Chapter 159: Riddled
This massive boulder was different from the others. It was covered in dense patterns, looking as if it had weathered countless years. A faint, mysterious fluctuation seemed to flow from it, much to Lin Feng's surprise.
'A pile of depleted Spirit Stones?'
To the average person, it was just an ordinary rock, but Lin Feng could naturally see that this object was anything but.
Although the Spirit Stones had been completely absorbed, the material itself was an extremely rare ore. Its value was immense, no less precious than some common Spiritual Medicines or Spirit Fruits.
HISS!
Just then, a hissing sound suddenly came from the direction of the Spirit Stones. This time, Lin Feng heard it clearly. It was the sound of a snake's tongue, and it was extremely rapid, as if something was approaching.
Lin Feng immediately turned to look in the direction of the hissing. At that very moment, a huge shadow shot out from the darkness and lunged straight for him.
BANG!
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed as he swiftly moved aside. A shallow pit now marked the spot where he had just been standing.
Clouds follow the dragon, and wind follows the tiger!
When the dust settled, a massive, striped tiger appeared before Lin Feng's eyes!
'So Wo Hu Mountain really does have tigers.'
Staring at the tiger before him, Lin Feng's expression gradually grew solemn.
He wouldn't have even given an ordinary tiger a second thought.
After all, he was an Innate Martial Artist. While splitting metal and shattering stone wasn't something he could do with a casual wave of his hand, he certainly wasn't someone a common beast could injure.
But Wo Hu Mountain was an incredibly strange place. Setting aside the giant, intelligent python from before, this tiger's absurdly massive size alone was a clear sign that something was wrong.
What made him even more wary were the tiger's eyes.
The beast's eyes were crimson, as if flames burned within them. But those flames revealed a hint of madness.
After appearing, the tiger threw back its head and let out a long roar. The deafening sound reverberated through the sky.
Then, with a single movement, the tiger broke into a sprint and charged toward Lin Feng.
ROAR!
The tiger's deep roar echoed through the mountain valley for a long time. It was incredibly fast, closing the distance in the blink of an eye before opening its massive, bloody maw to bite down on Lin Feng.
With a solemn expression, Lin Feng lightly tapped his right foot on the ground and shot into the air, dodging the tiger's attack. But after its first strike missed, the tiger didn't pause for even a moment.
It pursued the airborne Lin Feng, its speed even greater than before. The instant Lin Feng's feet touched the ground, it was already in front of him.
The tiger leaped up, its massive paw swiping at Lin Feng with a sharp whistle as it cut through the air. Lin Feng hastily dodged. In that split second, the tiger's strike missed, but it didn't retreat. Instead, it crouched and lunged again.
BANG!
Lin Feng launched a palm strike, hitting the tiger squarely on its spine. But to his surprise, the beast's defense was terrifyingly strong. Though his attack landed, it only managed to knock the tiger back a few meters.
Using the force of his own strike, Lin Feng flickered and gracefully retreated into the distance.
'I'm no match for this tiger.' He knew that even though he hadn't used his full strength in that palm strike, it was still powerful enough to kill an ordinary Postnatal Powerhouse. Even so, there was no hope of victory. The tiger's abilities were simply too terrifying in every respect.
As Lin Feng fled, the tiger gave chase once more. This time, blood trickled from the corner of its mouth, a clear sign that it had been injured by Lin Feng's last palm strike.
This only served to provoke the ferocious beast's savagery. The tiger exploded forward with astonishing speed once again.
Lin Feng sensed that the tiger's aura had grown even more violent; it was clearly enraged to its very limits. At this point, Lin Feng could no longer afford to conceal his own presence.
The moment Lin Feng's aura flared, the tiger snapped its head up, its eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty light. Upon seeing Lin Feng, it lunged forward, its speed more than doubling.
BOOM!
With another muffled thud, Lin Feng was sent flying. He flew back three or four meters before slamming into a large tree and coming to a stop.
However, the blow hadn't caused Lin Feng any real harm. Although the tiger's strength and speed were horrifying, they were merely comparable to that of an ordinary Postnatal Realm Martial Artist. It wasn't as terrifying as he'd first thought.
SWOOSH!
But it wasn't over. The tiger charged again, swiping a claw so fast it left a trail of afterimages.
BOOM!
This strike was even more vicious, but Lin Feng was prepared. With a leap, he evaded the tiger's deadly attack.
'This beast's strength is incredible!'
The moment Lin Feng landed, he shot up again, leaping high into the air. This way, the tiger could no longer attack him; it could only stay on the ground, roaring at the sky.
Even so, the massive tiger's ferocious might could not be contained. Each roar kicked up clouds of dust, and the very ground seemed to tremble with the sound.
But now, there wasn't a trace of fear on Lin Feng's face. Instead, he looked forward with anticipation. He wanted to test whether this tiger had reached the Innate level.
BANG!
Roaring in fury, the tiger began to run wildly across the ground, its speed increasing until it transformed into a streak of white lightning. In an instant, it appeared before Lin Feng, its sharp claws and fangs slashing toward him.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Lin Feng twisted his body and sidestepped the attack. Without the slightest hesitation after missing, the tiger ducked low and shot forward again, this time speeding along, almost hugging the ground.
WHOOSH!
The tiger brushed past the corner of Lin Feng's robes, flashing by on his left side.
At that exact moment, the tiger suddenly opened its massive maw, revealing ghastly fangs as it tried to rip into Lin Feng.
SNAP!
The tiger's fangs clamped down directly on the ground, instantly leaving behind a tooth mark an inch deep. The tiger froze for a second, seemingly surprised that it had missed.
In the instant the tiger was stunned, Lin Feng threw a punch that landed squarely on its chest. The blow was heavy and powerful, containing an immense force.
BOOM!
The tiger was sent flying backward, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand as it crashed to the ground. It looked to be heavily injured, but Lin Feng didn't press the attack. He simply stood his ground.
'He knew his attack hadn't actually harmed it. The tiger had thrown itself to the ground on purpose to make him lower his guard.'
'This beast's intelligence is nearly on par with an adult human's!'