Riu Xian tightened his fists, the lingering warmth of his Blazing Phoenix Fist still radiating from his skin. The veiled woman, her Core Formation Qi suffusing the air like a suffocating wave, stepped forward. Her eyes gleamed beneath her veil, brimming with contempt and lethal intent.
“You’ve underestimated us, mortal,” she hissed, her voice icy and unyielding.
Riu Xian smirked. “Mortal? It seems you’ve underestimated me.”
The seven Qi Gathering cultivators lay scattered and groaning in pain, no longer a threat. The hooded man, now furious, lunged forward with his spear once more. Riu Xian met him head-on, the fiery glow of the Blazing Phoenix Fist clashing against the spear’s formidable Qi-infused strikes. Sparks flew, illuminating the dark forest like scattered fireworks.
But Riu Xian wasn’t content with a mere clash. He wanted to push his limits. Drawing from his memory of the Murim Tiger Punch, he sought to integrate the explosive power of fire with the raw ferocity of the tiger.
The hooded man faltered under the relentless attacks. His spear trembled as Riu Xian’s combined techniques began to overwhelm him. A feral roar accompanied one of Riu Xian’s punches, the fiery aura manifesting briefly into the form of a roaring tiger. The blow struck the man’s chest with devastating force, sending him hurtling through the air. He crashed into a tree with a sickening crunch, blood splattering across the bark as his body went limp.
Riu Xian stepped forward cautiously, his spiritual sense probing the hooded man’s still form. There was no trace of life. His chest had caved in from the impact, and his lifeless eyes stared into the void.
“A foolish end for someone blinded by greed,” Riu Xian muttered, sparing the corpse one last glance before shifting his focus to the veiled woman.
“Enough!”
The veiled woman raised her hand, and a golden talisman appeared. She channeled her Core Formation Qi into it, and an enormous serpent made of energy coiled around her. The beast hissed, its glowing eyes fixed on Riu Xian.
“You dare challenge me with such crude techniques?” she taunted, her voice cold with fury.
“You have killed my brother! My Lu family will never let you go,” she spat, her eyes blazing with hatred.
Riu Xian’s expression remained calm as he replied, “It’s not the first time I’m killing someone from the Lu family. If I remember correctly, a few years ago, during the invasion of the Cloudspring Sect by the Bright Snow Sect, I blew Lu Hao's head off with a single slap.”
Her face twisted in shock and rage. “You… you killed both of my brothers? Today, I will kill you and exact revenge for my brothers and on behalf of my Lu family!”
The serpent around her surged forward, its energy crackling with lethal intent as the battle between them intensified.
Riu Xian’s heart raced, but his smirk didn’t waver. He knew she was a more formidable foe than the others. However, he had an advantage she didn’t anticipate—his spatial treasure boat.
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As the serpent lunged, Riu Xian’s figure flickered and vanished into the ground. The veiled woman’s eyes widened as her serpent collided with nothing but dirt.
“Coward!” she spat, scanning her surroundings with her spiritual sense.
Deep underground, Riu Xian navigated silently using his boat ring. The artifact allowed him to traverse undetected, avoiding her probing spiritual sense. He positioned himself beneath her and prepared for his next move.
Channeling the combined power of his new fiery fist technique and the ferocity of the tiger punch, he punched upward, erupting from the ground like a volcano. His fiery fist struck her abdomen, sending her reeling back with a cry of pain.
The veiled woman barely had time to react as Riu Xian followed up with a flurry of strikes, each one more powerful and precise than the last. Her defenses faltered under the relentless assault. With a final blow, the fiery tiger emerged once more, roaring as it crashed into her chest. She flew back, coughing blood, and collapsed to the ground, critically injured.
Riu Xian wasted no time. He snatched her spatial bag, his spiritual sense confirming the wealth of treasures inside. Without another word, he activated his boat ring and vanished underground, leaving the devastated scene behind.
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Several days later, Riu Xian arrived in a small mortal town nestled near a serene river. The town was peaceful, its streets bustling with farmers, traders, and craftsmen. The stark contrast to the chaos of the Thousand Lantern Market was refreshing.
As he walked through the streets, Riu Xian noticed something peculiar. The air here was rich with Qi, far more abundant than in any mortal settlement he had encountered before. His instincts told him there was something unusual about the nearby river.
“This will be a good place to stay for now,” he decided. “I’ll use the time to master my techniques and investigate the source of this Qi later.”
Riu Xian used his ring to travel underground, moving beneath the riverbed where the Qi was strong. The artifact helped him shape the soil into a hidden cave deep below the water. This spot was perfect—safe and hidden from other cultivators. The cave was simple but had everything he needed, with a small area to sit and meditate and spaces to store his treasures. The air inside was filled with the rich Qi from the river, making it an ideal place to train and grow stronger.
Settling into his new abode, Riu Xian began his training. The scroll containing the Blazing Phoenix Fist lay open before him, its intricate diagrams guiding him as he practiced. He focused on perfecting the integration of the fiery fist with the Murim Tiger Punch, combining the techniques into a seamless flow of power and precision.
Days turned into weeks as Riu Xian meditated, practiced, and refined his understanding. He faced countless challenges, from maintaining the balance of fire Qi to controlling the explosive force of the tiger punch. Yet, his persistence paid off.
Two months had passed since Riu Xian began his seclusion in the underground cave beneath the river. The cave was rich with Qi, making it the perfect place for meditation and training. During this time, he focused entirely on mastering the combined technique—the merging of the Murim Tiger Punch with the Blazing Phoenix Fist.
He poured all his energy into refining the technique, but the real breakthrough came during a deep meditation session. In his mind, the fiery tiger he had envisioned became sharper and more alive. Its energy roared with a newfound strength, as if the technique had finally accepted him as its master.
Standing in the center of his cave, Riu Xian channeled his Qi into his fists and unleashed the attack. A blazing tiger burst forth, its roar echoing through the chamber as flames filled the air. The power of the attack was fierce, scorching the walls of the cave and filling it with heat.
“It’s done,” Riu Xian said with a satisfied smile. “The Fiery Tiger Palm is mine now.”
With his newfound power, Riu Xian felt ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. For now, though, he would remain in the town, biding his time and investigating the mysterious Qi-rich river.