Chương 146: War God — Chapter 146 - Asura Blade Intent, Tiger Malevolence Blade Art at the Return to Simplicity

Meanwhile. On a towering tree not far from Dragon Tiger Mountain. Three ghostly figures crouched in silence, utterly still, as if they'd melted into the surroundings.

"Captain, the fish took the bait." The man with gray ghost-eyes spoke in a hoarse rasp, his words in a strange tongue.

"Intel was accurate. He's going for the kill."

"Mm." The captain's blood-red hair shifted as he gazed toward Dragon Tiger Ridge.

"Shadow Spider, with me. We move." On the far right, a blue-haired man in black hung upside down from a branch, frowning at the ridge below.

"Target's only Third Realm."

"Ghost Eye's Broken Soul Snipe would handle it. Why do we need to step in?"

"Besides, after he fights that Mountain-Treading Nightmare Tiger, even if he survives, he'll be drained dry."

"Is all this really necessary?" The blood-haired captain's voice went cold.

"Intel says the target can fight across realms. He might dodge Ghost Eye's shot."

"If he evades and escapes, are you paying the penalty for mission failure?"

"You and I are the second layer of insurance."

"Don't underestimate any target. Show some professionalism."

"..."

"Fine." Both figures vanished from the tree. Only Ghost Eye remained.

"Interesting... a student who just reached Third Realm... what makes him think he can challenge an injured Mountain-Treading Nightmare Tiger across realms?"

"A BOSS-tier beast like that, even with 10, 000 life force left, isn't something a Third Realm Martial Artist can handle."

"Soul-Devouring Tiger Roar, Nightmare Fire Heart-Scorch, Bone Demon Armor... any one of those would crush a same-realm fighter... I heard this Nightmare Tiger even has a self-immolation death move that burns its own strength for one final strike... Tsk... way too cautious." Ghost Eye lay prone and began assembling a modified sniper rifle. His eyes flickered faintly. His martial talent let him see the distant battle with perfect clarity.

As the Blood Fang Squad, a team with minor international reputation, honestly, if the employer's commission wasn't so absurdly high, they wouldn't bother with a mere Third Realm target. All three had just broken through to Fourth Realm. They were qualified to refuse jobs like this. And the mission requirements were troublesome: cripple the target, don't kill him, only take what he's carrying.

"Huh..." He paused at something he saw. —"The flames on that Nightmare Tiger aren't earth-vein fire..."

"Utterly defiled. Contact disrupts all five senses, terrifies the mind..."

"Nightmare Fire evolved from devouring who knows how many martial artists' talents..." The Nightmare Tiger pounced with a roar. Its stomp unleashed an endless rain of fire. Wang Xian's expression didn't change. He didn't even think about dodging. He raised his blade and charged straight in. The same move, Tiger Soul Sky-Piercing Slash, swept out horizontally. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Two tiger roars clashed in the air like giant beasts facing off. The Nightmare Tiger's body trembled. Wang Xian was already charging through the flames. The second blade, Severing Mountains Ten Thousand Peaks, and the third, Dominion Over Ruins Shattering Rivers and Mountains, followed in rapid succession. Surprise flickered in the Nightmare Tiger's pupils. Three blades fell. This fighting style of mutual destruction clearly unsettled the beast. Normally, martial artists didn't fight this way.

Only alien beasts did. Martial artists needed long recovery after taking damage. Alien beasts just absorbed baleful energy to heal rapidly. So who was the real beast here? As the three blades landed, the entire Dragon Tiger Mountain trembled. The crystalline armor the Nightmare Tiger had just formed shattered completely in the exploding blade energy. It roared in fury. Within that ancient roar, a soul-devouring, spirit-seizing intent mixed in.

"What a Soul-Devouring Tiger Roar." Wang Xian's figure paused. His blade momentum lost 30 percent of its force. The Nightmare Tiger spewed a blast of intense bluish-purple flame, not at Wang Xian, but at the bones below. Endless skeletal remains burned in those flames. As the Nightmare Tiger stomped, they transformed into meteoric fire raining down. This time it wasn't just flames. Splintered bones shot out like hidden weapons, capable of piercing marrow.

Even broken weapons melted into molten iron, splashing outward. Wang Xian closed his eyes. The bluish-purple flames on his body were instantly absorbed and converted by his divine meridians. This was one reason he didn't fear fire. At most, faint marks remained on his skin. Once the full circuit of divine meridians formed, all energy could be absorbed and transformed.

"Futile." Wang Xian drew his blade. Three Thousand Water Phases transformed into a boundless cage flying outward. He flew directly into it. The meteoric fire rain descended, instantly struck down by water blades within the Three Thousand Water Phases. Three Thousand Water Phases wasn't just for control and damage. Martial techniques were infinitely adaptable. It could serve as defense too. Inside the water prison, Wang Xian switched Minghong for the demon blade on his back. A terrifying aura radiated from his body.

The demon blade gathered momentum, still sheathed. His eyes turned pure black. Dense killing intent poured off him. His gaze held no emotion. As the water prison drew closer to the Nightmare Tiger, the killing intent grew heavier. This was Asura Single Slash. Wang Xian had learned it, but never comprehended the 'Asura Blade Intent' within. This advanced technique passed down from a Martial God, if you only knew the moves without the intent, it lacked full power. He considered himself to have not truly learned it.

Using it now, he only wanted to try comprehending it. The Nightmare Tiger seemed to sense mortal danger. It roared in shock and fury. Combined with its existing injuries, it seemed thoroughly enraged. BOOM! Flames ignited across its body. Flesh and hide began burning. But its strength and aura climbed continuously, as if preparing for a final death-struggle! Wang Xian's heart jolted.

"Even facing death, it still pounces to kill..."

"No wonder the founder of Tiger Malevolence Blade Art comprehended it by observing tigers..."

"This Nightmare Tiger's might far exceeds the Mountain Lord tiger beast the founder observed!"

"Pouncing into life or death, slaying enemy and self."

"Reversing desperate straits through self-immolation."

"Even more death-defying than a martial artist..."

"Hahaha..."

"The Tiger Malevolence three blades end in self-sacrifice. Then this final truth must be to burn oneself, stain the firmament with my blood, sever this benighted celestial barrier?"

"Magnificent!"

"It shares the same essence with Asura Single Slash!"

"Severing tribulation to protect the path, using killing to stop killing."

"This Asura Blade Intent, I finally understand."

"Divine meridians, open!" Wang Xian laughed. The blade remained sheathed, yet several blade scars appeared across his body. What flowed from each wasn't just blood, but the will to protect the path through slaughter, to first cut oneself, then sever the enemy's head! The entire Dragon Tiger Ridge seemed to dim. In that split second, only a single arc of blade light swept out, astonishing the world! In that instant, the world froze. The Nightmare Tiger's body went rigid, halting in midair. Until light returned.

Wang Xian had already appeared behind the Nightmare Tiger. The demon blade was still sheathed. But at the scabbard's seal, scorching tiger blood trickled down. This was the true Asura Single Slash! Only one slash, severing everything! BOOM! The Nightmare Tiger's head crashed to the ground. The three lurking figures watching from the shadows were shocked. Wang Xian landed beside the corpse and gazed at it quietly. His body bore many burn marks from the Nightmare Fire. Just then, his body shifted slightly.

In the next second, a bizarre arrow brushed past his neck with perfect timing. It pierced through several trees, then exploded.

"?" Far away, Ghost Eye froze. He'd made his move extremely fast. Right when the opponent finished battle, when he should still be basking in victory. Impossible to be too guarded. But...

"Strike!" Before Ghost Eye could react, the moment the sniper shot missed, two figures burst from the shadows, one from the ground, one from the dark forest. Front and back. Wang Xian said nothing. He drew the demon blade, wrapping the bluish-purple flames from the Nightmare Tiger's body around himself. Like a demon god within fire.

"One slash, and there is no you or me. Baleful energy fills the firmament, behold the true god!" Wang Xian slashed. The tiger's roar spread in all directions. This single slash seemed to shatter space, burn the world to ash. The two figures, front and back, froze before they could strike. Instantly split in half, instantly devoured by Nightmare Fire.

"Tiger Malevolence Blade Art: Blazing Blood Incinerates the Firmament!" This was a move Wang Xian had comprehended from Tiger Malevolence Blade Art! A true Return to Simplicity level technique! After sheathing the blade, at the same moment, Wang Xian flicked his sleeve. A flying blade shot out in pursuit, transforming into a death scythe reaping lives. It harvested the last enemy lurking in the distant shadows. The dust settled. ➤ Next: Bro, Are You Seriously Still a Student?