Chapter 72 The Bodhisattva Scares Away the Beast

What had seemed like a small cat was, in fact, a ferocious white tiger, its fangs glistening like daggers as it viciously tore into Old Chen, blood spilling from its jaws. Wang Xuan's heart sank—Old Chen was gravely injured! Blood in the inner realm indicated serious harm, and this peculiar space was anything but ordinary.

He sprinted forward, overtaking Qingmu and snatching up Old Chen's fallen black sword. As he neared the beast, he leaped into the air, sword raised, and thrust it with all his might into the tiger's rear. 

With a thud, the black sword pierced the beast. 

"Meow! Awooo!" Though he couldn't hear the true sounds, the tiger's roar was accompanied by a wave of terrifying energy that shook the inner realm.

It glared back at Wang Xuan, eyes aflame with fury. 

"Awooo!" The white tiger was infuriated; it had been humiliated, its backside impaled while devouring a human. With a fierce flick, it sent the black sword flying.

It then swiped at Wang Xuan with a massive paw, fiery rage in its eyes. 

"Come on, sick kitty, sing me a tune!" Wang Xuan taunted, dodging the attack, hoping the tiger would roar and dislodge Old Chen. 

"Roar!" The beast unleashed a torrent of energy that shook the realm. This was no show of cooperation; it was pure rage at being attacked. The once-majestic tiger felt deeply insulted.

The white tiger let out a thunderous roar, its claws glinting as it rained blows upon the surroundings, scattering debris everywhere. Wang Xuan turned and fled; even Old Chen, surpassing a grandmaster, seemed like mere food to this creature. If he got pinned under that paw, it would be game over.

Old Chen struggled free from the tiger's jaws, bloodied and battered, looking like he was on the brink of death. But the inner realm was infused with mysterious energy; as long as he wasn't dead, there was still hope.

Desperate, Old Chen unleashed a flurry of punches at the tiger's eyes, but they barely affected the beast. The tiger, unfazed, reached for him with its paw, ready to consume him.

Bang! Bang! 

Wang Xuan rushed back, delivering a series of strikes to the tiger. To his dismay, they were futile; pulling at its fur yielded little more than a few strands, but it did serve to further anger the beast.

At that crucial moment, Qingmu silently stepped up, brandishing the black sword with all his might, stabbing it into the tiger's rear once more.

"I... Awoo... I'll curse your ancestors!" While it couldn't vocalize, the meaning was clear as the tiger glared at Qingmu in pure rage.

Old Chen and Wang Xuan seized the chance to escape, but they couldn't bear to watch Qingmu suffer again. They goaded the beast once more.

Old Chen wiped the blood from his face, taunting, "Sick kitty, did you really think I didn't know you're a demon? I've known for ages; that's why I kept petting you!"

The tiger's eyes turned icy, realizing it had been deceived all along while listening to Old Chen's tales. It had thought the humans were merely ignorant fools, but now they had toyed with it for too long.

"Of course, I knew you were a mighty demon, so I just had to indulge myself!" Wang Xuan added, examining his hand. "Petting you is no different from playing with an ordinary kitty. Not bad, really; just okay."

That wasn't a lie. Ever since he entered this realm, he'd been cautious, half-expecting the cat to turn hostile, and had indulged himself in the odd act of petting it out of sheer mischief. 

As for Old Chen, though calm on the surface, he was panicking inside. Petting the cat helped him cope, and the storytelling was just a way to buy time for cultivation.

Both Wang Xuan and Old Chen hadn't forgotten that the bone they found had been sealed beneath the Buddhist monastery; it was undoubtedly an exceptionally dangerous artifact.

Wang Xuan practiced Zhang Daoling's body techniques, while Old Chen honed the Bodhisattva Fist, both preparing for the challenge of subduing a demon. They had greatly underestimated the level of this monster; even now, they felt like mere playthings.

The white tiger, ignoring their struggles, slowly advanced, having long considered Old Chen as its next meal. The tales he spun had only delayed its hunger, transforming their encounter into an increasingly urgent dining experience.

Wang Xuan sighed, "Old Chen, it seems we'll be holding a memorial for you tomorrow. It's already written in the stars. Even if I bring you back to life, the tide of fate cannot be altered."

"Shut it! I haven't even had my chance to tear apart a battleship yet!" Old Chen snapped back.

Qingmu was utterly flabbergasted, facing a demonic beast on his very first encounter in this realm—myth and legend turned real before his eyes, the shock too much to bear.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All three fought back, but they were sent flying by the tiger's mighty paws, bloodied and bruised. Despite their desperate efforts, they were no match for the beast.

"Lady in red, your lost cat is right here! Come take it away!" Wang Xuan called out, desperation in his voice.

In that instant, a laugh like silver bells rang out—beautiful but cold. In the depths of the inner realm, a woman in a red dress held a paper umbrella, smiling at them through the mist.

At that moment, Wang Xuan and Old Chen felt their scalps prickle; the sound was too clear, echoing in their ears. They instantly sensed a grave threat, realizing they were facing something far greater than they imagined!

Old Chen whispered, "Wang Xuan, please be quiet! Don't provoke her! We can't even handle her cat!"

The white tiger's demeanor shifted upon seeing the woman, tail wagging like a loyal dog. It turned and dashed towards her, picking up Qingmu as if presenting him like a trophy.

Qingmu was devastated; his first experience in this realm was nothing short of hellish.

Wang Xuan and Old Chen chased after them, but they couldn't stop the white tiger. Fortunately, it didn't eat Qingmu, instead dropping him before the veil as if to present him to the red-dressed woman. But the veil barred her from receiving him.

"Indeed, the forbidden things beneath the Buddha's ancestral hall should never be touched. That piece of the white tiger's bone seems to be the key to this inner realm, while the legendary White Tiger Demon is merely a pet of that woman in red!" Old Chen's forehead dripped with sweat, his calves trembling. Walking near the river, he had finally gotten his shoes wet.

Wang Xuan whispered, "Old Chen, did you notice? That woman in red seems unable to come through."

Old Chen turned to look. The woman stood shrouded in mist, light rain falling softly, as if a great curtain separated them, making her appear exceedingly distant.

Wang Xuan continued, "When we first entered, we saw her shatter amidst thunder. It must have been an illusion; her true self is far away, unable to cross over."

It felt like when the ghost monk had appeared to him in a dream, performing the Bodhisattva Fist, standing infinitely far away, fading as time passed.

Old Chen felt a chill run down his spine. "The inner realm indeed holds too many secrets; the waters are too deep. What is this veil separating her from the inner realm? Where is she truly standing?!"

They continued to retreat, the exit within reach, but the white tiger was closing in, pursuing them relentlessly.

Wang Xuan said with determination, "Old Chen, hold on! Don't let it eat Qingmu. I'm going to ask for help to take down this White Tiger Demon. I feel that if we don't eliminate it, something very advantageous will happen for that 'super large one'."

"Who are you going to ask?" Old Chen was frantic; how could he and Qingmu withstand the tiger?

"I'm going to summon the ghost monk!"

"You mean the Bodhisattva? Hurry!" Old Chen urged.

Wang Xuan was taken aback—Old Chen had just elevated the ghost monk to a Bodhisattva! He usually referred to him as the ghost monk, but now he was addressing him as Bodhisattva.

With no time to ponder, Wang Xuan rushed out, calling next to Old Chen, "Monk, Bodhisattva, come quickly to subdue this demon! The great demon sealed by your ancestral temple is causing havoc—hurry and suppress it!"

To Wang Xuan's astonishment, the old monk actually appeared, following him directly into the inner realm. Without a word, he began to rain blows down upon the White Tiger Demon!

The tiger was stunned! Who was this bald old man? It was taking hits to its snout, blood splattering, its eyes filled with stars.

The old monk was terrifyingly powerful. His golden light illuminated the inner realm, the Bodhisattva Fist swirling the mysterious substances, akin to crashing waves, pummeling the tiger until its ears were spraying blood.

Qingmu scrambled back, rolling and crawling, eager to escape.

Old Chen was awestruck. Had he known, he would have brought the ghost... the Bodhisattva along for training; it would have been absolutely safe!

The old monk appeared to have a protective aura surrounding him, slightly distancing him from the inner realm, yet he remained valiant, riding the white tiger, delivering relentless punches!

"Too strong!" Wang Xuan marveled.

"Could it be... you're the Tiger-Subduing Monk? No, I mean, the Tiger-Subduing Bodhisattva!" Old Chen praised, elevating the monk yet again.

A chilling laughter echoed, sounding real in everyone's ears. The woman in red, holding an oil-paper umbrella, looked at the old monk through the veil.

The monk's expression shifted immediately. Upon seeing the woman in red, he turned without hesitation and... fled!

He vanished at the entrance of the inner realm.

"Bodhisattva, ghost monk, why did you run away?!" Old Chen shouted, panic rising.

The White Tiger Demon lunged at them, its rage palpable, ready to pounce.

At that critical moment, a hazy figure drifted in at the entrance of the inner realm. A dazzling sword light sliced through, severing one of the tiger's massive paws. It howled in silent pain, limping backward.

"It's the Sword Fairy… magnificent, unmatched!" Wang Xuan exclaimed, nearly moved to tears.

In his eyes, the Sword Fairy, who had arrived without needing to be called, was far more reliable than the old monk.

The Sword Fairy glided through the air, her chin held high, a look of disdain directed at Wang Xuan. She floated gracefully, her moon-white dress billowing, leaning on her sword, gazing at the woman in red through the veil.