Chapter Fifty-Four: Watching Tigers Fight from the Mountain
The Dragon-marked Leopard exploded on the spot—practically about to burst apart.
It had lived for centuries; this was its territory. Over the years, it had seen its fair share of outsiders coveting the Blue Enchantress Fruit. Sometimes, a few even managed to snatch away a fruit or two. More often than not, after a fierce battle, it would weigh the odds and realize that a drawn-out fight would only end in mutual destruction. Reluctantly, seething with rage, it would allow the intruder to take a little.
Just a little.
Any more, and it would turn hostile.
The Dragon-marked Leopard had always been notorious for its bad temper, but even the fiercest beasts of the mountains, lacking true intelligence, would turn and flee when things looked grim. How could a spirit beast, awakened to cunning, be any less wary?
But never before had it seen anyone so shameless—devious and greedy beyond compare.
He wanted to take the entire tree!
This was cutting off its food supply—dooming it to starve!
The Dragon-marked Leopard could no longer care whether the Blue Enchantress Tree would be harmed. It raised a massive paw and, in a sweeping arc, struck at both tree and man!
A demonic wind howled, clouds and winds surged. Terrifying energy erupted along its paw. This was a blow fueled by true fury—with such force that, even if it meant losing the precious tree, it would still kill this man!
After stepping into the second tier of the Grandmaster realm and awakening the Thunder-Gallop Qi, Song Yue’s strength had soared. The Blue Enchantress Tree was massive and deeply rooted; before entering the Kunlun Secret Realm, he might not have been able to uproot it. But now, with a low growl, the Thunder-Gallop Qi surged into his arms—
“Up!”
The giant tree trembled violently. Countless fruits and leaves rained down. But before they could hit the ground, the Jade Void Celestial Stele absorbed them all.
In the next instant, the entire tree was wrenched from the earth. Just as the Dragon-marked Leopard’s massive paw descended, Song Yue activated the secret realm’s resonance frequency, and with a furious bellow at the distant crowd, he roared, “Am I the only one doing all the dirty work here? What the hell are you all waiting for? Get over here and help, damn it?!”
He punctuated his words with a heartrending scream—
“Ah!”
And then, like a wisp of smoke, he vanished.
The Dragon-marked Leopard was dumbfounded.
Where was the man?
How had he disappeared?
And why did he scream when not even struck?
The leopard stared blankly at the spot where man and tree had vanished, its two furry ears echoing with Song Yue’s final words—Come over and help!
Though its intelligence had been awakened for years, at this moment, it was blinded entirely by rage. It turned and glared, eyes bloodshot, at the distant group.
It had long known there were humans over there. It also knew that humans coveted its body parts. Those greedy, ruthless creatures delighted in consuming spirit beast flesh, claiming it was a great tonic. Some of its kin had been captured and eaten in past years.
Old grudges and new hatreds welled up together.
The Dragon-marked Leopard went berserk. With a furious roar, it charged straight toward the group.
Its massive form bounded through the thick forest, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
The cultivators of the Ou Clan and North Sea Demon Tribe were all bewildered.
They hadn’t even made a move, yet here the beast came, serving itself up!
Since that was the case, why show mercy?
They had just heard that young man’s final roar and scream!
Help? Help your damned self! We’re here to kill you!
“Trying to drag us down with you before you die? How foolish! We were just about to take down this leopard ourselves!” a North Sea demon cultivator sneered.
“That brat is surely dead,” someone from the Ou Clan remarked coldly.
The Ou Clan’s leading cultivator, at the Penetration Realm, laughed icily: “Any demon beast that doesn’t choose to take human form and learn from us—one who sticks to the old beastly path—is an idiot. If you’re eager to die, we’ll oblige you!”
With that, he summoned a flying sword and sent it stabbing viciously at the oncoming leopard.
Others launched their attacks as well, and in an instant, the Dragon-marked Leopard was beset on all sides.
...
Song Yue found himself outside.
His heart pounded wildly—it had been incredibly tense and exhilarating. If he’d failed to escape at the last moment, the Dragon-marked Leopard’s rage-fueled blow would have left him gravely injured, if not dead.
Inside the Jade Void Celestial Stele, he gazed at the Blue Enchantress Tree and the pile of fruits.
A great sense of accomplishment filled him.
He planned to return for some soil and plant the tree here. If it could thrive, all the better; if not, he’d transplant it behind the Ninth Gate, in a secluded spot. Since the tree flourished in the secret realm, it should do even better in the ninefold battlefield, where spiritual energy was richer.
Surveying his surroundings, he found he wasn’t far from the base near the secret realm’s entrance. Night had fallen; in the distance, the lights of a small city flickered, while overhead the Milky Way dazzled in the night sky. Song Yue felt as though he’d lived a lifetime in another world.
His master’s secret technique was truly remarkable!
He had actually left the realm without passing through a gate.
But this wasn’t how he wanted to leave.
“If I walk a distance away and then re-enter using the resonance frequency, will I appear elsewhere in the secret realm?”
Song Yue was bold. Though he hadn’t witnessed the Dragon-marked Leopard charging at the others, he doubted there would be peace between them.
He walked several miles away, raised his frequency to match the realm’s, and soon sensed the secret realm’s presence.
Cautiously, he stepped forward—the scenery changed in an instant.
“Hey, I’m back in!”
Song Yue remained on guard, activating his strongest defenses immediately.
From afar came roars and shouts of battle.
He found himself, as expected, several miles from the previous battlefield, confirming his theory.
He had succeeded!
There, the Dragon-marked Leopard and the combined forces of the Ou Clan and North Sea Demon Tribe were locked in a fierce struggle. Large swathes of the primeval forest had been destroyed, leaving bald patches reminiscent of a balding middle-aged man.
Song Yue strolled back to the battlefield. Unhurried, he dug up soil and transported it into the Jade Void Celestial Stele’s space, finally replanting the Blue Enchantress Tree upright.
Where once the space had been empty, now a great green tree laden with blue fruits stood, beautiful and lush.
A new environment—perhaps the tree would be happy here.
Song Yue was satisfied, hoping the tree would thrive.
He then climbed to the mountaintop, settled on a boulder, and watched the battle between cultivators and demon beasts unfold.
It quickly became clear—the Dragon-marked Leopard was no match for the group.
The pursuers outnumbered and outmatched it.
Witnessing the battle, Song Yue felt a chill. If he had faced these people, all he could have done was run.
In no time, the massive leopard was covered in wounds, struggling to hold on and looking for a chance to escape.
No matter how blinded by fury, survival was paramount.
But the North Sea demons and Ou Clan would not let it slip away so easily. Even if it hadn’t come to them, they would have hunted such a powerful demon beast down eventually.
Blood stained the leopard’s body; its wounds were grave. If this continued, it would die here today.
It roared to the heavens, the sound echoing with grief and rage, spreading rapidly through the mountains.
A great demon of the North Sea tribe bellowed, “Finish it quickly—it’s calling for its kin!”
At that moment, distant, rumbling roars answered from several directions, each filled with fury.
The sounds drew closer, and soon, immense shapes emerged from the emerald forest.
“Not good—reinforcements!” someone from the Ou Clan shouted.
From his perch, Song Yue saw clearly: five massive Dragon-marked Leopards were converging from different directions.
The spectacle stirred him—he felt a rush of excitement.
Aid arrives from all sides in a time of crisis!
Even demon beasts had family.
“Serves you right for ganging up on the little leopard—now you’re in trouble!” Song Yue lounged atop the boulder, legs crossed, watching with interest. He was curious: could this pride of leopards scatter their foes?
If they did… Song Yue’s eyes narrowed in calculation. Would this be his chance to strike back?
These people had entered the secret realm to kill him. They would not hesitate to do so again outside.
If not in open combat, what was to stop them from ambushing him in secret?
A thief can hide for a thousand days, but the householder can never rest easy.
If the opportunity arose, he’d rather deal with them here and now.
Aside from the two strongest, Song Yue was confident he could take any of the others one-on-one if they were isolated.
The wounded Dragon-marked Leopard, seeing its kin arrive, was rejuvenated. With a ferocious swipe, it sent an Ou Clan Foundation cultivator flying.
A surge of energy shattered the unfortunate man on the spot, blood spraying everywhere.
Though the leopard took hits in return, its monstrous physique allowed it to endure.
The five newcomers, even larger than the first, stormed into the fray.
The largest of the leopards spoke in perfect Western tongue.
“Humans, you’ve gone too far! The Dragon-marked Leopard clan is not your prey!”
As it spoke, light burst from its body, slashing through the air like sword energy, cutting toward the Ou Clan and North Sea Demon Tribe.
Another, slightly smaller, leopard also bellowed in Western tongue, “Beasts from the sea dare to run wild here? Die!”
It lunged and bit at a masked, giant North Sea demon. The demon transformed, revealing itself as an enormous crab, brandishing its colossal pincers.
The leopard, though huge, was agile. It dodged, then spun and snapped off a pincer in a single bite.
The North Sea demon howled in panic, but the leopard seized the chance to bite off the other claw.
Smoke and debris filled the forest, explosions echoing all around.
These five leopards were clearly a cut above the rest.
In moments, they had scattered the Ou Clan and North Sea demon cultivators.
The Ou Clan’s leader, at the Penetration Realm, unleashed a furious attack: five-colored radiance burst from his body, and his flying sword pierced the wounded leopard’s neck, severing its head.
The five leopards went mad with grief. The fallen was their youngest brother. Though adults each held their own territory, their early awakening meant sibling bonds as close as any human’s.
Now, with their brother slain, they attacked the Ou Clan leader in a frenzy.
Though the human Grandmaster and demon Fracture-level cultivators were on a par, humans usually held the advantage. Even with two Fracture-levels and three Peak Spirit-levels among the leopards, they could not suppress the human master outright.
Meanwhile, the North Sea demons rallied after losing one of their own, regrouping and revealing their true forms. Together with the Ou Clan, they fought the leopards with all their might.
Song Yue was enthralled.
The spectacle surpassed any fantasy film.
The earth shook, birds and beasts fled in terror, and swathes of ancient forest were destroyed in apocalyptic chaos.
Mushroom clouds of energy rose again and again.
The battle between humans and demon beasts was too magnificent to look away.
The clamor drew other outsiders headed in this direction, but none dared come close. Among them were Lin Huan and Xiao Mo.
They too were drawn to the battle, at first thinking Song Yue had been caught and fighting for his life. Soon, they realized it was not so—the leopards and North Sea demons were massive, visible from afar.
The battle had become utterly frenzied.
Each of the five leopards bore wounds, but the Ou Clan and North Sea demons were faring no better. The Ou Clan had lost three, the North Sea demons four.
With the first leopard dead, the battle became one of vengeance and blood for the leopards. For the Ou Clan and North Sea demons, who’d come to feast, the situation had spiraled out of control.
The five leopards were too powerful—not mere overgrown cats, but berserk beasts intent on fighting to the death.
At last, the Ou Clan’s leader decided to retreat, sending a mental message to his kin: “Withdraw!”
The remaining Ou Clan cultivators didn’t hesitate, breaking away and fleeing, leaving even their comrades’ corpses behind. They activated their artifacts and soared into the sky, vanishing into the distance.
One North Sea demon failed to react in time and was immediately targeted by the leopards. Even a Fracture-level giant lobster lost an arm; reverting to its true form, over fifty meters long, it wasted no time in fleeing.
On land, the sea demons could not unleash their true power. Had this been at sea, not five, but ten leopards would have perished for sure.
The surviving North Sea demons all fled in turn.
The Fracture-level giant lobster, missing a claw, escaped fastest of all, swimming through the air as moisture from all directions gathered to form a pocket of water, allowing it to slip away at speed.
In the blink of an eye, the battered battlefield fell silent.
A furtive figure appeared.
Song Yue seized the moment; before the distant spectators could react, he descended the mountain, quickly carving up the giant crabs and dragging them into the Jade Void Celestial Stele, then attended to the decapitated Dragon-marked Leopard.
The leopard died with eyes wide open, its lantern-sized gaze fixed coldly on Song Yue.
Song Yue was unmoved, even offering comfort: “Rest in peace, friend. You’ll soon be reunited with your tree.”
Having cleaned the battlefield and collected a few valuable artifacts from the fallen Ou Clan members, he glanced at the approaching figures in the distance.
Without a backward glance, Song Yue slipped into the forest and disappeared.