Refining the True from the False: Becoming a God Starting with Devouring a True Dragon

Chapter 73 Ice Blade Technique: Tiger Vanguard Shirai Seki! (5.2k)

The tiger demon's shadow blocked the light in front of Hong Yucheng and his companion.

A thick palm, broad enough to easily cover an ordinary person's chest, lightly pierced through the ice, stirring up ripples—all the way to Hong Yucheng's feet.

in the dark,

A torrent of hot breath poured from its mouth and nose, the long exhale splashing more than a meter away.

This made Hong Yucheng and Yu Kai swallow hard again.

This tiger demon weighs at least two thousand catties!

It's hard to imagine.

How much demonic energy is hidden within that enormous body?

However, the mere fact that this tiger demon made a silent appearance gave the two of them a visual shock, only the tip of the iceberg.

Hong Yucheng had already felt the truth of what people often said: among demons of the same level, it was difficult for any demon to compete with him.

The two of us...

They probably weren't much of a match for this tiger demon.

and,

At this moment, he could no longer distinguish whether the other party was a second-tier or third-tier demon based solely on its size.

"Hmm? Oh, so it's just two little brats."

The tiger demon recognized the two people's true forms and said, "No wonder the smell was off."

"It's been a long time since I've seen such lucky people as you."

"Eating this will definitely bring me good luck, right?"

In the shadows, a pair of tiger eyes slowly flickered with a ghostly green light, making it seem like a sinister ghost, adding to its terrifying aura.

"Brother Hong, it seems it will be difficult for us to escape."

Yu Kai took deep breaths, but his breathing was intermittent and he couldn't stop trembling.

"If we don't run, we still have a slim chance of winning."

"Once you turn around, you're a lamb to the slaughter."

"Ah, that's what I think too." Hong Yucheng chuckled, though his smile was a little stiff.

Upon hearing this, Yu Kai's eyes hardened. "I'll find an opportunity to take the first hit, and you finish it off."

As he spoke, he shook his arms.

Several steel rings slid down from above the iron plate strapped to the forearm, making a crisp clanging sound.

Inside,

Yu Kai was still wearing the armor that Liang Nan's group had brought him today.

Although it is called armor, it is naturally not the heavy armor of the elite troops of the military government, but a plate made of spliced ​​pieces.

This gave Yu Kai more confidence.

However, Yu Kai still said, "Brother Hong, please don't betray me."

"If that's what you're saying, then I'm running away."

Hong Yucheng's words carried a hint of resentment, "What kind of person do you take me for?"

"This tiger demon is arrogant, it's obvious to the naked eye. We might still have a chance."

He said,

He drew the two swords from his lower back, his eyes fixed on the enemy.

However, what lies before us is the true predator.

"Have you reached an agreement?"

The tiger demon's slightly mocking voice rang out.

"Then let's see what you can do!"

boom!

Hong Yucheng and Yu Kai moved almost simultaneously.

His feet shattered the blood and ice, his steps were extremely heavy.

As if with a do-or-die spirit, the two formed a line, almost overlapping each other.

Yu Kai was naturally at the forefront.

The tiger demon remained still, but its tiger eyes followed the two as they moved from the front to the side, and then tried to circle around to their backs.

"Boring."

Disappointment showed in the tiger demon's eyes.

boom!

The two people behind him saw that the tiger demon only turned its head slightly, and immediately realized its disdain and arrogance, so they launched a charge.

Hong Yucheng's chest heaved as he gripped the two swords.

He exhaled a breath of cold air, which landed on the twin swords.

Stunned...

Suddenly, strange, frost-like patterns appeared on the blade.

Hong Family Ice Blade Technique.

This forbidden technique, born from the Water element, transforms internal energy into the power of the Five Elements, which is then attached to the weapon. Once it strikes into the enemy's flesh, it immediately obstructs the flow of their blood and energy, causing their flesh to stiffen.

If one strike hits, every strike will hit!

Combined with the Hong family's Six-Slash Blade Technique, they often triumph over the stronger opponents.

Especially against relatively reckless monsters and those arrogant individuals, the chances of victory are even greater.

The tiger demon before them possessed both qualities.

Hong Yucheng, however, was even more skilled in this swordsmanship, having mastered dual swords, with his six-slash swordsmanship in each hand being equally proficient. Once unleashed, the twelve slashes were like a blizzard in a frozen wasteland, leaving no chance for the opponent to catch their breath.

Thinking of this,

Hong Yucheng gripped the twin swords even tighter.

opportunity!

In the blink of an eye,

They had already killed their way to within two meters of the tiger demon.

His towering figure exuded an even greater sense of oppression at this moment.

Hong Yucheng had just raised his knife.

The enormous tiger demon had already turned halfway around, and its raised claws swooped down from mid-air with a whistling sound.

So fast!

Hong Yucheng's pupils contracted sharply, but he showed no intention of dodging.

Between man and tiger claws,

Yu Kai seemed to be chewing something when he stepped forward and put his arms in front of him to block.

"Yu Family Arm - Iron Stone!"

He let out a loud shout, his words somewhat slurred, as if to bolster his own courage.

He suddenly sank to the ground, his feet sinking into the blood and mud.

hum~

The arm guards and iron rings on his arms suddenly trembled.

Streams of internal energy surged from his pores, enveloping his iron arms in an invisible armor.

boom!

Tiger Claw arrived as scheduled.

In a flash,

All the iron weapons on Yu Kai's arms shattered.

His once straight arms were broken at that moment.

The excruciating pain from the severed arm contorted his face.

But his eyes remained fixed on the tiger demon's movements.

His backward-leaning body was barely stabilized by his feet sinking into the mud, and he unleashed a terrifying power to stand up again.

next moment,

He opened his mouth wide and suddenly spat out a fire snake!

They rushed down into the tiger demon's eyes, attempting to blind it or at least obscure its vision.

What he had eaten earlier was the liver and flesh of the Hidden Fire Bull Demon.

Hong Yucheng's twin blades, which were originally meant to strike his vulnerable lower abdomen, were blocked by his broad, door-like thighs.

Gifts and additions. —·—·

The cold light left dense marks on the tiger demon's body.

It was as if ice and snow had frozen the air, preserving the marks of Hong Yucheng's sword strike for a moment.

Blocking the thighs and restricting their movement works the same way!

Hong Yucheng gritted his teeth, continuously wielding his knife, and trying his best to find an opportunity to slash at vital points.

The ice blade technique easily pierced into the tiger demon's body.

Everything went as he had anticipated.

The tiger demon fell victim to his arrogance. The user used ice blades to restrict its movements, then slid in beneath it, allowing for a swift and effective attack to disembowel it at its weakest point—…

only-

Why isn't there any blood?

Hong Yucheng stared intently at the marks he had made on the tiger demon's body.

What a thick tiger skin!

He gritted his teeth, wishing he could crush them to pieces.

His original plan fell apart instantly. He struck a single point with the knife and brought it down in a frenzy.

One cut, two cuts, three cuts!

broken!

Blood flowed out, along with the stiffness that should have been present due to the Ice Blade Technique.

"Roar~"

A deep, guttural roar came from the tiger.

Hong Yucheng's body suddenly felt lighter, his waist tightened, and he was lifted up by the tiger's tail.

Its powerful, arm-like tail flung it away.

Snapped!

While flying backwards in mid-air, Hong Yucheng stared intently at the tiger demon's location.

Looking at Yu Kai,

The moment the flames went out, the tiger demon, having found its target, slapped it down on the head.

"Brother Kai!"

Hong Yucheng's eyes instantly turned red.

He crashed heavily into a tree, the snow above him trembling and pouring down, burying half of his body.

"They're all just petty tricks."

The tiger demon approached from afar.

However, the leg that Hong Yucheng had slashed was still a bit lumpy, and his walking was not as smooth as before.

"I really underestimated the two of you."

"You are far better off than those lucky ones before you."

Hong Yucheng looked at the tiger demon in front of him, whose face had darkened, whose beard had curled, and whose gait was somewhat limping.

The praise from the tiger demon sounded more like mockery to Hong Yucheng.

"What level of demon are you?"

"Second order".

"He is the vanguard general who rose to power in my family."

"In your human language, it's called the Inner Strength Realm."

"If you reach the third stage, your qi and blood will flow like a torrent—your little tricks won't even break my skin, let alone injure my legs."

"Speaking of which, one of the martial artists who died at my hands was a Blood Transformation Realm cultivator, whose blood and qi were not as strong as mine."

The tiger demon looked down from its high position.

"Don't worry, I will keep your head and hang it on a tree so that your descendants can look after it."

Upon hearing this, Hong Yucheng felt a sense of despair.

Is this the real great demon outside the city?

How can such a monstrous creature be killed without entering the Blood-Transferring Realm?

Even at the Blood Removal Realm,

Can we really kill this tiger demon?

He felt that what the tiger demon said was probably true—

The wind and snow suddenly intensified in the dead of night, howling as if bidding farewell to Hong Yucheng and Yu Kai.

[Mastery of "Shirayuki" increased by 0.2%!]

[Mastery of "Hyakuya" increased by 0.1%!]

Failure—Failure—

Beside Mopan Town.

Despite the sudden increase in wind and snow, Wang Qi fired several arrows in succession, but none of them had any effect.

"Looks like tonight's the end of the day."

Seeing that the fierce wind and snow had intensified, he quickly ran over and retrieved his arrows. He then headed into the town.

After more than two hours of archery practice, Wang Qi's mastery of the "White Arrow" technique had reached forty percent.

If I work harder tomorrow, I might be able to unlock the Hundred Arrows skill in a single day.

As he walked to the home of the town resident he was helping, another couple rushed over in a panic and blocked the door that Wang Qi was about to close.

"Hey bro, could you let us stay for the night?"

The couple rubbed their hands together, shivering. "The snow was so heavy in the middle of the night that our tent was blown down."

"One hundred coins a night."

Deep inside the house, the homeowner leaned against the door and spoke to the two of them.

"One hundred coins per person."

"what?"

The man's expression changed. "Didn't you say during the day it was fifty coins a night?"

The homeowner snorted. "You said during the day you were going to live in a tent. Why aren't you living there now?"

"This is the price for this remote, desolate place."

"I didn't force you to stay if you didn't want to, did I?"

The man was immediately stopped.

But no way,

In this kind of weather, someone would probably die if they stayed outside overnight.

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and pay two hundred coins.

He comforted his female companion, saying, "It's just a little demon, it's all worth it. It's alright, it's alright."

"This kind of unscrupulous family won't last long."

He muttered to himself as he and his female companion walked into the small woodshed.

Wang Qi silently walked back into the house, lay down on the not-so-large bed, and quietly fell asleep.

Early the next morning.

Heihe County.

The air was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, the crackling of firecrackers, the fluttering of flags, and the sea of ​​people.

Young men from various martial arts schools, businesses, and gangs eager to participate in the winter hunt gathered in front of the city gate.

Both sides of the street,

There were rows of Heihe soldiers dressed in black armor, riding armored warhorses.

Its imposing presence makes people hesitant to approach it.

At the main gate,

A Taoist priest in a long robe and holding a whisk kept chanting. Beside him was a bald man in a monk's robe and a charlatan in yellow robes of unknown origin, who spoke in a mystical and rambling manner.

There is an offering table in front of the main entrance.

County Magistrate Liu Caiping personally laid out pig's head, sheep's head, and cow's head, along with soybeans, sesame seeds, millet, wheat, and rice—these sacrificial animals and grains. Holding a stick of incense about the thickness of a finger, he performed the rituals of offering sacrifices.

There were also officials from the ceremonial department nearby, who kept explaining the procedures.

"May Heaven bless our winter hunt in Heihe County, ensuring everything goes smoothly and everyone is safe. May Heihe County's martial arts flourish and its talents prosper!"

After the crowd,

Ge Daniu followed his second uncle, Ge Ershan, and watched the sacrificial ceremony.

Unable to resist asking, "Second Uncle, didn't we say that we in Beiting don't believe in these gods and immortals? Why have we invited even a charlatan here?"

Ge Ershan snorted and said, "I don't believe it because I want you to not be superstitious."

"The people are ignorant. If you spread the word even a little, and they all believe in those superstitious and ghostly things, what kind of mess will that be?"

"But we should still pray for blessings."

"A few pieces of meat, a sincere gesture. It's not worth much money."

"What if it works?"

"What if it doesn't work?" Ge Daniu asked back.

"At least you paid your respects, right?" Ge Ershan replied, "I have a clear conscience."

Ge Daniu was speechless. What a fine example of having a clear conscience!

After the grand sacrificial ceremony, with Liu Caiping's announcement that the winter hunt was about to begin, thousands of winter hunters,镖队 (escort teams), 药行 (medical practitioners), and others rushed towards the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain.

Ge Daniu followed his second uncle and walked with the military cavalry to a side path.

"You and I will follow the border troops to familiarize ourselves with the surrounding terrain. When we change military status and join the military government, we won't be completely clueless. That way, we'll be more likely to be appreciated and promoted quickly."

"oh."

Ge Daniu nodded, agreeing to leave everything to his second uncle's arrangements.

On another occasion,

After Liu Caiping returned to her residence after the sacrificial ceremony, she was filled with anger.

"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

"Such a huge incident in the sewers, and the Fragrant Meat Cult has gone so far as to become demonic, even cannibalizing people! And the military government can still brush it off with a simple 'for the greater good.'"

"Ji Shichang really has a lot of influence in the military government!"

"Master, have some tea to calm your temper." The butler carefully handed over the tea.

As a result, Liu Caiping smashed it to the ground with a flick of her sleeve.

"Drink my ass."

"Consider the big picture, consider it, consider it—wait until everyone in the sewers is a man-eating monster who breaks out and turns Heihe County upside down, then let's see what those guys in the military government can do."

Liu Caiping's eyes turned red with anger.

He really hadn't expected that Ji Shichang would have such a lot of influence in the military government.

Fortunately,

When Wang Qi and Zhang Yuan were rewarded and promoted that day, the group from Xiashui Lane was not named.

"Sir, this is the defense map sent by the City Defense Bureau. Please take a look."

The steward ordered his men to collect all the broken porcelain from the ground, then dispersed the crowd and brought out a perfectly sealed wooden tube.

Liu Caiping took a deep breath.

Only then did he open the wooden tube and carefully examine Ji Shichang's arrangements.

moment,

He had just calmed down when he said sarcastically, "He does know that the sewers are not safe and are full of people."

"Ji Shichang's deployment was quite brilliant. No wonder the military government gave him face."

There's nothing wrong with this defense plan.

It covers everything from where the incident occurred to how to respond.

It can be said that they used all the people they had available, and even kept backup plans.

As long as nothing major goes wrong, things won't get chaotic.

"Young Master Wang, Young Master Wang!"

Mopan Town.

Wang Qi was woken up early in the morning by Fang Yu knocking on the door.

"What's wrong?"

Wang Qi pushed open the door and looked at Fangyu, who had a worried expression on her face.

"Hong Yucheng and Yu Kai have gone missing."

Wang Qi was taken aback, recalling the conversation he overheard between Hong Yucheng and someone else last night.

thinking,

He followed Fangyu to the only small wine shop in town.

"When I woke up this morning, those two were nowhere to be found."

"No, they went out last night and never came back."

Jin Cheng spoke up.

"I overheard them talking about it last night."

Wang Qi spoke up, "They said they wanted to check out that forest to the east that they've never been to before. From the tone of their words, they figured that since there were no tiger demons anywhere else, the least likely place was the most likely."

"Oh~"

Upon hearing this, the group immediately understood.

Na Jinxiu sneered, "No wonder Hong Yucheng hastily denied Fangyu's statement yesterday; it turns out he had his eye on it and wanted to keep it all for himself."

"Don't say that."

Fangyu waved her hand, "Maybe Hong Yucheng and Yu Kai just want to check things out?"

"Shall I take a look?" Jinxiu raised an eyebrow.

"You've been checking all night and you're still not back?"

"In my opinion, the two of them have probably already taken the tiger demon's corpse to Heihe County to sell it."

"And you!"

Jinxiu suddenly turned her attention to Wang Qi, "Since you overheard everything last night, why didn't you come and tell us?"

"Cousin! Don't be rude!"

Jin Cheng immediately reprimanded him, and then apologized to Wang Qi.

"Brother Wang, please don't take it to heart. My cousin is used to being arrogant at home—besides, the demons our Jin family needs for cultivation are tiger demon meat."

"So I was anxious for a moment."

Wang Qi nodded silently, not intending to argue with that woman.

However, they couldn't help but think more highly of the Jin family from Yangliu County.

The fact that a family can cultivate its foundation by feeding on tiger demon meat is a testament to its strength.

Jin Cheng added, "Hong Yucheng himself has once single-handedly defeated four or five well-known martial arts masters. Now, together with Yu Kai..."

That tiger demon should be no match for the two of them combined.

"It's probably about the same as what my cousin guessed."

"What do you think, Brother Wang?" Fangyu asked Wang Qi.

"Let's wait another day," Wang Qi said after a moment's hesitation. "It's been a whole night; whether they live or die should have been decided long ago."

"If they haven't returned by today, we can go check on them again tomorrow."

Besides what I've mentioned,

Wang Qi naturally had other ideas; he originally intended to go and check it out during the day.

But since the progress of "White Arrow" was encouraging last night, we might as well wait another day.

We'll go after Bai Shi is made.

It's always good to have more protection.

"That's fine too."

Fangyu nodded.

The conversation among the group was unreserved, especially that of Jinxiu.

The conversation was overheard by some diners nearby, who suddenly put down their chopsticks and hurriedly left.

Regarding this,

They didn't think so either.

After finishing his meal, Wang Qi got up and left.

He continued to practice archery on the edge of town, carrying his large bow.

[Mastery of "Shirayuki" increased by 0.2%!]

[Mastery of "Shirayuki" increased by 0.1%!]

He seemed tireless, practicing from sunrise to sunset.

Until dusk approached.

The text in front of me changed again.

[White Arrow Mastery: 100%]

[The White Arrow has been mastered.]

Whoosh!

The arrow in Wang Qi's hand pierced through the air, and it was as if in an instant, all the blood and energy in his body rushed to his arm, pierced his fingers, and then flowed through his fingers to the arrow.

With a whoosh, it plunged directly into the giant tree.

Wang Qi quickly stepped forward.

The hole pierced by the arrow was bottomless.

He then went around to the back of the arrow hole.

An arrow emerged precisely from the massive tree, as thick as four people could encircle.

That arrow really hit the mark!

Two days.

White Arrow has been made.