Chapter 543: A Brand‑New Stage, an Unknown Mysterious Situation

The Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger appeared again in the Divine Stone Instance, which is already the second appearance this season and an extremely rare sight in history.

Whenever the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger manifests, it signifies that the professionals' strength has reached a very high level. Before this year, only Chu Yao could cause it to appear briefly, but she was ultimately killed in an instant.

At this moment, everyone's gaze is fixed on Jiang Chen, awaiting what performance he will deliver.

"I think Divine General Jiang can definitely hold out for a long time this time."

"Not only hold out for long, I even think he can counter‑kill this Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger."

"Counter‑kill? No one has ever done that in history."

"Just because others can't, it doesn't mean Divine General Jiang can't. Don't forget how many miracles Jiang has already created."

The audience is full of confidence in Jiang Chen; to them, he has long been synonymous with miracles.

Feng An, watching Jiang Chen on the screen, smiled at Li Xueru and said, "Lao Li, you and Lao Hong don't seem to have ever seen the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger before, right?"

Li Xueru nodded, "Indeed, we were just a bit short back then. Lao Hong was the same."

Feng An laughed, "It seems your disciples are truly more outstanding than you themselves."

Hong Jishi boasted loudly, "That's natural; just look whose disciple it is."

Li Xueru let out a light laugh, his eyes also flashing with pride. They knew that their era had passed, and now it was Jiang Chen's era.

Ye Chen Shi, upon seeing the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger appear, had his gaze turn complex, containing both murderous intent and admiration.

As a member of the Human Race, whatever conflicts he has with Jiang Chen will not change. At this moment, his heart is filled with complex emotions that are hard to put into words.

When the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger appears, it radiates an astonishing aura. Its entire body is enveloped by five-colored light, forming an impenetrable defensive layer. At the same time, this light contains terrifying offensive power, cutting the air like a sword. This is undoubtedly a typical trait of a World BOSS, combining offense and defense, hard to deal with.

Although the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger's level exceeds Jiang Chen's by several tiers, Jiang Chen does not take it lightly. He knows his own strength and also respects this World BOSS.

Therefore, the moment the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger makes a move, he summons without hesitation two Undead Legions, pouncing on it like wolves and tigers.

The two Undead Legions are more than enough force against the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger before them.

In Jiang Chen's view, this Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger, aside from its slightly massive size, is indeed hard to see through his eyes. He knows that size does not fully represent strength. When the tiger swings its huge claws and slams them at Jiang Chen, the entire Instance trembles, and the audience's hearts race with tension.

However, the instant that claw falls, Jiang Chen's Bone Armor emits a dazzling light, effortlessly blocking the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger's fierce attack.

"Indeed, still too weak; even my Bone Armor couldn't break it," Jiang Chen's eyes flashed with a hint of disdain as he calmly evaluated.

The Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger seemed shocked by this result, not understanding why its powerful attack could not cause any damage to the enemy before it.

Immediately after, Jiang Chen's elemental power roared, and massive elemental energy exploded on the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger. The tiger was blown up, its body covered in lacerations, looking utterly ragged.

Sharp arrows sliced the Instance's sky, bearing fierce Lightning that instantly nailed the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger, turning it into a hedgehog. The Skeleton Berserkers seized the chance, flew to the tiger's side, and their axes burst forth with powerful Skills.

In just a moment, the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger was battered into a grievously wounded heap, letting out an angry Roar. Its five-colored light exploded again, instantly healing the injuries, and its aura surged rapidly.

At the same time, the Instance again manifested a mysterious force, continuously flowing into the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger's body. Under this influence, its level began to rise rapidly, at least a great deal stronger than before.

Jiang Chen sensed the tiger's change, a faint smile tugging at his mouth, "Now that's interesting," he said softly.

In Jiang Chen's perception, the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger has now risen to the peak of level 69, its strength nearly surpassing the Ancient Luan Bird he previously encountered. Though much stronger, in Jiang Chen's eyes it is still not worth his attention.

Thus, he summoned two more Undead Legions, deciding to give this Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger proper respect. The tiger let out an earth‑shaking Roar, opened its massive jaws, and spewed out dazzling multicolored light. This light, woven from the Four Elements—wind, water, fire, and Lightning—formed a psychedelic hue that illuminated the Skeletons.

Under the five-colored light, the Skeletons' speed noticeably slowed, and they also sustained considerable damage. Yet Jiang Chen remained unflustered, calmly commenting, "It has a slowing effect, and its attack power is decent; indeed a good Skill."

With a muffled "Bang," the Bone Armor shattered instantly under the five-colored light, turning into countless fragments that scattered. Jiang Chen showed no sign of panic; he quickly re‑applied a Bone Armor to himself, while flames flickered in his palm.

Skill: Soul Burn!

Following Jiang Chen's command, a burst of scorching fire surged toward the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger. Yet the tiger seemed unmoved, continuing its slow, heavy stride toward Jiang Chen.

Jiang Chen furrowed his brows, thinking inwardly, "It seems this Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger is not a true BOSS, but rather a puppet-like entity."

He realized that perhaps his earlier judgment was wrong; this tiger's strength had not reached the level he expected.

"If your combat power ends here, there's no need to continue fighting," Jiang Chen thought, deciding to employ the previously unused Curse Skill. At his command, the Curse Skill activated swiftly, and the Undead Legions launched a fierce assault.

Jiang Chen had previously refrained from using the Curse Skill to test the tiger's true strength. Yet now, its performance left Jiang Chen somewhat disappointed. Though the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger possesses some traits of a World BOSS, its power falls far short of Jiang Chen's expectations.

After the Curse Skill activated, the damage the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger received surged to nearly ten times. Its once solid defense became fragile under the Curse, and the Undead Legions' siege further exhausted it.

Under the Undead Legions' full‑force assault, the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger lasted less than a minute. It let out a dying Roar, its entire body suddenly erupting in dazzling light that illuminated the whole Instance.

Jiang Chen was blinded by the five-colored light, unable to open his eyes, only feeling the intense glare and the surrounding tremors. Meanwhile, the onlookers outside shouted in unison, having noticed that the Projection screen had suddenly vanished.

"What's happening?"

"Why did the screen disappear?"

"Could it be that Divine General Jiang killed the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger?"

"I don't know, the screen just vanished while the fight was ongoing."

The audience debated loudly, and Li Xueru, with a composed face, tried to restore the Projection. Yet no matter how many hand‑seal Runes he cast, he could not reconnect to the Instance's visual.

Hong Jishi asked anxiously, "Lao Li, what's really going on?"

Li Xueru shook his head, "It should be that some mechanism of the Instance was triggered. We've never encountered this before, so we can only guess it might be a special effect triggered after Jiang Chen killed the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger."

Hong Jishi nodded, "Could it be that Xiao Chen really killed the Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger?"

Li Xueru pondered briefly, "It's quite possible. Given Xiao Chen's strength, killing this Five-Colored Ferocious Tiger wouldn't be difficult. It's just that we don't know what will happen next."

"What will happen next, no one knows," Li Xueru sighed, "We can only wait."

At this point, there truly is no other recourse but to wait. Everyone can only anxiously await changes within the Instance.

After all, what Jiang Chen has done, no one has ever dared to attempt, nor has anyone ever succeeded.

Just as no one can single‑handedly challenge and defeat a World BOSS, this feat can only be achieved by Jiang Chen.

Within the Instance, the light gradually faded, revealing an entirely new world.

The scene before Jiang Chen was refreshed: mountains rose and fell, rivers meandered, small bridges spanned flowing water and homes, as if stepping into a forgotten fairyland.

Here, birds chirp, flowers scent the air, the scenery is picture‑perfect, giving a sense of tranquil beauty.

Yet beneath this tranquility, Jiang Chen noticed a small path beneath his feet; at its end, an ancient, simple pavilion appeared faintly.

On both sides of the path stood lifelike statues; a rough count revealed there were over a hundred.

These statues held various weapons, their gazes cold and sharp, as if staring intently at Jiang Chen, adding a touch of grimness to the beautiful space.

"It seems there are deeper stages waiting for me; the ninth stage is not the end," Jiang Chen felt a stir in his heart, and immediately ordered the Undead Legion to swoop down from the sky, ready to engage.

Jiang Chen was not afraid either, and resolutely stepped forward.

At the moment he took his first step, the two statues nearest to him suddenly came to life.

The two statues transformed into two Warrior, each wielding a stone sword, and without hesitation swung fierce Sword Qi at Jiang Chen.

The Sword Qi, dozens of meters long, tore through the air, instantly blasting a multitude of Skeletons away, and finally slammed heavily onto Jiang Chen's Bone Armor.

Although the Sword Qi weakened after striking the Skeletons, its power remained immensely great.

This strike not only shattered Jiang Chen's Bone Armor but also knocked him back several steps with a Shock Retreat.

Jiang Chen could feel that this Sword Qi not only had astonishing attack power but also contained a strong Shock Retreat effect.

"Indeed, the strength is formidable!" Jiang Chen thought to himself, and based solely on this strike he judged that the two statue Warrior's combat power should be around Level 75.

Level 75 is an important turning point, indicating that practitioners begin to enter a brand‑new stage, with attributes and strength greatly enhanced.

Some with high Comprehension, at this stage can even grasp the true essence of a Skill, causing the Skill's power to increase dramatically.

However, for Jiang Chen, these patterns seem not to apply. His very existence is a transcendence of ordinary logic, and his power and wisdom far exceed what ordinary people can imagine.

Facing the statue Warrior's attack, Jiang Chen did not retreat, but swiftly adjusted his state and commanded the Undead Legion to launch a counterattack.

In an instant, the Instance erupted in chaotic battle, with smoke filling the air.