Qin Yun maintained his invisibility as he traversed the mountain valley nimbly. It could be said that he neither left traces nor caused so much as a stir.
Demons had very sharp perceptions. Being in close proximity was sufficient for them to sense the auras of humans. Therefore, Qin Yun had to avoid the demons on the way as he meandered through a distorted path to approach the thousand-year-old Ice Jade Fruit.
A lesser demon dashed to the house and saw the stocky man walking out the backyard's door. Immediately, he yelled at the top of his voice.
"King White Tiger, King White Tiger."
Qin Yun's ears heard the shout and he could not help but feel alarmed.
"King White Tiger?" Qin Yun glanced behind him and into the distance, he saw the stocky man that had walked out the house.
Due to the distance, his Dharma Eyes could not discern the aura from the stocky man.
However, the title of King White Tiger left Qin Yun reeling
"King White Tiger? Who in Grand Dominance County would be called King White Tiger?" Qin Yun was feeling puzzled as his expression changed.
There was no one in Grand Dominance County by that name!
However, in another county in the Jiang Prefecture—Steadfast Mountain County, there was a famous Connate realm demon! It was the demon known as White Tiger who resided in Blackwind Ridge.
"Could that demon be Great Demon White Tiger from Steadfast Mountain County's Blackwind Ridge?" Qin Yun's heart tightened. The demon's reputation preceded him. Qin Yun obviously long knew of the famous Great Demon White Tiger.
"Things are going to be bad if it's really him! Regardless, I need to get the spirit fruit first."
Without any ado, he constantly moved forward.
When he approached the thousand-year-old Ice Jade Fruit, he leaped up and across the perimeter formed by the dozen or so lesser demons. Standing by the tree, he instantly grabbed the thousand-year-old Ice Jade Fruit, placing it into a jade box he brought along with him immediately after plucking it off. He stored the box away.
"Got it." Qin Yun was delighted.
…
Many of the demons in Mist Lake Valley had discovered that the thousand-year-old Ice Jade Fruit had ripened. Immediately, they exploded into an excited uproar as they stared intently at the spirit fruit.
"The spirit fruit has ripened."
"It has really ripened."
"It has already turned red." The lesser demons had joyous looks on their faces. The stifling days of being forced to guard the area had finally come to an end.
This uproar made White Tiger, who was waving his pair of gigantic axes inside a courtyard, stand still. He threw his axes to the ground with a loud boom before leisurely walking out the courtyard. The courtyard's door was also the backdoor to the house. After White Tiger walked out, his gaze landed on the thousand-year-old Ice Jade Fruit tree that was in the distance.
"King White Tiger, King White Tiger." The lesser demon that had come to report dashed over.
"It has finally ripened." White Tiger was dressed in a loose white robe as he stood there barefooted. He was smiling while he looked at the thousand-year-old Ice Jade Fruit tree.
At that moment—
Peng!
The red fruit that had a purple sheen swirling on its surface was plucked off with a crisp sound under the watchful gazes of White Tiger and the other excited lesser demons. Immediately following that, it vanished.
The entire Mist Lake Valley turned silent instantly as all the demons fell quiet.
White Tiger was also dumbfounded.
All of them were looking at where the spirit fruit was but now, it was completely empty. All that was left was an ice-like crystalline branch that had snapped off.
"There's a thief."
"Someone is stealing the spirit fruit."
The demons immediately erupted into a furious cacophony.
White Tiger, who was dressed in white robes and barefooted while standing outside the house, had a cold glimmer in his eyes. He suddenly roared, "Come out!"
This roar caused visible patterns in mid-air, as though they were ripples on a water surface. It surged in every direction.
"Come out!" "Come out!" "Come out!" "Come out!" "Come out!" "Come out!"
The voice constantly echoed.
The voice wasn't powerful in the beginning but as it constructively interfered with the countless 'come out' roars, it turned into a rumbling thunder that seemed to only grow louder. The wave patterns in mid-air turned more obvious as they swept the area. Soon, it covered a range of a few thousand feet. Many lesser demons grabbed their heads in pain. This wave also naturally reached Qin Yun, Yi Xiao, Jia Huairen, and Uncle Qian.
They were less than a thousand feet away from White Tiger.
"Poof." The invisibility barrier that enveloped Qin Yun shattered immediately when it was struck by the wave. It revealed him. Invisibility barriers were very fragile. Even an ordinary mortal constable could crack it with a strike. Invisibility spells had their advantage in being unexpected. It had worthless defense prowess to speak of.
"Peng! Peng! Peng!"
At the spot where Yi Xiao and company were hiding, the surrounding vegetation shook vigorously from the shock. Leaves flew up into the sky as Yi Xiao and company were exposed.
"King White Tiger?" Uncle Qian's expression changed drastically. He immediately transmitted his voice, "Miss Yi, this King White Tiger is very likely Steadfast Mountain County's White Tiger!"
"White Tiger?" The color in Jia Huairen's face drained as his feet went limp from fright.
Yi Xiao came from the Kunlun Prefecture, so she was not very familiar with the Jiang Prefecture. However, since she had come to the Jiang Prefecture, she naturally memorized some basic information.
Examples of the information were the famous great demons that resided in various areas.
White Tiger was one of the great demons of Steadfast Mountain County. Although he did not dominate Grand Dominance County exclusively like Water God for two hundred years that rendered the imperial government helpless, White Tiger was able to have command over the winds. He could fly and even typical Connate False Core experts were not the match of this powerful demon. Even if a Connate True Core senior were to attempt to subdue him, White Tiger was able to escape by flying.
"Who knew that we would encounter Steadfast Mountain County's White Tiger in Grand Dominance County." Yi Xiao frowned as she transmitted her voice, "Elder Qian, Jia Huairen, you have both completed your missions. White Tiger is too powerful. The two of you just need to focus on escaping for your lives."
"Alright." Uncle Qian felt relieved as he and Jia Huairen immediately responded with a voice transmission.
The terror that White Tiger struck into the hearts of Jia Huairen and his servant was just too much.
"Let's go!"
Uncle Qian and Jia Huairen quickly attempted to escape the valley.
As for Yi Xiao, she rushed to where Qin Yun was. Similarly, Qin Yun ran towards her. The both of them knew that between them, one was good at melee combat while the other was good at long-range combat. It was the perfect combination for the duo.
After all, White Tiger exerted immense pressure on Qin Yun and Yi Xiao.
…
"Three humans and a demon that has surrendered himself to the humans?" White Tiger scoffed.
He stood lazily where he was and casually waved his hand.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Nine starlight points of light flew out from his hand. After flying out, they expanded, turning into nine dark blue rocks that were the size of a head. There were countless runic marks on the rocks and there were black winds lingering around them.
Nine dark blue rocks tore through the air as though they were nine meteors. Three of them headed for Jia Huairen and his servant, while a set of three rocks headed for Yi Xiao and Qin Yun respectively.
"They are Wind Thunder Rocks!" Uncle Qian was immediately alarmed.
"Huairen, let's leave quickly."
The old demon servant grew long fur as his head turned into a dog's head. He grabbed Jia Huairen's clothes and ran with phantom images trailing him while he pushed his speed to the limit.
"Hehe." White Tiger sneered. He cast his gaze on the distant Qin Yun. Having plucked the spirit fruit, Qin Yun was the most important target.
"Sou!"
Qin Yun's Divine Traversal Talisman Amulets activated as he transformed into a stream of light to speed towards Yi Xiao.
Woosh.
Three Wind Thunder Rocks came hurtling over.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Qin Yun instantly drew out his sword. With the flickering of sword beams, three blurry sword flashes struck the three Wind Thunder Rocks respectively. The three Wind Thunder Rocks were extremely powerful, to begin with, but under the blurry sword flashes' angry blows, an invisible force bored inside them, quaking all their runic patterns, including those on the surface. The three Wind Thunder Rocks began swaying.
"Oh? My Wind Thunder Rocks!" White Tiger was astounded. Looking at the distant Qin Yun, he thought to himself, "Perhaps after a few more strikes from him, my Wind Thunder Rocks runic patterns would shatter. His sword's strength is clearly not that strong but why would it have such great destructive power? Could he be a disciple of a top cultivation sect?"
White Tiger's heart stirred. The three Wind Thunder Rocks that were assaulting Qin Yun immediately turned and flew back at him.
…
On the other side.
Uncle Qian threw Jia Huairen forward with a ferocious look. "Quickly leave." Simultaneously, he turned back to block the three Wind Thunder Rocks. As the three Wind Thunder Rocks whistled through the air like ghostly specters, they came crushing over with fierce momentum. Uncle Qian's figure instantly turned into a blur as he took the initiative to block three Wind Thunder Rocks, afraid that Jia Huairen would be struck.
After all, if he missed any one of the rocks, Jia Huairen would probably lose his life.
In order to block all the Wind Thunder Rocks, dodging to flee for his life was not something Uncle Qian could even do. It was very tough on him.
"Phew!" Under the assault of the Wind Thunder Rocks, Uncle Qian withstood the repeated bombardment of the three Wind Thunder Rocks. Finally, he failed to defend against the barrage of attacks as a Wind Thunder Rock struck his body. He was immediately sent flying to a cliff as he spewed out a mouthful of blood.
"Uncle Qian."
Jia Huairen, who was frantically running for his life, noticed what was happening behind him. When he saw Uncle Qian spewing out blood, he could not help but feel his heart tighten.
As for the three Wind Thunder Rocks, they continued their relentless assault on the severely injured Uncle Qian.
"Peng. Peng. Peng." Every strike of the Wind Thunder Rocks was immensely powerful. They were extremely fast and Uncle Qian barely blocked two of them. The final one smashed into his chest once again, shattering his sternum. His chest depressed as blood and as bits of his viscera organs spewed out. Uncle Qian's face that was covered in fear looked hideous.
"I'm doomed! The gap between me and a Connate demon is just too great. I can't even block the Wind Thunder Rocks he controls." Uncle Qian felt a deep sense of despair as he looked at Jia Huairen, who was running away in the distance. He only wished that Jia Huairen could escape successfully.
"Boom!!!"
Suddenly, there was a lightning flash in mid-air as lightning of five different colors intertwined and struck White Tiger.
The lightning was extremely fast. Although it had been produced from the faraway Yi Xiao's palm, it reached White Tiger in a blink of an eye. White Tiger immediately extended his left hand and his palm spontaneously expanded into a humongous white tiger's claw. With his claw, he blocked the five-colored lightning.
Boom!!!
The Five-elemental divine lightning charred the tiger claw black. Even White Tiger had to use all his strength to withstand it. This affected his control over the nine Wind Thunder Rocks, making them turn slow and weaken in strength. It allowed Uncle Qian to temporarily escape peril.
"Five-elemental Lightning Dharma? Another disciple from a top sect? Interesting. Very interesting." White Tiger's eyes lit up with excitement.
Sou!
From a distance, Qin Yun had transformed into a stream of light as he came to Yi Xiao's side.
The duo stood together.
"This tiger demon is very powerful. It only suffered minor injuries after being struck by my Five-elemental divine lightning." Yi Xiao said with a voice transmission.