Chapter 143: Star Constellation White Tiger, Birth of the Martial God
Lin Yi stared in astonishment at the tiger cub running toward him with all its might.
Although they were far apart, the cub was giving its all.
But it just couldn’t reach Lin Yi.
It was as if an invisible wall stood between them, blocking its path.
Lin Yi could also sense it from the aura emanating from the tiger cub.
It held no malice toward him.
On the contrary, he felt a sense of familiarity.
’Is it like seeing a long-lost relative? Or does it see me as its master?’
The tiger cub ran for a long, long time.
However, the distance between it and Lin Yi didn’t shrink at all.
It remained at a distance, neither far nor near.
From this, Lin Yi deduced...
’There must be some kind of barrier between me and the cub, preventing us from getting too close.’
So, Lin Yi quietly stood up.
’If the cub can’t come to me, then I’ll go to it.’
Lin Yi’s body floated amidst the vast sea of stars.
Ever since he had entered the state of the Star River Qi Transformation Technique...
...he had never tried to take a single step.
Every night, he would just sit here in meditation, listening to the sounds of the Dao from beyond the heavens.
He did this to raise his Cultivation Realm.
’To think I’ve spent all this time here and never explored this sea of stars.’
As he extended his leg and gently pressed his toes down in front of him...
...a ripple suddenly spread across the endless abyss.
It was just like stepping on the surface of water.
And what’s more, it felt solid.
The heart that had been hanging in his throat finally settled down a bit.
Before this, Lin Yi hadn’t dared to move rashly, afraid that if he left the small plot of land where he meditated...
...he would plunge into endless darkness.
Now it seemed such worries were completely unnecessary.
Having taken the first step, the ones that followed felt much lighter.
However, he still didn’t dare to walk too quickly, afraid of misstepping and plunging into the void.
After taking more than ten steps, he looked up at the tiger cub again.
He found that it had stopped its futile struggles.
Instead, it sat there with curiosity in its eyes, watching Lin Yi approach step by step.
Lin Yi lost track of how much time had passed and how many steps he had taken.
But he was surprised to find that he was actually getting closer and closer to the cub.
In other words, the cub couldn’t approach him.
But he could approach the cub...
As the man and tiger drew ever closer...
The tiger cub seemed to grow anxious, pacing back and forth on the spot.
From time to time, it would even stand on its hind legs, looking like it wanted to pounce on Lin Yi.
Finally, he stood right in front of the tiger cub.
Looking at the little fella before him...
...he couldn’t help but reach out and stroke the cub’s head.
Instantly, the cub closed its eyes and lay down on the ground with a look of pure bliss.
It even rolled over playfully, exposing its belly for Lin Yi to rub as he pleased...
However, Lin Yi didn’t notice...
...that as he interacted with the cub...
...rays of starlight from across the entire starry sky were all shining down on him and the cub.
At that moment, Lin Yi and the tiger cub were like performers under a spotlight.
The darkness was the stage, and they were playing on it while the starlight focused entirely on them.
It was as if the entire universe revolved around them.
Gradually, a faint golden glow began to radiate from Lin Yi’s body.
His entire being was enveloped in the golden light, becoming increasingly brilliant and dazzling.
Until, with a sudden BOOM!
A silent wave of qi erupted from Lin Yi’s center, bursting outward in all directions.
It spread out into the boundless starry sky...
New District.
Dragon Tiger City.
This was the location of Dragon Tiger University.
Even though it was nighttime, the entire city was bustling and prosperous.
And on Dragon Tiger Mountain, located behind Dragon Tiger University...
...an old man in Daoist robes was sitting in meditation with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, he seemed to sense something.
His eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. He rose gracefully and looked up at the starry sky.
He could vaguely make out something in the vast sea of stars.
His pupils gradually contracted, and his brow furrowed slightly.
After a long moment, the expression on his face relaxed, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes.
"The Star Constellation White Tiger has appeared? The Celestial Martial God has been born?"
The old Daoist stroked his long beard, a look of sheer ecstasy flashing in his eyes.
Just then, a Little Daoist came running over in a hurry.
"Grandmaster, that burst of qi just now was..."
The old Daoist glanced back at him. "What? You felt it too?"
The Little Daoist nodded quickly. "My martial brothers and I all felt a strange surge of qi just now..."
Hearing this, the old Daoist chuckled and nodded.
"The Star Constellation White Tiger has appeared!"
"Ah? Star Constellation White Tiger? Grandmaster, you said before that the Star Constellations represent heavenly destiny, while the White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Profound Tiger, and Cyan Dragon represent the Martial Gods. The first Martial God appeared with the omen of the Vermilion Bird. Does the appearance of the White Tiger mean a new Martial God is about to be born?"
The Little Daoist’s expression grew more and more tense.
He stared intently at the old Daoist.
The birth of a Martial God was simply too important to them.
If what he said was true, it would be a matter of utmost importance for the entire New District.
Ever since the first Martial God went wandering among the stars...
...several hundred years had passed without a second Martial God being born.
If a new Martial God didn’t appear soon, he feared the exotic beasts in the Restricted Area would become uncontrollable.
Thus, the Little Daoist became increasingly excited.
The old Daoist smiled. "The stars show that the White Tiger has descended upon the Old District!"
"It seems this new Martial God has appeared in the Old District!"
"Dao Yi, I am going to the Old District. Tell your master and the others to keep a close eye on the students’ coursework. Don’t let them slack off!"
"Th-this... Grandmaster, can I go with you?"
The Little Daoist said, his face full of anticipation.
The old Daoist gave him a deep look, then after a long moment, chuckled and nodded.
"You may!"
"Excellent! I’ll go pack my things right away!"
"There’s no time. We’re leaving now!"
"Ah? Alright..."
The Little Daoist nodded and followed the old Daoist down a small path toward the foot of the mountain.
They walked without any sense of urgency, yet in the blink of an eye, they appeared at the base of the mountain.
After a few more breaths...
...the two of them had vanished completely.
...
Qi City.
Martial Arts Alliance Headquarters.
Several elderly men, none of them young, all with graying hair...
...were also staring up at the sky in shock.
Vaguely, they seemed to see a tiger cub shimmering with silver light, appearing and disappearing in the inky blackness of the starry sky.
Instantly, the expressions of the old men changed.
One by one, their eyes turned red, and tears blurred their vision.
"It’s here! It’s finally here!"
"It’s been over three hundred years... We’ve finally waited for the emergence of the second Martial God..."
"The Star Constellation White Tiger! The second Martial God!"
"Did you all see it? Did you all see the Star Constellation White Tiger?"
The old masters were all in tears.
They had waited bitterly for three hundred years.
Just when they had all thought it was hopeless to see a second Martial God in their lifetime...
...one had appeared without any warning...
This made them more and more emotional.
The birth of a Martial God represented the continuation of the New District.
It also meant that someone would finally be able to completely suppress the exotic beasts in the Restricted Area.
For the past three hundred years, the exotic beasts in the Restricted Area had been constantly growing stronger.
They had been improving themselves through one battle after another.
In recent years, their growth rate had accelerated.
According to the deductions of the Martial Arts Alliance and the Demon Hunting Bureau...
...it would likely take less than a hundred years for the exotic beasts in the Restricted Area to break out of their cage and once again deliver a fatal blow to humanity.
The matter of the Blood Drop Believers, when compared to an invasion by the exotic beasts...
...was utterly insignificant.
Therefore, even when Blood Drop caused trouble in the New District or wreaked havoc in the Old District...
...it never drew the true attention of the Martial Arts Alliance.
They focused all their energy on how to suppress the exotic beasts of the Restricted Area.
Back when these exotic beasts first invaded Blue Star, they nearly brought the planet to the brink of destruction.
If not for the first-generation Martial God, who led the Ancient Martial Families to suppress these demonic beasts...
...and driven them into the barren lands, designating that area as the Restricted Area...
...the planet might have long since ceased to exist.
Every single life form on this planet would have been annihilated.
Now, just as it seemed the exotic beasts were about to break out of their cage for a second time...
...a Martial God was born.
One of the old men looked up at the starry sky.
His voice choked with emotion as he said, "The choice of Heaven’s Mandate cannot be defied..."