Chapter 7: A Life in the Balance

After both parties took their positions again, Mu Xian's eyes were filled with a grave expression, while the Flame Demon Tiger's cold gaze was filled with endless fury. It seemed to feel humiliation and anger for not being able to crush Mu Xian with a single blow

"You actually understand soul attacks; this Flame Demon Tiger is definitely not an ordinary beast." As the front paw of the Flame Demon Tiger was about to strike his head, a flash of anger and humiliation suddenly appeared in Mu Xian's eyes, followed by a radiant smile at the corner of his mouth. "Since you refuse to confront me with your physical strength in a fair manner, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Mu Xian's inadvertent action sparked a significant revolution in the realm of cultivation, not only greatly elevating the status of martial artists but also ushering in a new era of spiritual practice

Wherever the Flame Demon Tiger passed, the trees collapsed with a resounding crash

The Flame Demon Tiger is a third-tier demon beast, equivalent to a human martial artist at the True Essence Realm. Currently, Mu Xian is merely at a high level of the Physical Body Realm, and the gap between them is almost insurmountable

After narrowly evading two consecutive fierce attacks, Mu Xian completely enraged the Flame Demon Tiger. Its pupils turned an even deeper shade of blood red, and its roar echoed through the heavens. Its massive body, akin to a mountain, began to charge wildly, uprooting countless ancient trees

Mu Xian did not wish to risk his life for the opportunity to severely injure the Flame Demon Tiger. He altered his steps, and the sword in his hand transformed from a thrust to a sweep, slicing towards the claws of the Flame Demon Tiger from behind

After the monstrous beast landed, its pair of blood-red eyes, shimmering with an eerie light, fixed on Mu Xian without moving. Its mouth was slightly ajar, revealing sharp fangs that even bore a clump of fur from an unknown creature. Even from over ten meters away, Mu Xian could smell the intense stench of blood emanating from it, which was exceedingly pungent

However, everyone gradually became unable to remain calm. Although Mu Xian practiced both martial and spiritual arts, his cultivation speed was not at all slower than those who focused solely on martial arts or spiritual arts. Moreover, Mu Xian's combat power could be described as extraordinary; he was not only able to challenge those of a higher level within the same rank but could even confront spiritual masters of a higher rank than his own.

After being swept by Mu Xian's gaze, the Flame Demon Tiger's eyes showed a momentary daze. Although it quickly regained its sharpness, that brief moment was already sufficient for the black powder to shoot into its mouth.

At that time, many people thought it was merely a quirk of Mu Xian, a complete waste of energy and time. After all, during the process of cultivating spiritual power, due to the transformation and nourishment of the spiritual energy, the physical strength of a spiritual master would improve to a certain extent. Such physical strength would be sufficient for them to skillfully and effortlessly utilize the spiritual power within their bodies during combat or cultivation, without being unable to bear it.

The Flame Demon Tiger once again opened its blood-red maw, and a roar powerful enough to shatter mountains and rivers surged towards Mu Xian.

Mu Xian naturally understood why the Flame Demon Tiger had come to find him

With a dull thud, the massive body of the opponent fell to the ground like a giant stone, and cracks began to spread from beneath its feet.

The Flame Demon Tiger clearly did not notice what had just happened

When the sword step is practiced to a refined level, a single step forward causes the surrounding air to shatter, transforming into a cutting brilliance akin to a gust of wind. It possesses a fierce posture reminiscent of an arrow on the string, poised and ready to launch, which is why there is also a reference to the arrow step in *Tushu*.

This monstrous beast stood over 3 meters tall, towering half a body length above Mu Xian. It loomed before Mu Xian like a majestic mountain, instilling an immense sense of pressure in him

Sword Steps is a unique martial art technique characterized by a special body movement. It senses the presence of the sword and, with the swing of the sword, executes the most fitting footwork for the sword technique. The higher the mastery of swordsmanship, the more exquisite the Sword Steps become

Invisible sound waves suddenly struck Mu Xian's body, causing a noticeable stiffness in his form and even a wave of dizziness to surge in his mind

In his previous life, Mu Xian was a spiritual pharmacist, yet he did not neglect his cultivation in martial arts. Moreover, his training in martial arts progressed in parallel with his cultivation of spiritual power.

Meanwhile, the enormous and sharp giant paw of the Flame Demon Tiger tore through the air and struck heavily against Mu Xian's back

"Beast, do you really think I am afraid of you!" Mu Xian was originally hesitating between fighting and fleeing, but upon seeing the Flame Demon Tiger attack without warning, the anger in his heart was instantly ignited

In the face of the increasingly fierce attacks from the Flame Demon Tiger, Mu Xian displayed no signs of panic or fear on his face; instead, he danced gracefully as if strolling in a tranquil garden, narrowly evading the lethal strikes of the Flame Demon Tiger each time.

The Flame Demon Tiger clearly did not anticipate that a frail human like Mu Xian would dare to challenge its authority. In a fit of rage, it suddenly opened its massive jaws, and a thunderous roar erupted from its mouth, causing the air to ripple violently

The phenomenon occurring with Mu Xian immediately attracted the attention of many ancient beings. After careful study, they ultimately reached a conclusion: martial arts cultivation is more beneficial for enhancing physical strength. The higher the physical strength, the more spiritual power can be stored within the meridians, which naturally leads to a significant increase in both cultivation speed and combat power.

All that could be heard was a series of resounding clangs, as the cold blade of the black iron sword collided fiercely with the sharp claws of the Flame Demon Tiger that were striking towards Mu Xian's back.

In the next moment, the raging body of the Flame Demon Tiger directly pierced through Mu Xian's afterimage, crashing heavily into a towering ancient tree. Its unparalleled sharp claws shattered the tree trunk, which was as thick as two people embracing, into powder. The ancient tree broke with a resounding crack, the sound echoing continuously, triggering a violent tremor.

Mu Xian not only practiced martial arts in his previous life through swordsmanship to enhance his physical strength, but he was also more accustomed to using it in battle

Slowly, Mu Xian became completely immersed in this exhilarating battle; in his eyes, there was only the Flame Demon Tiger, nothing else. In his heart, there was only the steps of the sword beneath him: the sword raised, the foot lifted, the sword fell, the foot retracted. The entire person entered a realm of profound mystery.

Beneath the towering ancient trees that block out the sun, a lithe figure darts through the jungle among the swaying branches. Its massive body crashes through, snapping thick branches with a crack. With each collision of this figure, the entire ground trembles violently, as if it is brewing a tremendous earthquake

Is this what they call joy turning to sorrow? Seeing the Flame Demon Tiger looking at him with a mocking gaze, Mu Xian revealed a faint bitter smile

Meanwhile, the Flame Demon Tiger glared with its legs, its fiery red streamlined back resembling a giant bow suddenly drawn taut, as it charged towards Mu Xian with the force of a mountain collapsing into the sea, its scarlet pupils flashing with boundless killing intent

Mu Xian had already tasted the benefits of dual cultivation of spiritual and martial arts in his previous life, so in this life, he naturally would not abandon the path of martial cultivation to focus solely on spiritual power. Therefore, upon seeing the Flame Demon Tiger, he felt a sudden urge and unleashed the sword steps he was extremely familiar with from his past life.

In the past, when enduring immense pain, Mu Xian nearly covered his body in blood, and the beasts of the jungle were most sensitive to the stimulation of blood.

"Flame Demon Tiger, damn it, how could there be a Flame Demon Tiger here?" Upon recognizing the origin of the beast before him, Mu Xian's pupils constricted, and his mood became exceptionally heavy

Under the frenzied assault of the Flame Demon Tiger, Mu Xian's body executed extreme movements time and again. The footwork, initially awkward, gradually became fluid, while the shadows of the sword in his hand multiplied, evolving from a few scattered strikes to an incredibly refined display.

As the king of the jungle, the Flame Demon Tiger naturally has no beast daring to casually step into its territory

At the moment when the claw was about to descend, a strange glint flashed in Mu Xian's eyes. At the same time, his idle left hand flicked slightly, sending specks of black powder shooting towards the fiery magic tiger in mid-air.

If you were a human monk, perhaps I would run as far as I could, but you, a mere beast, dare to bully me; do you think I am made of clay?

In the face of the fierce charge of the Flame Demon Tiger, Mu Xian not only showed no signs of retreat but instead dove forward, directly pouncing towards the Flame Demon Tiger.

As Mu Xian was still pondering how to deal with the Flame Demon Tiger, the creature opened its mouth and let out a deafening roar that shook the heavens and the earth

It is not good; with one's own strength and * diagrams *, apart from attacking the fatal weakness of the Flame Demon Tiger, striking other areas simply cannot inflict any damage on it. Feeling the hardness of the Flame Demon Tiger's claws, Mu Xian's footing shifted strangely once again, creating a distance of several meters from the Flame Demon Tiger.

As the divine thought sensed the enormous palm aimed at his back, Mu Xian furrowed his brow. If he allowed the giant claw to strike him, although he could severely injure the Flame Demon Tiger, he would undoubtedly be torn to shreds by its sharp claws.

A series of sparks burst in mid-air, resembling brilliant fireworks blooming out of nowhere

After watching the black powder fall into the mouth of the Flame Demon Tiger, Mu Xian then took a step with his sword, evading the Flame Demon Tiger in the most incredible manner

Mu Xian had previously found it strange why there were no demonic beasts within a radius of several hundred meters around this dead ancient tree. Now, upon seeing the appearance of the Flame Demon Tiger, he completely understood.

When Mu Xian first entered the jungle, he was cautious and careful, as if walking on thin ice. However, after consuming the potion made from the leaves of the ironwood tree, he became oblivious to everything else.

Suddenly, the massive body of the Flame Demon Tiger lunged towards Mu Xian like a cannonball, its enormous form giving Mu Xian a suffocating sense of oppression

Meanwhile, the black iron sword in Mu Xian's hand occasionally stirred the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and faint sword shadows began to bloom in Mu Xian's grasp.

"One cannot live from one's own sins." Upon discovering that the attacks of the Flame Demon Tiger had clearly lost their rhythm, Mu Xian revealed a hint of a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth

In the blink of an eye, Mu Xian's figure appeared directly beneath the Flame Demon Tiger, and the sharp black iron sword in his hand swiftly thrust toward the softest part of the tiger's belly