The Eternal Way-Chapter 182: Slaying the Tiger

Upon hearing the other party's words, Lord Huangshan panicked momentarily and instinctively let out a low growl.

What was going on? Who was this person that could see through his schemes with just one glance?!

He had secretly planned for ten years, painstakingly establishing connections with Guangyang City. Only recently did they finally agree to provide him with this method when they needed mountain deity support to construct their grand array.

But who would have thought that just as he had set it up, someone would come knocking?!

After a brief moment of panic, murderous intent surged within him!

As the dominant tiger in this hundred-mile radius, Lord Huangshan was used to having his way. Countless lesser spirits trembled at his glance—how could anyone dare confront him like this?

Moreover, wasn't this intruder also just a ninth-rank cultivator?!

He, a fierce tiger of the mountains, had learned witchcraft from the Sītú of Guangyang City and combined it with divine cultivation methods, making him formidable among ninth-rank beings. What did he have to fear from someone who couldn't even use wind manipulation techniques?

With this thought, Lord Huangshan calmed down and bared his fangs at Li Qi, "Who are you? What do you want? Leave Tiger Roar Cliff, and I might spare your life!"

Seeing Lord Huangshan's outward bravado masking inner fear, Li Qi shook his head and began mobilizing the qi of the Five Great Mountains, seemingly preparing to act.

Thinking Li Qi was about to attack, Lord Huangshan roared, causing sound waves to ripple through the air!

The mighty tiger lunged forward, jaws wide open, aiming to bite Li Qi.

Li Qi frowned slightly, then sank his body and threw a punch.

His punch carried the essence of the Five Great Mountains, perfectly countering mountain deities.

Mountains, being towering and majestic, inherently suppressed mountain deities.

Lord Huangshan's aura weakened by a third under this suppression but still charged forward viciously.

From his perspective, humans, especially shamans, were weak in close combat and couldn't compare to his powerful mountain beast form.

Thus, using the momentum of a charging tiger, he aimed to force Li Qi back, giving him an opening to retaliate. However, he didn't expect Li Qi to show no fear and meet him head-on with punches.

Not only did Li Qi withstand the tiger's immense strength, but he also managed to overpower him directly!

Fighting a tiger with brute force, yet overpowering its strength!

Explosive power doubled by Li Qi's technique temporarily overwhelmed Lord Huangshan!

Seizing this momentary advantage, Li Qi launched another attack.

Two more punches landed—one squarely on the tiger's nose and the other deep into its throat. The charging tiger found itself dazed.

The fist plunged deeply into the throat, grabbing the vocal cords and pulling outwards while the nose suffered a heavy blow. Lord Huangshan howled in pain, trying to bite off Li Qi's hand with sharp teeth!

However, unknown metal qi protected Li Qi's hands, snapping two of Lord Huangshan's teeth instead!

The metal qi continued its assault, trimming Lord Huangshan's sharp claws.

Tigers, feared by all beasts, rely on their claws and teeth.

Without these, even pigs or dogs could become threats.

Caught off guard, Li Qi swiftly crippled Lord Huangshan's claws and teeth, reducing his capabilities significantly. Blood poured from his nose as he howled in agony, his roar tinged with cries of despair.

Li Qi didn't let go. He pulled his hand from the tiger's mouth, grabbed Lord Huangshan's ears, mounted his back, and punched his head.

Even if Li Qi's fists could dent metal, the tiger demon's skull was harder, leaving his hands sore and bleeding.

Determined, Li Qi switched targets to the neck, where the skull connects to the spine—a known weakness.

The tiger knew this too, thrashing wildly, roaring and clawing.

Rolling and tumbling across the landscape, Lord Huangshan tried desperately to shake Li Qi off, roaring like thunder. This terrified countless lesser spirits outside, wondering who dared provoke Lord Huangshan.

Especially Li Zhu Fang above, who transformed back into a butterfly and hid trembling in the bushes.

Despite Lord Huangshan's frantic struggles, Li Qi's legs clamped tightly around the tiger's waist, veins bulging as he pummeled the back relentlessly.

It truly looked like a ferocious tiger meeting its match, suffering silently.

Li Qi held firm, punching and kicking until Lord Huangshan lay bleeding and breathless on the ground, unable to move or speak.

Gasping for breath, Li Qi grabbed Lord Huangshan's ears, "Pant... Mountain Lord, can we talk?"

Tears welled up in Lord Huangshan's eyes.

Damn it, you're the one who started this...

But after taking such a beating, Lord Huangshan felt fear and nodded repeatedly.

A tiger in the deep mountains strikes fear, but trapped in a cage, it begs for food.

Under Li Qi, Lord Huangshan felt trapped.

Seeing Lord Huangshan nod, Li Qi sighed in relief, "Good, now look at yourself. Had you listened earlier, you wouldn't have faced this beating. Why suffer needlessly?"

Lord Huangshan's broken nose throbbed painfully, filled with grievance.

You never warned me...

But recognizing the stronger force, Lord Huangshan conceded, "Sir is right, my mistake..."

Li Qi dismounted the massive tiger and said, "Apologies, Mountain Lord, but I heard there's someone here constructing a landscape grand array. Is this true?"

Lord Huangshan quickly transformed into a burly man with a hideous face, bruised and battered, bowing deeply, "Sir, the landscape grand array is real, but what do you intend?"

Li Qi returned the bow, "I wish to inspect your array disk. Please lead the way."

Polite yet insistent, Li Qi left no room for refusal.

Understanding the implication, Lord Huangshan grimaced, "Follow me, but beware—the array was set up by an eighth-rank Great Shaman. Neither of us can afford to anger them."

Li Qi smiled, "No need to worry. I know Guangyang Sītú well, and besides, aren't I also a shaman?"

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"Ah, so you're from the same place! Why didn't you say you were sent by Sītú?" Lord Huangshan realized.

That explained why he recognized the bone demon cultivation site and asked about the landscape grand array.

These were highly secretive matters, unrecognizable to ordinary people.

So he knew all along!

Understanding this, Lord Huangshan felt even more wronged.

Did I really deserve this beating?

"Because I wasn't sent by him, just connected somehow. Enough talk, show me the array disk," Li Qi urged.

"Yes, follow me!" Lord Huangshan led Li Qi deeper into the mountain.

Soon, they reached Tiger Roar Cliff, where Lord Huangshan pointed to a large stone, "Here's the array disk, set up by Sītú himself."

"I know, let me see." Li Qi touched the cold, ordinary-looking stone, sensing nothing unusual.

Using a thread pulled from Li Zhu Fang, Li Qi tugged gently.

Suddenly, previously invisible threads appeared, forming a vast web centered on the stone.

Countless thin threads spread out like a spider's web, vibrating at high frequencies, transmitting essence energy back to the array disk.

Thousands of threads connected to various lesser spirits or earth veins, extending far beyond sight.

"Astonishing..." Lord Huangshan stared in disbelief.

Li Qi silently noted every detail, though he didn't fully understand, he could study later.

"This is the landscape grand array disk... So..." Li Qi felt more confident about the situation in Guangyang City.

Firstly, regarding Wang Baisan, who helped him. Though suspicious, Li Qi didn't react openly, suspecting intentional baiting.

Secondly, concerning blood sacrifices and landscape arrays, Li Qi had plans.

Saving tens of thousands required more than food; it was necessary but insufficient alone.

Even with sufficient food, if Guangyang insisted on blood sacrifices, the people would still be killed. Li Qi intended to help them migrate to a small world, possibly cultivated by the Golden Waves Sect, solving manpower issues while providing livelihoods.

If Wang Baisan refused, Li Qi wouldn't argue. That small world was ownerless; self-cultivation was possible without relying on the sect.

Though moving from a prosperous city to a primitive forest meant losing many opportunities, it was better than death.

Remembering the array's features, Li Qi struck it, severing numerous threads and destroying the node.

This barely affected the overall array, composed of countless mountain and water nodes, but local lesser spirits suddenly felt lighter, less fatigued.

Lord Huangshan, enraged, shouted, "Why destroy the array? What about my bone demon?!"

"If not for being overpowered, I'd attack," Lord Huangshan thought.

Li Qi immediately reassured him, "Don't worry, I'll compensate you. How could I leave you at a loss?"

Relieved, Lord Huangshan asked, "Show me your golden body."

Suspicious, Lord Huangshan hesitated, "Why expose my core?"

Golden bodies formed through divine cultivation were crucial and rarely shown.

"To compensate your lost bone demon, I need your divine blood for ownership," Li Qi explained, "If you fear betrayal, remember you're no match for me."

Considering the logic, Lord Huangshan exposed his golden body.

However, two metal qi flashes severed his head and soul instantly.

Li Qi remained calm, planning to eliminate Lord Huangshan quietly to avoid alerting surrounding mountain deities.

Lord Huangshan ate people and animals naturally, but participating in blood sacrifices and harming lesser spirits made him a menace.

Killing him prevented leaking information to Guangyang Sītú.

Leaving the cave, Li Qi had a plan for what came next.