Evan Chu raised the Frostbane Sword in his hand and slashed at the Skyfiend Tiger, who had taken on the form of a young man. His mind held only one thought—to kill this beast immediately and vent his burning rage, caring nothing for the enemy's identity.
"Kid, are you looking to die?" the Skyfiend Tiger roared. "I was going to let you off, but you don't know what's good for you. Guess I'll just have to kill you now."
Facing Evan's incoming sword strike, the Skyfiend Tiger wore a look of utter disdain. With a casual wave of his hand, a massive palm force appeared and met the attack head-on, without the slightest concern for injuring himself.
The Frostbane Sword stopped a meter in front of the Skyfiend Tiger. Evan felt a tremendous force blocking him, unable to advance even a step.
That overwhelming force surged toward him, forcing Evan to hurriedly withdraw his sword and retreat, barely dodging in time.
"Kid, your reflexes aren't bad, but your strength is lacking. This tiger will play with you for a while today—let your so-called woman watch how I play you to death!" the Skyfiend Tiger taunted arrogantly.
"Tiger, stop right there!" Goldwing arrived just then, quickly moving to Evan Chu's side.
"Boss, are you alright? This Skyfiend Tiger is the one I told you about—he's extremely tough to deal with," Goldwing said to Evan.
"I'm fine. No matter how strong he is, today I'll make sure he dies. My woman isn't someone just anyone can touch!" Evan radiated boundless fury.
"Goldwing, why are you here? Did you break through the barrier? Oh, I think I just heard you call that kid 'Boss.' Did I hear wrong? You actually call him Boss? Hahaha! What a disgrace to our monster race!" the Skyfiend Tiger laughed wildly.
"Tiger, cut the crap! My business is none of yours. If you want to hurt my Boss today, you'll have to get through me first!" Goldwing snarled.
"I've been itching for a real opponent. It's been a hundred years—let's see if you've gotten stronger or weaker. I bet you still haven't broken through to the ninth rank, huh? Come on, let's have a good fight today!" the Skyfiend Tiger boasted.
Everyone was stunned by the Skyfiend Tiger's words. The middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared was actually a monster—and an eighth-rank one at that. If so, what rank was the Tiger? Could he be ninth-rank?
With monsters like these around, even all the Heavenly Dragon Academy students together wouldn't stand a chance. For a moment, everyone felt utterly hopeless.
Their only hope was that this monster, who had taken the form of a middle-aged man, might defeat the Tiger. But judging by the Tiger's tone, that seemed unlikely.
"Fine, but you have to let that woman go—and fight me with one hand. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a fair win for me," Goldwing said, glancing up at Jenny Sima floating in the air.
"Goldwing, you sure know how to scheme. You want me to let her go so these ants can take her away while you tie me up and buy time, don't you?" the Skyfiend Tiger said.
"Stop guessing. If you want to die, I'll grant your wish!" Goldwing finished speaking and threw a punch straight at the Skyfiend Tiger.
The Skyfiend Tiger didn't care about Evan and the others, but Goldwing was another matter. Even though Goldwing was a rank lower, no one knew if he'd broken through in the past century.
If Goldwing really had broken through, fighting him one-handed would be dangerous. The Skyfiend Tiger weighed his options, then waved his hand and Jenny Sima fell from the air.
Evan Chu leapt up at lightning speed, caught Jenny Sima in his arms, and used Shifting Position to blink several meters away.
Now that the Skyfiend Tiger had freed up a hand, he immediately threw a punch, launching into a fierce battle with Goldwing.
A fight between two high-rank Spirit Beasts was nothing like the skirmishes between Heavenly Dragon Academy students. The sheer force of their attacks tore the ground apart in an instant.
Heavenly Dragon Academy students retreated quickly into the distance. Zack Zhao was carried on a student's back, not daring to pause for even a moment.
Thunderous explosions rang in everyone's ears. Not a single person dared stay and witness this earth-shattering scene—anyone left behind could lose their life at any moment.
Evan dragged Jenny Sima with him, using Shifting Position again and again, running several li before finally stopping.
"Jingyi, keep running forward. I'm going back to help Goldwing. I know you have a lot to say to me, but now isn't the time. Don't worry—I promise I'll be fine!" Evan said seriously.
A dragon has its reverse scales, and so does Evan Chu—because he is a dragon, with dragon blood flowing in his veins. His reverse scales are Jingyi, every one of his women, and his brothers.
Anyone who touches his reverse scales must pay in blood. That is Evan Chu's way.
"Linfeng, that monster is way too strong—you're no match for it! If you go back now, you'll just be throwing your life away. I won't allow it!" Jenny Sima protested immediately.
"Believe in me—believe in your man. No matter how great the difficulty, I can overcome it. No matter how strong the enemy, I can defeat them!" Evan said firmly, his eyes shining with confidence.
Jenny Sima knew that once he decided something, nothing could change his mind. Helplessly, she looked at Evan and said, "Be careful. I'll wait for you to come back. If anything happens to you, I won't go on living!"
Evan gently stroked Jenny's head, then kissed her forehead. "Don't say such foolish things. Keep moving forward!"
After speaking, Evan ignored Jenny's reaction and vanished in a blur, leaving only an afterimage before her eyes.
"Linfeng, you have to come back!" Jenny shouted with all her strength at Evan's retreating figure, tears streaming down her face.
Evan raced back at full speed. The Honors Class students from Heavenly Dragon Academy all thought he was crazy—everyone else was running for their lives, and here he was rushing back into danger!
Meanwhile, the Skyfiend Tiger and Goldwing were locked in a fierce battle. The ground around them was covered in dozens of giant craters and gaping fissures—some wide enough to swallow a person whole—showing just how terrifying their power was.
"Goldwing, you haven't improved at all these years—still the same as before. Fighting you is boring!" the Skyfiend Tiger said, throwing another punch.
"Tiger, you're not much better. Still stuck at the same realm after all these years. You'll never break through to King rank in your lifetime!" Goldwing retorted.
"Maybe I'll break through after I eat your core!" the Skyfiend Tiger sneered. With a flash of gray light, he instantly reverted to his beast form.
A Spirit Beast's true form was far more powerful than its human disguise. By reverting to his real body, the Skyfiend Tiger aimed to deliver a devastating blow to Goldwing.
Seeing the Tiger transform, Goldwing's body flashed with golden light as he reverted to his own beast form. "Tiger, let's take this fight to the sky! Time to show you the power of my Golden Plume Arrow Feathers!" he declared, soaring upward.
"Like I'd be scared of you!" The Tiger's massive body suddenly sprouted a pair of stubby wings, less than a meter long, and with just a few flaps, his huge frame lifted off the ground.
Just then, Evan arrived on the scene. Seeing the Tiger's tiny wings, he couldn't help but smile wryly. "Wings that small can actually fly? Seriously? Now that you're both in the sky, how am I supposed to fight you..."
PS: Thanks to the readers who voted for this chapter!