"This is……"
As he ran, Lin Ce felt a tremor in his heart.
This new power, which springs from the flesh and blood within the body, seems to vaguely resemble the "true qi" needles that have invaded the body.
"True Qi?"
Originally, he had only mastered the "external force" of the ninth rank among acquired martial artists, but now he has actually leaped to touch upon power beyond the acquired level.
However, the power generated from the flesh and blood within the body is still very weak.
Just like a chick struggling to emerge from its egg, it is still a long way from being truly useful.
"Perhaps this is another example of the effect of 'uniting as one's forces'?"
Lin Ce wasn't sure why this had happened.
However, the fact that many镖局 (bodyguard agencies) had successfully escorted goods before had already allowed the effect of "uniting as one" to accumulate over a period of more than a year.
Even during the journey of a caravan, all members of the caravan company can still enjoy the bonus effect.
Lin Ce almost wanted to turn around and fight the black tiger for hundreds more rounds to increase the speed at which his flesh and blood generated "true qi".
But clearly, this idea is far from reliable.
Now that the generation of "true qi" has begun, it's only a matter of time before it's over.
It's not worth getting carried away and taking unnecessary risks.
Lin Ce continued running downhill.
He estimated that if the Black Tiger was a little slower in reassembling its body, he could actually run down the mountain in one go.
But clearly, things won't go as smoothly as expected.
With a tiger's roar, a black wind swept in, and the familiar black tiger figure reappeared before them.
Black winds are everywhere in the mountains and forests. With this shameless method, the other party can quickly appear anywhere the black winds are located.
"Where did Hu Er go? He's really good at keeping his cool, and he deserves to die."
In another battle, he seemed to have more resistance to the "true qi" needles. Although he endured the Black Tiger's more intense attacks this time, he still managed to hold on and continue his escape.
Of course, this battle still ended with Black Tiger's body being shattered.
"Your son Hu Er has betrayed you. Instead of eliminating the traitor, you come chasing after me and bullying a teenager like me."
On their third meeting, Lin Ce planned to appeal to his emotions and reason with him.
But it didn't have any effect.
Black Tiger finally spoke in this form, but what it said was not what Lin Ce wanted to hear.
"It doesn't matter. It's enough that he can bring me your body with its profound foundation. Once I have it, everything else will fall into place."
This time, Black Tiger's attack was even more ferocious and intense; in addition to its tail, its claws and teeth were also covered with a shimmering light.
The "true energy" needle-like energy it can unleash seems to be getting stronger and stronger.
After the battle, Lin Ce was covered in wounds, but he still managed to defeat his opponent's body with a single move, "Mountain-Breaking Flying Rock".
The body pieced together from various decaying corpses was clearly the opponent's greatest weakness.
Could it be that this black tiger is determined to take over my body and is unwilling to let go?
In these battles, Yu Jiu was always thrown aside beforehand, and luckily, he didn't suffer any damage.
By this time, Yu Jiu had already regained his mobility.
However, even if she were placed in the Black Wind, she would have no way to get out.
But ignoring her completely isn't an option either.
Possessing the "Sea Mirage Sound," she will bring herself immense trouble if Black Tiger uses her abilities.
Did the caravan manage to leave successfully?
As he ran, the thought involuntarily crossed Lin Ce's mind.
Then, just when he thought he had at least reached the halfway point of the mountain, his gaze fell on a certain spot ahead, and he suddenly froze.
That familiar scene—wasn't it the same summit of Black Mountain from before?
So, after running around for so long, I've actually been going in circles the whole time, shrouded in the black wind, and haven't left the mountain lord's lair at all.
No wonder that black tiger was so unhurried.
Lin Ce felt somewhat frustrated, and then he saw a figure walking towards him.
The figure stepped into the black wind; it was a young man carrying a large cleaver.
"Did you change your look this time?"
Lin Ce frowned. This time it wasn't Black Tiger, nor was it the middle-aged scholar.
The two stood several dozen feet apart, facing each other amidst the black wind.
The young man looked at Lin Ce from afar and blinked.
"Is it human or demon?"
Something's not right!
Although the black wind had dulled his senses, Lin Ce could vaguely sense that the young man who had emerged was quite different from the Black Tiger from before.
This is very likely not Black Tiger.
But if that's the case, where did Black Tiger go?
As this thought crossed his mind, Lin Ce tensed up, looking around warily.
Although he withstood several of Black Tiger's attacks, he did not underestimate his opponent in the slightest.
To be honest, if the black tiger's body hadn't been so fragile, and if it hadn't been able to mobilize its "true energy," I might not have been able to hold on until now.
"Haha, just kidding, of course you're a person."
The young man with the knife smiled and said, "I sense a vibrant life force emanating from you. Among acquired martial artists, only one in ten thousand possesses such a powerful life force."
He stood amidst the black wind, yet seemed to be strolling in his own backyard, utterly relaxed and carefree.
"By the way, are you also here to find the 'Innate Soul Crystal'? Let me give you a piece of advice: you should head down the mountain as soon as possible. This thing is beyond the reach of you acquired martial artists. I've seen countless seventh-grade corpses lying around on the way here."
Lin Ce's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously took a step back, psychologically distancing himself from the young man.
The other party's words, "You acquired martial artists," clearly carried some significant information.
In other words, this suddenly appearing young man is a martial artist who has surpassed the acquired realm.
innate?
Or perhaps... a higher level?
Lin Ce didn't dare to think too much about it.
"I think you're one of the few who's ventured this deep. Did you see the so-called mountain king?"
Seemingly worried that Lin Ce might not understand, the young man added, "It's a tiger demon, supposedly black, but it's hard to say it might disguise itself as a human."
"I saw it..."
Where?
Right behind you!
Lin Ce silently recited these words in his heart, but there was no need to say them aloud.
Having fought Black Tiger many times, he sensed something amiss the moment the black wind subtly fluctuated.
The black tiger was clearly about to appear again.
However, this time, the disturbance came from behind the young man.
Perhaps, in the eyes of that mountain lord, this newly appeared youth was a more dangerous target than himself, and a priority to eliminate.
Lin Ce stepped back a little further.
It seems inevitable that a battle will take place between Black Tiger and the young man.
He showed no intention whatsoever of stepping forward to join forces against Black Tiger.
He might be curious about who would ultimately prevail, but he had no intention of getting involved at the moment.
"Uncle-Master is right, your tiger demon is indeed not dead but still fierce, but you are too bold to deliberately cause such a mess?"
The young man was highly skilled; despite being attacked by Black Tiger, he remained calm and composed, talking non-stop.
"This is terrible, terrible. It turns out you can't even consistently use your innate strength. I even went out of my way to ask my uncle for the 'Tiger Soul Blade'. You're really disappointing."
"Hey, please try harder, otherwise I won't even be qualified to be recorded in the 'Spring and Autumn Pavilion' after this battle."
Lin Ce, who had already retreated to a great distance, twitched.
It sounds like that young man is a bit too strong. Black Tiger, who was being chased and forced to flee for his life, seems to have been suppressed from the very beginning.
Since that's the case, I might as well take this opportunity to go down the mountain.
"Aww~"
The next moment, Lin Ce's face darkened.
Before him, amidst the black wind, yet another enormous figure appeared.
That was clearly a black tiger.
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