Chapter 45: You called this the Hundred Swords Seal!
"A spy!"
A loud shout immediately drew the attention of the surrounding demons, and over a dozen lesser demons wielding sharp blades swiftly closed in on them.
The Bull Demon couldn't bother to look at Chu Liang anymore.
A lesser demon, shouting loudly, demanded, "Which mountain and which cave do you come from?"
They were poised to attack if he gave the wrong answer.
"I came from your grandmother's cave!" The Bull Demon retorted angrily, taking everyone by surprise as he initiated an attack by throwing a punch.
Bang!
His punch carried tremendous force, striking the lesser demon's chest with a heavy blow that sent him hurtling a dozen zhang, crashing into the cave wall. The impact was so intense that he seemed embedded in the wall like a mural.
In a literal sense, it was like hanging a painting.
The Bull Demon's punch packed a formidable punch. As he twisted his body, his two large horns came off, revealing that this Bull Demon was merely a disguise.
Another voice shouted even more loudly, "It's a human!"
"So he's also a human?" Chu Liang finally understood the Bull Demon's actions just now.
He likely aimed to infiltrate the inner chambers but was unaware of the password. Therefore, he tried to take the initiative and extract the password from a random lesser demon.
Unfortunately... This clever fellow ended up approaching the wrong person.
"Indeed, your grandpa Bull is a human!"
Seeing that he was already exposed, he simply stopped pretending, ripping off the fake hair and horns on his head. Then, with a shake of his arms, he shattered the fake fur on his upper body, revealing a strong and muscular body like a golden arhat.
His clothes ripped!
Surrounded by the little demons who shouted and rushed forward to attack, he effortlessly dealt with them, delivering one punch after another and kicking multiple demons at a time. He sent them flying, causing them to cough blood and break bones, leaving behind a path stained with blood.
However, the knives and spears of those lesser demons couldn't touch him at all.
Chu Liang observed from behind and noticed that this individual appeared to be employing genuine martial arts techniques.
Martial artists in the early stages of their cultivation concentrated on fundamental combat techniques. If two individuals have similar speed and strength, the one who has received martial arts training might have an advantage in a fight, potentially leading to a more decisive victory.
The augmented qi they generate through their inner strength differs slightly from the qi used by cultivators of the three schools of thought. While the augmented qi may lack some versatility, it is more robust and powerful.
Martial artists at the same level of cultivation typically possess greater combat prowess compared to cultivators from the three schools of thought.
If cultivators from the three schools of thought could concentrate on seeking the Dao rather than mastering techniques and focusing solely on cultivation, the martial arts cultivators' approach to cultivation would be less intricate. Their primary objective in training is to be combat-effective.
One of the Divine Nine, the Great Astral Sect, was a sect dedicated solely to the practice of martial arts. The disciples of this sect have always been renowned for their combat abilities.
The divine envoy had mentioned that his World-Dominating Halberd was taken from a disciple of the Great Astral Sect. After some contemplation, Chu Liang had a rough idea of this tough guy's background.
The man didn't appear to be old, yet his martial arts cultivation level was at least the fourth realm. Even if he wasn't the chief disciple of the Great Astral Sect, he would still be regarded as a core disciple.
In the blink of an eye, he had injured and killed several dozen demons. The tough guy continued to slaughter his way to the back hall, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. There, he laid his eyes on a huge halberd.
That was indeed his target.
As Chu Liang observed the lesser demons on the ground, many of them badly injured, he felt a strong urge to deliver a final blow. If it weren't for the uncertain situation, which made it unwise to reveal his identity, he might have leaped into the fray and fought alongside the tough guy—mainly to contribute those extra stabs.
"How dare you, human, to wreak havoc in our Hidden Forest Mountain!"
In that very moment, the colossal was on the brink of being devoured by that gaping jaws of the black tiger!
Thud!
However, it resulted in a muffled noise.
The anticipated scene of blood and flesh being sent flying did not materialize.
As it turned out, the tough guy regained his senses just in time, pushing with both hands, and incredibly managed to resist the Tiger King's upper teeth with one foot on his lower jaw, forcefully... stopping that bite.
"Grrr!"
The Tiger King continued to produce furious growls, but he couldn't manage to swallow this unyielding opponent due to his resistance.
"Ugh!" The tough guy released a muffled cry as his muscles bulged to a terrifying extent.
Faint blood-red tattoos appeared on his back, as though he were imbued with some divine blessing.
In this deadlock, he remained trapped and couldn't break free for a while.
This colossal black tiger, the Tiger King's true form, possessed the power to shatter mountains and split rocks. The mere fact that a human could withstand the Tiger King's attack was already highly remarkable.
Observing the situation once more regress into a struggle between the two, it became evident that if things persisted this way, the lesser demons who had recently fled might return and potentially encircle them once more. Such a scenario would be highly disadvantageous for the tough guy.
Chu Liang, who had been secretly watching the battle, finally couldn't just stand by any longer.
With a single thought, he promptly retrieved the Crimson Executioner from the White Pagoda.
Ever since he first encountered the Tiger King, the Crimson Executioner had been transmitting agitated emotions to him, and it had displayed considerable patience with him.
Chu Liang invoked the Crimson Executioner and immediately used his most powerful divine skill.
"Dividing light and skimming shadows, heed my will..."
Following an intense one-on-one confrontation between the two, employing a divine skill like the Hundred Swords Seal suddenly appeared somewhat less grandiose.
Chu Liang's aim wasn't to slay the Tiger King. He only needed to have a minor impact on the Tiger King.
As long as he could get the Tiger King to loosen his grip even a little, the tough guy would have an opportunity to retrieve the dropped giant halberd and make his escape.
"Hundred Swords Seal!"
As Chu Liang called out, the Crimson Executioner multiplied, breaking into many sword-like lights that moved swiftly.
While the Tiger King was absorbed in the physical confrontation with the adversary in front of him, he suddenly caught the distinct sound of the Hundred Swords Seal being invoked from the side.
He spotted the approaching sword energy out of the corner of his eye.
He really wanted to laugh.
After centuries of existence and experiencing so much, he was well aware of the Hundred Swords Seal.
Did this cultivator believe that such a feeble divine skill could harm me, the Tiger King?
However, in the following moment, a flicker of fear suddenly emerged in the corner of his eyes.
Wait a minute...
Are you teasing a tiger that never attended school?
You called this the Hundred Swords Seal!