C6 You Are a Fool!

The long-faced disciple panicked at the thought and blurted out, "Be careful, we might be walking into a trap!"

No sooner had he spoken than a whooshing sound pierced the air.

A faint black saber aura streaked out from the nearby bushes.

The trio was taken aback. They quickly scattered to avoid the attack, only to realize that the saber aura wasn't targeting them but the mountain wall beside them.

Vines on the wall were sliced through, one after another, unveiling a cave concealed behind them.

The saber aura's force persisted, shooting deeper into the cave, from which a muffled roar echoed.

Simultaneously, a figure burst from the bushes and desperately bolted away.

"It's definitely him!"

"We have to catch him! Don't let him get away!"

The round-faced and the tall, thin disciples were seething with anger.

The long-faced disciple, ever cautious, sensed something amiss. If Zhao Yu had intended to ambush them, why hadn't the saber aura struck them?

Could the roar from the cave have been just his imagination?

And Zhao Yu was fleeing with vigor, hardly the image of a man gravely ill.

All these discrepancies troubled the long-faced disciple.

But before he could ponder any further, a roar thundered as a massive black tiger sprang from the cave, landing heavily on the ground.

This tiger was colossal, at least twice the size of a regular one, its sleek black fur shimmering. Its fiery red eyes fixed on the trio with a furious glare.

A shallow wound was visible on the tiger's head, clearly inflicted by the saber aura.

"Black Wind Tiger!"

The three disciples' faces drained of color.

The Black Wind Tiger was a formidable Demonic Beast, capable of manipulating the wind and bearing claws laced with a toxin that could render a person unconscious. Even elders at the sixth layer of Qi Refining struggled against such a creature.

The lair of this Black Wind Tiger was a closely guarded secret. How Zhao Yu had discovered it was anyone's guess.

Clearly, the saber aura had been a ploy to provoke the Black Wind Tiger into attacking them.

"Run for it!"

Without a second thought, the long-faced disciple yelled and took off, sprinting away.

His two companions, equally terrified, didn't even consider splitting up; instead, they instinctively followed close on his heels.

The Black Wind Tiger let out a roar as it pursued them relentlessly.

It had been in the midst of a pleasant dream when it was abruptly assaulted. Bursting forth, it encountered the trio and instinctively identified them as the assailants.

A cyclone encircled the Black Wind Tiger, propelling it forward with incredible velocity. In just a moment, it overtook the lanky disciple lagging behind and viciously swiped at him with its claws.

The tall, thin disciple felt a gust of wind bearing down on him, panic seizing his heart, but there was no time to evade the impending strike.

He let out a wretched scream as the Black Wind Tiger's claw sent him soaring through the air. He crashed against a mountain boulder and tumbled onto the grass, where he lay still after a brief struggle.

With a ferocious roar, the Black Wind Tiger set its sights on the remaining two.

It sprang from a boulder, soaring four or five meters high, like a streak of black lightning, and landed squarely in front of the long-faced and round-faced disciples, cutting off their escape.

The long-faced and round-faced disciples turned deathly pale with fear.

They knew that with the Black Wind Tiger's speed, escape was futile, even if they ran for their lives.

"Junior Brother Ma, we have no choice but to fight this creature to the end, or we're sure to die here today," the long-faced disciple bellowed, unsheathing his sword.

"Right, Senior Brother Faang, it's do or die. We'll make our stand," the round-faced disciple declared, drawing his own sword with newfound bravery.

But before the round-faced disciple could charge, a sharp pain shot through his backside, propelling him forward—he had been blindsided by a kick from the long-faced disciple.

"Junior Brother Ma, I need you to hold off the Black Wind Tiger! I'm heading back to the sect for reinforcements! I'll return as quickly as I can!"

Without looking back, the long-faced disciple took off running.

"Faang Daming, you're a coward!" the round-faced disciple shouted, filled with anger and despair.

The Black Wind Tiger pounced, its claws crashing down and crushing his ribcage. Then, with its jaws gaping, it lunged for his throat.

"Scoundrel!" Despite knowing his fate was sealed, the round-faced disciple's courage flared. He swung his sword wildly and, by some stroke of luck, managed to stab the Black Wind Tiger in the belly.

The Black Wind Tiger was a formidable creature, its strength unmatched and its fur nearly impenetrable. Yet, its chest and abdomen were bare, revealing its only vulnerability.

In agony from a sword thrust to its belly, the Black Wind Tiger let out a thunderous roar and savagely snapped the neck of the round-faced disciple. It flung the disciple's body to and fro in a fit of rage, oblivious to Zhao Yu's stealthy advance from behind.

Fifteen meters... fourteen... thirteen...

Zhao Yu's face was a mask of concentration.

With a swift whoosh, a faint black saber aura erupted from the Nether Dream Dagger, his Spirit Weapon, and plunged directly into the Black Wind Tiger's rear. The beast stiffened as a geyser of blood erupted from the wound.

The Black Wind Tiger's anguished howl pierced the air as it collapsed, its massive frame thrashing in a pitiful struggle. Zhao Yu spared it only a glance before resuming his pursuit of the long-faced disciple.

The saber aura had done its lethal work, slicing through the Black Wind Tiger's innards. Its robust vitality was no match for such a wound; death was inevitable.

Unaware of the grim scene he'd left behind, the long-faced disciple fled for his life. The round-faced disciple's sacrifice had bought him precious time, and with each passing moment, his chances of survival grew.

After a harrowing thirty-minute chase, the long-faced disciple, hearing no pursuit, finally allowed himself to collapse under a large tree, gasping for breath.

As he gathered his strength to rise, a sudden whoosh from the left was followed by an icy chill in his legs, then a blistering pain.

"Ah!" he shrieked, looking down to see his legs severed at the knees, blood gushing forth.

"Senior Brother Faang, you truly are as cunning as a snake."

Zhao Yu emerged from behind a tree some distance away, casually twirling the gleaming Nether Dream Dagger.

The long-faced disciple's heart plummeted at the sight of Zhao Yu. With venomous eyes, he accused, "Zhao Yu, we had no old grudges, no recent quarrels. We're all brothers of the same sect. Why have you turned against us?"

Zhao Yu let out a sigh and addressed Senior Brother Faang, "It's just us here. We all know what's really happening, so why keep up the charade? If you hadn't followed me, I wouldn't have had to retaliate."

The long-faced disciple was aware that admitting the truth would seal his fate. So, with a feeble voice, he questioned, "I don't get it. Weren't you on death's door from illness? How did you get better?" That was his greatest puzzle; had he not miscalculated that, he wouldn't be in such a dire state.

Zhao Yu chuckled and replied, "Explaining it to you is a waste of my time. Remain clueless. Perhaps the King of Hell will fill you in. Oh, and by the way, thanks for taking care of Black Wind Tiger for me. Time's up, Senior Brother Faang. It's time for you to meet your end."

"Zhao Yu, please, don't kill me! I have a secret..." the long-faced disciple cried out in desperation.

With a swift motion, Zhao Yu brandished the Nether Dream Dagger and plunged it into the disciple's throat. Whether the man had a secret or not was irrelevant to Zhao Yu.

He was convinced the supposed secret was nothing but a fabrication, a desperate ploy by Senior Brother Faang to deceive him.

Zhao Yu exhaled deeply. Killing for the first time brought a mix of slight discomfort and an unexpected surge of exhilaration. He understood the harsh reality of this world's law of the jungle: kill or be killed.

Only the strong could truly dictate their fate.