Chapter 83 Entering the Tiger's Den Little Peach Branch, are you afraid I'll kill you? Hmm? ...

Bitao suddenly decided to continue to "explode" at Mingguang, but she hadn't actually figured out how to provoke him yet.

Mingguang may not be as clever as Bitao in practicing martial arts, nor as resourceful in his schemes, but he has been in charge of the Nine Heavens' official duties for over two hundred years.

His Heavenly Judgment shatters illusions and illuminates the mind. If Bitao is not resolute enough, if the stimulation is not harsh enough, if she hesitates, not only will she be useless to him, but he will also see through her thoughts and use her to suppress and manipulate her.

When Mingguang was unconscious, Bitao could still be close to him, but once Mingguang woke up, she could not stay by his side to avoid giving herself away.

It revealed the sweet filling in her heart, like honey flowing from her eyes, when she saw the bright light.

Bitao chewed on some edible herbs to stave off hunger, and then made her way back to the tiger's acupoint entrance near the pile of bones.

She had some reservations about bringing Lin Xuantu with her before, and only went into Tiger's Cave to explore.

Now that Lin Xuantu has become Binglun, Bitao will no longer care.

These past few days, Binglun has been lurking around Bitao and Mingguang, but hasn't dared to show herself. She must be so ashamed that she wants to disappear.

Bitao didn't expose him for hiding like a turtle or a groundhog all day long, mainly because she was too lazy to bother with him.

If Bitao manages to enter the tiger's den again, she can act with impunity and cause chaos at will.

Not long after Bitao left, Mingguang emerged from the grove of trees that Bitao had built for him to rest.

He stood in an open space, looking around.

Mingguang did not see where Bitao had gone. The night was dark, and it was pitch black everywhere.

Mingguang stood there for a while, then spoke to the void, "Come out."

Not long after, a huge "strange shadow" emerged from the bushes not far behind him.

The reason it is called a strange shadow is because... Binglun had many newly broken branches stuck in his body as a disguise to conceal his figure.

He disguised himself as a small tree and had been crouching in the bushes not far from here for several days.

The celestial beings watching the competition from the Milky Way high above the heavens almost burst out laughing when they saw him suddenly appear like this.

"How could a celestial being be so cowardly?"

"If it were me, I wouldn't want to live either. He and the Fairy of Peach Blossoms were originally fighting to the death, but then he lost his memory and started to believe that they were in love with each other, hahahahaha..."

"To snatch a superior's woman is, in a way, a sign of 'courage'."

"These past few days have been really interesting from Binglun Tianxian's perspective. It's the first time I've experienced what it's like to be a tree, secretly observing everything."

"I originally had a very bad impression of Immortal Binglun. He was always trying to harm our Peach. But now I feel sorry for him for some reason. He's so stupid... How will he face Immortal Bitao in the future?"

"After losing my memory, I fell in love with my nemesis, hahaha..."

"No, no, look at his pathetic appearance. He's already afraid of Mingguang Xuanxian. With his back bent like that, I even suspect he's going to kneel down."

...

Binglun really knelt down before Mingguang.

"Mingguang, judge me."

It wasn't that he was a coward, but rather that Mingguang was the Lord and he was the servant, and it was only natural for a servant to protect his Lord.

Binglun was raised as Mingguang's servant from a young age. He respected and followed Mingguang, and the concept of "the unity of the ancient immortal race" was a dogma engraved in his bones.

Just like how ordinary children, before their minds have fully formed, are sent to isolated training camps to be trained as assassins.

Under no circumstances shall he rebel against or harm Mingguang.

Binglun not only fought Mingguang to the death... but also used a deadly move, wishing she could shatter Mingguang's heart meridian directly.

He had wanted to come out and confess his guilt for a long time, but Mingguang remained unconscious, and Bitao was by his side. Binglun wished he could dig a hole and crawl into it whenever he thought about facing Bitao face to face.

Mingguang looked down at Binglun kneeling in front of him, his gaze cold and stern.

Mingguang was usually gentle and mild-mannered. Because of his innate voice of judgment, he never spoke harshly to anyone, nor did he make his servants kneel down and flatter him.

The attendants surrounding him were all children who had followed him since childhood and had an extremely close relationship with him, like brothers.

But Mingguang did not let Binglun get up.

Binglun knelt there, head bowed, not only out of extreme shame, but also out of fear.

He was best friends with Mingguang since childhood, but he was also most afraid of Mingguang.

Because Binglun always knew very well that no matter how good Mingguang seemed, no matter how close he was to these waiters, and how lively and bustling they were like brothers, none of them had ever touched Mingguang's heart.

He didn't consider any of them to be close to him.

However, to Binglun's surprise, what Mingguang really cared about was Bitao, whom he had repeatedly sent to prison.

Binglun had once kept a close watch on Bitao, forbidding her from getting close to Mingguang. In fact, during the first competition, he risked leaving her in the lower realm to prevent Mingguang from being harassed by her.

But... when did everything change?

At the peak of the first competition, Mingguang was even stabbed by Bitao, thus missing out on the first place.

The entire ancient immortal clan's ranking was completely suppressed by You Tian's merit-based immortal position.

After she passed away, Mingguang not only did not hate her, but even cared about her a lot and went to Dushuo Mountain to look for her.

Binglun's lack of understanding has continued even now, up to the second competition.

Now he has a deep understanding of how "powerful" Bitao is, and he is also keenly aware of how angry Mingguang has become because of his behavior.

Mingguang is a man who can share all resources with his servants, and in the arena, he is willing to devise faith power for each of his servants.

But what he truly cared about was something he wouldn't allow anyone to touch or covet.

For example, he never allowed anyone to enter his Xuanhui Palace to see him. Someone once thought that he was on good terms with Mingguang, the son of the Immortal Emperor, and wanted to visit the Immortal Emperor's Palace.

Mingguang refused, but the other party continued to make a ruckus at the Immortal Emperor's gate, laughing and joking as they demanded that Mingguang activate the restriction.

Later, that immortal made a mistake while traveling to the mortal realm after taking up his official post. He was even a star deity, but he never returned to the Nine Heavens after that.

At that time, Mingguang appeared calm and gentle, holding the official document about the Star God's mistake, and said lightly, "Unfit for important tasks," thus erasing all possibilities of his passing.

He remained calm in the face of adversity, but beneath that calm lay a fury as powerful as a tidal wave, silent yet overwhelming enough to annihilate everything.

In the two hundred years that Binglun had followed Mingguang, this was the second time that Binglun had felt Mingguang's suppressed anger.

When he passes away again, even if he doesn't make any mistakes, he, as a servant, will probably be "exiled" and ignored by Mingguang, just like Guanghan.

Mingguang's anger and gaze were tangible, scorching every inch of Binglun's skin and courage.

Since Mingguang didn't speak to judge the crime, Binglun's limited mind went even further into wild speculation.

What will become of a servant rejected by the future Celestial Emperor? Will the Thunder Department decline like the Dipper Department where Guanghan resides, and even have to cede the Star Gods to the Department of War?

If the Thunder Tribe is suppressed because of him, he would truly have failed the many Thunder Emperors and Thunder Kings who have painstakingly nurtured him.

Moreover, everything else is negotiable, but if Bingjing is also shunned because of him, then he might as well have drowned in the river a couple of days ago.

Binglun broke out in a cold sweat. Just as he was about to collapse under Mingguang's silence and oppression, Mingguang finally took pity on him and spoke up.

Instead of penalizing Binglun, he asked him a question.

Mingguang stood with his hands behind his back, his voice as cold as a spring, "Is Xiaotaozhi deliberately trying to seduce you and make you fight against me?"

Binglun felt his scalp and the back of his neck tighten for a moment. Although he didn't know why Mingguang always called Bitao "Little Peach Juice," it was clearly a unique and affectionate nickname.

Binglun's narrow and cramped mind was spinning rapidly, almost to the point of fuming.

What should he say?

Mingguang was tricked by Bitao to this extent, losing his body and heart, and was even plotted to marry her. Even if Mingguang's marriage was not to his sister Bingjing, it would have been to a female immortal with superior talent in the ancient immortal clan. Now, he will probably be unable to fulfill the marriage contract after he passes away, and will also "break his promise".

Although the two have not broken off relations, there is certainly a deep-seated rift between them.

But he... also calls Bitao "Little Peach Juice".

In the end, Binglun closed her eyes in despair, her handsome face contorted with extreme shame and collapse.

He chose to tell the truth: "No..."

“Bitao has never done anything to me…anything…” he stammered, his throat tightening, so nervous he almost vomited.

Suppressing the churning in her stomach, she quickly said, "There was no seduction involved; it was all just my wishful thinking."

After Binglun finished speaking, the image of Bitao pressing down on him and blowing air into his mouth uncontrollably flashed through his mind.

His poor academic performance in the mortal realm doesn't mean he's ignorant of the methods of saving people through external forces that are essential for celestial beings to navigate the mortal world.

Lin Xuantu, who has no memory, might mistakenly believe that Bitao is his lover, but Binglun would never do so!

But how could he dare to utter a single word to Mingguang?

If Mingguang knew how Bitao had saved him, he would probably be blasted to ashes by the enraged Mingguang...

In fact, Bitao did not take the opportunity to kill him, but saved him repeatedly, treated him as usual, teamed up with him, gave him the important position of head dog, and even gave him the opportunity to gain merit. All of this made Binglun extremely puzzled.

This is precisely what Binglun learned about Bitao's "power".

If a person can put aside past grievances, let go of hatred and prejudice to seek cooperation and win-win results, and is generous with what they gain, distributes it equally, and commands and dispatches with skillful advances and retreats... even Binglun, who was trained in combat skills by the ancient immortal clan from birth, has to admire Bitao's ability to recognize and utilize talent.

He used to regard Bitao as nothing more than a lustful ant who coveted Mingguang.

Now I only admire her for her courage, resourcefulness, and broad-mindedness.

Without her, he would have surely died falling off the cliff, and the competition would have been lost.

So Binglun chose to tell the truth. He even felt that saying Bitao deliberately seduced him was an insult to her.

"Get up." The oppressive weight that had been pressing down on Mingguang suddenly lifted.

He seemed to be asking Binglun if she had been seduced, but in reality, he was giving her one last chance.

If Binglun pushes everything onto Xiaotaozhi in order to stay by his side, Mingguang will truly despise him.

Wei Danxin, who has no memory of anything, will misunderstand that Xiao Taozhi likes Lin Xuantu and "die for love" for him.

The light that recalls everything will not return.

Xiao Taozhi is cunning and scheming, and she deceives and bullies him relentlessly; she is utterly wicked.

She would never do anything against her conscience to others. She had many friends throughout the world, all because of her loyalty, kindness, generosity, and gentleness.

She disdained such deliberate attempts to seduce or incite others.

Besides, Binglun? She's incredibly stupid, definitely not the type that Xiaotaozhi would consider.

When Binglun heard Mingguang tell him to get up, he was shocked and stared at Mingguang.

Sensing that the oppressive aura around him had disappeared, and having no intention of pursuing the matter further, she got up as if she had been granted a pardon.

He shook the sand off his body with one arm, and then, seeing Mingguang's disheveled clothes, his instinct, which had always been to think of Mingguang over the years, kicked in, and he began to loosen his belt.

"Mingguang, your robes are too tattered. Why don't you wear my outer robe?"

Binglun said, "Although one sleeve is missing and it's a bit short, at least it can cover my body."

Mingguang glanced at his outer robe and hummed in response.

But when his gaze fell on the crimson gauze covering his severed arm, his golden eyes lingered for a moment before he lowered them.

"Tell me what you and Xiaotaozhi did before."

Binglun, who was taking off her clothes, suddenly jerked her hand and almost jumped up on the spot.

"We didn't do anything!"

Mingguang had finally forgiven him, and he would never reveal the truth about Bitao giving him mouth-to-mouth breathing now.

Although Mingguang will find out sooner or later, let's delay it for now.

Mingguang frowned slightly as he looked at him, and Binglun quickly added, "Ah, I was grabbed by the arm by a tiger, and then Third Senior Sister... and then Bitao cut it off..."

"Get to the important points," Mingguang interrupted him.

Binglun bit his tongue and "whooshed" past Bitao's rescue of him.

I thought to myself: You told me not to say this, it's not that I deliberately hid it.

"We previously collaborated on a tiger hunt..."

Binglun quickly recounted their collaboration. Mingguang changed into his outer robe, then casually tore off a strip of his already tattered cloth and tied the part of his hair that kept flying in front of him back behind his head.

He grabbed his already tattered sword and said, "Lead the way."

"What directions should we take...where are we going?"

Mingguang: "Tiger's Blood Entrance."

With him and Binglun awake, Xiaotaozhi, free from worries, must have gone to venture into the Tiger Mountain alone.

"ah!"

"ah……"

Binglun swallowed hard and reluctantly led the way.

But his steps were a bit slow.

The thought of encountering Bitao if he went to Tiger Mountain made him want to run away.

Mingguang, with his keen insight, saw Binglun's embarrassment and reluctance. As he walked towards the Tiger's Path, he said slowly, "When I jumped off the cliff, Meteor had already led the cultivators to form a team again, and the Ghost Miasma had not dissipated even in broad daylight."

"Only by completely eradicating Tiger Xue and the cougars can we leave this place. The Ice Mirror's Five Thunders attack is very powerful. If Meteor leads people to attack Tiger Xue, she will definitely be one of the main forces."

Upon hearing this, Binglun's expression changed from guilty to serious.

Mingguang added, "The lightning-patterned protective seal on Bingjing's body has been broken, and she still has to worry about the safety of her mortal husband. It must be very difficult for her."

When Binglun heard about Bingjing's mortal husband, her brows furrowed so deeply they formed an insurmountable chasm.

He knew that the second competition would be a trial of three tribulations for everyone: separation from loved ones, unfulfilled desires, and encounters with those they hated.

However, the tribulation that Heaven assigned to the "chosen one" was rather bizarre. How could it assign Bingjing a mortal as her husband?

Binglun had disliked that guy before. He was utterly useless, always had a gloomy face, and followed Bingjing around, making all sorts of noises. He was clearly no good!

He immediately quickened his pace: "Let's go quickly!"

Bitao had been circling around Tiger's Cave for several times, but hadn't found a chance to go in.

They launched a surprise attack that day, killing dozens of tiger cubs, which obviously increased the "guards" here.

Several humanoid ghosts guarded the entrance, and the sound of tigers roaring could be heard from inside from time to time.

Bitao squatted on a tree, plotting how to lure the ghosts away first, and then sneak in.

She already knew where the people were being held. Once she got inside, she could lie in wait among them and make her move when the opportunity arose.

We need to make a big commotion to lure these evil spirits away.

Bitao was pondering how to use her blood and her clothes to draw a Five Thunder Talisman, hoping to temporarily summon one or two thin bolts of lightning.

She had already torn her clothes and was about to bite her fingers when the guards below suddenly transformed from human form into fierce tigers, roaring and charging in one direction.

Bitao turned her head and saw Mingguang and Binglun, who had somehow emerged from "underground," facing off against the tiger that was the incarnation of the changui.

Mingguang's body had not fully recovered, and Binglun was missing an arm, but they regained their memories as immortals. The way immortals absorbed and utilized spiritual energy was twice as efficient as that of cultivators in this world, and their techniques and moves completely overwhelmed all the spells in this world.

With the same level of cultivation, the strength he displayed was incomparable to that before he lost his memories.

Mingguang, carrying a long sword with a bend and chipped edge from its fall, charged ahead, his sword movements as fluid as a dragon, imbued with golden spirit, the chilling aura dazzling and overwhelming.

Binglun, having lost her left arm, stood to Mingguang's right to fill the gap. She had no weapon in her hand, yet she was able to condense the fire spirit within her body into a sphere.

When a ball is thrown out and burns onto the ghost, it creates a terrifying hole. The hole burned by the exorcising fire spirit will continue to spread within the ghost's body until all of the ghost's yin energy is burned to ashes.

The tigers, which were actually transformed from vengeful spirits, were quickly killed or wounded by the combined efforts of the two. Bitao squatted on the tree, dumbfounded.

She always felt that her wood spirit was wonderful, encompassing all things and giving rise to everything.

But now, seeing the two below charging into the tiger pack with such ease and unstoppable force, he couldn't help but feel envious of Jin Huo's subordinates.

But Bitao's envy didn't stop her from leaping down and taking the opportunity to go straight into the tiger's abyss.

Her slender figure disappeared like a snake into the labyrinthine caves.

The sounds of battle outside attracted the evil spirits and tigers within the tiger's den.

Having lost so many tiger cubs before, they were extremely vigilant about this back door, and in the blink of an eye, several ghouls rushed towards the direction of the ghost cave.

Bitao concealed her presence and hid in one of the narrow stone caves she had scouted out when she entered.

She brushed past the ghosts and tigers, and only continued forward after they were swallowed up by the sounds of battle.

She traveled quickly, hiding whenever she encountered a ghost or a tiger, avoiding any confrontation.

Her target was the stone cave where the people were imprisoned.

With Mingguang and Binglun holding back the evil spirits and tigers, she quickly arrived at the passageway leading to the huge stone cave.

Before they even got close, they heard a commotion on the other side, and a clear, pleasant voice roared: "Let go of my wife! My wife's pregnancy is unstable. If she miscarries, I will kill everyone here! These people will rot in three to five days. Let's see what you feed the tiger cubs with then!"

"I can feed you, but I'll kill anyone who dares to take her!"

Bitao felt the voice sounded familiar, and soon at the end of the passage, several ghosts dragged a heavily pregnant woman out of the stone cave.

The woman clutched her stomach in panic and cried out, "Da Niu! Da Niu, save me!"

Bitao: "..." She knew where she was familiar. A few days ago, when she sneaked into the cave, this woman was dragged by the ghost to be fed to the tiger.

Are you still alive?

And wasn't her "big bull" pinned down and bitten to death by the tiger-like demon that had transformed into a tiger?

Does she have that many powerful brothers?

If it weren't for the fact that Bitao herself had a clear and spotless spiritual platform, she would have almost suspected that she had fallen into some kind of illusionary cycle.

"Let her go!"

The big bull rushed out of the cave again and fought with several cougars.

The changui could have transformed into a tiger, but probably because last time in this narrow passage, it not only failed to kill "Da Niu" but also allowed him to snatch the person back alive, it didn't transform this time and instead tore the person apart with its human body.

The peach blossoms were temporarily hidden, but when viewed from afar, they immediately became fixed in place.

This time, she saw the full picture of "Big Brother Niu".

In this dimly lit passageway, even without using spiritual energy to enhance her five senses, Bitao could still spot that "luminous pearl" at a glance, whose face alone could illuminate those around her.

There's a saying that describes someone as having a beautiful face and radiant beauty, which perfectly describes this person.

With his handsome face shining in the darkness, wearing a tattered coarse cloth outfit, exposing most of his strong limbs, he wrestled and tore at the ghosts without any regard for his image.

It's as absurd as watching a wealthy young man, dressed in fine clothes and as gentle as jade, stand in the slaughterhouse livestock shed, his sleeves rolled up in a wide robe made of precious emerald silk, and slaughtering and cutting meat with his jade-like fingers.

Big Brother Niu is actually—a celestial being from Yunchuan!

Bitao curled her lips into a smile, about to rush over to help, when she saw one of the vengeful spirits wielding a gleaming blade, aiming directly for "Big Brother Niu's" stomach—

"Why!"

Bitao lightly touched the ground with her toes and hurriedly flew in that direction.

But just as she took flight, a vast and rolling torrent of Five Thunderbolts suddenly surged forth from the end of the passageway—

—Yun Chuan's lightning-pattern protective seal has been broken!

The instant the lightning flashed, the vengeful spirits who had been fighting with Yun Chuan were reduced to ashes on the spot. Several civilians who rushed out of the house to help were also shaken to the ground.

Yun Chuan fell down, and the people around him were all bewildered, not knowing what had happened.

Until a woman not far from him groaned and called out "Da Niu".

Yun Chuan then scrambled over, carefully helped the woman up, and turned to retreat back into the cave with the others.

The Five Thunderbolts cleanse the world of all evil spirits, demons, and ghosts. The Tiger's Cave is filled with heavy Yin energy and teeming with evil spirits.

As if possessed by spirits, the five thunderbolts spontaneously split into several streams, sweeping and crashing along the interconnected passageways, obliterating all the evil spirits in their path.

Caught off guard, Bitao was first knocked off balance by the awe-inspiring power of the Five Thunders, but then immediately opened her spiritual platform, spreading her arms wide to draw the Five Thunders into her meridians and spiritual platform.

She had many hidden injuries, so this was a good opportunity for her to heal them!

As Bitao was bathed in lightning, a series of violent thunderclaps came from above their heads.

"This Five Thunder Talisman is truly powerful!" a cultivator exclaimed, looking at the ice mirror as if he were witnessing the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao.

Looking at the ground shattered by the five thunderbolts and the crisscrossing caves beneath it, Meteor's face lit up with joy. He exclaimed, "Fellow Daoists, the entrance to the Tiger Cave has been blasted open. When the five thunderbolts struck, thunder also echoed from within the Tiger Cave below. It seems that the cultivators who fell into the Tiger Cave have not given up their resistance!"

"Fellow Daoists, remember the rules of narrow-minded combat, and follow me down to slay the evil and the tiger!"

The cultivators entered one by one from the top of Tiger's Cave, forming teams of two or three. Once inside, they began to disperse and advance into the passageways in all directions, starting the real clearing and killing.

Bitao's meridians were once again repaired and perfected by the Five Thunders, and she had a faint feeling of loosening as she moved from the Human Realm to the Earth Realm.

Her face was flushed, as if she were a blooming peach blossom, nourished and refreshed by the Five Thunders.

Once the thunder subsided, she gathered her abundant spiritual power and headed towards the stone cave at the end of the passageway.

She walked to the entrance of the large stone cave, stood outside, and immediately saw the people who were imprisoned there.

They were all disheveled and looked terrified. Their first reaction upon seeing Bitao was to shrink back and avoid her, thinking that Bitao was a ghost.

After all, the changgui (a type of ghost) likes to transform into children and women.

Bitao looked at Yun Chuan Tianxian, who was comforting the pregnant woman. His eyes were filled with the same hatred as Bitao's. It was clear that he had only broken the Thunder Pattern Protective Seal, but had not yet broken the Thunder Pattern Seal that sealed the past.

Bitao said to everyone, "You must have heard the thunder just now. The cultivators have entered Tiger Xue to kill the evil spirits. Those of you who are still able to walk and have strength can follow the cultivators to kill those evil tigers and cubs."

Yun Chuan's Thunder Pattern Protective Seal was broken at Tiger's Xue, but when Bi Tao was bathing in the lightning, she also heard the thunder from above.

Clearly, the cultivators have found a way to deal with the ghouls; rather than fighting them outside, it's better to venture deep into the Tiger's Den.

And they came at just the right time.

After Bitao finished speaking, the crowd gathered on a stone platform still did not react, remaining completely indifferent.

Only Yun Chuan Tianxian spoke up, asking, "Aren't you a changgui?"

"By the way, you're definitely not one of them. The 'Chang Gui' doesn't speak in long sentences; it only says a few phrases to ask for help."

Yun Chuan released the woman, stood up, and said to the crowd on the stone platform, "Everyone, we're saved this time!"

"Pfft." Bitao couldn't help but laugh at Yun Chuan's voice.

This is Yun Chuan Tianxian, the most beloved celestial being among the fairy maidens in the entire Nine Heavens, second only to Ming Guang.

He was not as dissolute as the Moon Immortal, nor as foolish as the Ice Wheel Immortal, nor as cold and hard as the Bright Light Immortal.

He had a handsome face and a noble demeanor.

Born with the appearance of a jade tree in the forest, and with a gentle demeanor, he often carries a folding fan. At first glance, he looks exactly like a newly appointed scholar selected by the emperor. In reality, however, he is a martial god who can command the seas and the heavens, and a candidate to lead the military.

Some say that if Mingguang is unqualified and unfit to be the Immortal Emperor, then Yunchuan is the best candidate to succeed him.

Bitao couldn't imagine what the fairies who longed for him and dreamed of him would do if Yun Chuan's current appearance and tone were played on the Milky Way in the heavens.

Moreover... this Yun Chuan Tian Xian, who has been nowhere to be seen in the second round of the competition, is truly capable of accomplishing great things quietly.

Bitao looked at the frail woman beside Yun Chuan, who was leaning against his legs even though he was standing. Her eyebrows were raised high. Did Yun Chuan have a child with a mortal?

Bitao's laughter was really too abrupt.

Yun Chuan Tian Xian inexplicably turned around and glanced at Bi Tao.

He continued to rally the people, whose expressions had shifted from panic to astonishment: "We all came here to save our loved ones. Whether we found them or not, we are all trapped in this tiger's den, barely surviving until today!"

"Now that someone has rushed in to save us, we can't just sit here and wait to die. Don't you want to kill those tigers who have harmed our families with your own hands?!"

"Even if we can't kill the big ones, at least we can kill a few small ones, which will at least comfort the spirits of our loved ones in heaven!"

Most of the people trapped in the tiger's den were survivors who had later ventured into the mountains to search for their relatives. They were all tough men with strong wills, and after being incited by Yun Chuan, some of them immediately gritted their teeth and stood up.

"Go!" The man staggered, barely managing to stand, his eyes bloodshot, and raised his arm, shouting, "Avenge our loved ones!"

Another person stood up, "Yes! It's better to fight our way out than to live in constant fear, afraid of being caught by those bastards and fed to tiger cubs! And to be fed like a horse all day long!"

"revenge!"

"Charge out! Kill those tigers!"

"revenge--"

The crowd was instantly filled with excitement. Bitao thought to herself: "Hmm, as expected of the God of War of the Ministry of War."

Even though Yun Chuan had no memory of these oaths and mobilizations before going to the battlefield, he was still very good at them.

The crowd that had been jostling haphazardly, withered and drooping, all got up and stepped off the stone platform.

Yun Chuan naturally took charge of making arrangements for everyone.

“Brother Zhang, you injured your leg a couple of days ago, so you’re in the middle.”

“Brother Chen, you’re young and strong, you’ll lead the way with me…”

"Old Li, you're weak, so you'll be in charge of looking after the wounded and the women and weak!"

“When I fought the Chang Gui before, I found that they were very restricted in their movements when they transformed into tigers in the tunnel. We lined up, with the strong in front and the weak and injured in the middle. Even if we encounter Chang Gui, we are not afraid. We can kill them after a few more attacks. We will definitely be able to fight our way out!”

Bitao crossed her arms and watched for a while, realizing that in front of the "God of War," she really didn't need to worry about things like troop deployment.

Moreover, Yun Chuan's Thunder Pattern Curse Seal had just been broken, and the residual power of the Five Thunders swept through all the nearby passageways, annihilating all the evil spirits in its path.

With so many people, and a martial god who can dominate the eight directions leading the way, even if they encounter a real tiger, they might not be able to kill it.

Therefore, while everyone was discussing locations, Bitao left the cave and crawled away to another place.

She wanted to see what was so special about this tiger's den that made Wei Xiao want to lure her here.

Bitao hadn't gone far when she encountered a group of cultivators killing a vengeful ghost. Before the ghost could transform, it was held down by two cultivators who continuously infused it with spiritual energy, and it quickly turned into a wisp of yin energy and dissipated.

Bitao didn't meet these people. Instead, she turned around and went to another passage. Every time she passed a cave, she would crawl in and take a look.

The place reeked of decay, a foul stench, and the fresh, pervasive smell of blood. Mixed with the battle cries of the cultivators and the howls and roars of tigers, it was as lively as a temple fair.

As Bitao climbed up the passageway, she also crawled through many stone caves, none of which were particularly special.

She didn't even encounter any evil spirits during that time, only a wounded tiger with several sword cuts on its body. As soon as they met, before she could even make a move, the tiger turned and ran away.

Bitao didn't chase after them; killing one tiger wouldn't hurt her. She continued searching for the cave.

The higher you go, the more light-transmitting holes appear on the stone walls on both sides of the passageway.

Although it was night and no light could penetrate, some fresh air would let in through these openings, allowing the peach blossoms to breathe.

It stinks so badly here.

She followed a fairly wide passageway and climbed into a huge stone cave, where the stench was even stronger.

The cave was spacious and open, littered with tiger corpses and signs of a fight; clearly, it had been a massacre by cultivators.

Bitao raised her head and looked up at the ceiling of the stone cave.

This stone cave, like the walls of the outer passageway, has many holes.

From here, you can see the pitch-black sky above, cut into various shapes.

We've reached the top of the tiger's den.

This is the last stone cave.

Bitao has a good sense of direction; she is certain that she has explored all the stone caves.

But she didn't find the answer she was looking for.

Bitao looked up at the sky above the cave in a daze, slowly piecing together the events that had happened after the Taoist Master Bu'er left the letter and suddenly departed.

Frustrated at not being able to find a clue, she heard a rustling sound coming from the corner.

Bitao pretended not to know anything, accumulating wood spirit in her palm, waiting for that unknown thing that wanted to ambush her to deliberately run into it and die.

Soon, out of the corner of my eye, that "thing" moved!

It turned out to be a tiger that was already close to the size of an adult tiger, a half-grown tiger as big as a calf.

It stretched out its claws and nimbly leaped up from the pool of blood on the ground; it had been lying there pretending to be dead!

It was incredibly fast, leaping in front of Bitao in a flash, opening its massive jaws to bite straight at her throat—

Bitao was about to raise her hand to summon the Wood Spirit.

Unexpectedly, a shadow suddenly flashed out from behind her like a ghost, flying in from who-knows-where—Bitao thought she was being attacked from both sides, but the huge shadow lightly landed beside her and with one sword cut off the head of the tiger that pounced in front of Bitao at the neck.

With such force and Jin Ling's ferocity, Bi Tao instantly recognized the person—it was Ming Guang, who had been sneaking around behind her without her noticing.

She instantly understood why she hadn't encountered a single ghost along the way, only a half-dead tiger that had been hacked to pieces.

But Bitao wasn't happy.

Because the next moment—scalding blood gushed from the tiger's severed neck, covering Bitao's head and face.

Bitao wiped her face: "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!"

Turning my head, I was met with a pair of chilling golden eyes that were even more ferocious than a tiger's.

Mingguang looked at Bitao's disheveled appearance, his murderous aura boiling. The long sword he was carrying was broken and tattered, but the golden spirit still lingered on it, forming the most invisible and sharpest blade in the world.

He took a step toward Bitao.

Bitao instinctively took half a step back, kicking the tiger's corpse with her heel.

Bitao turned and ran away—that bastard Mingguang spat blood in her face on purpose!

But before he could run three steps, he was grabbed by the back of his collar and neck.

Mingguang's voice, deep and chilling, echoed in the hollow cave, filled with the stench of blood and decay: "Why are you running?"

Bitao was held in his large hand and lifted up with great force, over the tiger's corpse, her toes almost leaving the ground!

Mingguang took her back to his side.

With her neck choked, Bitao was forced to look up and meet his gaze.

Mingguang looked down at her, his golden eyes gleaming: "Little Peach Branch, are you afraid I'll kill you? Hmm?"