Li Zhexian and his group of seven moved cautiously through the dim, oppressive forest.
"Be careful…"
"This area feels... off."
The trees in this part of the forest were unusually thick and gnarled.
Their leaves were as large as human heads, colored a nearly ink-black shade of dark green.
The ground beneath their feet was wet and sticky, and each step felt like they were treading through mud tainted with rotting flesh.
The air was filled with a pungent stench of blood and decay.
Bones — white, clean, and ominously scattered — were everywhere.
Absolute silence.
Even the insects had gone still.
An invisible pressure seemed to hang over the area, making every breath feel like it came with a spike of terror.
All signs pointed to one fact:
They had entered the territory of an extremely dangerous Spirit Beast.
"I-I-Idol…"
Yu Feng's voice trembled with fear.
"L-look… what is that?!"
Li Zhexian and the others immediately followed his gaze.
What they saw was a massive stone wall, dark as obsidian, covered in thick, twisted vines.
But what drew their attention wasn't the wall itself—
It was the claw marks.
Several gashes, each several meters long, carved deep into the rock face.
These weren't superficial scratches—
They were etched so deeply into the stone that a savage aura surged out from them, making everyone's heart race uncontrollably.
"Let's go take a look."
Li Zhexian said quietly.
The group held their breath, cautiously approaching.
The closer they got, the stronger the killing intent radiating from the claw marks became.
The pressure was suffocating, making their legs weak and difficult to move.
Li Zhexian stepped right up to the marks, tilting his head to examine them.
He slowly raised his hand—
And let his fingertip brush the groove of one of the claw marks.
Ssshh—!
A sharp sting shot through his finger.
Crimson blood welled up instantly, dripping into the claw mark.
But—
The inside of the mark was as smooth as glass, without a single jagged edge.
Li Zhexian's pupils shrank.
For the first time, a look of pure shock appeared in his eyes.
"Sword Qi?!"
"Why is there Sword Qi inside the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger's claw marks?!"
"No… something's wrong with this Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger!"
ROOAR——!!!
As soon as the words fell—
A thunderous roar exploded from the northern part of the forest, as loud and terrifying as a lightning strike.
The sound rolled through the forest like a tidal wave, shaking the ancient trees violently.
Even the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Li Zhexian and the others felt a continuous buzzing in their ears and their blood churning.
"That's from Wind Sword Sect's direction!"
"They've encountered the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger!"
Li Zhexian's expression shifted.
"Quick, let's go!"
Without hesitation, the seven of them burst forward, heading straight toward the source of the roar like streaks of light.
Within the absolute territory of this Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger, no other Spirit Beasts dared linger.
Unburdened by fear of ambush, they pushed their speed to the limit.
A few minutes later—
They hadn't yet arrived at the source of the sound when—
Li Zhexian suddenly skidded to a halt.
"Wait!"
He barked the order, instantly halting the group.
Right then—
From deep in the forest ahead, a crimson mist began rolling toward them, rolled forward like a tide of blood.
The shrubbery — as tall as a man — was being flattened outward by an unseen force.
A nauseating stench of blood blew in their faces.
A terrifying pressure descended upon them, suffocating and oppressive.
Li Zhexian and his companions felt like they'd fallen into an icy pit, chilled to the bone.
Within that bloody mist,
Something… terrifying was about to emerge.
"Sister Dugu! Now! The Concealing Breath Powder!"
Li Zhexian shouted urgently at Dugu Yan.
She reacted instantly, pulling out seven small medicine bottles from her storage tool.
With a flick of her fingers, each bottle flew with pinpoint accuracy toward each person.
Seeing the unprecedented seriousness on Li Zhexian's face,
No one dared hesitate.
They swallowed the powder at once and dropped flat to the ground, hiding beneath the thick underbrush.
A few breaths later—
The crimson mist rolled over them.
From the depths of the mist, a massive tiger — over six meters long — strode into view.
Its pupils glowed like twin blood-red lanterns.
Its fur was a mix of dark red and black, coarse and wild, draped across a back like that of a coiled dragon.
It walked with heavy, regal steps—
Right over the brush where they hid.
Wherever it passed—
Sticky drops of blood dripped from its claws,
Leaving a long, horrifying trail of blood behind.
This—
Was the true meaning of the phrase "blood wind and rain."
Another few minutes passed.
Only after that terrifying aura had fully vanished—
Did the seven of them finally dare lift their heads from the brush, still shaken and breathless.
Yu Feng's face was ashen, his voice shaking:
"That… that Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger is terrifying!
Thank the heavens for Poison Douluo's Concealing Breath Powder…"
Li Zhexian stared into the distance where the bloody mist had disappeared, his gaze full of doubt and disbelief.
"Ten thousand years…"
"That Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger… has already reached the ten-thousand-year level…"
Dugu Yan's face was pale. She nodded, still feeling the lingering fear.
"Wherever it walks, it brings blood and stench.
That's the signature trait of a ten-thousand-year Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger."
Li Zhexian's mind flashed back to the claw marks on the stone wall.
"But why…"
"Why did those claw marks contain Sword Qi?"
"Can Spirit Beasts… cultivate swordsmanship too?!"
Osler glanced fearfully in the direction the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger had gone and asked hoarsely:
"Sword Wine… are we still going after it?"
Everyone turned to look at Li Zhexian.
He shook his head.
"With just us… we're no match for a ten-thousand-year Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger."
"Let's go check on Wind Sword Sect first."
Following the fresh blood trail—
Li Zhexian and his group arrived at the site where the roar had originated.
What they found was utter devastation.
An area a full kilometer in radius had been flattened—
The once-lush forest reduced to ruin.
The ground was torn with massive gouges.
Dark red blood soaked the soil.
Tufts of blood-stained fur, shattered broken swords, and even severed limbs were strewn about.
Feng Buyu was supporting the green-robed elder, followed by the remaining Wind Sword Sect disciples.
They were battered and bloody, eyes still wide with lingering fear.
When Feng Buyu saw Li Zhexian, he forced a bloodstained smile.
"Brother Zhexian… we meet again."
Li Zhexian said nothing.
He pulled a white jade medicine bottle from his treasure pouch and tossed it to Feng Buyu.
"For healing."
Feng Buyu cupped his fists gratefully.
"Much appreciated!"
He poured out two pills and swallowed them, and his Spirit Power visibly stabilized.
He quickly shared a few more pills with the elder and those disciples who were most seriously injured.
"Buyu, how strong is that beast exactly?"
Hearing the question, Feng Buyu's expression turned grim.
When he noticed the bloodstains on Li Zhexian and the others' clothes, he gave a bitter smile and sighed:
"Incredibly strong… unbelievably strong."
"It's only just broken through to ten thousand years, but the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger's combat power… is terrifying!"
"Even my uncle master, a seventy-rank Spirit Master, set up the sword formation—
And still couldn't stop it!"
The green-robed elder had recovered a bit after taking the medicine.
He cupped his hands toward Li Zhexian and said:
"I am Feng Xiao, an elder of Wind Sword Sect.
Thank you, young hero Zhexian, for the medicine."
His tone shifted into one of earnest admonishment, the voice of an elder offering advice:
"Young hero Zhexian, I presume you came to the Star Dou Forest to hunt a Spirit Ring."
"That Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger has already far exceeded the age limit any of you can absorb, and its power is unimaginably fearsome."
"Take this old man's advice—
Leave this place while you still can."