The Red Mist Forest breathed like a living thing. Crimson vapor coiled between ancient trees, drifting low across the forest floor. Twisted roots clawed out of the earth, and distant roars echoed faintly through the haze. It was a testing ground for outer disciples—a place where carelessness meant death.
Xuanyuan Zhen stepped into it alone. He carried no weapon. No sword hung at his waist. No spear rested in his grip. His fists would be enough.
The purple-golden Qi within his merged Qi sea churned calmly, but he restrained it. Today, he would not rely on golden holy Qi nor heavenly purple Qi for the moment. He wanted to test something more fundamental.
His body.
The strength of the Battle Saint Body and the Firmament theTyrant Body.
A low growl rolled through the mist.
Heavy pawsteps pressed into the damp soil. From between two thick trunks emerged a massive figure—striped in iron-gray, muscles coiling beneath metallic scales that reflected the dim red light.
An Iron Scaled Tiger.
A Rank 1 beast.
Its hide was notoriously difficult for Qi Condensation cultivators to pierce. Its claws could tear through flesh and bone like paper. Many disciples required teamwork to bring one down.
The tiger's eyes locked onto Xuanyuan Zhen.
It lunged.
The forest air exploded as the beast crossed the distance in a heartbeat, claws slicing downward with terrifying force.
Xuanyuan Zhen did not retreat.
He stepped forward.
Claw met forearm.
A sharp metallic screech rang out as scale scraped against skin. His sleeve tore instantly, white fabric shredded into ribbons. The impact forced him half a step back—but he remained standing.
The tiger twisted midair, jaws snapping toward his throat.
Xuanyuan Zhen pivoted instinctively. Even without channeling Qi outward, the combat instincts of the Battle Saint lineage flowed through him. His fist drove into the beast's ribs.
A dull, cracking thud echoed.
The tiger skidded across the forest floor, growling in fury.
It charged again.
They collided repeatedly—claw against fist, fang against elbow, muscle against muscle. The red mist swirled violently around them as shockwaves rippled outward.
Xuanyuan Zhen's white robes were soon torn in several places. Thin scratches marked his chest and arms.
But there was no blood.
The claws had reached his skin—
They had not pierced it.
The combined resilience of the Battle Saint Body and the Firmament Tyrant Body revealed itself clearly. One granted sacred vitality and indestructible flesh; the other infused his bones and muscles with tyrannical density.
The tiger, however, was deteriorating.
Fine cracks began spreading across its iron scales wherever his fists struck. Beneath the metallic hide, bruised flesh trembled violently. Each blow carried weight far beyond what a first-stage Qi Condensation cultivator should possess.
Another exchange.
Xuanyuan Zhen ducked beneath a claw and drove his fist upward into the beast's shoulder.
Crack.
This time, the sound was unmistakable.
The scales shattered.
The tiger staggered backward, eyes flashing with something new—
Fear.
Its instincts screamed danger.
Without warning, it turned and fled, crashing through undergrowth in desperate retreat.
Xuanyuan Zhen watched for a brief second.
Then he moved.
His body shot forward like a released arrow. Even without fully unleashing his Qi, his movement was terrifyingly fast—enhanced by the silent synergy of his two supreme physiques.
In a breath, he closed the distance.
This time, he allowed power to flow.
Golden holy battle Qi surged through his meridians, blazing along his arm like molten sunlight. Simultaneously, heavenly purple domineering Qi coiled around his fist—heavy, oppressive, radiating imperial authority.
The two energies intertwined flawlessly, then He leapt.
The tiger sensed death approaching and spun with a final roar—
Xuanyuan Zhen's fist descended.
Purple-golden Qi erupted in a concentrated blast.
The impact obliterated the beast's skull instantly.
The forest fell silent.
The massive body collapsed into the red mist, lifeless.
Xuanyuan Zhen stood over it, breathing steady. The golden and purple Qi receded smoothly back into his body, returning to the merged purple-golden Qi sea within him.
His scratches were already fading.
His understanding had deepened.
Without Qi, his body was comparable to a weapon.
With Qi—He was lethal.
He bent down, lifted the enormous corpse onto his back with effortless strength, and adjusted his stance.White robes torn, Hair slightly disordered, and a dead Iron Scaled Tiger draped across his shoulders.
As he walked back through the crimson haze toward the clan, the forest seemed quieter than before.
One beast down.
Countless paths ahead.
And this was only the beginning.