CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE: TOTAL ANNIHILATION OF THE ARMY

"What... what is that? Could it be another tiger demon?"

Staring at the enormous shadow on the ground, Li Xu had no courage to even turn his head. His desperate eyes darted toward Master Sunx and Su Mai, silently pleading for help.

But at that moment, both Master Sunx and Su Mai were frozen in shock. They stood rooted to the spot, as if paralyzed, their faces expressionless with fear.

Behind Li Xu crouched a massive black tiger, nearly five meters tall. Its blood-red eyes fixated on him while its jaws remained slightly parted, revealing a gruesome maw of sharp teeth.

A five-meter-tall tiger—let alone seeing it, few had even heard of such a creature.

Yet, there it was, standing alive and monstrous before them, reducing everyone to a state of stunned terror.

And oddly, the ravenous tiger had no immediate intention of devouring Li Xu. Instead, its crimson eyes betrayed a distinctly human-like glint of mocking amusement as it watched him tremble uncontrollably.

Time ticked by, second after agonizing second.

Suddenly, one of the loyal bodyguards raised his gun and fired at the giant tiger, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Young Master, run!"

Run?

Of course, Li Xu wanted to run. But he was so terrified that he’d wet himself, his legs as inert as if nailed to the ground. He couldn’t move an inch.

The gunshot, however, infuriated the tiger. It turned its murderous gaze toward the bodyguard and lunged, its jaws snapping shut around him.

Crack!

In a single lethal bite, the bodyguard was reduced to half a body, collapsing into a bloody heap.

That was when Master Sunx finally snapped out of his stupor and shouted, "Everyone, fire! Pin it down, protect Young Master Li and Miss Su!"

The bodyguards, though terrified, responded to Master Sunx’s command, firing wildly at the tiger in desperation.

But firearms were useless against this monster; they couldn’t even slow it down.

In mere seconds, more bodyguards succumbed to its claws and fangs, their screams cut brutally short.

Witnessing the carnage, Youu Cancan’s face turned ashen. Clinging tightly to Ye Fei’s sleeve, she stammered out in fright, "Ye... Ye Fei, wh-what is that? A demon?"

"Indeed, it’s a tiger demon," Ye Fei replied with a faint chuckle. "Moments ago, they killed the ghost servant fetching food for the tiger demon. Naturally, that summoned the demon’s true form. To think such a wild entity could exist here in Lingshan—how amusing!"

The revelation left Youu Cancan scared out of her wits. She looked as if her soul had departed her body, itching to flee on instinct.

"Ye Fei, sh-shouldn’t we r-retreat? I mean, l-let them handle it!" she asked, her eyes darting nervously to the blood-soaked battlefield.

But Ye Fei remained as calm as ever, shaking his head dismissively.

He had come here precisely for the tiger demon’s life soul.

A tiger is the sovereign of beasts!

And if there were a soul most perfectly suited to the Evil Blade Heavenly Slash, it would undoubtedly be that of a tiger.

So, seeing the tiger demon here in the flesh, Ye Fei could hardly contain his excitement—why would he even think of leaving?

Offering a soft, reassuring chuckle, Ye Fei said, "Relax, sit down. As long as you’re by my side, nothing will happen to you."

With that, he closed his eyes once again, seemingly indifferent to the massacre unfolding before him.

Ye Fei’s composure was a stark contrast to the escalating bloodshed.

The bodyguards brought by Su Mai and Li Xu were rapidly dwindling in number. Firearms had proven useless, and with every passing moment, the tiger demon wiped out more of them. The situation was dire—only a few remained, visibly on the brink of being annihilated.

Seeing the devastation, Su Mai shouted at Master Sunx with a mix of panic and anger, "Master Sunx! What are you waiting for? Do you intend to let them all die before doing something?!"

Do something?

Master Sunx grimaced, dread creeping into his heart.

This tiger demon was on an entirely different level compared to the ghost servant he’d dispatched earlier. It was like comparing the heavens and earth.

Even as a high-level martial artist, Master Sunx knew fear.

But the Su Family wielded supreme influence in his hometown; offending them wasn’t an option.

If Su Mai were to die here, it wouldn’t be long before Master Sunx met with the same fate.

Clenching his teeth, he summoned all his courage. His muscles tensed like coiled steel as he leapt toward the tiger demon.

Boom!

Seizing the opportunity while the tiger demon was momentarily distracted, Master Sunx lunged forward with an explosive punch, striking the beast with all his might. The impact made the tiger tremble and unleash a pained roar.

The punch hit home. Blood streamed from the wound, a large crimson gash marring its hide.

"Good job!"

The struggling bodyguards cheered at the sight of Master Sunx inflicting harm where bullets had failed.

Even Su Mai’s eyes brightened. She gazed at the tiger demon with glints of greed.

It didn’t take a genius to realize that compared to the ghost servant slain earlier, this tiger demon far exceeded it, both in might and potential rewards.

"Master Sunx, everyone—work together! Kill this tiger demon! Whoever slays it will be lavishly rewarded by my Su Family!" Su Mai commanded.

"Kill it!"

The prospect of a reward reignited the bodyguards’ morale. They resumed firing at the tiger demon, their spirits bolstered.

Amid their renewed enthusiasm, none noticed that Master Sunx’s arm, the one he had just punched with, now hung limp. The injury was subtle but undeniably severe—a fracture, perhaps.

But with the tiger demon wounded, this was the ideal moment to launch an all-out attack.

If they gave it time to recover, Master Sunx doubted whether he could deliver a strike as powerful as his last.

Steeling himself with determination, he charged forward once more, roaring in anger as he aimed a heavy punch directly at the tiger’s skull.

Then, everything changed in an instant.

The previously wounded tiger demon opened its maw and roared, unleashing a deafening, soul-shaking sound.

A tiger’s roar could shatter spirits.

The roar of a demon tiger? Even more so.

Master Sunx was instantly immobilized, his body betraying him as he froze on the spot.

In that moment of vulnerability, the tiger demon’s razor-sharp claws landed a brutal swipe, sending him flying.

The sight of their strongest fighter being flung aside made everyone stop breathing for a second.

The battlefield fell silent.

The surge of resolve that Su Mai had inspired moments earlier vanished as though doused in icy water.

Su Mai stared blankly, unable to comprehend how Master Sunx—so formidable mere moments ago, capable of bringing the tiger to its knees—had fallen so quickly and so decisively.

Roar!

But the tiger demon didn’t dwell on their shock.

Master Sunx’s earlier blow had enraged it beyond reason. Now, its claws and iron-like tail lashed out in a frenzy, slicing through the remaining bodyguards.

"What do we do? What do we do? Escape? But its speed—there’s no way to outrun it. Kill it? That’s impossible!"

By then, the usually haughty Su Mai was trembling with terror, frozen in place.

"It’s time to sever the thread," a calm voice remarked suddenly.

A figure stepped forward, emerging from beside Su Mai, a faint smile curling on his lips, heading straight toward the tiger demon.