Chapter 18 - Hou Tiger

Now, Tian Longmeng did not go in the direction of Tang Fei City. Instead, he was actually going back into the Desolate Wilderness. This was for one main purpose, Breakthrough!

Tian Longmeng felt that there was a fine film as thin as silk preventing him from breaking into the Bone Forging Stage. If he wanted, he could have forcefully broken through with relative ease.

However, Tian Longmeng wanted everything to flow naturally. The Ark Elder already told him that if a cultivator just speeds into a breakthrough without firm planting a foundation, they would eventually meet an unbreakable bottleneck very soon, and they would forever remain at that spot.

For someone with such a low talent as Tian Longmeng, he needed the absolute best foundation he could possibly get in order to reach his goals. He not only needed to perfectly transition into the Bone Forging Stage, he needed to thoroughly attack the stage with as much momentum as possible.

For that, Tian Longmeng had delved into the Desolate Wilderness once more to find medicines and tonics to aid his breakthrough.

Tian Longmeng arrived in the forest and immediately began making use of his landmarks and indicators he left before to navigate the area. Tian Longmeng searched for herbs and items with an abundance of essence; however, that was easier said than done.

Of course, there was another option. Tian Longmeng could just run to the Profound Cave again and probably pull off three more breakthroughs if he so desired. However, the feeling of just cherry-picking high-level resources and depending on them gave Tian Longmeng a bad taste in his mouth.

Tian Longmeng climbed up a hill by around noontime, and indeed, he found something noteworthy. There was a lone plant situated in a dry patch amongst the low-lying grass. It had strikingly red leaves and its buds resembled diamond-shaped rubies.

It was at the side of a natural wall on the cliff of the hill, so it was generally out of sight from beasts. Tian Longmeng knew this medicinal herb was special because of its odd look and abundant essence permeating from its buds.

It was the perfect herb that would make anyone salivate, and it was also in the perfect location where no one would find it. However, Tian Longmeng did not blindly jump for it.

He had the premonition that if he could find it, then something else could have; and more than likely, that thing would have the strength to protect it.

Tian Longmeng decided instead to run down the hill and fetch a Scarlet Oak Tree Branch and a wild, golden monkey. The golden monkey was furiously trying to escape Tian Longmeng's grasp but as it saw the medicine, it wantonly ran towards it.

The golden monkey could not have possibly known that as it reached near two meters from the medicine, a 2 meter long Hou Tiger would pounce on it and tear it asunder in just a second.

"I knew something this precious had to be guarded." Tian Longmeng's intuition was right, but he had no idea that he would have to be facing a Hou Tiger.

Tian Longmeng had no doubt in his mind that a Hou Tiger would be powerful. If anything, the tiger would probably rip him like what happened to the golden monkey.

However, Tian Longmeng's years of hunting experience and keen eyes saw a glimmer of hope. The Hou Tiger had multiple injuries and seems to be avoiding pressure from being placed on its right hind leg.

Tian Longmeng knew that it was injured; however, the extent was unknown. If he decided to attack the tiger and the tiger proved to be able to retaliate then Tian Longmeng would be as good as dead.

Tian Longmeng gritted his teeth and brandished the Scarlet Oak Tree branch. "I guess big gains come hand in hand with big risks." With that, he launched the branch at breakneck speeds towards the Hou Tiger's head.

The Hou Tiger, completely startled by the sudden assault, barely managed to move to the right and dodge the attack. Unfortunately, it did not realize that the reason it was able to dodge it so easily was because the attack was purposely lopsided to the left so that the tiger would move to the right.

The Hou Tiger was unprepared for a little, human boy to suddenly be in the air to follow up on the attack, and it reacted too late when the boy grabbed the soaring tree branch and swung it down at the tiger like a wrecking ball.

Frankly, the Hou Tiger would have been able to easily dodge the impending attack if it could only move backwards a bit. However, the acute pain that shot up the tiger from applying way too much pressure on its injured foot caused it to freeze for a second.

That second was all Tian Longmeng needed to clobber the Hou Tiger into the hillside.

Tian Longmeng himself, spun a few times in the air because of the momentum of the attack. He landed on the ground on all fours in a crouching position while looking at the result of his successful strategy.