Chapter 125: Battle Lion!
Chapter 125: Battle Lion!
Roar!
However, just as the lion’s body was flung mid-air, it twisted and immediately regained balance. With a thud, it landed on the ground. Instinctively, it roared, intending to intimidate any insignificant foes with its imposing presence.
Roar!
After landing, the lion saw that the one who had stopped it was Tang Jinbiao, and its eyes instinctively flickered with terror.
Roar!
But discovering that Tang Jinbiao no longer wore the glowing protective Talisman on his chest, its eyes involuntarily filled with savagery. Emitting a mighty roar, it charged directly at Tang Jinbiao.
“Good, come at me!”
Tang Jinbiao had cultivated for such a long time without experiencing a real battle. Now, seeing this lion, he was naturally itching to test his skills. Mentally exclaiming “good!”, he also shifted his footwork and surged forward.
Whoosh!
As the lion charged forward, it didn’t use any complex maneuvers. Its powerful hind legs kicked off the ground, propelling it directly into a pounce at Tang Jinbiao. Its bloody maw gaped open, aiming straight for Tang Jinbiao’s head to bite.
In its heart, there was only one conviction: power determined everything. This, of course, was also its primal instinct!
“Hmph!”
Tang Jinbiao snorted disdainfully. His body twisted nimbly to the side in evasion. At the same time, he clenched his fist and aimed a punishing blow straight at the lion’s head.
Whiz!
The lion, startled by Tang Jinbiao’s incredible speed, twisted its body in mid-air. Simultaneously, its thick tail, nearly the width of a man’s wrist, lashed out like a whip towards Tang Jinbiao’s face.
Thump!
Smack!
Though the lion reacted swiftly, its head still caught the full force of Tang Jinbiao’s fist. The impact was so intense that Tang Jinbiao felt a numbness creep into his knuckles from the punch. Yet, he suffered too. The lion’s tail struck his face like a cracking bullwhip, tearing his flesh and spraying blood as it split open.
Roar!
Gritting through the searing pain, the lion landed and swiftly spun around. Glowering with deadly menace, it roared fiercely at Tang Jinbiao.
“Argh!”
A blazing sting exploded across Tang Jinbiao’s face. Reaching up gingerly, he felt the swollen, torn skin. Rage filled his eyes. With a roar of his own, he charged recklessly towards the lion again.
Roar!
Upon seeing Tang Jinbiao’s renewed assault, the lion showed not a flicker of fear, roaring defiantly in response as it launched itself forward once more.
Though possessing some intelligence, the lion wasn’t particularly cunning. Its pattern seemed limited to primal pouncing and killing.
“You deserve death!”
Seeing the lion resort to the same predictable tactic, a savage light flashed in Tang Jinbiao’s eyes. Just as the lion was poised to crash down upon him, Tang Jinbiao suddenly dropped low. With a heavy thud, he slammed flat on his back onto the ground beneath the predator.
Roar!
The lion realized it seemed to have pounced on nothing, pausing briefly in confusion as its head lolled down, searching for Tang Jinbiao.
“Get airborne!”
But the moment the lion lowered its head, it was struck by an agonizing pain deep in its underbelly. A powerful, muffled thud reverberated within it. Staggered by a sudden sense of instability, its body was immediately flipped into the air by a powerful kick.
Gurgle!
Thump!
After being kicked over, the Lion rolled several times on the ground before barely managing to stand up. Dizzy from all the spinning, it saw Tang Jinbiao’s figure as a blurry haze.
Tap tap tap!
After the lesson, a sly glint flashed in the Lion’s eyes. Realizing Tang Jinbiao was not an easy opponent, it didn’t charge again but instead began circling warily around him.
When the Lion had just pounced, Tang Jinbiao suddenly dropped flat to the ground, dodging the assault while delivering a heavy kick to the Lion’s belly.
“What a cunning beast!”
Tang Jinbiao’s eyes widened with shock as he saw the Lion keeping its distance. He vividly recalled the kick—though the Lion appeared ordinary in size, its weight felt anything but. It must have weighed over a thousand pounds!
The ground here was fairly solid, yet after his kick, he faintly felt the earth beneath sink slightly.
Roar!
The Lion continued snarling at Tang Jinbiao, though its gaze now drifted restlessly. Suddenly spotting several corpses nearby, it bolted toward them.
Whoosh!
Reaching the bodies, it opened its maw wide. A streak of yellow light swept the remains, sucking them into its mouth.
Buzz buzz buzz!
After devouring the corpses, a faint glow rippled over the Lion’s body. The gash left by Captain Wang on its forehead—once a pulpy mess—began knitting together visibly.
Roar!
The Lion spun around as if catching a scent from the Dense Forest and charged straight into its depths.
“What?”
Tang Jinbiao, who’d paused to catch his breath, froze in alarm at the Lion’s transformation.
“Friend! Stop it now!” wheezed the near-lifeless Chu Yunfei from the ground, his voice sharp with urgency. “That’s no ordinary possessed Demon Beast—it’s a Beast King! If it swallows more corpses, it will rebuild its flesh. Once restored as a true Demon Beast, we’re all dead! And if it consumes cultivators… given time, its power will soar! With no powerful Cultivator guarding Suzhou now, imagine if we let that monster grow!”
“What? I have to flee!”
Tang Jinbiao’s heart jolted at Chu Yunfei’s words. He had no patriotic or heroic impulses—survival was his only thought. He knew “Demon Beast”-tier beings wielded at least Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator strength.
Demons Beasts had ten ranks: Level One equaled an Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, Level Two matched Mid Foundation Building Stage, Level Three rivaled Late Foundation Building Stage, and so on. A Level Ten Demon Beast held power equal to a Nascent Soul Cultivator—though at that level, they were known as Sacred Beasts.
“Friend, don’t fear!” Chu Yunfei pressed, noticing Tang Jinbiao’s terror. “That fiend is still weakened—no matter how many corpses it eats, it won’t surpass a Demon Beast’s form for hours. If you delay it briefly, my sister will arrive from Chuyun City! She’ll solve everything! I see you’re a Body Refiner… Save me, and I’ll repay you richly! Profoundly!”
“Ah!”
Slash! Slash!
“Ah!”
“Run!”
“Monster!”
But at this moment, from the dark dense forest, there was once more a sound of fearful screams and spine-chilling noises. Clearly, the lion had devoured several of those warriors who had not escaped.
Those warriors, having roamed the martial world for a long time, naturally schemed shrewdly. They intended to linger and see if there was any gain to seize, but due to this, they lost their lives.
“No, I still must leave!”
Tang Jinbiao ignored Chu Yunfei’s proposal and resolved himself firmly. He promptly pivoted and sprinted wildly toward another direction. As for the talisman meant for Captain Wang, he seemed to have forgotten it entirely.
Roar!
However, things were not as straightforward as he had imagined. The very instant his feet shifted, the lion’s body shot before him with an eerie swiftness.
“Hehe!”
After the lion appeared, it showed no bloodstains; rather, its presence seemed more majestic and formidable than before. On its face was a hint of a mocking, human-like smile, and it emitted a man’s laughter from its mouth.
“What?”
Hearing the alteration in its voice and sensing the intensified pressure radiating from it, Tang Jinbiao’s expression stiffened slightly. He reckoned this trouble was far thornier than anticipated.
“Hehe, it has been several centuries since I last tasted Body Refiner’s flesh. Today, I shall consume you!”
The sound from the lion’s mouth was deep and resonant, resembling that of a middle-aged man.
Thud!
On hearing this, Tang Jinbiao’s heart lurched violently. He involuntarily stepped backward.
Tap tap tap!
Yet the lion appeared entirely confident, unafraid of Tang Jinbiao fleeing. It advanced toward him step by step.
Roar!
Abruptly, the lion surged forward with sudden swiftness, leaping straight at Tang Jinbiao.
“Ah!”
Spotting the lion charging over, Tang Jinbiao let out a bellow. Shockingly, he did not evade, swinging his fist directly to pummel the lion’s head.
Crack crack!
Rip!
But as Tang Jinbiao lunged, both his arms ballooned outward, violently enlarging. His clothes tore right off and flew away with ripping noises.
In a split second, his arms swelled two or three times thicker, becoming a horrifying sight.
Tang Jinbiao realized escape was impossible and decided to fight desperately. Though he rarely used this Ape Art, its might was undeniable—previously, employing it had allowed him to battle Tang Huaxi to a standstill. Uncertain if it could combat this lion, he had to gamble his life now.
“Ugh ah!”
Tang Jinbiao’s face twisted ferociously in that instant. His thickened arms and fists struck savagely downward onto the lion’s head.
Smash!
On witnessing Tang Jinbiao’s abrupt enlargement, the lion flinched in alarm. Still, it neither dodged nor retreated, gaping its maw to bite at Tang Jinbiao’s fist instead.
Boom!
Snap!
Thump!
A succession of dull thuds followed. Tang Jinbiao’s body hurled away like a rubber ball, crashing against a large tree. Yet the lion fared poorly too—its body flipped over and rolled multiple times on the ground.
Splat!
Tang Jinbiao slumped against a tree stump, involuntarily spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood. Simultaneously, his swollen arms shrank rapidly, owing to the draining away of his vital energy; they could not even endure a quarter-hour.
Tang Jinbiao had barely sidestepped the lion’s jaws, delivering a punch square to its jaw. But even so, in desperation, the lion clawed him away with its front paws. Naturally, the lion suffered as well—its jawbone was likely fractured by him.
Huff huff huff!
After somersaulting several rounds along the ground, the lion finally rose. Dots of blood streaked the edges of its mouth; it too was injured. Unable even to roar, it merely gasped heavily. The loathing targeting Tang Jinbiao grew plainly visible in its eyes.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
After a brief respite, the lion’s enormous form stirred afresh. It lunged ruthlessly at Tang Jinbiao once again.
Thump!
Splat!
Watching the lion continue its approach, Tang Jinbiao’s heart throbbed fiercely. This very shock triggered the turmoil within him to escalate; unbidden, another gush of blood sprayed from his mouth.
Zip!
After charging forward, the lion toppled Tang Jinbiao forcefully once more. This time, it withheld its bite, merely swinging one immense paw down upon him.
Had Tang Jinbiao truly been struck by that paw, even as a First Rank, Intermediate Grade Body Refiner, his skull would have shattered like a watermelon under the lion’s blow.
“Hehe.”
Weak from the strain of the Ape Art, Tang Jinbiao lay utterly powerless. Strangely, at that moment, no terror flickered in his eyes—just a sorrowful stillness emerged instead…