The Red Tiger

The two of them had reached two miles deep into the forest. The light from the sun disappears faster by the second which causes the eerie feeling to get more intense.

"Ok, now this place is feeling pretty creepy…" The previous excitement found in Lai Wen's voice had mellowed out. Lin Tao agreed with her, this place was creepy as hell. The only thing keeping the area around them lit was a special Profound Artifact Lai Wen had hanging from her waist.

It resembled a miniature lantern and gave off light similar to that of the moon, illuminating their surroundings. It had a Profound Formation on it that let it absorb sunlight and utilize that energy to generate this soft light.

Taking another few step's Lin Tao heard a sudden amount rustling from above them. Lai Wen suddenly felt Lin Tao grab her by the arm and pull her behind him. At the same time, he quickly grabbed Ruyi Bang from behind his ear, having it expand to its normal size.

With one swift movement, he swung at the air above them. He felt his attack connect with something soft and fleshy. The next second half of its body exploded, splattering across the ground and the side of a tree not too far away. Lai Wen was shocked, that thing was definitely aiming for her, yet she didn't even sense it.

"Lai Wen shine your light over here." Lin Tao's voice snapped her out of her daze as she nodded. Taking a better look Lin Tao saw it was a massive leech. It had to be at least the size of a human infant, and its body was covered in slime. Its circular mouth was covered in jagged teeth stretching into its mouth.

Just looking at it grossed Lai Wen out as she shuddered. But after a moment she realized what it was.

"I think this is a Mummifying Bloodleech. I heard about them but I've never seen one before." Lin Tao listened as she explained. They were weak Profound Beast and were only in the Elementary Profound Realm. However, that was just because this was their larval state.

They were extremely stealthy and could sense Profound Energy very well. If they latched onto you, they could suck even a True Profound Realm Cultivator dry in seconds. As their name suggested, they could turn you into a mummy-like husk if given the chance.

Once they drank enough blood, they would use the stored up essence to undergo a metamorphosis. Still despite that information, no one really knew what they transformed into. If you were close enough to their nest to see them undergoing this transformation, you were already in a danger zone, where death is almost certain.

"Still something is strange. Normally these types of Profound Beast would be further into the forest."

"So there really is something, driving them to the outer edge." A small smile appeared on Lin Tao's face.

'I wonder what it is.'

…

They continued to venture deeper into the Bloodied Ground Forest. The number of leeches that fell from the trees increased as well. Lin Tao was fast enough to strike them all down, but it was still a bit odd.

"Why are all of them aiming for me…" Lai Wen couldn't help but notice all of the leeches aimed at her. Not a single one bothered Lin Tao despite him doing all of the killings. She felt as if the leeches had some kind of prejudice against her.

"Maybe it's because your skin looks so smooth. If I was a leech I would go after you as well." Lai Wen could tell Lin Tao was just teasing her but she couldn't help but rub her cheeks and murmur to herself.

"Maybe I should cut down on the beauty treatment…" As she thought about that time continued to pass. Above the canopy of the forest, the sun had begun to set causing the light in the forest to decrease further. At this point, it was nearly pitch black. The two of them continued walking for a few more hours past then.

"Sir Wukong, I think we should find somewhere to settle down. If we use all of this Profound Artifact's light now we'll be in trouble later." She was a little more sluggish as she spoke, it was then that Lin Tao remembered that even though he could go without sleep for weeks or months, Lai Wen couldn't.

She was only in the Nascent Profound Realm after all. In that stage Cultivators and human's sleep schedules and eating habits didn't change much. It was only in the True Profound Realm could they begin skipping days of rest.

"Alright, oh and Lai Wen you can drop the sir." Lai Wen was a bit taken back by that but after thinking, she nodded. She had been instinctively being polite to Lin Tao due to the fact he was stronger than a mid-stage Spirit Profound Realm Cultivator. But she could tell he was a lot more easygoing than normal Cultivators his age and level.

Hearing him say she could be more casual around him helped ease a bit of pressure off her shoulders. The two of them began to idly talk as they searched for a place to camp the night. However, in the midst of their talking, Lin Tao saw Lai Wen suddenly stop walking.

She froze up like a deer in headlights staring to their right. Following her gaze, Lin Tao's expression shifted when he saw two eyes. They were crimson and shined like rubies despite it being so dark. They were the size of a person's head each and seemed to contract the moment Lin Tao looked at him.

The moment they did he quickly pushed Lai Wen a few meters away into a bush. At the same time the Profound Beast who had been watching them attacked. Lin Tao watched as its claws tore through the trees in its way. It was as if they were made of straw, a single swipe and they would be cut in three places before toppling down.

Holding Ruyi Bang in front of him he took the brunt of a strike. The Profound Beast's claws grated against the golden staff. Lin Tao was immediately sent flying back dozens of meters' crashing through small boulders and trees.

'This thing is strong… In both speed and strength, it's leagues above the Yin-Yang Snakes.' Pushing off the ground with his foot he did a flip through the air before landing and regaining his balance.

With it being so dark Lin Tao could just barely make out the Profound Beast's shape thanks to the light Lai Wen's artifact had shone on it for just a few seconds. It was a tiger but was easily three time's the size of your average elephant. Its claws were like silver and gleamed in the slightest bit of light.

Its tail was almost as long as its body while the tiger's entire body was also covered in striped red fur, which went along with its ruby-like eyes.

Climbing out of the bush she had been pushed into Lai Wen looked in the direction Lin Tao had been sent. She immediately felt a terrifying amount of pressure collapse in on her senses.

'An 8th Stage Spirit Profound Realm Beast!" Not only that but it was bordering on a breakthrough into the next Realm as well. No matter how strong Lin Tao was there was no way he would be able to survive. Biting her lip she hesitated before darting in the direction of Lin Tao and the Red Tiger.

At the same time, Lin Tao and the Red Tiger were clashing as they rushed through the forest. Ruyi Bang was stronger and Lin Tao was more agile yet the Red Tiger had the advantage in strength. Profound Energy developed one of its claws as it slashed out towards Lin Tao.

Immediately four slashes of pure crimson Profound Energy shot through the air each being over six meters in length. They ripped through the ground and anything else in their way, striking Lin Tao directly. Upon getting his Lin Tao felt blood surge up into his mouth, as he tried to resist.

The Red Tiger thought this prey of his would-be immediately killed from its attack, but to its surprise, it wasn't. It could see rather clearly despite it being so dark due to it being a cat. It saw its Profound Energy attack hit Lin Tao's armor, yet it didn't go through.

After being blown back over twenty meter's Lin Tao felt his body writhing in pain. But at the same time, he could feel he wasn't bleeding internally or externally yet.

"Ok. If I can't engage in close-quarter combat with you. Then I'll attack from a distance!" Twisting Ruyi Bang in his hands he gripped it with both hands and swung at the area ahead of him. Ruyi Bang immediately extended itself according to his will. In length, it even outdid the massive trees and its weight nearly tripled.

Using all his strength Lin Tao swung in an arc in front of him. Over twenty trees were smashed apart as Ruyi Bang traveled through the air. The Red Tiger didn't have a chance to dodge as Ruyi Bang slammed into the side of its body. Its bones rattled and shifted, feeling over twenty tons of weight slam into it.

It let out a roar that shook the air as it was slammed into the ground. Not wanting to stop there he retracted Ruyi Bang and took advantage of the Red Tiger while it was down. The Red Tiger got back to its feet wobbly as it saw Lin Tao rush towards it. The dull yet pulsing pain that echoed through its body caused its mind to go rage-filled.

Its mouth flew open as Profound Energy rushed through its body towards its throat. As Lin Tao rushed towards the Red Tiger he saw a sudden gathering of red light.

'Well, crap…' Out of pure instinct, Lin Tao's body reacted, holding Ruyi Bang in front of him he spun it so fast it became a golden blur. At the same time, the Red Tiger released the gathered Profound Energy in its mouth.

Lai Wen, who was still over three hundred feet away, was suddenly blinded. A bright red light engulfed a large area around the tiger illuminating it for all to see. A beam made purely of Profound Energy shot forth surrounding Lin Tao and the land around him.

The dirt and stone in its way were immediately obliterated into ash. Only the area around Lin Tao was safe as he spun Ruyi Bang in front of him, creating a bubble of safety amongst the sea Profound Energy. The blast lasted for ten seconds straight before the Red Tiger closed its mouth, cutting it off.

Unlike a human, it had no way to learn special Profound Arts or Skills meaning it could only use its Profound Energy in a wild beastly manner. In the end, it was mostly intelligence that separated beast from man.

As such it released such an attack out of pure rage that Lin Tao had struck it. Lin Tao's panting breath echoed in his ears. His arms felt heavy and as he was on one knee using Ruyi Bang to hold himself up. He had never exerted himself so much in his life. He thought his blood might have boiled if he had to bear that any longer.

A large stretch of the area around him going further into the forest behind his back had been completely destroyed and turned to glow molten. Still, Ruyi Bang was perfectly fine, as if the attack had not even happened. Forcing his body to move Lin Tao looked up at the Red Tiger as it approached him.

It was faring no better with a majority of its Profound Energy drained. Depending on how long he could endure would determine if Lin Tao survived or not. At Least that was what he originally thought. To the right just behind the Red Tiger, Lin Tao spotted Lai Wen due to her light.

She only took a moment to look at the situation, before reaching for the Profound Artifact. Using all of her strength she squeezed on it causing it to crack. Afterward, she threw it into the air between Lin Tao and the Red Tiger.

"Close your eyes!" She shouted out a warning as she quickly turned around. Lin Tao listened as he closed his eyes. All of the saved up energy for generating a constant flow of soft light was released all at once. It was as if a miniature sun had appeared out of thin air.

It was overwhelmingly bright dispersing all shadows for hundreds of meters. Safe to say the Red Tiger who had its eyes open at the time was immediately blinded. It let out a cry which signaled Lin Tao. Opening his eyes into a squint he could see the Red Tiger's figure.

It was thrashing about slashing out Profound Energy wildly as its eye's burned from the light. Taking advantage of the fact he could see Lin Tao pooled together his willpower. Moving almost like a blur he ran towards the Red Tiger dodging its Profound Energy attacks that tore up the landscape, leaving gashes in the earth.

Jumping up right in front of the Red Tiger's head he pointed Ruyi Bang directly towards its mouth.

"Extend!" He yelled the command and the pole obeyed violently, extending even faster than it had done before. The Red Tiger didn't have a chance to close its mouth or even notice Lin Tao. Ruyi Bang extended straight down its throat-ripping through its soft inner organs. A garbled sound escaped the Red Tiger's mouth but it was already over.

Its entire body thrashed before freezing up and finally going limp. Ruyi Bang had gone completely through piercing into the ground behind it. Seeing it stop moving Lin Tao let out a sigh of relief as he fell to the ground in a spread angel position.

The light from the Profound Artifact began to fade and the artifact itself had turned to ash. Lai Wen, seeing everything was over, quickly ran over to Lin Tao.

"Wukong! Are you alright?" She said this as looked towards his face. She was honestly worried he would be dead when she checked. But to her surprise, Lin Tao was smiling? He had a stupid grin on his face and looked like he was chuckling.

His breath was heavy and his body felt completely drained, with bruises and internal injuries. But still, he seemed happy. Lai Wen couldn't understand what was going on,

"Why are you laughing? You, and in extension, I almost died..." Hearing her, Lin Tao's eyes moved to hers.

"True, but thanks to you we won right? How could I not feel excited." As he said that Lin Tao felt a drop of water hit his face, and then another. With the trees knocked down he could see the sky and the storm clouds as the rain began to fall. Lai Wen was staring at him blankly hearing what he had said.

This man was too strange.