A roar!
From under the pile of rolling stones, there suddenly came a fierce roar of a tiger, the howl shocking the earth to its core.
The next moment, with a booming sound, the pile of rolling stones was shaken by immense force and scattered in all directions; some were even smashed to pieces.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon boldly leaped out.
It had the head of a tiger and the body of a human, and its frame had grown a size larger than before, more burly and imposing, with an overwhelming aura of deadly energy.
Clearly, it had used the Gigantification Technique.
Ning Zhuo couldn't discern the basis of the transformation technique and suddenly asked those next to him, "What kind of transformation technique is this?"
Transformation techniques are a broad category of magic, encompassing many types and variations. Compared to other spells, the practice of transformation techniques is even more difficult.
The reason for this is simple.
Changes involving one's own body require a much more precise application of mana; exceeding the limit would have severe consequences.
For example, a spell that shoots flames is less dangerous; if a cultivator uses too much mana, the flames just get hotter and more abundant. Most of the time, when killing enemies, the only downside is consuming more mana.
But with transformation techniques, too much mana can cause one's own flesh to burst violently, resulting in flesh and blood splattering everywhere and bones scattering into pieces.
The Fox God said, "For now, it seems to be just a simple Gigantification Technique, with a significant increase in physical strength."
Sun Lingtong's eyes flickered with a mysterious light, clearly utilizing his innate talent to observe. He quickly shook his head: "The Demonic Qi is surging outside, and the flesh inside is chaotic; it's unclear."
Ning Zhuo said, "The books mention that if the Gigantification Technique is only in its rudimentary stage, it simply results in increased strength and consumes a lot of physical energy. Speed decreases, and with an enlarged body, one becomes an easier target for attacks, sustaining more damage."
"How skilled is this Black Wind Tiger Demon in the Gigantification Technique?"
Ning Zhuo's practical experience was far less than his scholarly knowledge. Nearly all of his knowledge came from books.
Actual combat experience, especially at the Golden Core Level, was exceedingly rare for him.
Even during the final contest for the Lava Fairy Palace, his battles with Golden Core Cultivators mostly relied on mechanical artifacts, and his opponents were variously restricted and bound.
Unable to figure it out on his own, Ning Zhuo immediately sought guidance.
Sun Lingtong shook his head; he too was just a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, having spent a long time in the Black Market, trapped within the Fire Persimmon Immortal City. Even though he had once traveled widely with his master, he had seen little of Golden Core level combat.
In this regard, the Fox God was not a seasoned veteran either. After all, it was only at the Foundation Establishment Level before becoming a god. Even after achieving divinity and reaching the Golden Core Level, its movements were confined to Mist Hidden Mountain, limited to a small corner of the world.
After a moment of silence, the Fox God said, "As for how well the Gigantification Technique is cultivated, I can't tell just by observing. The upcoming fight will surely give us insight into the Black Tiger's mastery over this skill."
Ning Zhuo learned nothing and felt slightly disappointed, but he calmed his spirits and continued to watch the battle.
Seeing the Black Wind Tiger Demon enlarged by a factor of two, Meng Zizhong's pupils contracted, and he immediately increased his mana, employing various Earth Element Techniques.
He continued to maintain the Flying Sand and Rolling Stones, trapping the Black Wind Tiger Demon within, followed by adding a Fossilization Technique.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon's entire body took on a gray-white color.
Its flesh and fur were eroded by the technique, turning into stone.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon shook its body, shedding its fur, and causing the outer layers of its flesh to disintegrate.
After the self-mutilation, its flesh became indistinct, but this also freed it from the Fossilization Technique.
Within a single breath, it grew new skin and tiger fur, especially the thick Black Tiger fur, denser than before.
Meat Shield Blood Swallowing Technique!
Practicing such a Demon Skill, a cultivator's recovery ability is extremely formidable.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon dissolved Meng Zizhong's Fossilization Technique just by the virtue of the skill's characteristic.
Seeing that it wasn't effective, Meng Zizhong immediately canceled the Fossilization Technique and deployed the Stone Falling Skill.
Earth Element Power surged from him, ascending into the sky. During this process of separation and ascent, the Earth Element Power also swept up the local Earth Qi and Earth Element Spiritual Power, ultimately condensing huge boulders above his head.
The gray stones swiftly took shape, as big as houses.
With his mind racing, Meng Zizhong sent the boulders crashing down one after another, aiming to smash the Black Wind Tiger Demon from above.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon's muscles bulged, propelling its enormous frame to swiftly weave left and right to dodge.
Many of the stones missed their mark, with only a few striking home.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon staggered from the impact, dizzy and disoriented, but it shook its head, flexed its whole body, and promptly recovered, as if nothing had happened.
It took large strides, charging toward Meng Zizhong with each step heavy and forceful, causing the ground to tremble slightly.
Meng Zizhong retreated while continuing to perform the Stone Falling Skill.
This time, however, he concentrated his mana without releasing it.
In mid-air, a boulder rapidly took form, swelling in size and far surpassing its peers.
Whoosh.
A sharp gust of wind arose.
The boulder, like a small mound, cast a giant shadow on the ground and smashed toward the Black Wind Tiger Demon with a crushing force.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon growled lowly, suddenly planting its feet firmly on the ground. Its muscles undulated like waves, moving from the heart and rolling out towards its limbs, eventually concentrating in its hands and feet.
During this process, its body size changed too, bulking up to about ten feet in height.
Its tiger claws and feet, because they were filled with too much Blood Qi and mana, became swollen like enormous lumps. The fur even gave off a touch of eerie red, reminiscent of a volcano on the brink of eruption!
As a mountain-like boulder pressed down, the Black Wind Tiger Demon reared up with its arms, propping up its claws, and violently collided with the boulder.
Boom!!!
The grand airwave spread rapidly in all directions while they clashed.
Due to the immense weight of the boulder, the Black Wind Tiger Demon's body sunk down sharply, all the way to the base of its thighs, before it finally stopped.
Its entire skeleton creaked and groaned, as the accumulated force in its claws and feet suddenly exploded outwards, forming a surge of black blood-like Demonic Qi, racing and bursting forth.
From its heart, a torrent of Blood Qi burst forth once again, propelling the flesh and skin as if it were a raging tide.
The tiger demon's claws and feet were already split and torn, but it didn't feel any pain at all, mustering all its strength with a heroic stance, it viciously tore apart the earth.
The mighty crimson Blood Qi permeated the boulder, disintegrating it from the inside.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the boulder suddenly crumbled, torn into countless fragments by the Black Wind Tiger Demon. The remaining Blood Qi formed into two swift claws in mid-air, reaching swiftly for Meng Zizhong.
Meng Zizhong had been continually maintaining the Stone Falling Skill and was just catching his breath, unable to cast any spells.
He decisively used his Divine Sense to ignite a talisman in his bosom.
With the activation of the talisman, the ground roiled, lifting a thick wall of earth around him.
The earthen wall blocked the Blood Claws, both crumbling away instantly.
Seizing the opportunity to regain his breath, Meng Zizhong looked at the Tiger Demon, whose claws and feet reverted to their original form, with increasing wariness in his eyes.
Having witnessed the Tiger Demon's ferocious strength firsthand, he was even more resolute to employ magic to weaken his opponent's combat effectiveness.
"Stab its weak points!" Meng Zizhong shouted loudly.
The next moment, spikes erupted from the ground surrounding the Black Wind Tiger Demon, aiming for its anus, and its groin beneath the scrotum.
The Tiger Demon dodged left and right but still got stabbed in the buttocks and the base of the thigh. Although it avoided the vital points, bleeding wounds continued to seep blood.
The Black Wind Tiger Demon, irritated by the pain, had its eyes turn blood-red, and it became even more ferocious.
Winds swirled around its entire body as it stretched its thighs and assumed a posture ready to charge violently forward.
It did not consider defending but instead sought to counterattack, accelerating its charge at Meng Zizhong. The vicious momentum was terrifying.
Meng Zizhong's heart skipped a beat, knowing he must not let the Tiger Demon get close to him.
He took a deep breath and barely readied another spell.
Earth Element Magic—Earth Python!
In the next moment, at the Tiger Demon's feet, two huge pythons suddenly formed from the ground.
The giant pythons were colored yellow-brown, thick as the trunk of an ancient tree, both heavy and agile, wrapping themselves around the Black Wind Tiger Demon's calves. Then, quickly looming up, they coiled around its thighs, waist, and finally around its chest, locking down the arms of the Black Wind Tiger Demon.
The momentum of the Black Wind Tiger Demon faded instantly, temporarily bound in place.
Ning Zhuo watched the battle intensely, his eyes sparkling with insight.
One understanding after another was continuously accumulating in his heart.
"From what we've seen so far, the clash between the Black Wind Tiger Demon and Meng Zizhong is a classic close-combat versus long-range confrontation."
"The Black Wind Tiger Demon practices the Meat Shield Blood Swallowing Technique; this cultivation technique determines its primary mode of combat is close combat. If allowed to get close, Meng Zizhong would definitely be at a disadvantage."
"Meng Zizhong is aware of this, which is why he's avoiding hand-to-hand combat and using magic to attack from a distance instead."
"He started with the Flying Sand Skill and Rolling Stone Skill. The former weakens and restricts the Tiger Demon's mobility, while the latter collides and squeezes the battlefield space, further limiting its position."
"Meng Zizhong employed the Oral Seal, quickly initiating two techniques, clearly honed from regular practice, making their activation skilled and swift."
Oral Seal, Body Seal, Heart Seal, are the three mainstream convenient methods of casting spells.
Mudra manipulation is a type of Body Seal method.
Ning Zhuo himself could use the Buddha Heart Demon Seal to manipulate mechanical artifacts remotely by thought.
In Meng Zizhong's case, the use of Oral Seals could expedite spellcasting. The quick activation of the Flying Sand Skill and Rolling Stone Skill successfully allowed Meng Zizhong to seize the initiative in combat.
"This initiative may seem insignificant, but it's actually very crucial. If the Black Wind Tiger Demon had not lost this advantage, it might already have pulled Meng Zizhong into close combat by now."
"Seeing the poor effectiveness of the Flying Sand Skill and Stone Walking Skill, Meng Zizhong immediately combined them into the Flying Sand and Stone Technique, significantly increasing their power. This is a technique of combining skills."
"The Black Wind Tiger Demon used the Gigantification Technique to increase its combat power and shake off restrictions. In quick succession, Meng Zizhong cast Fossilization Technique, Stone Falling Skill, as well as Earth Spike Technique and Earth Python Technique."
"The intention of the Fossilization Technique was to erode the Black Wind Tiger Demon, which the latter easily dispelled by slightly injuring itself."
"The Stone Falling Skill's smashing and suppression were withstood by the Black Wind Tiger Demon. The Earthen Wall Technique defended against the Blood Claws successfully."
"Realizing the Stone Falling Skill was ineffective, Meng Zizhong decisively switched to different attacks. Afterwards, he used the Earth Spike Technique to puncture surface areas, and indeed it was effective, but not significantly, and it pushed the Tiger Demon to the verge of going berserk."