Chapter 225: Tiger Fiend Temple
Xia Wan’er looked at Su Yan with her eyes, a look of surprise flashing across her face unconsciously. It had only been a month, but she felt that Su Yan seemed to have grown much stronger again.
‘What a monster.’
Su Yan showed a puzzled expression: “What do you want with me?”
“Yun Yue wants to make a deal with you.”
Xia Wan’er did not beat around the bush: “You still have Seed Aperture Pills on hand, right? Yun Yue wants to buy one from you, trading with a Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruit.”
Su Yan looked at Lan Yunyue and saw her nod: “I did have a Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruit in my possession early on. I originally planned to keep it to exchange for some other pills that enhance foundation, but I didn’t expect you to be an expert in this path.”
Su Yan did not hide the fact that he had used Seed Aperture Pills. Although he had not yet sold the last one, the thickness of his True Essence made it easy for others to guess the reason.
Especially since Xia Wan’er herself was a partner in cooperative pill refining.
“But”
Su Yan immediately took out that Seed Aperture Pill: “I was originally planning to go to the Sect Affairs Pavilion to list this pill for sale, exchanging it for a Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruit. Since Senior Sister Lan has one, that’s even better.”
Selling to anyone is still selling, right?
One Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruit plus some heavenly materials and earthly treasures could refine several Seed Aperture Pills—this was a hugely profitable business.
After hearing this, Xia Wan’er leaned in and asked: “Exactly how many did you refine last time?”
Su Yan glanced at her: “Three.”
Xia Wan’er gritted her teeth after hearing this—one for her, one for herself, one for Lan Yunyue. You didn’t make a single profit, huh? Only a fool would believe you.
If he reported three, Su Yan definitely refined more than three.
“I’m not going to ask you for a cut anyway…”
Xia Wan’er showed a thoughtful expression and asked: “The pain of seeding apertures with Seed Aperture Pills is hard for ordinary bodies to endure too many times, but a body cultivator like you, no less than Mysterious Steel, should be able to take many. Do you want to do something big?”
Su Yan became interested—Xia Wan’er was no timid girl.
“Tell me more first.”
“I know where there’s a Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree, at least 300 years old.”
Su Yan looked at Xia Wan’er in surprise, and even Lan Yunyue showed a bit of astonishment.
Neither of them asked proactively, but Xia Wan’er spoke up herself: “There’s a Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree in the White Cang Mountain Range, seventy li outside Nantian Prefecture City. The source of my previous Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruit was actually from there.”
“You only mention the Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree but say nothing about what’s beside it, right? Can something like this grow alone and still have leftovers?”
Even if Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruits weren’t used to refine Seed Aperture Pills, they could be made into other pills for nourishing Dan Qiao, with effects that were quite good among upper second-order pills or even third-order pills.
“Don’t rush, I haven’t finished yet?”
Xia Wan’er said: “The Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree is controlled by Bai Cang’s bandit group. The leader is a Dan Qiao Realm Martial Artist with First Heaven strength, who has gathered quite a few underlings. They hide the Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree in the mountains and use it as goods year after year to earn plenty of resources. I learned the location of their fruit tree by a stroke of opportunity.”
Lan Yunyue and Su Yan looked at her coldly. After a long while, Lan Yunyue finally spoke: “Junior Sister, even if it’s just a Dan Qiao First Heaven martial artist, that’s not something we True Intent Realm cultivators can oppose.”
Don’t think that some of their techniques could match a single strike from a Dan Qiao Realm Martial Artist.
But that kind of attack could only be used once, not twice, and couldn’t compare to the killing moves of a Dan Qiao Realm Martial Artist at all.
“One or two certainly can’t, but isn’t he here? And we’re not going to confront them directly.”
Xia Wan’er pointed at Su Yan: “Look at him.”
Su Yan was deep in thought, already considering the feasibility.
“What kind of group are Bai Cang’s bandits? What’s the leader’s name?”
Xia Wan’er had it all figured out and listed them like a catalog: “A group of rogue cultivators entrenched outside Lingnan Prefecture City. The leader is called Old Ancestor Bai Cang. His goal in gathering a group of martial artists is to collect resources for his own cultivation. He’s a smart guy who doesn’t provoke the great families of Lingnan Prefecture City or offend the Monster Suppressing Guards, which is how he’s carved out a place for himself.”
Martial artist cultivation isn’t a zero-sum game, and the interplay of forces isn’t a matter of either-or.
On the contrary, as long as the expansion isn’t too excessive and there’s no fundamental conflict over resources, most can carve out their own dominion in a region.
Someone like Old Ancestor Bai Cang, as long as he doesn’t cross the line, no one would start a war with a Dan Qiao Realm Martial Artist over the White Cang Mountain Range or a single Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree.
Of course, except for those with nerves of steel, like Xia Wan’er.
Lan Yunyue and Su Yan stared at Xia Wan’er until she felt uneasy, then she simply said outright: “I have a grudge against that old thief Bai Cang. Back when I was gaining experience in the White Cang Mountain Range, I discovered the fruit tree location by chance and was chased by them for days.”
New grudges and old hatreds, plus the Seed Aperture Pill right in front of her—reasons all set.
Even if Su Yan didn’t act this time, once Xia Wan’er advanced further, she’d definitely go for that Spiritual Aperture Illumination Fruit Tree.
“It’s worth considering, but you have to investigate the strength distribution of Bai Cang’s bandits clearly, and Senior Sister Lan will oversee it.”
Su Yan felt no embarrassment about it.
How could seizing resources among martial artists be called robbery?
The three reached an agreement, and Xia Wan’er pulled Lan Yunyue away with her.
After Su Yan put away the Spiritual Aperture Illuminating Fruit, he finally revealed a smile.
‘The Insect Realm Space is only one thousand cubic meters and is becoming increasingly insufficient. I still need to find a way to complete the Insect Master advancement…’
Su Yan summoned the Six-Winged Blood Centipede and headed straight for Hundred Tiger Peak.
He landed below the back mountain of Hundred Tiger Peak, put away the Six-Winged Blood Centipede, and a familiar White Tiger pounced onto the mountain path, crouching down.
Su Yan mounted the tiger and arrived in front of Tiger Head Hall at the mountaintop.
“Disciple Su Yan requests an audience with Uncle-Master Hu.”
“Come in.”
Su Yan walked in and quietly scanned the surroundings. Tiger Yangming’s gaze fell on him from within the hall.
“No need to look—Xiang Ge took that girl to Blood Tiger Peak for cultivation. Your display of might really stimulated quite a few people.”
Su Yan slightly raised his eyes, but Tiger Yangming thought to himself that those stimulated weren’t just Bai Yun—even Xiang Ge felt a sense of crisis.
Su Yan’s talent went without saying—as long as he shone once and made a big splash, Xiang Ge would receive a brutal True Person beatdown lesson.
Of course, that was the lighter outcome. More seriously, Xiang Ge realized that even with his Dan Qiao Realm Second Heaven cultivation, he probably couldn’t hold off Su Yan for many years.
Su Yan was Long Qiushui’s disciple—being surpassed like this would mean he couldn’t even hold his head up if they met in the future.
Better to hide away in seclusion now and properly consolidate his power.
“Martial Granduncle, these are the materials this disciple is using to exchange for the Subduing Tiger Mingwang Body.”
Su Yan was straightforward, exchanged a few pleasantries, then took out many medicine bottles from the Insect Realm Space.
“Dragon Tiger Golden Pills, 3 bottles; Return Intent Yuan Pills, 3 bottles; Beast Essence Pills, 5 bottles…”
There were over a hundred pills in total, both second-order and first-order.
Tiger Yangming’s eyes widened slightly as he leaned forward to inspect the pills: “All refined by you?”
“Refined by this disciple in his spare time.”
The young are to be feared!
He gave Su Yan a deep look—at this age, with such alchemy skill, he was probably already a third-order alchemist.
Factoring in Su Yan’s martial arts talent and Innate Martial Body, this disciple before him was somewhat terrifying.
“Enough for thirty thousand contribution points.”
Tiger Yangming set the valuation, waved his hand to collect the items, then stood up: “Follow me.”
Tiger Yangming walked ahead, leading Su Yan out of Tiger Head Peak toward the shadowy mountain hollow.
He was clearly walking, but each step covered over a hundred meters. Su Yan moved quickly, exerting full effort to keep up.
The two, one in front and one behind, were only a body length or two apart.
The deeper they went, the colder it felt, with a thick majesty beginning to pervade. A massive mountain valley suddenly appeared before Su Yan and Tiger Yangming.
The two continued forward, misty fog forming in the valley, roars echoing one after another, soul-seizing.
Tiger Yangming snorted coldly, his aura instantly spreading out, abruptly silencing the restless roars.
The two continued deeper into the valley, where skeletons occasionally appeared—some seven or eight zhang long, with tiger faces and fangs, all tiger bones.
Tiger Yangming’s voice came from ahead: “This is the Tiger Burial Ground. Tiger Beasts from Hundred Tiger Peak have always been buried here, so their tiger beast remnant souls linger, assaulting the minds of those who enter the valley… Of course, it’s not comparable to your sect’s Gui Cang Land in Guizang Valley—that’s where the sect’s generations of contracted beasts ultimately return.”
Tiger Yangming spoke lightly, but Su Yan’s expression was serious. Around him, it felt like countless beast eyes were staring intently, various distinct yet domineering intents locking onto him.
No madness, no survival.
If a disciple lacked some ability, entering this valley would likely break their mind in short order. Without a turnaround, they’d be mediocre for life.
But for a genius like Su Yan, sensing the tiger intent here would make comprehending tiger beast True Intent incredibly smooth.
“We’re here.”
The two had walked fully twenty li before finally reaching the depths of the Tiger Burial Ground and stopping.
~!
Su Yan suddenly tensed, his aura surging out. In that instant, a powerful intent locked onto him.
Far surpassing the remnant intents of the tiger beasts buried here before—in a moment, he felt like prey, stared at deathly.
A flash of surprise crossed Tiger Yangming’s eyes—Su Yan’s aura was even stronger.
He suppressed the surprise in his eyes and waved a hand, dispersing the mist before him.
A terrifying black shadow immediately appeared before the two.
The tiger head was ferocious, white bones gleaming, massive fangs like interlocking stone pillars, empty eye sockets seeming to flicker with beast pupils.
A gigantic tiger skull was embedded in the ground, yet the part exposed above the surface still reached two to three hundred meters.
“Martial Granduncle, this, this is?”
“The remains of the Blood Fiend Divine Tiger, also the contracted beast of the senior who created the Subduing Tiger Mingwang Body back then.”
Pride filled Tiger Yangming’s voice as he turned to Su Yan: “Do you know what cultivation the Hundred Tiger Peak founding ancestor had back then?”
Su Yan shook his head.
Tiger Yangming said: “Half-step Martial Saint.”
A half-step Martial Saint was already approaching a sixth-order great figure, a generational powerhouse.
Su Yan was shocked in his heart—this skull alone was at least the remains of a fifth-order King Beast.
Tiger Yangming formed hand seals with his fingers, pointing at the tiger’s mouth. A stream of light entered it, and soon ripples spread in circles, forming a dark red fissure.
“The half-step Martial Saint ancestor used his own cultivation to evolve it, with the Blood Fiend Divine Tiger remains as the foundation, creating a small secret realm. The so-called Tiger Fiend Temple is within, and the ancestor’s inheritance is there too—go in if you want to comprehend it yourself.”
Tiger Yangming showed a meaningful smile: “If you want a copy of the Subduing Tiger Mingwang Body, I can give you a ready-made one—at least you won’t come away empty-handed.”
He was teasing Su Yan, but it was also a test.
Su Yan composed himself and asked steadily: “If Martial Granduncle is letting me enter the Tiger Fiend Temple, then this place must have something special.”
Tiger Yangming nodded: “The Subduing Tiger Mingwang Body cultivated by the ancestor, subduing all tiger fiends, with hardening insights fused within. If you comprehend even one-tenth of it, your cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds.”
“And if I can’t comprehend it?”
“Hundreds and thousands of tiger fiends inside will constantly erode. If you can’t resist, your cultivation will be stalled for a time. You should know that this malevolent energy entering the body is no small matter.”
The Tiger Fiend Temple was both a trial and a reward—only those capable of inheriting the mantle, those who comprehended the deepest, would gain the most.
Some cultivated the Subduing Tiger Mingwang Body and only got a hardened physical body.
Some achieved Vajra Guardians, others Subduing Tiger Divine Generals, but the strongest was transforming into the Ming King, Subduing Tiger World Suppressing.
Even he, Tiger Yangming, after so many years, was still some distance from the Ming King transformation.
“Have you thought it through?”
Tiger Yangming asked Su Yan again.
Su Yan smiled: “May I ask the founding ancestor’s name?”
“Yue Tian.”
Tiger Yangming spoke resolutely, and Su Yan strode toward the entrance of the Tiger Fiend Temple secret realm.
Tiger Yangming smiled, nodded, and said: “Three days. If you gain no insight, I’ll personally bring you out.”
“Thank you, Martial Granduncle.”
Su Yan strode in without looking back. Amid flowing light, the next moment he arrived below a mountain peak shaped like a tiger.
The peak towered ten thousand meters, piercing the clouds, its sloping massive body like a crouching tiger clawing at the earth.
This secret realm had no sun or moon; the surroundings were barren and bare.
Su Yan looked into the distance and saw white bones interlaced at the mountaintop, forming a majestic temple exuding terrifying might.
Before he could explore more secrets of the secret realm, he suddenly heard whistling sounds, like gales constantly assaulting.
Tiger roars came one after another, the ground shaking around him as numerous ferocious tiger beasts suddenly burst out.
White bones for bodies, ghostly eyes fixed on Su Yan’s flesh.
And in midair, blood-colored ghostly tiger beast forms emitted chilling malevolent energy.
Su Yan only felt his mind shake as malevolent energy invaded like threads, bit by bit.
With the Insect Consciousness Seed in his body, his spirit was extraordinarily strong, instantly detecting the anomalies.
He steadied his expression and thought to himself: “This malevolent energy is just upon entering the secret realm. For ordinary disciples, it’s true tempering. But I’m not afraid.”
A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he activated his Dharma Body, azure gold scale patterns emerging in a hardening stance.
“Beast King Sect disciple Su Yan requests instruction from Ancestor Yue Tian.”
