Chapter Forty-Seven

The video of the cross-tier battle quickly spread across the internet, creating an even greater uproar than before. Last time, it was evident to anyone that the little tiger was extraordinary. This time, however, the explosive shield-turtle strategy demonstrated the power of type advantages in low-tier battles to the fullest. The opponent’s combat strength was not high; it was a pure battle of attrition that wore down a dragon-type monster until it could barely inflict any damage.

One of the national exam question setters saw the video and nodded approvingly, “Excellent, this is how it should be. Day after day, all these kids do is rely on individual strength without building a proper battle system. What will they do when their power plateaus?” Another question setter noticed the situation and approached, asking, “What are you watching?”

The storm caused by this cross-tier battle video was not the only one online. Most repeat students believed that reaching King-tier meant invincibility in the entrance exam. Their logic was simple: choose a monster with King-tier potential, raise it for two years, and you’ll dominate the exam; repeat for a year, and you’ll be unbeatable.

Liu Baitian was a typical case. He had already reached adulthood tier in last year’s exam, and barring any mishaps, he would have a King-tier dragon monster this year. Yet unexpectedly, before he could perfect his technique, a cub like Cheng Yuan was able to challenge an adult tier one-on-one. Though everyone knew his raw strength was inferior, his small, agile feline physique and those incomprehensibly high-damage claws shattered the barriers between tiers.

Now, Wang Ningning’s shield formation strategy had become the model answer for cross-tier challenges, showing that type advantage is the foundation of an upset and systematic combat is the key. This left many repeat students feeling threatened. After all, even a near-King-tier fire dragon could be defeated; many of them did not measure up to that standard.

A week later, Cheng Yuan sighed. The two villagers beside him asked in confusion, “What’s wrong, Traveler?” Cheng Yuan replied, “Based on all the clues I’ve found, the Mountain Lord isn’t an evil god. You also claim there’s nothing wrong with the mountain, and I’ve checked myself. I can’t see any further. I need to awaken the Mountain Lord.”

In the past week, Cheng Yuan had scoured every clue, even uncovering two hidden bosses—a saber-toothed wild tiger and an iron-pawed brown bear—and discovered a side quest: the mystery of the missing child. He received side quest rewards: a passive skill book ‘Tiger’s Back, Bear’s Waist’, bear hide, and tiger fangs. Unfortunately, since he wasn’t the one to slay the monsters himself, he missed out on more rewards.

Both monsters had died in the villagers’ traps. After all, humans have many ways to deal with monsters below King-tier, especially those that prey on people—they died miserably.

Hearing Cheng Yuan’s words, the two villagers were taken aback. “Traveler, you can’t! What if the Mountain Lord awakens and takes vengeance?” Cheng Yuan answered confidently, “Leave it to me.” Yet aside from his initial display of psychokinesis, the villagers remained unconvinced. “I need to consult the village chief,” Cheng Yuan said with a nod.

Half an hour later, the elderly village chief stroked his beard, his eyes filled with hesitation. “Is there no other way to confirm?” Cheng Yuan nodded, “All the evidence so far suggests it’s not an evil god. Under normal circumstances, awakening it should be fine.”

A villager spoke up, “Uncle, maybe we should let it go?” The other villagers chimed in with their opinions as well. “How can we? If it isn’t an evil god, our village can rise again. The county magistrate will send teachers, and our village can finally develop.” “Exactly! All we have are stray cats and dogs. Without a scholar, our village will never have hope.” “But what if it is an evil god and wakes up to kill us? It could massacre the whole village…”

The villagers were clearly split into two camps—one wanting to awaken the Mountain Lord, the other fearing the danger. Voices clashed, each side growing louder, some even rolling up their sleeves, ready for a brawl.

Suddenly, the old village chief roared, his voice silencing everyone in an instant. “Go slaughter the cattle.”

The villagers paused, then turned to leave. Cheng Yuan watched with anticipation.

Another half hour passed. Cheng Yuan observed as blood slowly soaked the sacrificial altar. Soon, pillars of light rose: gold—ox, fire—dog, water—chicken, wood—pig, earth—sheep. When the five-colored pillars of light appeared, Cheng Yuan finally understood the significance of the five sacrificial animals.

The colored beams shot into the sky, stirring the clouds above. Cheng Yuan soon sensed a mysterious presence emerging on the statue. The old village chief solemnly chanted the rites. Cheng Yuan felt an awareness sweeping through the area, leaving him dazed. He glanced around, detecting nothing unusual, realizing that his high spiritual power allowed him to experience a form of spirit communication.

Cheng Yuan welcomed the experience. As long as it wasn’t severe, he could even sense what the spirit was thinking. At that moment, the village chief accidentally caught a glimpse of Cheng Yuan’s pupils—deep brown and round. The old chief shuddered, momentarily halting his chant. Thankfully, he resumed quickly. Cheng Yuan soon sensed the spirit’s satisfaction, as if it were enjoying a meal.

A feeling of joy and comfort washed over him, and Cheng Yuan couldn’t help but smile. He sensed the presence growing more conscious, processing recent memories. Suddenly, the image of a tiger’s face appeared—its eyes deep as amber.

In the next instant, Cheng Yuan realized: it had awakened. As this thought struck him, he saw an earth-yellow wooden pillar and a phantom figure appeared before his eyes. He immediately cast an identification spell.

In the next second, Cheng Yuan gasped sharply and turned to flee. “Wait! Traveler, where are you going?” As he ran and the spirit communication faded, Cheng Yuan reached the dungeon exit and stepped through.

Back in the real world, Cheng Yuan wiped the cold sweat from his brow. “Damn, it’s neither an evil god nor a mountain god. It’s a totem god.” The feedback from his identification spell had solved all doubts.

Race: Totem—Tiger God
Bloodline: Tiger—Royal House (Human)
Level: 31 / Peak 47
Divine Authority: Slaughter, Protection
Talents: Creation at a Thought, Totem Protection, ?????
Skills: Horn of War LV6, Blessing of Protection LV8, ?????

No wonder the mountain beasts were so quiet and few dared trouble the village. With a guardian deity who protects by slaughter atop the mountain, even natural disasters would have second thoughts. A totem god is a primal yet formidable existence, able to emulate myriad deities—a special god born of compromise and equality between monsters and humans, even capable of growth and fusion, akin to the monotheistic deities.

Cheng Yuan understood that even if the villagers succeeded in summoning it, as long as no one spoke recklessly at the temple or before the statue, the Mountain Lord would never harm humans. The surest way to infuriate it would be to slaughter any beast from its bloodline in its presence—even if the villagers were of the tiger clan, it would erupt in berserk rage. Cheng Yuan could now guess why the imperial army had truly clashed with the Mountain Lord.