Qin Renhuang just became an immortal, and you told me this is the prehistoric time

Ying Xuan remained motionless, calmly watching the rapidly approaching black mist as if it were an ordinary thing.

"It doesn't matter."

"Son!"

Seeing that Ying Xuan remained unmoved, Lianxiang became even more anxious.

She gritted her teeth and spread her arms wide, using her slender body to block Ying Xuan, and said urgently to the four "servants".

"Take the young master away quickly! Hurry! I'll hold it off! I...I'm familiar with herbs, maybe I can...can delay it for a moment!"

Her voice trembled, but her eyes held a resolute determination bordering on despair.

She knew full well that her meager skills were no match for the ferocious tiger demon, but at this moment, protecting the young master who had given her the opportunity to study seemed to be her only thought.

The four Imperial Guards remained motionless, their cold eyes fixed on the direction from which the black mist was surging.

The leader, a cold-faced commander of the Imperial Guards codenamed "Zhang San," had his right hand quietly resting on the seemingly ordinary hilt of his sword at his waist.

boom!
The ground shook violently!
A foul stench wafted over us!

With a deafening roar, a huge figure burst out of the forest and landed heavily dozens of feet in front of everyone!

That was an incredibly large tiger!
It was a full two zhang tall, its entire body covered in jet-black hair, and a ferocious "king" character pattern on its forehead that looked as if it were stained with blood.

Its eyes were blood-red, its fangs were bared, and it exuded a suffocatingly ferocious aura. Its thick limbs pounded the ground, leaving deep claw marks.

It stared intently at Ying Xuan and his group, especially Lian Xiang, who was blocking their way. Its scarlet tongue licked its sharp fangs, and saliva dripped onto the ground, making a hissing sound.

"Roar--!"

The tiger demon roared again, the terrifying sound waves causing the surrounding leaves to fall in a rustling sound.

Lianxiang was so frightened by the fierce power that her whole body went limp and she almost couldn't stand up. However, she still gritted her teeth and spread her arms to block Ying Xuan. Her small body seemed extremely small in front of the huge tiger demon.

"Beast!"

A cold shout rang out! Zhang San, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who was blocking Ying Xuan's way, moved!

He did not draw his sword, but instead held his fingers together as if they were swords. A highly refined sword light, carrying a chilling aura, shot out from his fingertips, as fast as lightning, and pierced straight for the tiger demon's most vulnerable throat!

This attack was cunning and ruthless, condensing all of his cultivation at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!

Ding!
A crisp clang of metal clashing!

The sword light, powerful enough to pierce through metal and stone, struck the tiger demon's throat fur, leaving only a faint white dot!

The tiger demon's fur was tougher than anyone could have imagined!

Zhang San's expression changed slightly, but his reaction was extremely fast. The moment the sword light was blocked, his figure had already floated backward.

The tiger demon, in pain, unleashed its ferocity! Its massive claws, accompanied by a piercing roar that tore through the air, slammed down on Zhang San!

The wind was fierce, and the ground was plowed with several deep furrows!

Zhang San spun around swiftly, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow, but the sharp claw wind still grazed the hem of his clothes, tearing it instantly!

The two exchanged several blows in an instant. Zhang San managed to hold his own with his exquisite movements and combat experience, but he was clearly at a disadvantage. The tiger demon's terrifying strength and defense left him with no room to maneuver.

"Roar!"

The tiger demon seemed to be enraged by Zhang San's entanglement. It suddenly stood up, its black aura surging, and its size expanded again, transforming into a terrifying giant tiger several meters tall!
It abandoned Zhang San, its crimson eyes fixed on the motionless Ying Xuan, and its massive body, carrying a destructive aura, pounced on Ying Xuan!

Its gaping maw was wide open, and the stench was nauseating!

"Protect the young master!"

The other three Imperial Guards roared in unison and attacked simultaneously!
They didn't draw their swords, but instead unleashed both palms!

The three powerful and fierce palm strikes were like three invisible giant walls. They were not aimed at the tiger demon, but rather accurately struck the ground on one side of the tiger demon's attack path!
boom! boom! boom!
Three muffled, deafening crashes! A large section of the ground beside the tiger demon was blasted away by the violent force of the palm strike! Dirt and debris flew everywhere!
The tiger demon's massive body was lunging forward with all its might when, caught off guard, it lost its footing and its center of gravity immediately became unstable. Its massive body staggered, and its lunging momentum was halted!
It was just a brief pause!
The tiger demon roared, its thick tail sweeping across and shattering the flying pebbles. It used its four claws to forcefully stabilize itself, its crimson eyes becoming even more ferocious as it locked onto Ying Xuan again, poised to pounce!
Although the three Imperial Guards' palm strikes were powerful, they were completely unable to shake its terrifying defense!

In that split second, Ying Xuan, who had been sitting still, finally raised his eyelids.

His gaze was calm and unwavering as he looked at the enormous tiger, so close yet radiating overwhelming ferocity, as if it were a moth drawn to a flame.

He slowly raised his right hand, fingers spread, and uttered a single word towards the lunging tiger demon:
"thunder."

Boom--!!!
No incantations, no talismans!
A blindingly bright purple bolt of lightning crashed down from the heavens without warning!
Its speed was so fast that it exceeded the tiger demon's reaction limit! Its power was so fierce that it seemed like divine punishment was descending!

The purple lightning struck the tiger demon's massive body with perfect precision!

"Ouch——!!!"

A blood-curdling scream, so piercing it reached the heavens!
The tiger demon's massive body, impervious to blades and as hard as refined steel, was struck by this purple lightning!

The violent lightning instantly engulfed it! The black mist was purified! A pungent, burnt stench filled the air!
In an instant! The lightning dissipated!

Wherever it was, only a huge tiger carcass remained, charred and smoking, curled up in a ball, and convulsing!

The suffocating, malevolent aura vanished, leaving only the stench of burning and death.

Ying Xuan remained expressionless, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

With a slight thought, an invisible force swept up the enormous tiger corpse.

The next moment, the tiger's corpse vanished into thin air and was directly absorbed into the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends Formation, which was located deep in the mountains and was undergoing a critical transformation.

The malevolent aura and essence of flesh contained within this demon are excellent nourishment for the star god embryo being nurtured within the great formation and for those bloodthirsty spiritual herbs.

After doing all this, Ying Xuan frowned slightly, a sense of regret washing over him.

"Pity.

The spiritual energy of this realm amplifies the power of Daoist techniques so terrifyingly. If we had brought immortal artifacts like the 'Azure Chain Sword' or the 'Haotian Mirror' and nurtured them with this realm's spiritual energy, their power would likely have increased several times over! A miscalculation.”

He remained calm and collected, while Lianxiang was completely dumbfounded!

Her mouth was agape, and her clear eyes were filled with utter shock and...deep fear!

Taoist magic! This seemingly frail young master actually possesses such terrifying Taoist magic!

With a wave of his hand, he summoned heavenly lightning to annihilate the ferocious demon! This... this is simply the work of a legendary deity!

Thinking about how she had stood in front of him and told him to run... Lianxiang felt her face burning, and at the same time a chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head!

She knows the young master's secret! Such a powerful cultivator, wouldn't... wouldn't he kill her to silence her?
She instinctively took a step back, her face ashen, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her body trembling slightly.

Ying Xuan's gaze fell on her, and he naturally saw through the fear in her heart.

He subtly moved his senses and carefully examined Lianxiang's body once more.

It still possessed that pure and flawless physique, comparable to a first-level life form, without any trace of cultivation, and its magical power was so weak that it could be almost ignored.

Her fear was real, stemming from awe of immense power and unease at the exposure of her secrets. "Don't panic."

Ying Xuan's voice was calm, carrying a soothing power.

"Since you are my maid, I will protect you. Just focus on your studies."

His tone was calm, yet carried an air of authority.

Upon hearing this, Lianxiang's fear subsided, replaced by an indescribable sense of peace.

She secretly glanced at Ying Xuan's calm profile; his composure and strength gave her a strange sense of security.

"Yes...yes, young master."

Lianxiang responded softly, then quickly lowered her head and picked up the Analects again, though her fingers were still trembling slightly.

Ying Xuan withdrew his gaze, his curiosity about Lianxiang's identity growing stronger.

Such a pure physique, yet he has not cultivated any techniques, like an uncarved jade.

What is her origin? And how could the spiritual energy of this world give birth to such a unique demon?

He stopped thinking about it and closed his eyes to rest again. On the official road, the smell of burning food was gradually dispersed by the wind, leaving only the clear chirping of birds and the sound of lotus fragrance trying to keep her reading steady.

The four Imperial Guards remained silently protecting him, as if the thrilling battle that had just taken place had never happened.

The group continued their journey toward the town ahead.

The town ahead was small, but quite lively.

Ying Xuan and his group found a clean inn to stay in.

The enormous tiger demon corpse was naturally taken into Ying Xuan's formation. He only took a small amount of the best meat and handed it over to the accompanying imperial chefs to cook.

Before long, plates of fragrant, golden-brown roasted tiger meat were served.

Lianxiang was initially a little hesitant, but she couldn't resist the tempting aroma, and with Yingxuan indicating that it was alright, she carefully picked up a piece.

The tiger meat was not as fishy or pungent as I had imagined. Instead, the meat was firm and carried a strange warmth that instantly spread throughout my body.

Her eyes lit up, and she no longer cared about being reserved. She buried her head in the food and ate it all up!

As Ying Xuan savored the lotus fragrance slowly, he observed its changes with his divine sense.

After she finished eating, her originally thin body seemed to be infused with some kind of powerful vitality. A faint glow flowed under her skin, and her bones made a soft crackling sound. Her energy and spirit became fuller and more solid at a speed visible to the naked eye!
What surprised Ying Xuan even more was that her pure soul, nourished by this energy, became more refined and resilient!
"Physical strength... has more than doubled?"

Ying Xuan was slightly surprised.

The energy contained in the tiger demon's flesh and blood might only be nourishing for cultivators in the Great Qin world, but for a special being like Lianxiang, whose physique was pure but who had never cultivated, the effect was so remarkable!

Her physical foundation is being rapidly strengthened by this energy.

"Son..."

Lianxiang put down her chopsticks with satisfaction, her face slightly flushed. She wiped her mouth a little shyly, then felt the changes in herself and excitedly moved her hands and feet.

"I...I feel so much stronger! I feel like I've become so much stronger!"

Seeing her excited expression, Ying Xuan's curiosity grew even stronger.

He put down his chopsticks, his gaze falling on Lianxiang, and asked.

"Lianxiang, if you've never practiced any cultivation techniques, how did you transform into human form in the first place?"

Upon hearing this, Lianxiang tilted her head and thought for a moment, her clear eyes filled with reminiscence.

"Specifically... Lianxiang couldn't explain it clearly either. She only remembered that a long time ago, she was playing in the mountains and accidentally fell into a very cold cave. There was a glowing stone in the cave, and when she got close to it, she inhaled a cool breath..."

Then, I felt my mind become incredibly clear; things I couldn't understand before seemed to become clear, and then... I was able to become like this now.

She gestured, trying to describe that vague memory.

"A gust of cool air? A glowing stone?"

Ying Xuan seemed to be deep in thought.

It seems that the spirituality of this world is active, and by chance, some naturally born spiritual beings can enlighten spirits and monsters, giving them the ability to take human form.

Lianxiang's successful transformation and her pure constitution are likely due to immense good fortune.

He nodded slightly.

"This is your opportunity. Don't overthink it, just follow me and I will protect you."

"Yes! Thank you, young master!"

Lianxiang nodded vigorously, her face beaming with pure trust and joy.

Ying Xuan said no more and took out an object from his sleeve. It was a sphere no bigger than a jade pendant, its entire surface shimmering with hazy starlight, and its surface covered with fine and mysterious runes. It was the core of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiend Array, which had shrunk to the size of a speck of dust and completed its initial transformation!
He tied the star-studded sphere with an ordinary silk thread and hung it around his waist.

The sphere has a restrained luster; unless you look closely, you would only think it is an exquisite piece of jewelry.

After having a meal and resting briefly, the group left the inn and continued their journey.

Not far from the town, as they walked along a secluded forest path, they suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps ahead.

An old Taoist priest, dressed in a gray robe and with white hair and beard, was hurrying towards them from the opposite direction, carrying an old cloth banner.

His face was anxious, as if he were searching for something.

When his gaze swept over Ying Xuan and his group, especially lingering on Lian Xiang for a moment, his eyes first showed disappointment, then a barely perceptible glint flashed across them.

"Infinite Heavenly Lord!"

The old Taoist priest stopped and bowed, but his gaze was fixed on Ying Xuan, his tone scrutinizing.

"Young master, this humble Taoist greets you. You possess an extraordinary bearing, yet you are accompanied by a fox spirit... Young master, are you unaware that humans and demons are of different paths, and the presence of a spirit may diminish your fortune and longevity?"

His words seemed like admonition, but in reality they were a test.

Ying Xuan remained calm and did not reply.

When Lianxiang heard the words "vixen," her face paled slightly, and she subconsciously shrank behind Ying Xuan.

The old Taoist priest's disappointment deepened when he saw that Ying Xuan did not answer.

He had sensed a powerful aura of lightning magic erupting in this place from afar, and thought it was some fellow expert passing by who had come here on purpose. However, he only saw a scholar with a fox demon and a few seemingly ordinary servants. There was no fluctuation of magic power on their bodies, nor any residual aura of lightning magic.

"That's enough, that's enough." (End of Chapter)