Starting as a stray dog, I embarked on a journey of cultivation.

"Guardian of the Nation, the reason I was able to subdue this giant python wasn't because of its strength, but because we clicked!"

Gou An's mind raced, and he hastily came up with an explanation.

But the blind tiger remained unmoved, its eyes filled with suspicion: "With your cultivation level, you should have been this wild beast's meal. How can you say you're compatible?"

Before he finished speaking, he reached out with his backhand, and a crimson longsword shot out from behind him, landing steadily in his palm, its blade shimmering with a violent, demonic light.

"I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me truthfully about everything that happened after you left the ancient tower's secret realm, and hand over the treasure you obtained!"

The blind tiger's eyes suddenly turned cold, filled with murderous intent: "Obey me obediently, and I will grant you a quick death."

He paused briefly, his tone growing increasingly cold: "If you refuse to confess, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud bang was heard!

A violent and unparalleled demonic aura exploded from his body, transforming into a raging gale that swept across the entire mountain forest, sending rocks and vegetation flying everywhere.

Seeing this, Gou An knew that the other party had already concluded that he had killed his brother, and any further explanation would be futile.

Now, only a fight can save our lives.

"I'm telling the truth."

Gou An slowly lowered his head, adopting an extremely humble posture, pretending to be completely submissive.

Seeing this, the blind tiger slightly restrained his demonic aura and said coldly, "Speak, and don't utter a single lie."

"I did indeed pass the nine-story ancient pagoda trial," Gou An sighed softly, "but the only opportunity I gained was an ancient map."

"What kind of ancient painting?" Blind Tiger asked in a deep voice.

"This diagram is called the Palm of Heaven Diagram," Gou An replied slowly, his tone sounding extremely sincere. "The remnant soul of the ancient pagoda told me that there is a small world with abundant spiritual energy hidden in the diagram, where the flow of time can be controlled at will, but there are no other mysterious supernatural powers."

"And then?" the blind tiger asked again.

Gou An quickly continued, "As soon as I stepped out of the ancient tower, before I had a chance to study in detail how to use the Palm Heaven Diagram, I encountered Lord Crimson Flame Mountain."

"He knew I had passed through the secret realm and obtained the treasure, so he insisted on buying it with spirit stones. I didn't want to offend the mountain lord, so I agreed to the deal."

Gou An's tone was tinged with fear and helplessness: "After the transaction was completed, Lord Chiyan was eager to appreciate the treasure and opened the Palm Heaven Map, but in the next instant, he was swallowed up by the space in the map and there was no further movement."

Upon hearing this, the blind tiger frowned deeply: "You mean, he's trapped by this ancient map?"

"Exactly!" Gou An nodded, feigning panic: "I don't know how to activate magic weapons, let alone how to rescue the Mountain Lord. After returning to the City of Ten Thousand Demons, I heard that the Crimson Flame Mountain Lord was actually dead. I was afraid of being implicated and punished, so I deliberately concealed the truth."

The lie was told so smoothly that Gou An lowered his head and secretly glanced at the blind tiger in mid-air, waiting for its reaction.

The blind tiger's face remained ashen, though the murderous intent in his eyes had subsided slightly. After a long silence, he slowly spoke: "Bring out that Heaven-Piercing Diagram and let me take a look."

Upon seeing what appeared in Gou An's hand, Blind Tiger raised an eyebrow and reached out to grab the Palm Heaven Diagram in Gou An's hand.

The Heavenly Palm Diagram was immediately drawn by a powerful suction force and flew towards the blind tiger's hand.

Just before the blind tiger was about to touch the Palm Heaven Diagram, a beam of white light suddenly flew out from the Palm Heaven Diagram and shot straight toward the blind tiger.

The blind tiger was shocked and quickly flew backward to dodge, parrying the attack with his sword across his chest.

The next second, a palm strike came out from the white light, hitting the blade that the blind tiger was using to block.

Boom!

A loud bang!

At the same time, a fierce wind howled, sweeping across the entire downwind mountain forest.

Even Gou An, who was far away, was so dazed by the wind that he could barely open his eyes.

After a brief stalemate, Xuan Kongzi and the blind tiger were both thrown backward by the force of the impact, creating distance between them.

"I haven't moved my body in a long time, and my bones are a bit stiff!" Xuan Kongzi hovered in mid-air and twisted his neck, as if he had just woken up.

Upon seeing Xuan Kongzi, the blind tiger frowned immediately: "Who are you?"

"Me?" Xuan Kongzi smiled slightly at the blind tiger and said, "If the world won't save me, Xuan Kongzi, then I will save this world myself!"

Upon hearing this, the blind tiger suddenly realized: "You are the Old Demon Xuan?"

"Haha!" Xuan Kongzi laughed, "I didn't expect that after so many years, even the City of Ten Thousand Demons would still remember my name."

The blind tiger glanced at Gou An behind Xuan Kongzi, then looked at Xuan Kongzi again: "Fellow Daoist Xuan, you should also be a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, how come you're being controlled by a little demon who has just taken human form?"

Xuan Kongzi simply laughed and said, "There are some things that you simply cannot understand with your mind."

"So!" Blind Tiger suddenly pointed his knife at Xuan Kongzi and demanded, "You're determined to stop me today, aren't you?"

"Wait a minute!" Xuan Kongzi didn't rush to answer Blind Tiger's question. Instead, he turned to look at Gou An and asked, "Grandpa, what do you mean?"

"Kill him!" Gou An put the Heavenly Palm Diagram away again, while the Divine Iron Hammer in his right hand was still charging up.

After hearing this, Xuan Kongzi looked at the blind tiger again and said, "Then let's have a big fight!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Kongzi's hands turned black and gold, and his aura surged wildly around him.

Seeing this, the blind tiger frowned even more deeply: "Since you want to die in his place, then I will grant your wish."

next moment.

The blind tiger transformed into a streak of red light and charged straight toward Xuan Kongzi with lightning speed.

Xuan Kongzi's eyes narrowed, and he dared not be careless.

After all, their cultivation levels were similar, and neither could say for sure that they would win.

As the blind tiger drew near, he swiftly slashed out with his blade, which was imbued with a thick demonic aura.

But when this attack came, Xuan Kongzi's black and gold hand directly grabbed the blade.

"You tiger-headed monster, you're really strong!" As Xuan Kongzi spoke, he struck out with his other hand.

Seeing this, the blind tiger could only block with his arm, but after being hit by this palm, he was sent flying backwards for a distance before stopping in the air.

"My turn!"

Xuan Kongzi's body surged with spiritual energy, and he continuously unleashed several giant palm prints formed by the convergence of spiritual energy from a distance.

The blind tiger could only slash and slash with his long sword, fighting and retreating, constantly blocking Xuan Kongzi's attacks.

The spiritual energy palm prints that the blind tiger had dodged landed in the forest below, leveling the ground and creating a deep crater.

Gou An watched the battle from a distance, continuously charging up the power of the Divine Iron Hammer while also looking for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

Having learned from past experiences, Gou An knew that using the Divine Iron Hammer required a single, decisive blow.

Otherwise, once the body's spiritual energy is depleted, it will be extremely dangerous in the short term.

At this moment, above the mountain forest, after a series of parries and dodges, the blind tiger suddenly switched from defense to offense.

He lunged at Xuan Kongzi, hacking and slashing with his long sword at close range, the sword light flashing continuously.

Xuan Kongzi could only continuously use his Black Gold Hand to parry the blades. The two were locked in a fierce battle, evenly matched for a time, with neither able to gain the upper hand.