Chapter 1203: Eating Soft Rice with Dominance

Chapter 1202: Eating Soft Rice with Dominance

“Wusha’s” heart was shaken to the core.

At that moment, he finally understood that the heavens and earth were vast, and experts were as countless as fish crossing the river. His own existence was but a speck of dust in the sea. In the eyes of true experts, he might really be no more than an “ant.”

Looking ahead at no less than five Golden Core cultivators, and countless Foundation Establishment masters gathered like clouds and forests, Wusha’s legs began to tremble, nearly unable to stand.

Dan-Zhu opened his mouth and asked Wusha: “Who are you?”

Wusha wanted to speak, but his throat was dry, and no words came out. He could only tremble as he presented the letter in his hand.

Elder Ba-Shan took the letter and handed it to Dan-Zhu.

After reading it, Dan-Zhu’s eyes brightened slightly, he nodded, and then said to Wusha: “Lead the way.”

Wusha quickly lowered his head and obeyed.

He led the way in front, while the group moved in grand procession, crossing through the Wusha Mountain Realm, into the Wutu Mountain Realm, and finally arriving at the Wutu Tribe. A force with Golden Core experts entering a second-grade realm was like a mighty dragon passing through—it was overwhelming beyond words.

Along the way, the various tribes, their chiefs and elders, all sensed this terrifying aura. Their expressions changed dramatically, and their hearts filled with dread.

Wusha walked at the front.

This new “chieftain” and “mountain lord” felt like nothing more than a pawn leading soldiers.

The initial shock in his heart had turned into deep unease and fear.

He couldn’t understand why these legendary figures—Golden Cores—would suddenly appear in such a small realm.

Once Golden Cores arrived, how could the second-grade tribes like theirs continue to survive?

This kind of power could crush their little barbarian forces effortlessly.

Lord Shaman said these people were his “guests.”

But would such Golden Core experts and their armies really act like “guests”?

If they wanted to be “masters” instead, what could Lord Shaman do?

What could he possibly do against Golden Core cultivators?

Wasn’t this… “inviting wolves into the house”?

Wusha’s lips pressed tight, his expression grew heavier, and his nerves reached a peak when these Golden Cores and their elite warriors entered the Wutu Tribe.

He truly feared that if conflict broke out, their small realms would be annihilated in an instant.

But none of his worries came to pass.

These Golden Cores and their barbarian troops committed no offense along the way.

And when they entered the Wutu Tribe and saw Lord Shaman, the five Golden Core experts, together with five to six hundred Foundation Establishment soldiers, all bowed and respectfully greeted:

“Sir.”

“Mr. Wu.”

“Lord Shaman…”

Mo Hua’s expression remained calm, and he only replied gently: “You’ve worked hard.”

Wusha froze, a boulder in his heart slowly falling.

But soon after, his pupils trembled violently as an inconceivable guess emerged in his mind.

Could it be… these people were not Lord Shaman’s “guests”?

But rather his… companions, even his subordinates?

This wasn’t a dragon merely passing through… it was Lord Shaman’s own dragon?!

Lord Shaman hadn’t said it outright, but the more Wusha looked, the more convinced he became.

The shock in his heart surged like a storming sea.

When he looked again at Mo Hua, he suddenly felt that Lord Shaman’s figure stood as tall as the heavens themselves—so high it inspired dread.

And Wusha wasn’t the only one feeling this unreachable awe.

Jiao Li, the lesser tribal chiefs, and some elders with sharp eyes were all struck speechless with shock.

On the surface, Lord Shaman’s cultivation was only Foundation Establishment.

Yet five Golden Cores treated him with great respect.

Five or six hundred Foundation Establishment elites followed his every command.

What majesty was this? What strength of character? What kind of… inconceivable reality?

At that moment, in their eyes, Mo Hua’s figure was no different from the gods at the horizon.

After some commotion, the native tribes of Wutu Mountain Realm gradually accepted this fact. Their shock quieted, and Dan-Zhu’s forces temporarily settled in the small realm to rest.

With Lord Shaman, whose prestige was like that of a deity, overseeing matters, everything in the small realm soon returned to normal.

The Black-Horn Tribe’s Jiao Li no longer dared harbor disloyalty.

Wusha was replaced as ruler of Wusha Mountain Realm, and the tribe began to change face.

All tribal disputes and restless hearts gradually dissipated under Mo Hua’s imposing presence.

In Wutu Tribe, the children’s voices once again rang out in study.

The teachings Mo Hua spread began to circulate again throughout the mountain realm.

The situation stabilized somewhat. Mo Hua was relieved, gave Elder Zhamu a few instructions, and then wished to venture into the deep mountains of Wutu to check on Big Tiger.

It had been over a year since he last saw Big Tiger. He worried whether the tiger had gone hungry or met with danger.

But before he set out, Elder Zhamu’s face was grave: “Lord Shaman, you… intend to go into the deep mountains?”

Mo Hua nodded. “What is it?”

Elder Zhamu hesitated: “Recently… the deep mountains have become dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Mo Hua was startled.

Elder Zhamu explained: “We of the Wutu Tribe followed your command and declared the deep mountains forbidden. We never enter. It had always been peaceful… but in the past half-year, for some reason, the demonic aura has grown violent. And…”

His face darkened, “At midnight, there are often beastly roars shaking the mountains. Truly terrifying.”

Mo Hua’s heart sank.

Before leaving, he had warned Big Tiger countless times to keep a low profile, not to stir trouble.

Otherwise, it could disturb common cultivators, or attract the greed of unknown experts and powerful beasts.

The wilderness was not peaceful—better to avoid trouble.

But now, demonic aura was spreading in the mountains? Nightly roars shaking the peaks?

What happened…

Did Big Tiger advance in cultivation?

Impossible. Its realm was still far from third-grade, and in a second-grade realm, breakthrough shouldn’t even be possible.

Mo Hua’s eyes narrowed. He told Elder Zhamu:

“Don’t worry. I’ll go see. Just warn the tribe—no one is to approach the deep mountains. As long as they stay away, there will be no problem.”

Elder Zhamu nodded. “Yes, Lord Shaman.”

Mo Hua left him and entered the mountains alone.

The deep mountains were desolate, with deadwood, steep peaks, and thick, chaotic forests. The mist was heavier, and the miasma more poisonous.

Within the miasma lingered an obvious stench of demonic beasts.

This wasn’t Big Tiger’s scent.

Mo Hua’s pupils shrank.

He released his divine sense, but the mountain’s auras blended together, the fog, miasma, and demonic qi so thick they formed a single mass. Even his divine sense couldn’t penetrate clearly.

Mo Hua was secretly shocked.

“What on earth has happened here?”

Patiently, he pressed deeper, heading toward the cave where Big Tiger had dwelled.

The further he went, the harsher the forest grew. Stones looked like crouching tigers, deadwood like ghosts.

The surrounding demonic aura grew so thick it stung the nose.

As he walked, Mo Hua suddenly froze and looked up.

In the yellow-white mountain mist ahead, he faintly saw the silhouette of a great tiger.

Joy flickered in his heart, but then his face changed.

This was not his Big Tiger.

Even as a hazy shadow, he could tell—this tiger demon was different.

His Big Tiger was bulkier, stronger, taller.

The tiger emerged from the miasma: black and yellow stripes, exuding fierce malice, glaring at Mo Hua with authority.

“As expected… not mine.”

Mo Hua frowned, doubts rising: “Where did my Big Tiger go…”

The striped tiger stared at him, suspicious and cautious.

Against this tiger demon, Mo Hua looked frail and small, his cultivation weak, seemingly no threat. Normally, even a cultivator of equal realm wasn’t a match for such a beast.

But the tiger didn’t strike.

Some beasts had an uncanny intuition, able to sense hidden danger. This one sensed that this thin youth was no ordinary “human.”

So it didn’t act rashly.

Mo Hua never attacked without cause, whether against humans or beasts.

And now, with the situation unclear and Big Tiger missing, he restrained himself.

Man and tiger locked eyes.

Then, noises rose from the forest.

Mo Hua’s gaze shook as he saw more shadows appear in the miasma—layer upon layer of tiger demons.

No fewer than ten.

Even Mo Hua inhaled sharply.

Where did so many tigers come from?! Did he stumble into a tiger’s den?!

One after another, ferocious tigers padded out of the mist, surrounding him.

One tiger might find him “dangerous.” But a dozen together would not.

Even a Golden Core would perish in such jaws.

Now, the one in danger… was Mo Hua.

His figure flashed and vanished from sight.

The tigers froze.

Their beast senses couldn’t pierce his concealment.

From the shadows, Mo Hua slipped away. But before he could relax, he suddenly felt ten-plus killing intents lock onto him again.

Mo Hua froze for a moment, then suddenly understood.

The smell!

These tiger demons couldn’t see him, nor could their demonic sense detect him—but they could smell his “human” scent.

Normally, the scent wouldn’t matter.

But in this miasma-filled forest, the demonic qi made his human scent all the more obvious.

Every step he took stirred the mist, betraying his presence to the tigers.

Not good…

Mo Hua’s heart trembled. The next instant, sure enough, a sharp tiger claw flashing with cold light swiped at him from behind.

Mo Hua activated Flowing-Water Step, sliding past the claw tip, narrowly dodging the strike.

Then came the stench of blood and a gust of demonic wind.

Over a dozen tigers pounced at him in succession.

Even for Mo Hua, no matter how refined his Flowing-Water Step was, under the relentless assault of over ten powerful tiger demons, it was impossible to come out unscathed.

And with his weak body, even a single scratch from a tiger demon could cripple him.

Mo Hua’s head throbbed, his heart sinking further in shock and confusion:

“Aren’t tigers supposed to be the kings among demons?”

“And aren’t tiger demons usually solitary? The strong walk alone—only the weak gather in groups. Where did so many tiger packs come from?!”

He had no intention of fighting these tigers, yet they pursued him endlessly.

After a full incense stick’s time of this desperate chase, Mo Hua finally frowned.

“I wonder… would killing tigers count as breaking fate-bane’s taboo?”

“After all, tigers aren’t human.”

Just as killing intent sharpened in his eyes, a thunderous roar suddenly echoed from deeper in the forest.

This roar was louder, more commanding—and strangely familiar to Mo Hua’s ears.

“Wait… Big Tiger?!”

Mo Hua was startled. He turned his head, and sure enough, from the nearby forest burst a massive, fur-covered tiger with black-and-white interwoven stripes.

Big Tiger.

It let out a resounding “Awoo!” toward the tigers behind Mo Hua.

To his astonishment, the dozen bloodthirsty tigers all stopped, lowered their heads, and ceased their pursuit.

Mo Hua blinked, dumbfounded.

These tigers… actually obeyed Big Tiger?

Since when was Big Tiger so… dignified?

The black-and-white striped Big Tiger gave Mo Hua another roar—clearly displeased that Mo Hua hadn’t visited for so long. Still, remembering their bond, it begrudgingly greeted him.

With a complicated expression, Mo Hua walked over to Big Tiger’s side.

The other tigers only stared silently.

Then, with majestic pride, Big Tiger led Mo Hua deeper into the mountains. Confused and bewildered, Mo Hua followed behind.

Through the thicker miasma and demon qi, they reached Big Tiger’s cave dwelling.

Mo Hua now realized this cave had grown much larger.

Claw marks scored the walls—evidence that the cave had been “expanded” to house more tiger demons.

And here, the demon qi was thickest, almost solid in its density.

The dark maw of the cave radiated a suffocating sense of danger and killing intent.

Mo Hua’s divine sense stirred, as if he had detected something—his expression changed, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.

Big Tiger, however, didn’t think that much about it.

It just gave Mo Hua a low growl, as if saying “Welcome home,” then swaggered into the cave.

After a moment’s hesitation, Mo Hua drew a steady breath and followed inside.

The cave was even larger and deeper than before, with multiple branching tunnels.

Demonic qi clung so heavily to the stone walls it nearly crystallized.

This was a true “Tiger’s Den.”

For human cultivators, such a beast domain was an absolute forbidden ground—a deathtrap.

Unless they died and became food, no human could ever step inside.

And no tiger would ever allow it.

Except Big Tiger, the “odd one out,” who proudly brought Mo Hua straight into this forbidden den.

All the way to the very depths.

And in the very depths of this tiger’s den, yet another “ferocious tiger” dwelled.

Mo Hua took one glance and his scalp went numb.

His guess had been correct—the deepest part of the den housed a true third-rank Golden Core Tiger Demon.

It was a One-eyed fierce tiger, even larger than Big Tiger, its black-yellow fur streaked with white. Coiled on the ground, it inhaled like clouds, exhaled like mist, eyes opening and closing like thunderbolts. A terrifying beast beyond compare.

(TN: 吊睛 (diào jīng) = “hanging-eyes” — a specific tiger marking; refers to a fierce-looking tiger with long eye-corner stripes that droop downward, considered very ferocious)

Its gaze fell on Mo Hua, carrying a soul-devouring pressure.

Had Mo Hua not refined divine soul, cultivated near-divinelike spiritual sense, consumed dragon soul, and borne a Pixiu’s blessing, his heart would have been overcome with primal fear—the instinctive dread all humans feel before apex predators.

Face-to-face, only now could one understand the majesty of the “King of Beasts.”

Yet Mo Hua, merely a Foundation Establishment human, dared to meet its eyes without flinching.

That alone made the Golden Core Tiger’s eyes flash with killing intent.

Mo Hua’s eyelids twitched madly.

A third-rank tiger demon was no joke.

But just then, Big Tiger stepped forward, letting out a commanding roar.

Its voice carried weight, almost regal.

The third-rank tiger froze, then slowly withdrew its hostility, lying back down as if Mo Hua’s presence no longer mattered.

Mo Hua was stunned.

Even this Golden Core tiger… obeyed Big Tiger?!

A third-rank submitting to a second-rank?

What in the heavens was going on?

Glancing again at the massive tiger on the stone platform, Mo Hua suddenly noticed something.

This Golden Core Tiger Demon… seemed to be female.

No—so were all the others outside.

All female tigers!

All tigresses!

Which meant, in this whole Wutu Mountain Range, among so many tigers, the only male tiger… was the one Mo Hua had raised on dried fish since childhood.

And now, surrounded by over a dozen tigresses—plus a Golden Core tigress—all living together with him…

Did that mean his Big Tiger had…

Started living off soft rice?

Over a dozen tigresses’ worth of soft rice…

Mo Hua sucked in a cold breath. Just the thought of it was terrifying.

He turned his head again to glance at his Big Tiger, black-and-white striped, majestic and handsome, only to see it strutting about inside the cave, rummaging for something. Mo Hua looked around and discovered that the cave was littered with beast bones.

The bones were piled together, many still with flesh clinging to them. Some were dried, some still bloody, some even belonged to third-rank demonic beasts, all soaked in some unknown bloody fluid.

Big Tiger sniffed around, as if choosing which piece of meat to eat.

After a while, it picked the tenderest piece—its surface glowing faintly with a pearly white sheen. Mo Hua couldn’t tell what beast it came from, but the quality was clearly extraordinary.

Big Tiger, pleased, clamped the meat in its jaws and was about to trot off.

Mo Hua thought to himself: As expected… it really is living off the ladies.

But before Big Tiger could take more than a few steps, a low growl rumbled from behind.

The third-rank, glaring-eyed Golden Core tiger raised its head majestically and looked at Big Tiger.

Yet Big Tiger looked even more imposing.

It puffed up its striped head and bellowed an “Awoo!” right back at the Golden Core tiger—

As if saying: Don’t you dare meddle with me!

The Golden Core tiger actually lowered its aura, its massive head drooping toward the ground. Its gaze, fixed on the black-and-white Big Tiger, softened, carrying even a trace of helpless indulgence.

Mo Hua was utterly dumbfounded.

Wait… his Big Tiger… it could actually live off the ladies by sheer dominance?

Was it really that capable?!

(End of this Chapter)