Seven Days.
Xu Taiping had chased the tiger demon for a full seven days and nights.
During these seven days, he had neither drunk a sip of water nor eaten a single grain of rice. Along the way, he fought the near-death tiger demon several times, gradually driving it into a valley with no way out.
At this moment, his leather armor was torn to shreds, and his boots were gone. His feet were raw and bloody, and his fists were equally battered, covered in blood and flesh. Aside from the physical injuries, his internal organs had also been struck during the battles with the demon, and his blood and Qi were chaotically clashing within his meridians.
Yet even so, despite his battered appearance, his gaze remained fierce and unwavering as he stared into the tiger demon's eyes. There was no sign of fatigue or fear.
"You… truly intend to fight me to the death?" The tiger demon leaned against a large rock, its tiger eyes, as large as fists, fixed on Xu Taiping.
"If I don't die, you won't rest. If you don't die, I won't rest. We both know this," Xu Taiping replied as he wrapped a strip of cloth around his hand, his eyes still locked on the demon.
He knew that the opportunity to kill the demon was now, and if he waited any longer, the beast would recover its strength and it would be his death.
"I have seen many gifted cultivators, those with willpower as firm as stone, but I haven't encountered one like you in many years. If I die at your hands, it won't be a regret," the tiger demon said, pushing itself off the stone and standing firm.
"If I die, I won't trouble you either. I'll just eat you and turn your soul into a ghost, making you my servant for all eternity," it added, lowering its body and preparing to pounce.
Xu Taiping's response was to leap into the air with all his might, followed by a resounding "Boom!" as he launched himself with a full-force bull-like charge.
Bang!
The tiger demon didn't dodge but instead twisted its body to take the blow, then swiped its paw at Xu Taiping's waist, attempting to exchange injuries with him.
Smack!
But what the tiger demon didn't expect was that Xu Taiping's fist, just before hitting its shoulder, suddenly transformed into a claw, grabbing its fur tightly. Xu Taiping used the momentum to flip onto the demon's back.
This moment caused the demon's swipe to miss.
For these seven days, Xu Taiping hadn't blindly been chasing the tiger demon. Instead, he carefully studied every battle, learning from each encounter. So, when the tiger demon made its move, he immediately saw through its intentions.
After the tiger demon missed, Xu Taiping, now on its back, struck down with a punch.
Bang!
The sound echoed through the forest.
Then, Xu Taiping grabbed onto the tiger's fur with one hand and raised his fist again. Punch after punch landed on the tiger's body with loud "bang" sounds, shaking the entire valley.
From a distance, Xu Taiping, surrounded by the remnants of his energy, looked like a charging bull, relentlessly trampling and pounding the tiger beneath him.
Bang!
With a thunderous sound like a final drumbeat, Xu Taiping landed the last punch, driving the tiger demon's body deep into the ground.
However, just then, the seemingly near-death demon suddenly whipped its head around, its mouth wide open as it aimed to bite Xu Taiping.
It was as if Xu Taiping had predicted the demon's move. The tiger demon had seen through the weakness of his Qing Niu Fist and, after enduring one hundred and eight punches, it finally lashed out.
"Hmph!" Xu Taiping's face showed no panic. Instead, he grinned and, as if throwing caution to the wind, slammed his head directly into the tiger demon's head.
"This is the final blow."
Bang!
The already injured tiger demon's head was struck once more, the wound in its neck tearing open. Its head tilted to the side, lifeless.
"Canglang!"
Without giving the demon any chance to recover, Xu Taiping suddenly drew his steel longsword from his waist. He poured the last of his true Qi into the blade and swung it down toward the tiger demon's head.
Shua!
The cold, icy light of the blade cut through the air, and with a final boom, the demon's massive head was severed from its body.
Clang clang clang!…
After the head was cut off, a pile of gold, silver, jewels, and various weapons poured out of its mouth, clearly plundered from the people it had killed.
But Xu Taiping didn't have the energy to care about the treasures. His dantian was empty, his Qi was weak, and his body was at the brink of exhaustion.
Hoo…
Xu Taiping lowered his arm, the sword hanging limp, and let out a long sigh. His body slid off the tiger's back, collapsing beside the headless body, as he began to circulate the remaining energy of his Cangxia Gong.
Just as Xu Taiping's Qi began to recover, a white-headed eagle landed on a branch in front of him.
"You... you really... you really killed this tiger demon!" The eagle's voice was full of astonishment.
It was none other than Bai Yu, the white-feathered eagle.
At this point, it was nearly evening. The red glow of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the trees, casting light onto Xu Taiping's bloodied, gaunt figure. Against the backdrop of the massive tiger demon's body, Xu Taiping looked almost divine, emanating an aura of power and majesty.
No wonder Bai Yu was so taken aback.
"You're here," Xu Taiping said, glancing up at Bai Yu with a tired smile on his face.
He wasn't surprised by Bai Yu's appearance. This had been their plan from the start.
"The tiger head and everything in its mouth are mine. The body is yours. You'll take me back to Qingzhu Courtyard afterward," Xu Taiping pointed at the tiger's head and then at the body.
Though Xu Taiping looked weak, Bai Yu no longer dared to show any disrespect. It looked at him with newfound reverence, as though facing a figure akin to its father.
At this moment, even with its spiritual bird bloodline, Bai Yu couldn't help but feel a hint of fear.
"Hmm."
After a long pause, Bai Yu finally nodded seriously.
"No wonder father told me to stay close to him," it murmured to itself.
A few days later, one night...
"Ling Yue sister, look, I killed the tiger demon!"
"You have no idea how dangerous it was at the time. I didn't even think, just jumped from over a hundred feet in the air, and with the momentum, I punched the tiger demon off guard!"
When Ling Yue Immortal woke up, Xu Taiping led her to the back courtyard's woodshed. Lifting the cloth covering the tiger demon's head, he proudly shared the details of the battle, his voice full of youthful pride.