The tiger lunged, and a foul, animal stench hit Su Yan. He used the Ape Leap Step to dodge the pounce sideways.
The ferocious beast was now facing away from Su Yan. It swept its tail like a steel whip, trying to block Su Yan from closing in, and turned to charge again. Su Yan, moving like an old ape, avoided the whip-like tail and leaped onto the tiger's back.
"Old Ape Striking the Crown"!
Su Yan delivered the Old Ape Striking the Crown strike heavily onto the tiger's head. Hundreds of jin of force converged on a single point, like a heavy hammer. The blow staggered the ferocious tiger.
The tiger twitched its body, trying to shake Su Yan off, and swung a massive paw around. Su Yan flipped to the side, placed his arms in front of him, and braced himself with his Ape Stance firmly planted, meeting the attack with the "Old Ape Supporting the Peak" move. With his skin refined, his skin was tough like cowhide. His braced arms successfully blocked the tiger's claw, which only left a bloody mark.
The tiger's attack was over. Su Yan closed the distance with the Ape Leap Step. Before the tiger could fully react, he delivered the "Golden Ape Seizing the Heart" punch, aiming straight for its abdomen.
The fierce strike felt like it churned the tiger's internal organs. The tiger cried out in pain and stumbled to the ground.
Su Yan's eyes blazed with ferocity. He strode forward, straight to the fallen tiger. Ignoring the possibility of the wounded beast lashing out, he firmly planted his feet and began relentlessly pounding the tiger's head. His arms swung like the limbs of a long-armed ape, possessing the momentum to fell trees and shake mountains.
He hammered punch after punch. The tiger tried to shake Su Yan off, but it couldn't dislodge him.
Gradually, Su Yan's muscles and bones activated. His skin tightened and swelled, and his blood energy surged and circulated. A burst of power rushed into both his arms, doubling or even tripling his strength instantly.
Crack! With a final "Old Ape Striking the Crown," the tiger's skull was smashed. Blood poured from its nose, mouth, and ears. The tiger's struggles became weaker. Su Yan, equally exhausted, slumped onto the tiger's body, panting heavily.
His skin was fiery red, but his strength was generating and recovering constantly. He took a five-to-six-year-old ginseng root from his Bug Realm space, chewed it raw, and swallowed it. He gently began circulating his Stance Skill, digesting the medicinal power. The warm current flowed through his body, finally filling the feeling of depletion.
'I succeeded!'
[First-Order Bug Master: 9/100][Bug Realm: 1 cubic meter][Body Forging Realm: Skin Refining 1/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Golden Ape Stance Skill: 34/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Ape Fist: 1/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Mountain-Trekking: 94/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Basic Archery: 151/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Herbology: 57/200 (Minor Accomplishment)][Dark Water Centipede: 103/200 (Growth Stage)]
Ape Fist had reached Minor Accomplishment. His movements were more proficient, and his application of force was instinctive, like a true ape. The fight, with its surging blood energy and the unity of mind and body, pushed his Skin Refining past the Initiate stage and into the Minor Accomplishment stage.
'A thousand jin of strength is nothing now. If I fully explode my power, I might be even stronger. The bloody scratches are already fading. This skin...'
Su Yan felt his skin, which now had the texture of a tough membrane. With this kind of resilience, ordinary weapons would struggle to inflict a serious wound without considerable force.
'But I still have to be careful. Having defense doesn't mean I'm immortal; it just means damage reduction. Only a fool would rely solely on a 'shield' to fight a 'spear.' What if it breaks? Defense is just insurance. If I can kill the enemy in three punches, I won't let them touch me.'
'The Dark Water Centipede, Archery, Mountain-Trekking, and Herbology have all progressed. If I find more poisonous creatures, the Dark Water Centipede might attempt to break through to Great Accomplishment. When that happens, the Bug Essence will be stronger, and it will be comparable to a Tendon-Bone stage fighter, perfect for protecting me.'
'First, I need to deal with this tiger.'
Su Yan wiped the constantly dripping blood from himself, then shouldered his basket. He used the force-application techniques of his Stance Skill to hoist the tiger's corpse onto his shoulder. The beast weighed seven or eight hundred jin. Su Yan only swayed slightly before stabilizing and walking toward the foot of the mountain with steady steps. His foundation, built by the Bug Essence and further tempered by Skin Refining Minor Accomplishment, allowed him to carry the massive tiger with ease.
Su Yan did not head toward Cloud-Front Village but went straight for Mountain Market Town. A tiger was no ordinary game; its price could be higher than most Treasure Plants. The entire tiger was a treasure: its meat, fur, tendons, and bones were all valuable. This wasn't something he could delay selling.
Su Yan strode quickly, his steps steady. He left the Cloud Ridge Mountain range and reached the main road.
"What a massive tiger!" He encountered a group of mountain people heading to the market, who were instantly startled. They looked closer and saw a boy of fifteen or sixteen beneath the large, striped tiger. His steps were firm, his eyes were sharp, and he had an aura even more imposing than the tiger.
"Is that Brother Yan from Cloud-Front Village?" someone recognized Su Yan.
Su Yan nodded: "Excuse me, friends. This tiger is heavy, and I'm moving fast. I don't want to bump into anyone."
The crowded mountain people immediately made their way, their faces a mix of surprise and excitement.
"Brother Yan from Cloud-Front Village hunted the Great Beast!"
"The Tiger-Slaying Youth! What incredible skill!"
A mountain-man hunting a tiger was a huge event, a cause for excitement even for those not from his village. Su Yan strode quickly toward the market, with the mountain people eagerly following him, constantly talking and estimating the tiger's size. Some ran ahead to the Mountain Market Town to spread the news.
When Su Yan arrived at the market entrance, it was already packed with onlookers.
"Hiss, what a massive tiger! Did he really hunt that?" Some people expressed doubt.
But the Cloud-Front Villagers were there, too. "What nonsense are you talking about? Didn't you see the seven or eight-hundred-jin tiger? Brother Yan didn't even wobble a step! Could you do that?"
"Our Brother Yan has been training in martial arts at the Golden Ape Martial Academy and has already achieved great things!"
The crowd of onlookers looked on in disbelief.
The people from the surrounding ten li of Cloud Ridge Mountain had certainly gritted their teeth and desperately sent their children to practice martial arts. However, few ever made anything of themselves. At most, they gained a robust physique and became hunters or found work in Yun Cang Town. But they remained poor.
Su Yan's current appearance, however, clearly signaled that he had broken through.
Su Yan carried the tiger through the market, and the crowd eagerly cleared a path for him.
"Brother Yan, Manager Yang of the Pan Family Restaurant is at the shop today."
Su Yan raised an eyebrow and nodded: "Thank you."
He strode quickly, carrying the tiger's carcass toward the Pan Family Restaurant shop, where a sizable crowd had already gathered. A massive man, shirtless, his muscular arms exposed, was standing there waiting.
"Young man, you've indeed hunted a huge tiger. Hand it over to the Pan Family Restaurant for processing. We won't charge you for skinning and butchering the bones. How about it?"
Su Yan put the tiger down heavily onto the hardwood counter with a thud.
"I would be grateful for Manager Yang's work. I will sell all the flesh, blood, and tendons to the Pan Family Restaurant. I only require the tiger hide, four kneecaps, and the spine."
Manager Yang stroked his beard and looked at Su Yan in surprise: "The kneecaps are the most valuable part of the tiger bone, and the spine is next. Are you sure you won't sell them?"
"I have a use for them, sir. If there is a next time, I will definitely sell everything to the Pan Family Restaurant."
"Ambitious."
If anyone else had said that Manager Yang wouldn't have believed them, but this young man was serious. He had killed this tiger with his bare hands.