Chapter 15

Chen Yi He and Long Wang stood at the cave mouth, wind whooshing……

"Do you remember our goal for today?" Before entering the cave, Long Wang asked Chen Yi He again.

"Remembered!" Chen Yi He replied.

"First learn to dodge; that's the most crucial step to stay alive!"

"Boom!" The cave mouth was sealed again by a boulder; Chen Yi He's ghostly wails and wolf howls would no longer be heard……

Walking in the pitch-black yet spacious mountain cave, Chen Yi He's steps felt hollow, his soles soft……

In the darkness, that pair of gleaming eyes, that pair of gleaming fangs appeared again!

"Come on, I'm not afraid of you anymore!" Chen Yi He gathered his courage, a real man, tiger-crazy, he would be even more ferocious!

"Roar!" The white-furred giant tiger lunged at him again!

Chen Yi He didn't laugh either; he directly activated the "Wither-Prosperity Heart Sutra", boosting his speed, quickening his form!

The white-furred giant tiger lunged at empty air! The rock wall was smashed to pieces by its impact, stone fragments raining down; Chen Yi He swayed left and right, dodging the falling debris!

"Hehe, you're about to whip out your tail? Come on, I, the young master, am ready!" Chen Yi He smiled, hooking his finger at the white-furred giant tiger, provoking it.

But the white-furred giant tiger didn't swing its long tail; it might truly be spiritually perceptive, having understood and seen the provocation of this mortal before it, it turned, shifted its tiger body, and continued to ram Chen Yi He! It charged recklessly!

This time the white-furred giant tiger's speed was several times faster than yesterday!

Chen Yi He had no idea the white-furred giant tiger could be this fast! It was too late to complain; he jumped up, hoping the tiger would lunge at empty air again!

Who would have thought the tiger's paw shook, and it jumped up after Chen Yi He, vowing to smash him to pieces!

"Still playing like this?!" Chen Yi He stared dumbfounded, the huge tiger flying through the air toward him! Fortunately, he shifted his center of gravity quickly enough to sidestep in midair!

"Bang!" The white-furred giant tiger slammed into the cave ceiling, creating a deep pit! Yet its head remained unharmed……

But Chen Yi He fared badly; although he sidestepped to avoid the tiger's impact, he was still caught in the aftermath, his side struck by the tiger's flank, his whole body flying off like a kite with its string cut……

Yesterday's abdominal wound had just been bandaged, but now it had torn open again…… and he also felt a new pain from a fracture. Only now did Chen Yi He realize that the white-furred giant tiger had been concealing its strength all along……

In the darkness, that pair of angry eyes stared at Chen Yi He…… Chen Yi He didn't need to look; he could feel the white fur on the opponent's tiger body standing on end from rage!

"Mmm…" The white-furred giant tiger's low growl drew ever closer to Chen Yi He……

Chen Yi He gritted his teeth as he lay on the ground, slapped the floor hard with his hand, and sprang up, running for his life!

The white-furred giant tiger galloped, pursuing the foreign intruder!

One person, one beast, running back and forth in the extremely spacious cave……

Chen Yi He's speed gradually increased without him noticing; excessive fear made him forget to observe the changes within his own body…… Little did he know, the "Wither-Prosperity Heart Sutra" was not only operating more smoothly, but was also gradually excavating the "storehouse" within his body……

Time passed second by second; Chen Yi He was already exhausted, his body covered in more wounds, and once again the white-furred giant tiger drove him to a dead end, his back against the boulder sealing the cave mouth, he prayed, "Dragon King, open the door quickly!"

It wasn't that Chen Yi He's mouth was lucky; it was simply time to go back and eat. Long Wang moved the boulder aside at the crucial moment.

The slanting sunset light shining into the cave was, to Chen Yi He, a hopeful light bringing vitality; he was finally saved!

The white-furred giant tiger stood at the cave mouth, roaring frenziedly, yet it would not step out of the cave!

"Come on! Come on! Come eat me! Hahaha!" Having escaped death, Chen Yi He again hooked his finger at the white-furred giant tiger; he was just one meter away from it, but once out of the cave he could indulge in wanton abandon……

"All right, all right, provoking it like this won't end well; don't forget, you still have to face it tomorrow!" Long Wang kindly reminded Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He was dumbfounded…… He had actually forgotten this point……

"How did today's results turn out?" Long Wang asked Chen Yi He.

"I feel the tiger didn't show its might yesterday……"

"So it showed its might today? Perhaps it's to cooperate with you! It wants you to become stronger. But as long as you generally don't provoke it, it basically won't truly clash with you!"

"What counts as 'generally not provoking it'?" Chen Yi He suddenly asked.

Long Wang pondered a moment, then replied, "It should be not making any provocative gestures toward it, for example, hooking a finger……"

"Ah?! Why didn't you say so earlier!" Chen Yi He plopped onto the ground, no wonder the white-furred giant tiger was so much fiercer today than yesterday!

"I said that's why you're more injured today than yesterday! Hahaha! But it's fine; this is good, it can better stimulate your inner potential!" Long Wang laughed loudly.

Just thinking about having to face that mad white-furred giant tiger again tomorrow left Chen Yi He feeling dejected; he feared his jianghu legend would be cut off before it even began……

……

Sitting on a stone bench, gazing at the bright full moon in the sky, Chen Yi He asked, "Dragon King, how long must I fight this white-furred giant tiger? There are still four months until the fifteenth of August."

"That depends on when you reach your goal; should be about a month. Moreover, in another month we'll have to set out, the Thousandfold Gate lies far in the southern borders—this journey will surely bring its share of hardship! As for the money matter, you needn't worry; I've already had Elder Xu help you sort it out, and it will definitely be settled within a month!"

"I really want to thank you both!" Chen Yi He expressed his gratitude.

Long Wang laughed loudly, "Hahaha! What thanks? We're brothers! I just look forward to the day we enter the Thousandfold Gate together!"

"Certainly!"

Chen Yi He worried for Xu Jia in his heart, after all, when they arrived they had encountered mountain bandits on the road……

"Hahaha. Come catch me if you can! Come on! Hahaha!"

Facing the white-furred giant tiger dashing toward him, Chen Yi He leapt up, vaulting over its head and tiger body, tracing a beautiful arc in midair, landing and then rolling twice with the momentum; the whole process looked easy and carefree, no longer the embarrassment of the beginning……

The white-furred giant tiger, unable to contain its anger, swung its long tail like a sweeping leg, lashing along the ground toward Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He braced himself with both hands, inverting his body into a handstand; at the moment the tail swept in, he seized the timing, pushed up with his hands like jumping rope, and dodged the whip!

"Your tail is a bit slow!"

When one scheme failed, another arose; the white-furred giant tiger leapt high, intending to crush the enemy before it!

Chen Yi He dodged east and west; the cave trembled like an earthquake as the white-furred giant tiger tore up its own home……

"Bye-bye! See you tomorrow!" Chen Yi He had timed Long Wang's opening of the cave; when the moment arrived, he immediately leapt out.

Standing at the cave mouth, the white-furred giant tiger let out an angry roar, its snow-white fangs smeared with mud. For some reason, it simply would not step out of the cave……

……

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed; Chen Yi He, facing the white-furred giant tiger, now appeared completely at ease.

The white-furred giant tiger's ferocity, Chen Yi He had fully witnessed; over these past ten-odd days, the entire cave had been battered into disarray by its impacts, the rock walls shattered into fragments. Chen Yi He could no longer recall how many times he had been gored or flung away by it.

Fortunately, Chen Yi He has a super strong physique, and there is also Long Wang's special-effect wound-healing ointment.

That night, Chen Yi He sat cross-legged on the edge of Tiger's Mouth, facing the clear wind and gazing at the bright moon. Specks of white light rose from around his body, like dancing sprites—sometimes gathering together, sometimes scattering to dance alone… They wound around Chen Yi He from top to bottom, moving in and out of his body…

"Huh—" He exhaled deeply, completing his exhalation and finishing his practice.

"Looks like these twenty-plus days of effort weren't wasted—my strength has improved a lot!" Chen Yi He exclaimed, seeing the results of his effort, his heart full of satisfaction.

He had more or less learned the entire Wither-and-Prosper Heart Sutra; the rest would have to be slowly digested in his cultivation…

Chen Yi He had already reached the mid-stage of the Second Heaven, consolidating his gains there, and more importantly his combat skills had greatly improved; now, when facing early-stage Third Heaven experts, he might not be able to beat them, but fleeing is absolutely a unique skill of his!

After all, to enter the Thousand-layer Gate one must fight competitors; leaving Tiger Mountain, every battle is real combat! Don't end up failing to enter the Thousand-layer Gate and losing your life in the process.

Now Chen Yi He has made some progress, and it's all thanks to that white-furred giant tiger!

"How's it going? I didn't lie to you, did I?" Long Wang stood behind Chen Yi He at an unknown time.

"Long Wang, thank you so much!" Chen Yi He rose to thank Long Wang.

Long Wang patted Chen Yi He's shoulder, saying, "What thanks! We're brothers, it's only right—look at you now, you at least have mid-stage Second Heaven strength; entering the Thousand-layer Gate is just a matter of time!"

"Hopefully!" Chen Yi He suddenly grew worried, "I just don't know how Brother Xu is doing."

Indeed, Xu Jia has been gone for over twenty days; he and Long Wang had agreed on a one-month deadline, but so far there's been no word from him.

"I've already sent people to look for him and spread the word; although he doesn't know martial arts, his mind is sharp and he adapts well. We've teamed up many times, and each time we've returned victorious—you can rest assured!"

Chen Yi He said, "Mm."

"Tomorrow should be your last day sparring with the white-furred giant tiger—make sure to give a proper farewell!"

"Ah? So soon?" Chen Yi He asked.

"It's got nothing left to teach you; we'll adjust for three or four days, then set off for the Southern Border." Long Wang replied.