Chapter 116: Submission

A thunderous roar erupted as a blinding sphere of light expanded violently, then shattered with a deafening blast. A terrifying storm swept through the surroundings, reducing countless towering trees to a cloud of splinters. The earth shuddered, and dust choked the air.

With a powerful beat of its massive wings, the Sky-Winged Demon Tiger whipped up a gale that cleared the atmosphere. A gargantuan crater lay on the ground, with spiderweb-like fissures spreading outward from its center. Yin Tianfang was nowhere to be seen within the pit, as if he had been obliterated by the explosion.

The Demon Tiger descended slowly, its crimson, copper-bell-like eyes scanning the crater for any sign of its prey.

Suddenly, Yin Tianfang appeared silently above the beast. With a fluid motion, nine afterimages split from his body, forming hand seals. Magic energy manifested into ropes that lashed out and bound the creature in an instant.

"ROAR!" A heaven-shaking bellow echoed through the forest. The Demon Tiger thrashed, its formidable demonic aura surging until the black energy ropes were stretched to their limit and snapped with a boom.

The beast’s massive wings, sharp as blades, sliced toward Yin Tianfang. He flickered away, reappearing a hundred meters back, his expression grim as he stared at his opponent.

*Snap.* He crushed a jade slip in his palm, leaving only a pile of dust. Yin Tianfang sighed. He had used this teleportation charm several times to evade the creature's lethal onslaught; this was its final charge.

He inhaled deeply, drawing forth a surge of thick, dark demonic energy. His body seemed to vanish into the shadows, and a demonic mark pulsed upon his brow. He now radiated a pressure identical to what Zhao Zixiong had once displayed.

In the past, after regaining his strength, Zhao Zixiong’s physical prowess had been unparalleled. He had shattered all of Yin Tianfang’s techniques with nothing but his bare fists, proving the adage that brute force could overcome any art. Only by resorting to a sneak attack had Yin Tianfang managed to slay him; otherwise, defeat would have been certain.

Battles between experts are unforgiving; a single lapse in judgment is fatal. From Zhao Zixiong’s storage bag, Yin Tianfang had recovered several demonic cultivation manuals.

While immortal cultivation focused on internal refinement—the formation of a Golden Core to contain one’s power—demonic cultivation emphasized the exterior, integrating magic directly into the flesh to elevate the body to an incredible state.

Yin Tianfang had studied these methods while recovering from the wounds sustained during his fight with Zhao Zixiong. He could channel demonic energy to temporarily bolster his physique to a formidable level. It was only temporary, however, because he had not truly committed to the path; once the body is altered by demonic energy, the process is irreversible.

He had no intention of becoming a full-fledged demonic cultivator. Instead, he relied on his "Threefold Art," which allowed him to condense avatars—one for immortal cultivation, one for demonic.

Facing the immensely strong Sky-Winged Demon Tiger, he realized that subduing it would be difficult, so he resolved to kill it.

Demonic energy surged through his limbs and veins, melding with his flesh and tempering his body to a peak state. With a sharp cry, Yin Tianfang kicked off the void like an arrow released from a string, charging toward the beast.

His fist, wreathed in black light, struck out with raw, savage force. The blow was so terrifying that it shattered the air, causing the very space around his fist to distort.

Before the blow even landed, the sheer pressure of his strike slammed into the Demon Tiger.

"ROAR!" The beast’s red eyes glowed with heightened ferocity. It opened its maw, firing a beam of light to intercept the punch.

*BOOM!*

The fist collided with the beam, causing it to tremble and shatter into motes of light. Yin Tianfang surged forward, closing the distance instantly.

*THUD!* His fist connected with the creature’s skull. The force was like a mountain crashing into it, lifting the massive beast off the ground and sending it tumbling through the air.

Sensing his advantage, Yin Tianfang unleashed a flurry of strikes, his fists falling like rain. Dull, heavy impacts echoed through the woods; though devoid of flashy spiritual ripples, his physical blows were far more devastating.

With a fierce shout, his face twisted into a grimace, Yin Tianfang poured his greatest strength into a final punch. It struck the beast with the force of a falling star.

The massive creature slammed into the ground, causing the earth to tremble.

Yin Tianfang stood panting, his chest heaving as the demonic energy receded into his body and the mark on his brow vanished. He swayed, feeling as though he were on the verge of collapse.

Across the crater, the Sky-Winged Demon Tiger lay prone. Its crimson eyes were fixed on Yin Tianfang, but the previous ferocity had vanished, replaced by pure terror.

Yin Tianfang watched with surprise. Any other opponent would have been pulverized by such a barrage, yet the beast, while wounded and weakened, was not on the brink of death. He marveled at how much more resilient the physical bodies of demonic beasts were compared to cultivators.

He approached slowly, radiating a chilling aura. A faint red mist enveloped him, making him appear as if he were emerging from a sea of blood. The heavy intent to kill hung over the beast, causing its massive frame to tremble.

Yin Tianfang raised his hand, and crimson light coalesced into a long, jagged blade.

As the sword manifested, the Sky-Winged Demon Tiger shrieked in panic. A blinding light erupted from its body, and to Yin Tianfang’s astonishment, the creature began to shrink from the size of a hill down to a mere ten feet.

The Demon Tiger opened its mouth, letting out a low, whimpering growl that sounded distinctly like a plea for mercy. A single drop of bright red blood floated out from the center of its brow toward him.