Chapter 346: Tiger Demon vs Meng Zizhong
Roar!
Suddenly, a tiger’s roar erupted from beneath the pile of rolling stones, shaking the heavens and the earth.
In the next moment, a loud bang followed as the pile of stones was shaken by an immense force, sending rocks flying in all directions, some even being shattered on impact.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon leaped out ferociously.
It had the head of a tiger and the body of a man, now even larger and more imposing than before, exuding a thick aura of killing intent.
Clearly, it had used the art of gigantification.
Ning Zhuo, unable to discern the origin of the transformation, suddenly asked, "What transformation technique is this?"
Transformation techniques were a broad category of spells with many types and variations. Compared to ordinary spells, the cultivation difficulty for transformation techniques was much higher.
The reason for this was simple.
When it involved changing one's own body, the use of mana had to be more precise, without exceeding any limits; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.
For instance, with a fire-breathing spell, if a cultivator used too much mana, the fire would only become hotter or more intense. In many cases, while the fire might burn the enemy more, the downside was just higher mana consumption.
But in the case of transformation techniques, if too much mana was used, the body could swell and explode with a loud bang, scattering blood and bone fragments everywhere.
The Fox God said, "From what I can see, it’s merely a simple gigantification technique, increasing strength significantly."
Sun Lingtong's eyes flashed with profound light, clearly using his natural gift to observe. He quickly shook his head and said, "Demonic energy is overflowing, and the flesh and blood inside is chaotic and unclear."
Ning Zhuo said, "According to the books, if the gigantification technique is at a basic stage, it only increases strength, consuming a lot of stamina. Speed decreases, and with the larger size, it's easier to get hit and take more damage."
"How proficient is this Black Wind Tiger Demon in the gigantification technique?"
Ning Zhuo’s combat experience was far less than his knowledge. Nearly all his knowledge came from books and records.
In real combat, especially at the Golden Core level, his experiences were quite limited.
Even during the final stages of the Lava Immortal Palace struggle, when he fought Golden Core cultivators, he relied heavily on mechanical creations, and his opponents were often restricted or bound in various ways.
Unable to figure it out himself, Ning Zhuo immediately sought advice.
Sun Lingtong shook his head. He was only at the Foundation Establishment stage and had long been confined within the Black Market, trapped in Huoshi Immortal City. Though he had traveled around with his master in the past, his knowledge of Golden Core combat was also quite limited.
The Fox God, likewise, was not someone with abundant experience in this area. After all, before becoming a god, it had only been at the Foundation Establishment level. Although it had reached the Golden Core stage after becoming a deity, its movements had been confined to Misty Hidden Mountain, restricted to a small area.
After a moment of silence, the Fox God said, "Judging how well the gigantification technique has been cultivated is difficult to determine by observation alone. The upcoming battle will undoubtedly reveal the Black Tiger's mastery of this spell."
Ning Zhuo, having learned nothing new, felt slightly disappointed and refocused his attention on the battle.
Meng Zizhong’s pupils shrank slightly when he saw the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s size double. He immediately increased his mana and unleashed various earth-based spells.
He continued to maintain a storm of flying sand and stones, keeping the Black Wind Tiger Demon trapped within, then added a petrification spell.
A grayish-white hue spread over the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s entire body.
Its flesh and fur were eroded by the spell, turning into stone.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon shook its body, shedding its fur and causing the surface layer of flesh to crumble.
After mutilating itself, it was left bloodied and mangled, but it had successfully freed itself from the petrification spell.
In the span of a single breath, new flesh and fur had grown back, especially the thick black tiger fur, which had become even more lush than before.
Meat Tank Blood Swallowing Technique!
By cultivating such demonic techniques, the demon’s regenerative abilities were extremely formidable.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s unique cultivation allowed it to break Meng Zizhong’s petrification spell with ease.
Seeing his attack fail, Meng Zizhong immediately withdrew the petrification spell and cast a rockfall spell.
Earth-based mana surged from him, soaring high into the sky. As the mana rose, it swept up the surrounding earth energy and earth-based spiritual power, ultimately forming massive rocks above his head.
The gray stones quickly took shape, growing as large as houses.
Meng Zizhong’s thoughts shifted, and the boulders began to fall one after another, crashing heavily toward the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s muscles bulged all over its body, moving its massive form to dodge swiftly.
Most of the boulders missed their mark, with only a few striking.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon staggered from the impact, its head spinning, but after shaking its head and stretching its muscles, it quickly recovered, appearing completely unscathed.
It then took large strides, charging toward Meng Zizhong. Each step it took was forceful, shaking the ground slightly with its weight.
Meng Zizhong retreated while continuing to cast the rockfall spell.
This time, however, he held back, focusing his mana in one spot.
In the air above, a single stone rapidly formed, growing larger and larger, far surpassing the others!
Whoosh.
A gust of wind roared.
The boulder, now the size of a small hill, cast a massive shadow on the ground as it descended, aiming to crush the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon let out a low growl, bracing itself in place, its muscles rippling like waves, surging from its heart to its limbs, eventually gathering in its hands and feet.
In this process, its body grew even larger, reaching about ten feet tall.
Both its claws and feet had swelled, filled with immense blood energy and demonic power, swollen like gigantic lumps. Even its fur took on a strange red hue, reminiscent of an erupting volcano!
The mountain-sized boulder came crashing down, and the Black Wind Tiger Demon thrust its claws upward, smashing them fiercely into the stone.
Boom!!!
A vast shockwave spread rapidly in all directions from the impact.
Due to the immense weight of the boulder, the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s body was forced downward, sinking up to its thighs into the ground before stopping.
Its bones creaked under the strain, and the power stored in its claws and feet suddenly exploded outward, forming a wave of demonic energy that surged like black blood.
From the position of its heart, another surge of blood energy erupted, causing its flesh to ripple like a tide.
The Tiger Demon’s claws and feet had already torn open, flesh mangled, but it seemed to feel no pain, using every ounce of strength to stand firm, tearing violently.
The vast, crimson blood energy seeped into the boulder, breaking it apart from within.
Bang!
With a loud explosion, the boulder suddenly shattered, torn into countless fragments by the Black Wind Tiger Demon. The remaining blood energy formed two claws in mid-air, rapidly slashing toward Meng Zizhong.
Meng Zizhong, having been maintaining the rockfall spell, was in the midst of catching his breath and couldn't cast another spell in time.
He immediately used his spiritual sense, igniting a talisman he carried.
The talisman activated, causing the ground to churn and raising a thick earth wall around him.
The earth wall blocked the blood claws, and both were destroyed.
Meng Zizhong took the opportunity to catch his breath, his eyes filled with greater wariness as he looked at the Tiger Demon, whose claws and feet had already returned to normal.
Witnessing the Tiger Demon’s ferocious strength firsthand, Meng Zizhong became even more determined to weaken it using spells.
“Strike its vital points!” Meng Zizhong shouted.
In the next moment, spikes shot up from the ground around the Black Wind Tiger Demon, aiming directly at its rear, groin, and other vulnerable areas.
The Tiger Demon dodged left and right but was still pierced in the buttocks and the base of its thighs. Although it avoided its vital spots, blood gushed out from the puncture wounds.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon, enraged by the pain, had its eyes turn blood-red, becoming even more violent.
Winds swirled around it as it spread its legs and prepared to charge forward aggressively.
It did not think about defense; instead, it aimed to counterattack by charging toward Meng Zizhong at full speed. Its vicious momentum was terrifying.
Meng Zizhong’s heart skipped a beat, knowing that he absolutely couldn’t let the Tiger Demon get close to him.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to cast another spell.
Earth spell—Earth Python!
In the next moment, the ground beneath the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s feet suddenly formed two giant pythons.
The pythons were yellow-brown, as thick as ancient tree trunks, heavy yet agile, and they coiled around the Black Wind Tiger Demon’s legs. They swiftly climbed up, wrapping around its thighs, waist, and finally its chest, locking down both of the Tiger Demon’s arms.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon’s momentum was halted, temporarily bound in place.
Ning Zhuo, who had been intently watching the battle, had his eyes flash with brilliance.
One insight after another kept accumulating in his mind.
“As it stands, the battle between the Black Wind Tiger Demon and Meng Zizhong is a classic match between close combat and long-range attack.”
“The Black Wind Tiger Demon, having cultivated the Meat Tank Blood Swallowing Technique, focuses on close-quarters combat. If it gets close, Meng Zizhong will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.”
“Meng Zizhong is fully aware of this, which is why he has been avoiding close combat, relying on spells for long-range attacks.”
“At first, he used the Sandstorm Spell and Rolling Stone Spell—the former weakened the Tiger Demon and restricted its movements, while the latter compressed the battlefield space, further limiting its positioning.”
“Meng Zizhong employed oral incantations to cast both spells rapidly, clearly showing that he’s practiced this well and can cast them skillfully and quickly.”
Oral incantations, body gestures, and mental seals were the three most mainstream methods for casting spells efficiently.
Forming hand seals was one kind of body gesture.
Ning Zhuo himself could use the Buddha Heart Demon Seal to apply mental seals, controlling mechanical creations remotely.
In Meng Zizhong’s case, oral incantations sped up his spell casting, allowing him to quickly launch both the Sandstorm and Rolling Stone spells, successfully gaining the upper hand in the battle.
“This early advantage may seem small, but it’s actually very crucial. If the Black Wind Tiger Demon hadn’t lost this advantage, it likely would have already dragged Meng Zizhong into close combat by now.”
“When Meng Zizhong saw that the Sandstorm and Rolling Stone spells were not effective enough, he immediately combined them into the Sandstorm and Rolling Stones Spell, greatly increasing its power. This is the correct application of spell techniques.”
“The Black Wind Tiger Demon used the Gigantification Technique to boost its combat power and break free from the restrictions. In response, Meng Zizhong successively used the Petrification Spell, Rockfall Spell, Ground Spike Spell, and Earth Python Spell.”
“He tried to erode the Tiger Demon with the Petrification Spell, but the latter easily broke free by self-mutilation.”
“The Rockfall Spell aimed to suppress the Tiger Demon, but it endured the attack. The Earth Wall Spell blocked the blood claws, successfully protecting Meng Zizhong.”
“Meng Zizhong realized that the Rockfall attacks were ineffective, so he decisively switched tactics. Afterward, he used the Ground Spike Spell to strike at specific points, which indeed had some effect but was not enough, instead provoking the Tiger Demon into an imminent frenzy.”
(End of this chapter)