Chapter 14: The Heart Is Sinister

"Brother, be careful!"

A voice echoed from the woods nearby—the hidden archer, warning the others.

The iron-tailed tiger demon had just slain one of their group, then turned its fury onto the burly man, the strongest among them. The beast's claws tore through trees effortlessly, and despite the man's eighth-level martial prowess, he was no match for the creature's ferocity.

The others tried their best to contain the tiger demon, but their strikes barely scratched its tough hide. Only the archer, initially successful with a sneak attack to its neck, had been silent since.

"Everyone, run! This beast is too powerful!" the burly man yelled, his voice tinged with desperation as he channeled every last ounce of energy into his body. "I'll hold it off!"

"Opening Axe!" he roared, his twin axes gleaming as he swung with all his might at the tiger demon's forehead.

"Bang!"

The strike landed with a loud crack, but the tiger demon staggered only slightly, blood dripping from the blow. However, the burly man wasn't so lucky. The tiger's massive tail swept across him, crushing his waist and tearing his flesh to shreds.

"Brother!" his comrades cried out in alarm.

"Don't worry about me! Go!" he gritted through his teeth, still standing, despite the severe injuries.

The archer, still in the shadows, continued to fire arrows, trying to buy time for the others to retreat.

"Boom!"

The burly man and the iron-tailed tiger demon clashed again, the man sent flying by a violent blow, spitting blood.

The tiger demon, enraged and unbothered by the arrows, zeroed in on the injured man.

In the span of mere moments, when a man had been killed, Dustin Li—who had come to the Shuwu Mountains for training—had witnessed a life lost before his eyes.

"Die, beast!"

Dustin Li's body flickered like a burst of lightning, the Inch-Step Technique propelling him into the air towards the tiger demon's head.

"Bang!"

A powerful impact reverberated through the air, but Dustin Li was immediately sent flying back, flipping mid-air to dissipate the force before landing several meters away.

"Roar!"

The iron-tailed tiger demon bellowed in pain, its gaze now fixed on the young man who had dared to strike it.

The burly man, thinking his end had come, saw the iron-tailed tiger demon distracted by Dustin Li, who had appeared out of nowhere. For a brief moment, the beast hesitated.

The iron-tailed tiger demon was no mere animal—it had acquired basic intelligence, recognizing the boy as a formidable threat.

"Little brother, thank you for saving my life. My name is Lennox," the burly man said, his voice full of gratitude as he staggered toward Dustin Li.

"We'll deal with the tiger demon first," Dustin Li said, his tone calm but firm.

"Roar!"

Without warning, the tiger demon lunged at them, its eyes burning with anger. Dustin Li, using his perfected Inch-Step Technique, effortlessly dodged its charge.

Lennox wasted no time, roaring, "Opening Axe!"

The strike landed with all his strength, his eighth-level body refinement enhancing the blow, but only leaving a small wound on the beast's hide.

Dustin Li, however, saw the opening—its vulnerable lifeline exposed. He moved with precision, his body flowing into the Tiger Style.

"Bang!"

His fist struck the tiger demon's head, causing it to reel back, disoriented and blinded by pain.

Lennox watched in awe. He had swung with everything he had, but the boy's punch seemed to have dealt more damage than his strongest blow.

Dustin Li's movements shifted again. In an instant, his body spun through the air, executing the Soaring Dragon Style—a brutal, devastating strike to the tiger demon's head.

"Boom!"

The force of the blow shattered the beast's skull. The iron-tailed tiger demon let out a final cry before crashing to the ground, lifeless.

"Impressive," Lennox muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. The boy, no older than fifteen, had killed a first-level peak monster with a few calculated moves. His body refinement was far beyond what Lennox had expected from someone of his apparent age.

"That's a first-level peak monster. It took three strikes to its lifeline to bring it down," Dustin Li thought. Despite his superior strength, the tiger demon's natural resilience was formidable. He had only won because of his speed and ability to target its vulnerable spots.

The others, who had fled earlier, cautiously approached, joining Lennox as they surveyed the scene.

Suddenly, Dustin Li's expression shifted. He could sense the distinct aura of two life forces nearby.

His sharp perception, amplified since the fusion of the Orb of Life and Death, quickly picked out two individuals—one of whom was the archer, the other none other than Kao.

"You two... what's your game?" Dustin Li asked coldly, the realization of their intentions clear.

"Kid, don't play dumb," Kao sneered, his sword drawn. "Leave your bag and sword, and we'll let you go."

"And if I don't?" Dustin Li's eyes hardened.

The two men weren't even hiding their intentions. Kao's desire for the riches of the tiger demon's materials was clear, and they were more than willing to kill for it.

"You think you can stop me?" Dustin Li's voice was icy, the weight of his words echoing through the tense air.

Kao's eyes narrowed as he glanced back at the archer, who nocked another arrow, waiting for the order to fire.

Lennox had warned his group to avoid confrontation, recognizing that Dustin Li might be more than they could handle. After all, the young man had saved his life, and Lennox wasn't about to dishonor that debt over a monster's body.

"Don't be fools," Lennox muttered to his group, seeing the situation clearly now. "This boy's no ordinary fighter."

But Kao, ever the schemer, didn't listen, only too focused on his greed.

"Fine," Dustin Li said with a cold smile. "You want this tiger demon's body, and you think you can take it?"

His eyes flashed with dangerous intent, and as the two men made their move, Dustin Li was ready to show them the true consequences of underestimating him.

The game had just begun.