Chapter 45: Ninth‑Rank Refined Qi Realm

A foul wind surged!

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger blocked Li Mu's path, and the rear route was cut off by Shao Wenqiang and the others.

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger opened its gaping, blood‑filled maw and let out a tiger roar toward Li Mu and Qian Wen.

It slowly advanced forward.

Inside the cave, murderous aura swirled.

Uh…

Qian Wen let out a low gasp.

His two legs felt as heavy as if filled with lead, making even a single movement extremely difficult.

In contrast.

Clang!

Li Mu stared intently at the approaching Crimson Flame Giant Tiger while calmly drawing the Revenge Blade from his waist.

"Although this differs from my original plan,"

"but in such close‑quarters combat, it's exactly the same as when I first met this creature on the third tier of Gong Fa Dian."

"Now I can use this beast to test just how high my current strength ceiling truly is!"

Strike first to gain the advantage!

"Rolling thunder!"

Rumble...

Before the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger could act, as purple lightning flared on his blade, Li Mu lunged forward a step and leapt into the air.

The long sword in his hand, wrapped in rolling thunder, sliced toward the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger!

A faint golden glimmer flashed over his body as Li Mu activated the Eight‑Nine Profound Technique!

Weighing a full two hundred thousand jin, a terrifying force comparable to the Concentration Realm, it slammed the thunderous might onto the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's head!

Clang!

The clash of gold and iron rang out, accompanied by a sudden burst of purple sparks.

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger received a head‑on slash from Li Mu, shook its head, and staggered back two steps.

Seeing this, Li Mu felt a surge of joy and thought, "This Crimson Flame Giant Tiger moves sluggishly; its wounds clearly haven't fully healed."

After retreating two steps, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger shook its head, and a fiercer tiger roar than before erupted.

Roar!

Unexpectedly, Li Mu's earlier slash not only failed to seriously wound the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger, but further provoked its ferocity.

In its dark‑red tiger eyes shone a cruel, blood‑thirsty intent.

Li Mu had utterly enraged the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger; it roared and lunged at Li Mu.

At that moment, Li Mu was also startled.

Did its speed increase?

If so, defeating it becomes even harder.

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger pounced in front of Li Mu.

A flash of lightning burst beneath Li Mu's feet, and he instantly dodged.

After evading that pounce, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger opened its gaping, blood‑filled maw again, snapping toward Li Mu.

Li Mu immediately dodged again, rolling on the spot.

The foul wind brushed past Li Mu's ear as he barely avoided the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's blood‑filled mouth!

Just as Li Mu exhaled a sigh of relief, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's third attack came right after.

Its tiger tail, like an iron whip, swept toward Li Mu in the dark cave as if a phantom.

Li Mu couldn't evade in time and was struck directly by the tail.

Bang!

A massive force instantly hurled Li Mu backward!

He flew more than ten meters before his body slammed into the cave wall and finally stopped.

Sizzle!

Li Mu felt a sweet sensation in his throat as a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out.

But Li Mu merely brushed the blood from his mouth without a hint of concern.

"The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's attack pattern is nothing but a three‑step axe: one pounce, two bites, three tail sweeps."

"Although, when I first broke formation in Gong Fa Dian..."

"I was already thoroughly familiar with this attack pattern of the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger."

"I knew it in my heart, but when actually facing a Second‑Stage Peak Demon General, fully evading is still not that easy!"

He silently analyzed the current battle while lowering his head to glance at the black battle‑garb on his chest, now stained red with blood.

After all, it was a full‑force assault from a Second‑Rank Peak Demon General.

Even though the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's severe wounds hadn't healed.

Even though Li Mu had cultivated the Eight‑Nine Profound Technique, granting him a body comparable to the Concentration Realm.

Yet even so, that strike from the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger still snapped an unknown number of Li Mu's ribs.

Several of those bones even pierced his organs, and blood gushed like a spring, staining most of his body crimson.

Such grievous injuries guarantee death without prompt medical treatment!

Especially, another Crimson Flame Giant Tiger loomed nearby, eyes fixed like a predator.

The situation was utterly dire!

"Big brother!"

Seeing this, Qian Wenyi, startled, hurriedly brandished his knife to charge, but Li Mu waved his hand to stop him.

Because Li Mu sensed that on the Heavenly Dao Scroll, one of the six members of Shao Wenqiang's squad had his name shatter at this moment, vanishing without a trace.

With that name's disappearance.

Li Mu's broken rib and the severely pierced, damaged organs in his chest, under the effect of the Heavenly Dao Scroll, were turning all adverse events into never‑happened, only allowing favorable outcomes to become reality.

Thus Li Mu's chest wound healed in an instant, completely intact!

From this, Li Mu again realized something.

The name recorded in the Heavenly Dao Scroll not only transfers side effects but can also die in one's place.

Truly a divine artifact!

This effect, I deeply appreciate!

But soon, Li Mu's smile faded.

"The Heavenly Dao Scroll's transfer interval is about five minutes!"

"Then during the next five‑minute vacuum period, I will kill this big bug!"

"Today!"

"Not you die!"

"It is I who perish!"

Li Mu's gaze grew even colder.

Seeing Li Mu stand up from the ground completely unscathed, even the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger was startled.

It could not understand at all.

How could this seemingly frail human withstand its full‑force strike and then stand up again as if nothing happened?

"Seven Absolute Blade Qi!"

Li Mu, seizing the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's daze, rushed again to its front; the black‑red Seven Absolute Blade Qi erupted from his blade, slashing toward the beast's abdomen.

"Pfft!"

Accompanied by a dull thud as the blade entered flesh!

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's soft belly fur, cut by Li Mu's Seven Absolute Blade Qi, instantly bore a deep wound!

The blade cut deep enough to see bone!

Through the wound, one could even faintly see the beast's innards.

Clearly a serious injury!

"Roar!"

With a wail, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger felt its abdomen burn with pain!

The intense pain further provoked the beast's ferocity, launching an even crazier assault on Li Mu.

【Ding!】

【System】 Detected: Host is battling beyond rank against a second‑rank Demon General, the peak beast Crimson Flame Giant Tiger, and has gained Tenfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!

【System】 Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Tenfold Harvest!

【Ding!】

【System】 Detected: Host is battling beyond rank against a second‑rank Demon General, the peak beast Crimson Flame Giant Tiger, and has gained Tenfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!

【System】 Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Tenfold Harvest!

"..."

Along with it, crisp system prompts rang in his ears.

A flood of combat insights surged into Li Mu's mind like a tide.

This also thrust him into an extremely subtle, indescribable strange state.

He could gradually see the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's triple‑axe attack that had been as fast as a fired bullet.

"Left!"

Li Mu tilted slightly, adjusted his step, and easily evaded the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's tiger‑pounce.

"Right!"

He calmly sidestepped again, dodging the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's bite, then stepped forward.

"Right!"

He quickly lowered his head, evading the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's sweeping tail attack.

Left, right, right.

Right, left, right.

Right, right, left.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

"Bang, bang, bang, bang!!!"

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's triple‑axe assault surged like a gale, the massive impact and tiger roars amplified countless times in the narrow cavern, the sound sharp and piercing, making one's scalp tingle.

But Li Mu, meanwhile, kept hearing the system prompts constantly triggering in his ears.

He repeatedly dodged the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's attacks, each movement more composed than the last.

Gradually compressing the beast's space, he forced the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger from the cavern's openness toward a dead‑end!

Qian Wenyi rubbed his eyes, as if unable to believe that everything he saw was real!

Just a moment ago.

Li Mu was still being struck by the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's tail, coughing up blood nonstop, in utter disarray.

After one incense stick.

Li Mu can, with this leisurely stride, continuously dodge the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's attacks while also pressing the beast's space of movement!

Watching Li Mu's clean, decisive movements, Qian Wenyi got goosebumps all over his body.

I just recognized this big brother...

Is he a human or a ghost?

If he's human, then why is he as strong as a ghost?

An eighth‑rank Refining Qi Realm cultivator, when facing the fierce onslaught of a second‑rank Demon General, Peak Great Demon.

Not only can he evade every blow without a hair's worth of injury, but he also continuously drives the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger toward a dead end.

Moreover, as Qian Wenyi, merely observing the normal battle!

What he finds most incredible is that Li Mu actually...

He keeps getting faster and stronger!

"This..."

"Is this, then, the gap between people?"

"Although, already during my first battle with Li Mu, I had internally accepted this fact."

"But when I personally experienced it again, it still consistently makes one feel genuine despair and frustration…"

Qian Wenyi covered his face with both hands, shouting in despair within his heart.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

During this process, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger never ceased its attacks on Li Mu.

Having dodged every attack, Li Mu grew increasingly confident, watching the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger he had forced into a corner.

Li Mu silently calculated in his mind, feeling that the five‑minute vacuum period of the Heavenly Dao Scroll had almost elapsed.

"Next strike!"

"Decide the outcome!"

Li Mu grasped his blade with both hands, pointing the tip at the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger, and slightly lowered his body.

A red‑black aura surged around him like a tide, raging outward, suddenly stirring a gale inside the cavern.

Seeing the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger he had driven into a corner, a fierce light flashed in his eyes.

"Seven Kill Grand Form!"

"Open the gate!"

"Open!"

"Boom—boom—boom…"

Li Mu's form darted like a soaring red dragon, wielding ten thousand jin of force as he surged toward the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger!

Although Li Mu's speed in this state is far slower than when unleashing the Purple Thunder Sword Technique, it is the strongest attack he can currently unleash!

Cornered, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger could no longer dodge and could only fling its blood‑filled maw at Li Mu again.

"Bang!"

Li Mu sidestepped, and his blood‑red long blade slashed into the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's body once more!

Red‑black blade qi burst forth, continuously crushing the tiger's bones and organs from within!

"Roar!"

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger winced in pain, its eyes blazing crimson!

Near death, it also sparked a ferocious savagery!

Ignoring its wounds, it lunged again, biting Li Mu's head hard.

"Bang!"

Li Mu sharply twisted his head to evade the lethal strike, but most of his body was still bitten by the tiger's jaws.

"Crack, crack, crack…"

The crisp sounds echoed, as the bones on Li Mu's left side were snapped one by one, blood gushing out like a spring.

"Ah!"

"Break Pot and Sink Ship!"

Li Mu's eyes turned blood‑red as he roared, shouting 'Break Pot and Sink Ship'!

Having successfully activated the Vengeance Blade's special move, his whole body erupted with terrifying blood qi, his refined blood burning wildly at that moment!

"Beast!"

"Die!"

Li Mu let out a fierce roar, gripping the hilt with both hands and slashing upward violently!

The Vengeance Blade, deep within the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger, suddenly burst forth with dazzling red light, the blade snapping upward!

"Pfft…"

The red‑black blade surged forward, cleaving the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger in half, the tiger head still alive, split cleanly in two!

A torrential rain of blood instantly poured down in the dark cavern!

Then, a crisp system notification sounded again at Li Mu's ear.

【System detected that the host successfully slashed down a second‑rank Demon General, Peak Crimson Flame Giant Tiger, gaining Hundredfold Heavenly Dao Blessing!】

【Congratulations to the host, gaining Hundredfold Gain!】

【Level Up!】

【Level Up!!】

【Level Up!!!】

Ding!

【Congratulations, host, "Eight-Nine Profound Technique" successfully advanced to lv: 13.】

Ding!

【Congratulations, host, cultivation successfully breakthrough to Ninth-Grade Refining Qi Realm!】