowu Saber at his waist.
He stared directly at the white figure at the temple gate, suddenly drawing his saber from its sheath.
Clang!
Accompanied by the resonant sound of the Profound Soldiers, the dazzling blade light instantly illuminated the entire hall.
However, Zhang Yuan did not slash the eerie white figure in front of him but suddenly turned and swung his saber at the Mountain God Statue.
Crack!
The statue, in the midst of transformation, suddenly shuddered, and a deep sword mark appeared on its armored body.
The wound ran from the left shoulder down to the right side of the abdomen, and shockingly, a few drops of crimson blood seeped from the gash.
Roar~
A thunderous roar erupted, and the towering Mountain God Statue shattered into pieces. A ferocious tiger, eyes blazing, leaped high into the air, pouncing towards Zhang Yuan.
Its eyes were full of malice and fury, its jaw unhinged, fangs bare, roaring with earth-shattering might!
Come on!
Yet Zhang Yuan was prepared. Facing the fierce tiger, he boldly opened his mouth to unleash a reddish light.
Red Blood Saber released!
After swallowing the core of Celestial Divine Iron, its size and power greatly enhanced. Although it hadn’t been nurtured long in Zhang Yuan’s Qi Sea Dantian, its lethality surpassed its prior state.
In a flash, it shot towards the fierce tiger in the air. Flames erupted from its blade, and at the moment it pierced the tiger’s throat, it abruptly changed its trajectory.
In the blink of an eye, it circled the thick neck of the fierce tiger, then swiftly returned to Zhang Yuan’s body.
The next moment, the massive head of the striped tiger detached from its body, dropping down along with its hefty frame. The severed neck was unusually smooth, without a drop of blood spraying out.
Boom!
The beheaded tiger crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The tiger’s head rolled several paces away!
Zhang Yuan stepped back a couple of steps and hastily cast three Condensing Evil Talismans onto the tiger’s corpse.
Aie!
At that moment, the ghostly white figure at the temple gate let out a sharp scream, then vanished without a trace.
Zhang Yuan paid it no mind.
If he was correct, it was likely a specter controlled by the fierce tiger.
Just as Captain Li’s intelligence report suggested, the fierce beast occupying Hulao Mountain was indeed sly and brutal, hiding in the statue to launch a sneak attack.
It’s likely the strongman from the Prefecture City suffered a similar pitfall.
But attempting the same trick on Zhang Yuan was a grave mistake.
Because Zhang Yuan’s perception was exceptionally sharp, he noticed the anomaly of the statue upon entry and was on guard.
So the fierce tiger’s ambush failed, and it was slain, its life and spirituality extinguished by Zhang Yuan with the Red Blood Saber!
Under the influence of the Condensing Evil Talismans, the large tiger corpse quickly withered at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Finally, it crumbled into a pile of black ashes.
Zhang Yuan also acquired at least a fifth-grade Evil Infant!
He reached down to grab the fierce tiger’s head on the ground, then darted out of the Mountain God Temple in a blur, heading back the way he came.
By now, the clouds in the night sky had dispersed, and a bright full moon hung high in the heavens.
The cold moonlight spilled over the mountain path, as if coating it with a thin layer of frost.
Zhang Yuan summoned the Gray-toothed Lynx, mounted the Profound Beast, and returned to Hulao Pass.
Entering the pass, Zhang Yuan retrieved his mount and, holding the tiger’s head, barged into the garrison’s official residence.
As it turned out, Captain Li had not yet slept and was discussing something with several merchant-like individuals in the hall.
The garrison’s commander wore a troubled expression, sighing deeply, anxiety written all over his face.
Zhang Yuan’s sudden appearance startled everyone present, their exclamations echoing in the room.
When someone saw the tiger’s head in Zhang Yuan’s hand, the exclamations turned to sharp screams, and one person even fainted on the spot!
Captain Li stood dumbfounded, stammering, "Protector, Protector Lord, this, what is this?"
He couldn’t believe it, his speech faltering.
Zhang Yuan replied calmly, "That’s right, this is the fierce beast from Hulao Mountain. I’ve killed it, and the trade route can reopen."
With that, Zhang Yuan turned and left.
Leaving a group staring at one another, each feeling as if they were dreaming!
