Chapter 106: The Battle of Tigers and Wolves (Part XI)

The eight styles of ancient fist techniques are rooted in the Dragon form as the spirit, while the Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Snake, Crane, Monkey, and Horse serve as the physical vessel, forming eight styles and eight images.

Among these, the Tiger and Leopard are kin. Under the guidance of the Dragon spirit, they can naturally evolve into a single, devastating killing technique. Although it lacks the specific footwork and maneuvers of the Leopard form, making this "Leopard-Dragon Twist" somewhat imperfect, it is more than sufficient to deal with the opponent at hand.

In the center of the crater, which was riddled with cracks, the flesh of Zhao Pi'er, the "Human-Skin Wolf," began to twist and disintegrate inch by inch. This killing blow contained not only the explosive force of the Tiger but also the sharp, piercing power of the Leopard, along with the constricting, serpentine force woven into the Dragon spirit.

The synthesis of these three, driven by the Dragon spirit, transcended the conventional limits of a constricting force. The sheer power of this technique is rare even among the Four Refinements.

Layers of skin peeled away and crumbled from the opponent’s body, from head to toe, without exception. This time, Kou Li saw clearly that mixed in with the shedding skin were strands of pure golden fur.

This was no human skin; it was wolf skin—very likely the hide of the great demon worshipped by the Wolf-folk.

As more of this fur fell away, Kou Li’s brows furrowed. Under this transformation, the opponent’s life force, which had nearly dissipated, began to slowly surge again.

He had no desire to deal with this man over and over again like crushing a cockroach. If the head were severed, surely even this "demonic fur" would be unable to restore him.

Just as a fierce gleam flashed in Kou Li’s eyes and his hand reached for his blade to deliver the killing blow, a thick, pungent stench wafted from behind him. The massive wolf ridden by Zhao Pi'er—significantly larger than the others—had lurked behind Kou Li and lunged at that very moment.

Simultaneously, Zhao Pi'er opened his eyes. The divine light in his lupine pupils faded, and his body appeared drained, with minor wounds failing to heal. Clearly, his "undying body" was finally failing.

Even with a giant wolf launching a sneak attack from behind, it made little difference to Kou Li, whose Four Extremities were perfected and whose energy surged throughout his body. Despite being pinned to the ground by the giant beast, the sound of rhythmic thuds and the wolf’s shrill, mournful howls proved that even this creature, bearing the bloodline of the Wolf God, was no match for Kou Li.

Gritting his teeth, Zhao Pi'er whistled. The giant wolf ridden by the wolf-soldier who had been besieging the martial arts apprentices abandoned its master and dashed over. The rider, now without a mount, was quickly cut down and killed by the apprentices.

Zhao Pi'er admitted defeat; he had underestimated the capabilities of the Burning Body Martial Arts Hall. Yet, he was but one wolf. With him were the four wolves of the Water Dragon Gang. The five wolves of the "Four Wolves and Eight Tigers" had never failed a mission before.

Scanning the area, his gaze fell upon the calm face of Zheng Xiaobao. He gritted his teeth; he would let the brat live for now.

"I see it—raging flames, wolves wailing in the fire. Your death will be the most miserable. Not only will you be burned, but your limbs will be severed, and your eyes..." Zheng Xiaobao said slowly, his small face full of smiles.

Zhao Pi'er could bear it no longer. His white wolf let out a low growl, and the curved blade on its back flashed like cold light, slicing across Zheng Xiaobao’s neck. He immediately spurred the wolf to gallop away as blood spurted from the boy's throat.

At the same moment, the mount let out a pained scream. Kou Li gripped its front and hind legs and pulled with all his might. The massive body was hoisted high, and with a thunderous "rip," the front and rear halves of the wolf were torn asunder, spilling blood and entrails across the ground. Kou Li stepped out from the gore and stopped before Zheng Xiaobao.

"You—" Kou Li’s eyes contracted, his heart filled with an unspeakable sensation.

"Do not grieve, Brother Kou. Having passed through this ordeal, I have finally severed the causal ties of this world. All forms are but illusions; to forget oneself is a rare blessing indeed. Brother Kou, my Master has come to take me."

As Zheng Xiaobao finished speaking, his life flickered out. At that same moment, a monk in yellow robes appeared beside him.

The monk had a refined, handsome appearance, with bare feet and a white brow; his every feature embodied the characteristics of a Buddha. In the *Tripitaka Dharma*, these are known as the Thirty-Two Major Marks of a Great Man. Eleven of these were visible: flat soles, slender fingers, arms reaching past the knees, golden skin, a constant radiance of one foot, full and level extremities, a lion-like torso, forty teeth, pure white fangs, a white tuft of hair between the brows, and a crown-like protrusion on the head.

Wherever his gaze fell, all things were equal. Then, the Buddha’s gaze turned toward Kou Li.

"You possess great wisdom and a clear heart, which is why your face is as full and bright as the moon. However, the lines around your eyes show an unyielding nature and a rolling, baleful aura—you are no ordinary person."

Kou Li squinted, his eyes sharp as hooks. After a moment, he replied emotionlessly, "How are you so certain, Holy Monk, that this baleful aura is mine and not another's?"

"You speak truly. If you find the opportunity in the future, you may seek me out at Five Fingers Mountain. I shall then thank you for protecting my disciple." The Buddha returned the greeting with grace, then vanished in a flash of golden light.

Throughout this, it seemed only Kou Li could see the image of the great monk.

"Seek you out?" Kou Li had no such intention. Their paths were different. "Buddha speaks of compassion; I am not compassionate."

His gaze shifted. After dozens of skirmishes, only three of the apprentices remained, including Instructor Zhao, who had lost an arm.

The strange cries nearby ceased. Luo Dunzi emerged from behind a tree, covered in blood and bearing three bite marks. Wang Shennu had finally succumbed to blood loss after enduring immense torture.

"Where is he?" Kou Li asked. He had long noticed that the monkey-like monster’s face bore a resemblance to Jiang Yazi’s. Recalling the creature's previous behavior, he understood.

"He’s gone. I don’t know where he ran," Luo Dunzi said, utterly exhausted.

Kou Li looked at Ghost Shadow. "What do you think? My plan should be safe enough for you."

"Are you so certain they will follow in your direction?" Ghost Shadow countered.

"They will come. That pervert holds a position of great importance among the Wolf-folk," Kou Li paused, his voice cold. "No one escapes my sight!"

...

Zhao Pi'er drove the tribe's giant wolf, desperate to escape. A true pervert is not afraid of death, but he was not; he merely enjoyed the sight of others’ fear and terror. His "undying body" had given him the capital to be reckless, but now that his skin had been stripped away, he was more afraid of death than anyone.

Every generation of the Great Elder possessed the protection of the tribe’s ultimate treasure, the God-Wolf Skin. His father, the current Great Elder, had entrusted all the tribe’s God-Wolf skins to him. He had never expected them to be exhausted in a single battle.

His Wolf-Nail Fist had reached completion, and he had developed a unique fist-energy technique called "Skin-Peeling." Like the paper-talisman art of the Jiangxi corpse-drivers, it was a perfected hidden force achieved through special means—peeling tendons and removing skin, biting into the bone like a drill; it was the most insidious of arts.

Yet, the opponent had easily broken his force, and every move had left him with no room to counterattack. This was something no ordinary pugilist could achieve.

Unless—the opponent was not an ordinary pugilist, but a master of the Four Refinements. Only then could his series of schemes, calculations, and ambushes have failed so completely.

The Burning Body Martial Arts Hall did not have just four masters—they had a hidden fifth!

At this thought, Zhao Pi'er was struck by a sudden realization, followed by an uncontrollable excitement that flushed his face an unnatural red. With five wolves and hundreds of wolf-soldiers, even a master of the Four Refinements would surely be surrounded and killed.

He had collected countless human skins—men, women, infants, the elderly, even scholars and generals—but never a master of the Four Refinements. The entire Water Dragon Gang possessed no such master, and even in the whole of Yuehang, such fighters were few and far between.

But today, his wish was about to be fulfilled. He would peel the man’s skin off alive; listening to his screams would drive him into a frenzy of delight.

Through the dense jungle, he caught sight of wolves. Soon, he would reunite with his kind. Everyone knew that the strength of the pack was supreme.

The ground suddenly trembled. Zhao Pi'er paid no mind. The withered leaves on the ground shifted, and only then did he realize something was wrong. The silhouettes of the Power Wolf, Iron-Skin Wolf, One-Eyed Wolf, and Winged Wolf were vaguely visible.

However, a cold, ruthless voice rang in his ear—

"You live only because I allow it. If I do not let you leave, you will never escape."