Chapter Forty-Five: The Crimson River Tiger

After sitting for a while, the divine beast once again flew over hurriedly, carrying several fruits in its mouth and making exaggerated gestures, as if conveying a message to Jiang Feng.

“Jiang Feng, what is the divine beast up to?” Wang Yingying was seeing the creature act this way for the first time and was immediately intrigued. She scrutinized its behavior for a long while but failed to discern anything meaningful.

“It’s found a ruined palace? The Mysterious Forest truly is an enigmatic place,” Jiang Feng exclaimed in admiration. Though Wang Yingying couldn't interpret the beast's actions, everything was clear to him. From its expressions, he could tell that deep within the forest there was a palace—though dilapidated, it might well be where the Blood Fiend Tree grew, the tree that produces the Blood Fiend Fruit.

Hearing this, joy bloomed on Wang Yingying’s face. She patted the divine beast’s head and praised, “You really are remarkable, little one. If Jiang Feng and I had to search these wild, desolate mountains and marshes on our own, it might take us months.”

Receiving Wang Yingying’s praise, the divine beast seemed as delighted as if it had tasted the most exquisite fruit, fluttering its wings in a bashful, adorable manner.

Naturally, this drew peals of laughter from Jiang Feng and Wang Yingying.

Having survived many perils, they treasured these moments of hard-won happiness and laughed wholeheartedly, without reservation.

Following the divine beast’s winding path, they plunged deeper into the Mysterious Forest, and Jiang Feng’s anxiety grew with each step. Along the way, not a single vicious beast appeared; in fact, the path was eerily silent, devoid of even the faintest sound.

The more abnormal the silence, the greater his unease. Whatever could drive away those fierce beasts must possess a power even more formidable.

Could it be an enemy?

Soon, they reached a bronze palace. The structure was grand and imposing—Jiang Feng could not even see its summit from where he stood. What astonished him further was that the ground surrounding the palace was barren, devoid of any vegetation, a veritable wasteland.

What kind of overwhelming force could strip all life from this place?

The divine beast chirped excitedly, clearly elated, casting eager glances at Jiang Feng to urge him to open the bronze doors and let it inside.

“Jiang Feng, let’s go in quickly. Something feels off out here—I worry more wolf spirits might appear,” Wang Yingying prompted, unconsciously wrapping herself tighter in her clothes.

Seeing her frail, shivering form, Jiang Feng felt a pang of tenderness. Without a word, he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, then strode to the bronze doors and placed his hands on them.

With a creak, the thick bronze doors opened. The first thing that met his eyes was a statue of a man, standing like a javelin, exuding an aura of calm authority that inspired awe without anger. If not for the passage of time that had imparted a touch of weariness, Jiang Feng might have mistaken it for a living person.

But it was merely a bronze statue, yet the oppressive aura it radiated left Jiang Feng shocked.

“Yingying, we’re going in now. Be careful; don’t touch anything,” Jiang Feng cautioned Wang Yingying, then turned to speak with stern authority: “Divine beast, especially you—don’t be greedy. If you trigger a trap, I could die inside, and that would be a most unjust end.”

The divine beast nodded dejectedly, its eyes full of grievance.

With their courage barely mustered, the two humans and the beast entered. After only a few steps, the door slowly closed behind them, plunging the surroundings into utter silence, as though they were in a sealed realm.

Whoosh!

A sound of something igniting rang out, and the pitch-black palace was suddenly bathed in fiery red light, startling them.

The palace measured about seven or eight hundred yards square, empty except for numerous bronze cauldrons at its center, seemingly steeping something.

As Jiang Feng approached, he discovered most of the cauldrons were empty, save for some colorful liquids inside.

However, two cauldrons at the center held two strange-looking tigers, each exuding a dense mist that drifted toward Jiang Feng in layers.

...

Accidentally inhaling a wisp of the mist, Jiang Feng was horrified.

Within that mist was the powerful spiritual force of the two tigers, not only capable of bewildering but also gradually numbing his mind, creating hallucinations one after another. Clearly, these aquatic tigers possessed strength even more terrifying than the wolf spirits.

“Ah! I’ve heard of these creatures from my father—they’re called Redwater Tigers, troublesome beasts of the Underworld!” Wang Yingying cried out, her high-pitched voice snapping Jiang Feng out of his trance.

“Redwater Tigers?” Jiang Feng’s mouth hung open. He had heard of these beasts, but believed they were long extinct. Yet here they were, awe-inspiring in their grandeur.

The so-called Redwater Tiger was a rare underworld beast, its power rivaling the third stage of the Void Underworld Realm, usually lurking in the depths of the sea. Capturing one would take untold effort.

But such a confined habitat made them vulnerable to natural disasters. Just one massive tsunami nearly wiped out all Redwater Tigers.

The two appearing here were likely the last in the Eastern Underworld.

“Divine beast, do they bear us any hostility?” Jiang Feng knew the beast was sensitive to such feelings and hurriedly asked.

Before the beast could answer, the Redwater Tigers acted.

A golden flame, radiating intense demonic energy, erupted from the water, spewing a massive tongue of fire straight at Jiang Feng.

Redwater Flame!

The legendary fire that feared no water!

Jiang Feng’s heart clenched. He knew the Redwater Tigers’ unfathomable power and spared no effort in his response.

He launched straight into the Eight Dragon Sonic Kill he had recently mastered.

A shrill sound burst forth inside the bronze palace, forcing Wang Yingying and the divine beast to cover their ears tightly, their faces twisted in pain—this was only the lingering echo. The targeted Redwater Tigers suffered an even sharper sonic assault.

Eight giant dragons materialized, dominating the space, the air swirling with explosive energy.

A strange light flickered in the Redwater Tigers’ eyes. Like frogs in boiling water, they sprang out, their feet skimming the water’s surface lightly.

Countless flames shot from the water!

Boom!

The fierce Redwater Flame exploded before Jiang Feng, blinding him with a white haze. He was utterly shocked by their terrifying power—is this the strength of the third stage of the Void Underworld Realm?

Just then, a warning flashed in his mind. He activated the Twenty-Five Shadow Dance Soul-Stepping technique, and his figure vanished from the ground!

Where he had stood, a gray-white beam of light whisked past!

“Jiang Feng!” Wang Yingying screamed in terror, tears streaming down her face.

It was only when Jiang Feng’s shaken voice reached her ears that she calmed somewhat. “Yingying, don’t worry. I dodged the attack.”

...

Having spoken, Jiang Feng turned his attention to the gray-white beam.

The light faded, and his vision cleared. The Redwater Tigers were still in their cauldrons, unmoving, even the water undisturbed. They seemed like lifeless sculptures, devoid of vitality.

Between Jiang Feng and the tigers, nothing remained, as if nothing had happened.

A chill crawled up Jiang Feng’s spine.

“Was it all just an illusion?” He looked back and found Wang Yingying and the divine beast still standing at their original spots, gazing at him in puzzlement.

From the moment he saw the Redwater Flame until now, it had all been a hallucination!

Jiang Feng felt played, but dared not vent his anger. Staring at the Redwater Tigers, he suddenly realized something.

If they could create such realistic illusions, might it mean these Redwater Tigers had developed sentience?

Underworld beasts with awakened intelligence were priceless!

The thought stirred Jiang Feng. He asked, “Are you two the masters of this place?”

The statue-like Redwater Tigers slowly turned their necks, their gray eyes meeting for a long moment. One finally turned its head, and from its throat came a raspy sound, “Hsss, hsss.”

The eerie hissing made Jiang Feng’s hairs stand on end.

After a while, the Redwater Tiger seemed to master the art of speech. “Hsss, you are humans, you are humans.”

Jiang Feng felt as if struck by lightning. These tigers truly had intelligence—otherwise, how could they recognize the word ‘human’? He was both pleased and apprehensive. Their intelligence was a double-edged sword.

The benefit: he could communicate with them.

The risk: if negotiations failed, they would face two sentient Redwater Tigers. Once underworld beasts gain intelligence, their strength increases dramatically.

“Can you understand me?” Jiang Feng asked cautiously.

“Hsss, you are humans,” came the childlike, hoarse reply. The Redwater Tiger’s expression shifted slightly, the fighting spirit in its eyes fading a little. “You… why are you here?”

Jiang Feng hesitated. How could he explain his purpose—should he admit he was seeking the Blood Fiend Fruit?

Before he could speak, the other Redwater Tiger interrupted, surprising him with clearer speech. “You must be here for the Blood Fiend Fruit.”

The tiger’s words were laden with strong emotion, still muffled.

Jiang Feng hastily covered, “We’re willing to pay for it, not to seize it by force.”

The two Redwater Tigers pondered for a long while, then nodded. Their front paws stretched out, surprisingly more dexterous than human hands. Drawing in the air, they produced a wooden stick and said regretfully, “Unfortunately, the Blood Fiend Tree lies deeper within the forest, surrounded by countless sandfalls. If you wish to brave the danger, go ahead. If you can obtain the Blood Fiend Fruit, you will become masters of us two Redwater Tigers.”