The mutant tiger had been knocked aside for no apparent reason. Another failed kill. To a predator of its caliber, this was an unforgivable insult.
It turned toward Chen Hao and the others and roared.
The sheer volume hit like a shockwave, deafening everyone instantly.
The tiger seized the opening and lunged.
Zhong Yuansen reacted first - earth wall raised, Earth Armor coating his body, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Boom-"
The wall might as well have been paper. The tiger smashed through it without slowing, its claw slamming directly into Zhong Yuansen's forearms.
The force launched him off his feet again.
Lin Yifei cast her freeze, but this time the tiger was ready. The moment the air chilled around it, it sprang clear.
Everyone's hearts sank. This thing learned fast. Its intelligence was terrifyingly high.
Having dodged the freeze, the tiger fixed Lin Yifei with a cold stare - then charged straight at her.
"Pfft-"
A Wind Blade sliced precisely into the wound on the tiger's neck, spraying fresh blood.
The tiger didn't even flinch. It kept coming for Lin Yifei.
"Sister Lin, dodge!" Skinny Monkey screamed.
Lin Yifei's expression was grim. She knew. There was no dodging this.
She gritted her teeth and hurled a Water Wave directly at the beast.
Useless. The wave couldn't stop the tiger's momentum. Couldn't even slow it.
No one else could reach her in time.
The tiger's claws were a heartbeat from tearing into her-
Then the water droplets clinging to the tiger's body crystallized in an instant, locking it in place.
The freeze came so fast even the tiger couldn't react.
"Beautiful!"
Relief surged through the group. Wetting it first, then freezing - the combination worked far better than anyone expected.
Lin Yifei threw herself into a roll, scrambling clear.
Chen Hao struck. His dagger drove toward the tiger's eye.
But at the last instant, the tiger wrenched free. Its head snapped sideways. The blade missed the eye and buried itself in the neck wound instead.
Chen Hao didn't push his luck. One strike, then he was gone - pulling back immediately.
Good thing he did. The tiger's jaws snapped shut right where he'd been standing. Half a second slower and those fangs would've taken half his body.
The tiger lunged after him, fury driving it forward.
But Chen Hao was already somewhere else entirely.
Another wound. Another failure to kill. The tiger lost it completely. It shook the ice shards from its hide and unleashed a point-blank roar at Lin Yifei.
The sonic blast hit her like a wall. Her vision swam, her balance gone.
The tiger pounced at her again.
But Zhong Yuansen was back. Battered, bruised, he threw himself between the tiger and Lin Yifei once more.
"Boom-"
Sent flying. Again.
Lin Yifei used the opening to drench the tiger with another wave of water, then froze it immediately after.
But this time the freeze barely held. Whether the tiger's body was building resistance or Lin Yifei's reserves were running dry - the ice shattered almost instantly.
Chen Hao's dagger had just pierced the tiger's flesh when the freeze broke. He didn't even have time to pull back before a massive paw swatted him away.
"Guh-"
His body tumbled across the ground, rolling several times before going still. Blood bubbled from his lips. He couldn't get up.
That hit was brutal.
If Chen Hao hadn't consumed those two extra Tier-6 crystals - his strength now bordering on Tier-6 Peak - that single blow would've killed him outright.
The tiger gave him no time to recover. It launched itself at him instantly.
It knew. This invisible human was the biggest threat. He had to die first.
"Pfft-"
Skinny Monkey's Wind Blade carved into the tiger's neck again, widening the gash further.
The tiger ignored it completely. It leaped high, descending on Chen Hao like a falling boulder.
Then a car came flying out of nowhere and slammed into the tiger mid-air, smashing it several meters off course.
Yang Bin had arrived.
"Boss..."
The tension drained from everyone's shoulders the moment they saw him. As long as he was here, they could handle anything.
Yang Bin went straight to Chen Hao and pulled him to his feet.
"Brother Bin... I-"
"Don't talk. You did great." Yang Bin's voice was steady, reassuring.
And he meant it. Chen Hao had fought beyond his limits.
The tiger glared at Yang Bin, its eyes burning with rage. Interrupted again and again - it was losing its mind.
It charged at Chen Hao once more.
Today, this one dies first.
Yang Bin stepped in front of Chen Hao, gripped the Barbell Rod with both hands, and swung it with everything he had.
"Boom-"
The tiger batted the rod aside with one paw. Its other claw came straight for Yang Bin's skull.
Yang Bin threw his arm up to block-
"BOOM-"
A heavy, sickening impact. Yang Bin skidded backward over ten steps. The bones in his forearm snapped.
But the tiger paid for it too.
A Tang Saber shot into the wound on its neck like a bolt of lightning.
"ROAR-"
The tiger screamed in agony, its eyes flooding crimson as it glared at Yang Bin.
But it didn't go after him. It turned, searching - hunting for Chen Hao.
Too late. Chen Hao had caught his breath. He was invisible again.
The tiger searched. Found nothing.
Its furious gaze swung back to Yang Bin.
It charged.
Yang Bin had felt this thing's power firsthand now. He wasn't stupid enough to tank another hit. He blinked out of existence - teleporting away - and the tiger's claws tore through empty air.
He pulled the Tang Saber free with telekinesis. A gout of blood followed the blade out.
He drove it back toward the wound.
But the tiger was ready this time. One swipe of its paw snapped the Tang Saber clean in half.
"......"
Yang Bin exhaled slowly. This thing was just too strong.
The tiger glanced between Lin Yifei and Skinny Monkey - then dismissed them entirely. It turned and bolted toward Zhao Kun and the others in the distance.
"Fuck - sneaky bastard!"
Yang Bin cursed and teleported directly into its path. The Barbell Rod flew back into his grip.
The battle felt like it had gone on forever, but only a few minutes had actually passed. Zhao Kun and the rest still hadn't recovered. If the tiger reached them, they were dead.
The tiger saw Yang Bin blocking its path. Its eyes narrowed with predatory viciousness.
One claw swung at him.
Yang Bin raised the Barbell Rod to block.
"BOOM-"
The rod bent like a piece of rebar. Yang Bin was hammered back another ten-plus steps.
But then Skinny Monkey, Lin Yifei, and Zhong Yuansen caught up, forming a wall between the tiger and its target.
Every single one of them was running on fumes. Battered. Bleeding. Barely standing.
But they held the line. This was a war of attrition now - pure willpower against a wounded predator.
Because the tiger wasn't doing well either.
Three dagger strikes from Chen Hao. One saber thrust from Yang Bin. All buried in the same spot on its neck. No matter how massive this beast was, the neck was still a kill zone.
And it was still bleeding.
All they had to do was outlast it.
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