“If the demons the God of Wine speaks of are the kind that can fly, burrow underground, and cast spells, then they certainly don’t exist. But there are some particularly intelligent animals that can be trained to assist in battle,” Xiaoyaozi replied.
Upon hearing what Xiaoyaozi said, Hao Jiu immediately remembered that there might be quite a few such animals in the novel "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," such as the Lightning Sable and the Manggu Toad.
The Lightning Sable is the battle pet of Duan Yu's sister, Zhong Ling. It eats venomous snakes and is therefore highly venomous itself.
The Manggu Toad was even more formidable, one of the three treasures of the Xingxiu Sect, which even poisoned the Lightning Sable to death. Of course, in the end, it was eaten by Duan Yu, thus gaining immunity to all poisons.
Soon, everyone saw the source of the tiger's roar: a black-spotted tiger as strong as an ox!
There are many folk tales about black tigers, but no photographic records have been left. Modern zoologists believe that black tigers are a mutated form of tigers, just like white tigers.
When Hao Jiu saw the black tiger, the first thing that came to mind was a tabby cat, a domestic cat native to my country and widely distributed.
But it's strange to even think that way. Compared to a tiger, a tabby cat is so small and cute, while tigers are supposed to be extremely fierce. Is it really okay for a tiger to look like a cat?
However, strangely enough, the style of the following paintings is indeed like that.
"Awoo~" Black Tiger let out a mournful cry, lying on the ground, looking at the white rabbit who was dumbfounded in front of him and an old monk with empty hands in extreme fear.
Hao Jiu and the others watched the monk, tiger, and rabbit in front of them from the alternate dimension, and the scene became increasingly bizarre.
"You wretched creature! You still show no remorse! Must I kill you with a single finger? Heaven cherishes life, and I don't want to kill you, but you must promise me you will never kill again. Why don't you give up meat as well?" The old monk's anger subsided instantly, and he said gently, "Big Black, if you're hungry, have some vegetarian food. Look at this cucumber, it smells so good."
Black Tiger, "..."
The old monk magically produced a cucumber from his sleeve and held it to the black tiger's mouth, his intention to feed it was all too clear.
Black Tiger bared his teeth and opened his mouth to bite, but he didn't bite the cucumber; instead, he bit the hand!
Chirp!
The old monk pointed a finger from afar, striking Black Tiger squarely on the forehead.
"Awooo!!!!"
This scream was even louder than the one Hao Jiu and the others had heard at Chong Sheng Temple!
"You deserve a beating! Even though you didn't bite the rabbit, you bit me, but I'm still meat, so you can't eat me either. Come on, eat this cucumber instead. Try it, how will you know if it's good or not if you don't try it?" As the old monk spoke, he handed the cucumber to the black tiger's mouth again.
Tears seemed to well up in Black Tiger's eyes as he lay on the ground sobbing, looking utterly miserable.
Hao Jiu's lips twitched violently. "Isn't this the real mad monk? Tigers are carnivores. If they can only eat vegetables from now on, what about their rights? This is practically animal abuse, tsk tsk."
"This person is quite capable, managing to make such a fierce tiger kneel on the ground. Moreover, this tiger is quite intelligent, and seems to be genuinely considering whether or not to become a vegetarian." The more Xiang Yu thought about it, the more amazing it seemed.
"That's Duan Sulong. I didn't expect him to actually become a monk. And after not seeing him for several years, his martial arts have improved quite a bit. Just now, that One-Finger Divine Skill was so effortless, and he controlled the force with ease. He must have reached the fourth rank. But his temper hasn't changed at all. Once he's made up his mind, not even ten oxen could pull him back," Xiaoyaozi said with a smile.
"So he was Duan Sulong," Xiang Yu murmured.
"It's a pity he's a bit too old, and he looks a bit dim-witted." Hao Jiu had already scanned Duan Sulong, so he was naturally not the host.
"Oh, I see, so you don't like cucumbers." Duan Sulong suddenly realized.
Black Tiger looked delighted and nodded repeatedly. He then turned his gaze to the white rabbit on the ground and frantically gave it all the expressions he could muster.
Duan Sulong put away the cucumber, and with a flick of his wrist, produced an eggplant!
Black Tiger, "..."
"Haha... Duan Sulong is really a talent." Hao Jiu couldn't help but laugh.
"Big Black, aren't you going to eat this eggplant? Oh, I see, so you're not hungry! Then don't eat it for now, wait until you're hungry. Come back to Wuwu Temple with me. If I leave you here in the mountains, you might harm people. If someone else came, you'd be dead."
Black Tiger shook its head like a rattle-drum, then continued to frantically imply that it liked to eat the rabbit, not the eggplant!
Duan Sulong ignored the Black Tiger's frantic hints, lightly tapped the white rabbit on the ground, and the rabbit vanished in a flash.
Then, Duan Sulong put away the eggplant, slowly walked around to the side of the black tiger, stepped onto the black tiger's back, and actually rode on it!
Black Tiger instinctively wanted to resist, but he forced himself to endure it. Let him ride me then, what else can I do? I can't beat him in a fight, and I can't outrun him. Maybe if I let him ride me once, I'll have meat to eat later?
Just then, two more people suddenly appeared in the open space behind them.
"Hahaha... Congratulations, young friend, on taming the black tiger mount," Xiaoyaozi laughed.
Black Tiger whirled around, its fur standing on end. Its instincts told it that the person who spoke was extremely terrifying, far more terrifying than the old monk!
Duan Sulong, who was on the tiger's back, was also quite frightened. After all, there hadn't been a single person there just now, and even the most skilled light-footed technique would still make some noise, right? But after seeing who it was, he wasn't surprised anymore.
"This humble monk, Fantong, pays respects to Sect Leader Xiaoyao. This mere black tiger is nothing to mention, nothing to mention at all." Duan Sulong jumped off the black tiger and bowed respectfully. Back then, Xiaoyaozi had given him some pointers, advising him to focus on cultivating the One-Finger Divine Skill and the Six Meridians Divine Sword, but he hadn't listened, and now it was too late for regrets.
But why did Xiaoyaozi suddenly appear at this moment and congratulate him? Could it be that he also had his eye on this black tiger?
Such a rare species is not only majestic and imposing in appearance, but also intelligent. With a little training, it can become a great helper. It would be the envy of others to be a battle pet, mount, or guardian beast. Anyone who sees it would be tempted.
Xiaoyaozi smiled slightly as he looked at the black tiger, "Indeed, it is a fine tiger. Come here and let me take a closer look."
“Big Black, come over here and let the Xiaoyao Sect Leader ride around. Don’t worry, the Xiaoyao Sect Leader is a grandmaster and also my senior. He certainly won’t do anything to you,” Duan Sulong said with a smile.
The more Black Tiger looked at Xiaoyaozi, the more terrified he became. If he were captured by this man, he would probably never be able to escape in this lifetime. Thinking of this, Black Tiger's eyes darted around, and he mustered all his strength to run away, but then he suddenly shuddered and slowly turned his gaze to the young man beside Xiaoyaozi, and then...
Black Tiger's eyes widened suddenly, his heart pounding wildly, and then he rolled his eyes.
Gaa!
He fell to the ground with a thud and didn't move at all!
Duan Sulong, "..."
Chapter 383 Tianlong Temple
Hao Jiu raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the Overlord's eyes had other uses besides being able to see the system. Even without being developed, they could instill fear in animals, including humans, horses, and tigers.
If I were to develop a pupil technique, killing with my eyes would be a piece of cake. I'll take care of this once I finish this mission in this dimension.
Xiang Yu didn't feel much. He had just glanced at the black tiger out of curiosity, but the black tiger was quite perceptive and made eye contact with him. He didn't know what the spirit tiger saw in his eyes that made it so frightened.
Xiaoyaozi couldn't help but smile bitterly. He had just discovered that the black tiger intended to escape and was about to use his methods to subdue it, but unexpectedly, the black tiger took its own life. It failed to escape and almost lost its life. Fortunately, the Overlord did not intend to kill it.
Duan Sulong had already realized that the black tiger was about to escape and was preparing to kill it instantly, but unexpectedly the black tiger collapsed on its own, still breathing and not dead.
Judging from Xiaoyaozi's expression, he was also somewhat surprised, so the one who made the move was undoubtedly the young man beside him. Subdued a fierce tiger silently, without even moving a finger? And a spirit-powered black tiger at that!
What kind of martial art is this? I've never heard of it before!
"Uh, who is this?" Duan Sulong carefully examined Xiang Yu. He was indeed exceptionally brave and heroic. Could he be Xiaoyaozi's newly accepted disciple?
"This is Xiang Yu, my senior and my benefactor." Ever since confirming Xiang Yu's identity, Xiaoyaozi dared not refer to himself as a senior anymore. Xiang Yu, the Overlord, was a figure from more than a thousand years ago.
Duan Sulong was stunned. These three sentences contained too much information. He thought to himself that there has only been one overlord throughout history, namely Xiang Yu, the overlord of Western Chu. Although he was domineering, it was a bit much for him to call himself an overlord.
But the words "Overlord" shocked Duan Sulong far more than "Senior" and "Benefactor." Who was Xiaoyaozi?
That was truly a god-like figure, possibly from the same generation as Emperor Taizu Duan Siping, or even earlier. How could Xiaoyaozi's predecessor be so young?
But if he wasn't a senior, Xiaoyaozi wouldn't have said that. Even if this person had truly done him a favor, there was no need to arbitrarily acknowledge seniority, right?
Considering the way he dealt with Black Tiger, this Overlord must be a god. He looks young but may actually be hundreds or even thousands of years old. It's not surprising that he has the ability to live forever.
However, these thoughts only flashed through Duan Sulong's mind. Even Xiaoyaozi was so respectful, how could Duan Sulong dare to be negligent?
"This humble monk pays his respects to the Overlord." Duan Sulong put his hands together and bowed deeply.
"No need for formalities." Xiang Yu didn't care about such things.
"Fantong is your Dharma name, right? But why did you become a monk at Wuwu Temple instead of Chongsheng Temple?" Xiaoyaozi asked.
“Chongsheng Temple is too close to Dali City, which is not conducive to cultivation. Wuwu Temple is better. May I ask what brings the Xiaoyao Sect Leader here to see this humble monk?” Duan Sulong asked.
"I was originally going to accompany the Overlord to Chong Sheng Temple, but I happened to hear the roar of a tiger here, so I rushed over to see what was going on. I didn't expect it to be an old friend showing off his skills here, so I showed myself to meet him," Xiaoyaozi said with a smile.
Duan Sulong gasped. He could hear the tiger's roar from Chong Sheng Temple and arrive here in the time between the two roars. It must have flown here!
"May I ask what brings you two to Chong Sheng Temple? Perhaps this humble monk can be of assistance."
“What a coincidence! We were just looking for you and the other experts from the Dali Duan family to have a chat and maybe give some benefits to the more talented younger members of your Duan family. This is an incredible opportunity,” Xiaoyaozi replied.
Duan Sulong's pupils contracted, and he said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Sect Leader Xiaoyao is truly all-powerful. My Dali Duan family has no secrets in your eyes, senior. The decision for the Duan family's experts to become monks and cultivate asceticism was only recently made, and Sect Leader Xiaoyao already knew about it. I suppose you must already know the cultivation methods of the Six Meridians Divine Sword and the One Yang Finger by heart, senior?"
Xiaoyaozi stroked his beard. "Hahaha, young friend, what makes you say that? Does my Xiaoyao Sect lack martial arts masterpieces? While One Finger Divine Skill and Six Meridian Divine Sword are indeed superior martial arts, they are still a little inferior to the martial arts of my Xiaoyao Sect."
However, Duan Siping, the ancestor of the Dali Duan family, once wanted to exchange my Longevity Technique for the Six Meridians Divine Sword and the One Yang Finger, but I refused because the Longevity Technique at that time still had some flaws, and I wasn't very interested in practicing the Six Meridians Divine Sword.
However, Duan Siping did not give up. Instead, he constantly pestered me for advice, and ultimately, relying on his genius, he found a unique path and created a miraculous skill that could grant immortality, called the Withering and Flourishing Zen Skill. Has your Duan family inherited it?
Duan Sulong's expression changed drastically. The Ku Rong Chan Gong was a closely guarded secret of the Dali Duan family. People only knew that the Dali Duan family had two peerless martial arts, the One-Finger Divine Skill and the Six Meridian Divine Sword, but they knew nothing about the Ku Rong Chan Gong.
Unexpectedly, the Ku Rong Zen Kung Fu has such a connection with the Xiaoyao Sect, and even the ancestor of Dali, Duan Siping, can be considered half a disciple of Xiaoyaozi!
"I have offended you greatly just now, and I hope you will forgive me, senior!" Duan Sulong bowed deeply.
"This matter is nothing, but there is something you misunderstand, young friend. I was actually unaware of the Duan family's masters becoming monks and cultivating in seclusion. But that doesn't matter. I have no interest in your Dali family affairs, and I have long lost interest in dominating the martial arts world. I have come here to accompany the Overlord in selecting talents, and I have no other intentions," Xiaoyaozi said with a smile.
Duan Sulong clasped his hands together and said, "Senior Xiaoyao, you have misunderstood. My family, the Duan family of Dali, has no intention of dominating the martial arts world by becoming monks and cultivating ourselves. It is only for self-preservation in the martial arts world."
Furthermore, since our ancestors, no one has successfully mastered the Six Meridians Divine Sword, and very few have even reached the fourth rank or higher with the One Yang Finger. We feel deeply ashamed.
Therefore, I have decided that from this day forward, those with exceptional martial arts talent, regardless of whether they inherit the throne, must, at the latest by the age of sixty, become monks to dedicate themselves to cultivating their family's unique martial arts.
"This is excellent. With such determination, the Duan family of Dali will surely rise to prominence. Young friend, you have great courage," Xiaoyaozi praised.
Hao Jiu thought to himself, "What courage!" He finally remembered who this Duan Sulong was. He was the first emperor of the Dali Duan family to voluntarily become a monk, and under his leadership, the emperors of the following generations all became monks...
"This humble monk is unworthy of such praise. Aren't you two going to Chong Sheng Temple? Then let me lead the way," Duan Sulong said.
"Huh? Wasn't it supposed to be at Wuwu Temple?" Xiaoyaozi asked in confusion.
Duan Sulong smiled awkwardly, "Well, my Dali Duan family mainly consists of two branches of the clan. One branch's ancestor was the founding emperor Duan Siping, and the other branch was Duan Siliang, the younger brother of the founding emperor."
Both the current emperor and I belong to the same lineage as Duan Siliang. Since Duan Siping's lineage chose Chongsheng Temple, I led another lineage to choose Wuwu Temple. I hope my two predecessors will forgive my shortcomings.
"If the two seniors wish to meet with the masters and outstanding young talents of my Dali Duan family, then we must go to Chongsheng Temple. Moreover, Master Siming of Chongsheng Temple and I have already discussed merging the two temples into one, renaming it… Tianlong Temple!"
"hiss……"
Chapter 384 Duan Family Masters
Foresight!
Xiaoyaozi was slightly shocked, but then he understood. After all, he was the God of Wine, so it wasn't surprising that he could predict the future.