Chapter 9-The Trial[3]
'It's strong,' Xiao thought as he looked at the tiger gazing at him as if he were food served to it. He stood straight, holding the small steel sword that matched his height firmly in his hands.
Every kid was allowed to bring a single weapon to help, and this small sword was the one he chose. Although facing the beast in front of him seemed impossible from a certain point of view, especially as Xiao was still a mortal, his experiences and foresight from all his past fights had not disappeared.
While he appeared to be standing lazily without any protection, it was just an illusion. Every muscle in Xiao's body was tense, his body prepared for battle. His eyes roamed the entire area, scanning for any situation that he could use to his advantage.
Not only that, as he stood, he infused his soul energy into his body, strengthening it beyond what should be normal. He could feel his muscles grow stronger, his senses heightened. Xiao's eyes became sharp as he looked at the beast that was regarding him with disdain.
'Weighing approximately 180-195kg, seems to be more inclined to attack with its claws and teeth. Weak points appear to be below the knee and the stomach area, where less protection is present. Calculating attack patterns,' Xiao's mind raced as he scanned the beast for its weaknesses. He formulated an attack plan, remembering the lessons he had learned to never underestimate his opponent and to always give his best, even when fighting an ant.
With his grip on the sword tightening, Xiao applied strength to his legs and moved forward. As Xiao advanced, the beast looked at him with disdain, gathering strength in its legs as it attacked with its claw aimed at Xiao. The tiger's expression exuded confidence, but it would soon learn its lesson.
Xiao's calm eyes focused on the claw heading towards his head. He had already closed the distance, and just as the claw approached, his speed increased with a bang, causing cracks to appear on the ground. He appeared next to the tiger's head and stabbed forward towards its eyes.
The tiger was surprised to see its prey evade its attack, causing it to momentarily pause. Seizing the opportunity, Xiao stabbed at its eyes, causing blood to spurt out. Due to his lesser strength, he only ended up blinding the tiger, but the pain made it react instinctively and swipe its paw towards Xiao.
Remaining calm, Xiao twisted his body and channeled a major portion of his soul power to his legs. He used the paw's strength to jump backward, evading the attack. As he did, he looked at the tiger, which now had only one eye, intense anger visible in its remaining eye.
"ROAR!...." The tiger opened its mouth and roared in anger. Its past arrogance disappeared as it regarded its prey with renewed vigilance. It didn't wait for Xiao to make a move; instead, it lunged toward him with its superior speed. Xiao observed it calmly, his legs supplied with soul power, making him faster.
Each time the beast attacked, Xiao narrowly dodged it, feeling the immense power contained in the tiger's legs. But this was what he desired—a fight that put his life on the line! For the next few minutes, he skillfully evaded the tiger's claws and bites while calmly striking its weak spots.
After a few minutes, Xiao paused to catch his breath and regain stamina. Seeing this, the tiger, now covered in blood from several small cuts, smirked with arrogance and leaped forward. However, its body suddenly stopped as it collapsed unwillingly, unable to move. Confusion appeared on its face as it tried to move again, but its body refused as if it had shut down. A smirk appeared on Xiao's face as he approached the tiger, placing his hand on its head.
"Confused?" Xiao asked with a daunting voice. Fear began to fill the tiger's body, but no matter what it did, it was unable to move or take any action. The only thing it could do was roar back at him.
"Well, it's no use. Although my cuts may seem small, I made sure to sever each important blood vein of yours. The more blood you lose, the weaker your body becomes. Finally, to protect your life, your brain shuts down other bodily functions," Xiao spoke as he looked at the tiger. He knew it couldn't understand his words, but he simply spoke for his amusement. With that, he didn't wait any longer and plunged his sword into the tiger's head, killing it.
"Ufffff... finally, a good fight. With this, I now have a good idea of my current body's capabilities," Xiao muttered to himself as he stretched his body. However, he couldn't rest just yet. He used most of his soul power to fill his body as he began to drag the tiger towards a certain place. After a few minutes, he reached a trap he had built and threw the tiger into an open ground trap where several spikes were placed. Exhausted, he fell to the ground, and just in time, the World Spirit Master fixed the problem, drawing attention back to Xiao.
As the scene became clear, everyone gasped at the sight of Xiao standing next to the trap he had built with the tiger inside it. Although they had been watching him, they had missed the trap that was built. Many cursed under their breath for missing such an exciting fight.
Meanwhile, Yun Hao and the elder frowned. Being older, they knew that trapping such an animal was not easy. They tried to search for any signs of a bigger answer, but all they could see was Xiao outsmarting the beast. In the end, they gave up and accepted the reason.
After that, there weren't many other interesting scenarios, as everything went normally. Xiao didn't display anything extraordinary afterward. He knew that unless he showed heaven-defying cultivation talent, anything else he showed would be futile. In the future, when his younger stepbrother displayed his talent, Xiao would be forgotten.
Even if he displayed exceptional cultivation talent, the Min family wouldn't allow him to live long enough to oppose his younger stepbrother. So, in the end, what he had shown should be enough to be accepted but not enough to be feared. In the world of cultivation, petty tricks were nothing compared to absolute strength.