Chapter Twenty-Five: Fulfillment

"He's won!"

As the beast fell, the surrounding spectators erupted in joyful shouts.

"Chen Fan is already so powerful—no wonder he could kill Yu Xingzheng with a single punch!"

Bao Tianyou and the others, who knew Chen Fan, cheered even louder, collectively breathing a sigh of relief.

Dong Guzhi, seeing his disciple claim such an effortless victory, exhaled and felt an immense surge of delight.

"This boy’s movement and swordsmanship are both impressive! But this sword technique… it doesn’t seem to be one of the True Essence martial skills I recommended to him..."

...

Chen Fan stood on the platform, one eyebrow raised.

This goat demon was even weaker than he’d expected; he hadn’t even needed to use his fully mastered Nine Suns Dominant Tiger Fist. In terms of killing power, his weapons certainly gave him an edge, but for sheer suppression and explosive force, his perfected Nine Suns Dominant Tiger Fist far surpassed his swordsmanship.

The goat demon was much stronger than Xiao Chunkong, whom he’d fought before, but compared to his own current strength, the gap was insurmountable.

He felt almost no pressure—the fight hadn’t pushed his sword or movement skills further.

Turning to the side of the arena, he called, “General Yin, may I fight another round?”

At these words, not only the third-level martial artists, but also the fourth and fifth-level disciples all looked at him in surprise.

Fan Zhong couldn’t help but glance several times at his junior brother.

Yin Hang was momentarily stunned; then his eyes gleamed and he laughed heartily, “Of course you may!”

He turned to the massive cages nearby. “There are still eight beasts left for the third-level martial artists—do you want to challenge one more? Or two, or even three at once?”

In previous years, a single beast could defeat four or five martial artists of the same rank; the number of beasts this year was more than sufficient.

But Chen Fan shook his head and pointed to the other side, at the spot where the fourth-level tiger demon was caged. “I want to challenge that tiger demon!”

He had dispatched the goat demon so easily that his confidence had soared, emboldening him to face the tiger.

Beside him, Chi Liuguang was utterly stunned. “So he really was interested in that tiger demon! I didn’t expect him to challenge a fourth-level beast so soon. He must be mad...”

Yin Hang was also taken aback, his brows furrowing as he shook his head. “The tiger beasts are among the most formidable of their kind, and that particular one is especially dangerous—even among fourth-level beasts, it’s among the strongest. It’s a bit early for you to take it on...”

At the same time, Chen Fan’s senior brother Fan Zhong came to the side of the arena, frowning. “Don’t be careless, Chen Fan. A fourth-level beast is ten times stronger than a third-level one—it’s extremely dangerous!”

But Chen Fan’s gaze was unwavering. “Don’t worry, senior brother. Master prepared an inner armor for me of treasure-weapon grade. I’m confident I can keep my life.”

Fan Zhong couldn’t help but glance at Dong Guzhi, seated high above. Dong Guzhi, though his brow was deeply furrowed and his face filled with hesitation, made no move to stop him.

Fan Zhong, recalling Chen Fan’s performance against the goat demon, finally relented. “Think it through. This Demon-Slaying Tournament doesn’t mean you have to risk your life. You have extraordinary talent—it would be a pity if you died here.”

“I have thought it through,” Chen Fan replied.

“Very well.” Fan Zhong nodded, shot a glance at Yin Hang, said no more, and returned to the team.

Yin Hang, seeing the determination in Chen Fan’s eyes, shook his head helplessly, then turned to his four lieutenants. “Watch the arena carefully. Be ready to intervene at any moment!”

He gave the order for the tiger beast to be brought forward.

With a clatter, more than a dozen men pushed the enormous cage, finally bringing the tiger beast to the edge of the arena.

Roar!

This beast exuded far more oppression than the goat demon.

Savage and menacing, it was several times larger than an ordinary tiger, its fur dense and thick, though otherwise unremarkable in appearance.

But tigers are fierce by nature, and a tiger demon is nearly always the strongest and most brutal among beasts of equal rank.

As Chen Fan watched the tiger climb onto the platform, his heart pounded uncontrollably.

Drool spilled constantly from the tiger’s mouth, its body reeking of blood and stench.

Roar!

As soon as it set foot on the stage, it sprang at Chen Fan with a deafening roar.

He focused all his attention, gripping his sword tightly.

At the same time, he launched into his Three Thousand Thunder Steps, moving with lightning speed, dodging the beast’s claws and sidestepping past it.

“Now!”

A flash of sword light.

His blade sliced through the tiger’s thick fur, leaving a bloody streak.

But the beast’s body was so tough that, even with Chen Fan’s current strength, his sword barely cut the skin and failed to reach the muscle.

With a thud, the tiger landed in pain, spinning instantly, its eyes locked with predatory intensity on Chen Fan.

Exhaling sharply, Chen Fan’s gaze was razor-sharp, his Three Thousand Thunder Steps executed with perfect precision—he dared not lose focus for a moment.

Again, his blade flashed.

“Flowing Cloud Sword Technique!”

His swordlight fell like a curtain, enveloping the tiger.

But the beast swung its massive paw down, smashing through the sword screen with terrifying force.

Boom!

In terms of raw strength, this beast even surpassed Chen Fan.

He felt searing pain in his hands, his expression shifting slightly—he nearly lost his grip on the sword.

As the tiger closed in, his feet moved at blinding speed.

“Thunder Flash!”

He vanished in a flicker of light, pulling away from the beast.

This Thunder Flash was a secret technique he had realized after perfecting the Three Thousand Thunder Steps—draining, but so fast that even a fourth-level beast could not keep up.

“A fourth-level beast’s power is immense—if I take a direct hit, unless the silverleaf armor absorbs it, I’ll be seriously injured!”

After widening the distance, the tiger roared and pounced again.

Chen Fan’s sword moved like drifting clouds, his feet a blur, his focus absolute, barely managing to hold his ground.

Yet his eyes remained fixed on the tiger’s every move, growing ever brighter.

This beast brought him not only pressure, but something more.

Each of its actions seemed mysterious in his eyes; as he watched its attacks, he gained new insights into the Nine Suns Dominant Tiger Fist. Runes flickered before his eyes; he was comprehending deeper mysteries.

The green progress bar in his vision suddenly leaped forward by a large margin.

But still, he could not reach the state of “subtlety”—he was just a breath away.

At the same time, his Three Thousand Thunder Steps, under the desperate pressure of life and death, advanced steadily.

As for the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, its progress climbed rapidly.

His sword swept across again, but even so, he struggled to inflict real harm on the tiger.

A moment later, its paw grazed his chest. The inner armor absorbed most of the impact, but Chen Fan’s blood surged, his body reeled backward, and a sweet taste rose in his throat.

“This tiger’s power is terrifying!”

The Flowing Cloud Sword Technique was better suited for defense than attack—it was not particularly lethal.

And against such a beast, he dared not abandon his sword and use his fists. His fists were stronger, but much riskier; it could mean instant death.

If not for the inner armor, he would already be seriously hurt.

He adjusted his breathing, blood and energy churning, but his eyes remained bright.

He raised his sword once more.

Swordlight spun in the air.

The tiger’s roars grew ever louder.

Again and again, Chen Fan struck, the tiger closing in, only for him to pull away with Thunder Flash.

Now and then, the tiger’s paw grazed him, sending his blood surging anew; blood even spilled from his lips.

Each time his sword landed, the tiger suffered more wounds and grew ever more enraged—its attacks became increasingly savage.

Once more, Chen Fan’s swordlight was shattered by the beast’s paw.

He kept retreating, eyes shining ever more brightly.

His excitement came because, under such pressure, his movement skill’s progress bar kept climbing; several brushes with death pushed it even higher, surpassing even the Nine Suns Dominant Tiger Fist.

He was now just a hair’s breadth from perfect mastery.

But that last step was like a chasm—impossible to cross.

“Not enough, still not enough!”

Chen Fan’s eyes were bloodshot, frustration gnawing at him. Then, gritting his teeth, he suddenly threw his sword to the ground with a clang.

He charged straight at the tiger with his fists.

In a flash, his thunderous steps carried him even closer to the beast—this was more dangerous than before!

“What?!”

“Has Chen Fan lost his mind?!”

What is he doing?

Chen Fan discarding his sword and facing the tiger with his bare fists sent a ripple of shock and confusion through the crowd.

Dong Guzhi, watching from afar, was so tense that he nearly leapt down to stop the fight.

Lin Shiyu and the others watched with bated breath.

“He’s using the pressure of life and death to temper his martial arts!”

...

Again and again, Chen Fan faced the tiger’s deadly claws, using the Three Thousand Thunder Steps to dodge by the narrowest of margins.

Without his sword, the battle grew even more perilous—one misstep, and he’d be struck head-on, facing certain death.

His blood was in turmoil, the pressure immense. His feet moved like the wind.

His mind focused wholly on his footwork; the pressure was so great that the slightest lapse would mean immediate defeat.

All who watched gripped their hearts, fearing the moment when the tiger’s claws would end his life.

In truth, the tiger’s size and strength far surpassed Chen Fan’s, but his own robust vitality meant he wouldn’t die in a single blow.

Still, it was unspeakably dangerous.

But perhaps because of that danger, the final barrier in his movement skill—previously stuck—was at last broken through in this crucible of battle...

The progress bar leaped forward at last, completing in full.