The Demon Hunter and a Panorama of Cangyuan Realm

Meng Chuan stood calmly in the arena as two soldiers dragged away the corpse of the sheep demon. Another soldier quickly cleaned the arena.

According to the rules of the Demon-Slaying Festival, disciples of the Taoist Academy could continue to stand in the arena and fight new demons as long as they won. If they had sufficient skill, the Yuyang Palace would arrange increasingly powerful demons for them.

At that moment, another prison cart was pulled forward.

"Hmm?"

Meng Chuan's pupils contracted. Inside the cart was an extremely thin demon, but its skeletal frame was massive, making it appear enormous even while sitting cross-legged in the cage. Its dark yellow eyes scanned the surroundings, and its body was covered in dry, black-and-yellow striped fur.

"A tiger demon?" Meng Chuan was inwardly shocked.

"It's a tiger demon!"

"An actual tiger demon!" The disciples of the Taoist Academy exclaimed in astonishment. Among demons, creatures like pig demons and wolf demons were very common, and most of them were ordinary, though occasionally some exceptionally strong ones appeared. But tiger demons... they were rare. Even the weakest tiger demon was at the level of a Great Demon.

The court official laughed heartily and announced, "Everyone, this is the first Great Demon of this Demon-Slaying Festival, and it's a tiger demon! Of course, it has been starved for a long time, so its body has weakened, and its bones and muscles have deteriorated. It retains only 30% of its peak strength. It will be Meng Chuan's opponent, as well as the opponent of the Transfiguration Realm disciples of the Taoist Academy. Proceed with the utmost caution, everyone. Even with its greatly reduced strength, it is still above you. Exercise utmost caution."

"Clang."

The door of the cage was opened. The one-armed man looked at the tiger demon and said coldly, "Win ten matches in a row, and you can return to your cell. You'll also enjoy a month of fine food and wine."

"Ten matches?"

The tiger demon hunched over and slowly stepped out of the cage, scanning its surroundings.

Among the spectators around the arena, it could sense a terrifying threat from more than ten individuals—the principals of the eight Taoist Academies, experts from the five great families, court officials, and figures like Mei Yuanzhi and the one-armed man from the Yuyang Palace. In total, there were eighteen. Even at its peak, these terrifying humans could kill it in an instant. What it didn't know was that over half of the powerhouses in Dongning City who had mastered "force" were present today.

Of course, the most terrifying was the one seated in the main position.

The Lord of the Yuyang Palace sat there, and in the tiger demon's perception, he was like a blazing sun! The slightest release of his power could annihilate it.

"My first opponent is this child?" The tiger demon looked at Meng Chuan on the other side of the arena. "So weak."

"Tiger demon!" Meng Chuan's focus became razor-sharp. The light in his eyes dimmed, yet his killing intent grew even fiercer.

Yet he remained standing still, unmoving. His position was at the edge of the arena, so even if the tiger demon pounced, it would have to be careful not to step out of the arena—demons who left the arena would be killed without exception!

First, he would probe the tiger demon's capabilities, then formulate a battle plan.

"Whoosh."

The tiger demon pounced, bringing with it a gust of foul-smelling wind. In the blink of an eye, it was in front of Meng Chuan.

"Swish."

Meng Chuan immediately dodged, retreating rapidly while slashing out with his blade. However, the strike was blocked by the tiger demon's claw, and the impact forced Meng Chuan to stagger back several steps after landing.

"My greatest strength is speed, yet it matches mine," Meng Chuan thought with alarm. "Its strength is twice mine. And this is only 30% of its peak strength? Fortunately, although its combat skills are refined, it hasn't reached the 'Unity Realm' level."

"Leverage my strengths to target the enemy's weaknesses."

"I have a chance to kill it!"

Meng Chuan instantly made his decision.

Ordinary Taoist Academy disciples would feel nervous during their first encounter with a demon, often only able to unleash seventy percent of their usual strength. Meng Chuan was different. The fire that had been smoldering within him since childhood erupted the moment he faced the demon, making him even more excited! His focus sharpened! His mind and body united more perfectly, allowing his strength to burst forth even more powerfully. This was his battle-ready state.

In peak condition, he could surpass his usual performance.

"He actually dodged? Interesting," the tiger demon growled lowly, pouncing again.

Meng Chuan charged head-on, his speed matching the tiger demon's. Unlike the tiger demon's reckless charge, his movements were as elusive as a fleeting gust of wind.

The two passed each other.

In that fleeting moment, Meng Chuan silently slashed with his blade, using the Deceptive Blade Stance from the Falling Leaves Blade Technique, aiming for the unexpected.

The blade light sliced across the tiger demon's abdomen, cutting through fur and flesh.

"You wounded me?" The tiger demon paused, touching its abdomen, its expression growing more ferocious. Meng Chuan simply stared at it, his voice low but commanding, "Kill," as he charged again.

Whoosh.

They passed each other once more.

Meng Chuan didn't engage in prolonged combat with the tiger demon, relying on his elusive movements to strike and retreat. He knew all too well that in close combat, the physically strong and powerful tiger demon could exchange injuries. While the tiger demon would only suffer a minor wound from his blade, a single swipe from the tiger demon could leave him severely injured or even dead.

On the Arena, the tiger demon, reeking of bloodlust, furiously chased Meng Chuan, who repeatedly engaged and disengaged.

With every three to five exchanges, another wound marked the tiger demon's body.

Clearly, Meng Chuan's blade technique was superior.

As the wounds accumulated, the tiger demon's injuries gradually worsened.

"Thud." Another slash, this time following the previous wound on the lower abdomen, enlarging it threefold. Blood sprayed, causing the tiger demon to stagger. Its eyes burned red as it glared at the human youth. Meng Chuan remained coldly focused.

"He's actually succeeded in severely injuring the tiger demon."

"I feel like this Meng Chuan doesn't seem like someone who just recently comprehended the Unity Realm. His explosive power is even more ferocious."

"He's so calm, never giving the tiger demon a chance."

The high-ranking members of the five great families, the Taoist Academy principals, and the imperial experts exchanged words, clearly impressed.

"Chuan." Liu Qiyue, however, was extremely nervous. Every clash between Meng Chuan and the tiger demon filled her with dread—after all, it was a Great Demon!

"Is this Meng Chuan's pursuit?" Yun Qingping watched in a daze. In her eyes, Meng Chuan had always been a dull, foolish blockhead, obsessed with training all day, too mild-mannered for her liking. But today, on the Arena, he was a terrifying figure, killing a sheep demon with a single strike. And now, facing the tiger demon in repeated battles, his restrained killing intent was all the more fearsome and ruthless…

This was also Meng Chuan!

"Is this his true self?" Yun Qingping felt she had misjudged him all along. The seemingly ordinary Meng Chuan, unremarkable in times of peace, revealed his true ferocity amidst the storm of blood and violence.

Perhaps marrying him wouldn't be so bad.

But the family's actions cannot be reversed.

...

The tiger demon's wound on its lower abdomen was deep, but its muscles quickly closed to stop the bleeding. However, its speed had slowed by a third. It glared fiercely at Meng Chuan, its murderous aura spreading.

Yet Meng Chuan, like the calmest of hunters, completely ignored its aura, ready to take its life at any moment.

"Whoosh."

Meng Chuan lunged forward again.

"Roar~~~" As the two closed in, the tiger demon let out a furious roar while pouncing.

The roar unleashed twisted black ripples that surged in all directions.

The tiger demon's black and red fur suddenly glowed, and its eyes faintly shimmered with golden light. Even the power of its claws surged dramatically.

"Hmm? It actually has the lineage of a demon king? It's been imprisoned for over a year, and we didn't notice. It hid it quite well," the Lord of Yuyang Palace, seated in the main position, was startled. An invisible force from the Lord of Yuyang Palace enveloped every corner of the distant arena, ready to intervene at any moment. If the arranged demon exceeded expectations, it would be Yuyang Palace's mistake.

The roar hit Meng Chuan head-on. His ears rang, and his mind buzzed, but the more critical the moment, the more focused he became. He stayed clear-headed, shifting from offense to defense against the tiger demon's enhanced claws. Over the years, he had practiced blocking his dear sister Qiyue's arrows almost daily, honing his defensive sword techniques to exceptional skill.

"Boom!!!" Meng Chuan felt an overwhelmingly heavy and terrifying force transmitted through his sword technique to his entire body, sending him flying uncontrollably.

While flying backward, Meng Chuan lightly touched the arena floor with his foot, retreating even faster.

The tiger demon followed up with another pounce, narrowly missing Meng Chuan.

Meng Chuan retreated directly out of the arena, landing on the ground. He staggered, using his sword to support himself and barely avoiding a fall.

"Pfft." Meng Chuan couldn't hold back a mouthful of blood, his face pale. Blood also seeped from his ears, a result of the earlier roar.

"He actually escaped?"

The tiger demon stared down at Meng Chuan, deeply shocked.

Facing death, it had been forced to reveal its hidden demon king lineage. Its critical "tiger roar" was usually enough to stun enemies, allowing it to kill them. But this human youth, even with his ears bleeding, had perfectly blocked its attack. While being sent flying, he had decisively touched the arena floor to retreat even faster, escaping its second pounce.

"Chuan'er!" Meng Dajiang rushed over, and Liu Qiyue also ran over in concern.

"This Meng Chuan…" The Lord of Yuyang Palace's eyes gleamed with interest. Many strong individuals may seem high in cultivation, and their techniques may appear powerful during practice. But in life-and-death battles, they can only perform at sixty to seventy percent of their potential. Some, however, can surpass their usual level. How much one can unleash in battle is related to battle wisdom, willpower, and mental state. Those skilled in battle, even if their cultivation levels are similar, can sometimes kill three or four opponents of equal strength.

"This is his first time dealing with a demon this year, right?" the Lord of Yuyang Palace said with satisfaction. "I hope he can truly become a Divine Lord."

Meng Chuan felt his hearing gradually returning to normal. Meng Dajiang, standing beside him, was using his Qi to examine him and said, "Chuan'er, your ears are just injured from the shock. It's not a big deal. They'll fully recover in a few days."

"Mm," Meng Chuan nodded.

"It was very wise of you to step down from the arena immediately. That tiger demon actually carries the bloodline of a demon king," Meng Dajiang said gravely. "Now that it's been exposed, even if it survives this time, it will be sent to the state capital for further handling."

"Next..."

Suddenly, a voice called out.

Meng Chuan looked over and saw that it was the court official holding the list who spoke. The official smiled and announced loudly, "Yuyang Palace, Yan Jin!"

"What?" Everyone present was surprised.

Wasn't it supposed to be a disciple from one of the Eight Great Taoist Academies?

After Meng Chuan, it should have been a Transfiguration Realm disciple from the Taoist Academy. Why was it someone from Yuyang Palace?

"My Yuyang Palace also has a junior who wishes to try his hand," the Lord of Yuyang Palace said with a smile, nodding slightly to the white-robed youth behind him.

The white-robed youth stood up immediately and walked toward the arena.

"What? He's still at the Marrow Washing Realm?" The strong individuals present could naturally sense the youth's aura. It was clear he hadn't cultivated the Divine Lord Body yet and was still at the Marrow Washing Realm.

"Marrow Washing Realm, facing a tiger demon?" Everyone was somewhat astonished.

Even Meng Chuan was taken aback. He knew all too well the power of the tiger demon.