Chapter Sixty-Nine: Slaying the Tiger (An Extra Chapter for the Patron Romantic Fish in the Rain)

"Begin," the referee declared with a wave of his hand.

Gao Wu and Tie Biao stood facing each other, neither making a move. After a round of cautious probing, both had gained enough understanding of their opponent; there was no need to waste any more time testing the waters.

In the stands, however, the restless youths could hardly wait. Someone waved a crimson flag and led a song: "The madness of youth belongs to the young..."

With a leader, thousands of teenagers joined in chorus.

Amid the throng, a blond-haired boy muttered irritably, "Sing, sing your damn song, as if this were a karaoke bar."

His martial skills were average, but at least he was an intermediate martial artist, and he knew that for experts at this level, the rhythm of the bout was crucial. Spectators could enjoy the spectacle, but their rowdy singing could never disrupt a seasoned veteran like Tie Biao—yet it might well affect the eighteen-year-old Gao Wu!

Having wagered all his New Year's money on Gao Wu, the blond-haired youth desperately wanted him to win the championship, and so he harbored a particular loathing for the singing teenagers. But he was powerless to stop them.

Yang Ru was also grumbling to Han Yang, "Can these idiots not keep quiet for even a moment?"

Han Yang smiled, "To be adored by a multitude of fans is to be swept along by them as well. The two come as one."

He turned his gaze back to the arena. "Tie Biao's eyes look stiff—he’s probably injected some kind of serum. Gao Wu's situation doesn't look good—"

His words were cut off by a sudden tiger’s roar from the ring.

Tie Biao’s roar was high-pitched and immense, resounding throughout the venue even without the aid of loudspeakers. The solitary cry of a man suppressed the chorus of ten thousand and silenced all other noise.

But the tiger’s roar was more than just thunderous; it carried with it the indomitable spirit of martial valor, a ferocious and violent intent to annihilate all before it.

In this moment, Tie Biao—howling—was like the king of all beasts, exuding a terrifying dominance that subdued all living things.

The legion of passionate youths, thousands strong, had to face this shock with their own spirit and will. For a while, their collective momentum was utterly crushed by Tie Biao alone.

In a corner of the arena, Song Mingyue’s brows furrowed slightly. Tie Biao was a top-level martial artist, but to project his spiritual force through a long howl was evidence of external augmentation. Perhaps a martial grandmaster had empowered him, or perhaps he had received a sliver of the Demon God's strength. There were many ways to gain such enhancements, but typically, outsiders could hardly discern the true source of a martial artist’s spiritual strength.

Song Mingyue knew Tie Biao’s background well and was certain that his potent spiritual force stemmed from the Demon God.

The power bestowed by the Demon God seemed formidable, but it infiltrated the very soul of the martial artist, corrupting their spirit. For any practitioner, this was the most terrifying form of damnation.

Physical injuries could be healed with medicine and technology, but the destruction of the soul could not be mended by any external means.

Once one walked the path of the Demon God, there was no turning back. This was the fundamental reason why followers of the Demon God were hunted without mercy.

No Demon God cultist could ever be redeemed!

Still, such spiritual intimidation was useless against Gao Wu. Song Mingyue knew well his unique talent; though his spiritual power was not as vast as hers, his mental resilience surpassed even hers.

The true threat was Tie Biao’s explosive power in the next instant, which clearly exceeded the limits of any martial artist.

A trace of worry flickered in Song Mingyue’s clear eyes. She knew the battle would end within three or five exchanges—she only feared that Gao Wu couldn't withstand Tie Biao’s rampage…

In the ring, Tie Biao had already activated the Blood Ignition technique, a forbidden art originating from Demon God worship, granting him a portion of otherworldly power.

Once unleashed, his blood boiled and his body entered a state of uncontrollable frenzy. With the added boost of the Tiger’s Fury serum, his strength had increased by at least fifty percent, with speed and reflexes enhanced as well, and his body rendered insensible to pain.

Tie Biao’s lats expanded to their fullest, the bulging muscles making his frame extraordinarily broad. Even his face was altered by the swelling, a tiger-shaped mark emerging on his forehead, his pupils blood-red, like a man-eating beast.

Though Tie Biao was more than ten centimeters shorter than Gao Wu, now he seemed a head taller, his swollen form almost twice the size of Gao Wu.

The dramatic transformation in their physiques left the audience wide-eyed. Most had only ever seen such exaggerated body changes on video—it was the first time they witnessed such a secret art in person.

By comparison, Tie Biao’s transformation in the first round seemed like child’s play; now he had truly become a humanoid giant tiger.

Even Gao Wu felt the immense pressure, but fortunately, his years cultivating the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra had steeled his will, making him unshakable.

He detected an even stronger aura of the otherworldly about Tie Biao—clearly, the latter was invoking some forbidden Demon God technique.

Gao Wu suppressed his urge to activate his own mantra; it was not yet time.

Tie Biao, having finished his preparations, wasted not a second. His body stretched forward as he pounced at Gao Wu.

The Tiger Pounce was a move of overwhelming force. His enormous form blotted out Gao Wu, and his not-quite-clenched fists slashed down with tiger-like might, as if wielding axes weighing a thousand pounds, aiming straight for Gao Wu.

The force of the Tiger Chop felt like Mount Tai crashing down; even Gao Wu felt a pang of anxiety. Yet he did not believe his opponent would go all out in the very first exchange.

Such a wild attack, if it missed, would heavily drain Tie Biao. The display was meant to force Gao Wu into retreat.

On the small arena, if Gao Wu lost the initiative, he wouldn’t be able to evade far before being caught. Then, with Tie Biao’s momentum increasing, he would have no way to turn the tide.

Should that happen, two moves would finish him.

In this perilous moment, Gao Wu remained calm and made his judgment. He sank his stance, drew his fists in an arc from below, and struck upward—a maneuver from the Swimming Dragon Sword known as Breaking Waves.

Breaking Waves was a counter-force technique, well-suited to the situation. Gao Wu gathered all his strength through his spine, channeling it into his fists. The force he unleashed was at least 2,200 kilograms.

Tie Biao was surprised at Gao Wu’s defiance. He had launched his Tiger Chop with great momentum but only used half his strength, prepared to adjust as needed.

Seeing Gao Wu’s bold counterattack, Tie Biao hastily increased his power by another twenty percent.

Their fists collided: the Tiger Chop against the upward Breaking Waves strike. Gao Wu’s body sank, Tie Biao’s tiger-like bulk shuddered, and his attack was reversed by Gao Wu’s force. His concentrated power dissipated, forcing him half a step back.

In an instant, the roles were reversed.

Gao Wu seized the opportunity without hesitation and kicked savagely at Tie Biao’s groin—a ruthless, cunning move that landed squarely on Tie Biao’s vital spot.

For a man, that was the most vulnerable area; even with special protective gear, it was hard to withstand such a brutal whip-kick.

Yet Tie Biao seemed unfazed, snapping his legs together to trap Gao Wu’s left leg. Gao Wu realized his mistake too late, and Tie Biao took the chance to hammer down with both fists, unleashing another Tiger Chop.

This time, as his fists fell, they ripped through the air with a howl like a tiger's roar, embodying the true essence of the Tiger’s Pounce.

Gao Wu tried to block with his fists once more, but the ferocious power was too great. His arms were forced down, leaving his chest wide open.

Tie Biao turned his downward fists into tiger claws and struck Gao Wu’s chest. A dull, heavy thud rang out as the force caved in Gao Wu’s chest, his back arching grotesquely.

The immense pressure made Gao Wu spew blood from every orifice. Yet he managed to twist his trapped leg free like a snake and used the momentum to leap backward.

The passionate youth brigade gasped in shock at the sight.

It wasn’t that they were inexperienced—high-definition cameras had captured every detail, and the brutal state of Gao Wu after the blow made every heart clench.

Such savage strength—Gao Wu might be killed on the spot!

The brothers Yang Hongye and Yang Hongji both breathed a sigh of relief. These two strikes had decided the outcome—the match held no more suspense.

Other martial experts thought the same: Tie Biao’s fists had been too heavy. Even if Gao Wu survived, he would be gravely injured.

Sitting beside his father Song Chunqiu, Song Yunhe couldn’t help but mutter, “What a pity.”

He didn’t like Gao Wu’s association with Song Mingyue, but he didn’t dislike Gao Wu himself. Seeing him make it to the finals, he had hoped Gao Wu could win the title.

That way, at least the boy’s value would rise. In the future, when asked, he could say Gao Wu was the Xuetao Cup champion—which would make him barely worthy of his daughter, or at least save some face…

Now, seeing Gao Wu about to lose, Song Yunhe genuinely felt sorry for him.

Seated at the head table, Song Chunqiu paid no mind to his son’s musings. He saw clearly that although Gao Wu was wounded, it was too soon to call the match. Song Chunqiu was curious about Gao Wu too—being held in such regard by Mingyue, he must have something special. As things stood, Gao Wu was a gifted youth, but little more.

The feelings among the young were pure, perhaps without any ulterior motives. But he trusted Mingyue—his granddaughter was far more reliable than his ninth son.

If Mingyue merely liked Gao Wu, she wouldn’t speak so highly of him!

From the current situation, Gao Wu truly seemed to have little chance. Still, win or lose, it wouldn’t affect his plan to deal with the Demon God cultists of Dongjiang…

Gao Wu landed heavily, blood trickling from every orifice, but he dared not hesitate. With one hand, he pushed off the ground, spinning and dashing away.

The motion was fluid and light, as if his injuries hadn't affected him at all, drawing another cheer from the passionate youths.

But the martial experts were unimpressed. Gao Wu’s move was flashy, but there was no way he could outrun Tie Biao. If he had steadied himself and fought back, maybe he could last a few more rounds—but exposing his back was a surefire way to lose.

Chasing after him, Tie Biao took a deep breath, stoking the fire within him. His blood burned hotter, giving him even greater strength.

With a single stride, Tie Biao was already behind Gao Wu. His right hand, shaped like a tiger claw, lunged for the back of Gao Wu’s neck.

Gao Wu’s martial attire protected his body, and a headband shielded his skull; only his neck was exposed. With the strength of Tie Biao’s tiger claw, he could shatter Gao Wu’s spine and end the match.

All he wanted now was to tear Gao Wu apart—only that could satisfy his violent urge.

In his extreme state, Tie Biao radiated heat; even without looking, Gao Wu could feel the hot breath from his nostrils.

The tiger claw slashed down with a sharp, piercing screech that made Gao Wu’s eardrums ache. Knowing the danger, Gao Wu tucked his chin and tried to evade as best he could.

But Tie Biao’s claw, swollen as if it belonged to a real tiger and nearly as big as an adult’s head, landed squarely on the back of Gao Wu’s neck.

He gripped tightly, but found that Gao Wu's neck was strangely tough and slippery, like a python struggling for its life. Even with claws sharp as knives, he could barely get a hold.

With a ripping sound, Tie Biao's claw tore through the skin on Gao Wu's neck, shredding his otherwise impenetrable martial attire and leaving five deep, bloody furrows across his back.

Such a ferocious move provoked another wave of shocked cries from the audience.

Failing to finish Gao Wu in one blow, Tie Biao was momentarily surprised. As he prepared to strike again, Gao Wu, head bowed, suddenly activated four Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantras.

With the flash of four divine lights, Gao Wu instantly suppressed all negative reactions within his body, neutralizing the chilling aura of death lingering in the tiger claw. He further triggered the Gale and Thunder Transformation, boosting his agility and spirit by two points each.

The increase in agility more than doubled his attack speed. The boost to his spirit made his mind preternaturally clear, his senses heightened, allowing him to instantly grasp every detail around him and make the sharpest, most accurate judgments.

Thanks to the mystical power of the Azure Dragon Divine Qi Mantra, Gao Wu overcame the shock of his spinal injury and regained control over his body's strength.

Seizing the moment, Gao Wu spun around and slashed at Tie Biao with the edge of his hand—the Breaking Waves strike from the Swimming Dragon Sword.

This counterattack came precisely in the gap after Tie Biao's failed strike and before he could launch another.

Sensing the danger, Tie Biao hastily drew back his head and chest, trying to evade, but with the Gale Transformation enhancing him, Gao Wu’s reverse strike was blindingly fast, as sharp and forceful as a blade slicing through a giant wave.

The Thunder Transformation activated first, violently jarring Tie Biao’s raging consciousness. He hesitated for a barely perceptible instant.

With a shrill whistle, Gao Wu's hand chopped across Tie Biao's neck. The iron-hard edge of his hand tore through Tie Biao’s flesh, severing his windpipe and leaving a deep gash.

Boiling blood spurted from the wound, turning into a thick mist in the air…

All Tie Biao’s movements froze in that instant. The powerful drugs dulled his pain, so all he felt was a strange impact on his neck.

He paused, then incredulously tried to reach for his injury, but his hand wouldn’t move. Instead, his head flopped forward at an unnatural angle, as if it had been severed.

He swayed for a moment and crashed face-first onto the ring, collapsing at Gao Wu’s feet…

The sudden, brutal reversal was so shocking and bloody that the vast martial hall fell into utter silence.

(The fifth update is complete—please vote and support! Tomorrow, updates will return to normal, at 9 a.m. and noon. Stability will remain the priority. Thank you all for your support—deepest gratitude!)