The entrance to Devil Mountain was about a hundred miles from the village, and it wasn't outside the mountains but deep within the range. If Ning Beichen hadn't learned its location from Pan Yang, finding Devil Mountain would have been no easy feat.
Moreover, there were no wide roads along the way, only difficult mountain paths and trails. Driving was impossible; one could only travel on foot.
Most of these mountain paths were rarely used, many sections were overgrown, some were buried by landslides, and others were reclaimed by vegetation.
Fortunately, Ning Beichen possessed Qinggong and was a Grandmaster. His speed was no slower than driving. What would have taken several days of walking, he covered in half a day using his Qinggong to reach the entrance of Devil Mountain.
"Is this Devil Mountain? It looks quite ordinary," Ning Beichen murmured to himself, looking at a large mountain ahead, even doubting if he had come to the wrong place.
"Never mind, since I'm here, I'll go in and see just how devilish it is."
After resting for a while, Ning Beichen checked the time. It was already past three in the afternoon. If he entered the mountain, he would likely have to spend the night inside.
However, this was nothing to Ning Beichen; finding his senior sister was the most important thing.
Soon, Ning Beichen entered Devil Mountain.
Just as he was starting to think that Devil Mountain wasn't anything special, a sudden storm brewed.
Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky.
Not long after, a heavy rain began to fall, and the entire sky turned gloomy.
"It lives up to its name as Devil Mountain; it's rather ominous. When I wasn't here, the sky was clear for miles, but as soon as I entered, the weather immediately changed."
Ning Beichen glanced at the darkening sky and quickly looked for a place to shelter from the rain.
Ning Beichen had intended to find a cave to escape the rain, but as the downpour started abruptly, he was drenched before he could even find one.
Ning Beichen gave up on finding a cave and instead took shelter under a few trees. Although they couldn't completely block the heavy rain, it was better than being out in the open.
The rain continued for several hours. By the time it stopped, it was already evening.
Ning Beichen took off his clothes, wrung out the water, and put them back on. He then found a higher elevation to set up camp.
About an hour later.
In a part of the mountain forest, a firelight flickered. Ning Beichen was seen sitting by the campfire, using a pine branch to skewer a wild chicken he had found somewhere, roasting it by the fire.
Not long after.
A delicious aroma of roasted meat wafted from the campfire.
Ning Beichen broke off a crispy, tender chicken leg and ate it heartily, while also keeping an eye on his surroundings.
Earlier, when he was looking for food, he had found footprints of large animals, unsure if they belonged to bears or tigers. However, Ning Beichen was certain that there were large animals within Devil Mountain.
But Ning Beichen was not worried. Both he and his senior sister were martial artists; they had nothing to fear even from bears or tigers.
After eating his fill.
Ning Beichen checked the perimeter of his campsite. He set up traps for early warning, then left the camp and used his Qinggong to land on a large tree to survey the surroundings for any firelight.
Seeing no other lights, Ning Beichen entered his tent to rest.
After traveling for most of the day using Qinggong and getting caught in the heavy rain, even a Grandmaster like Ning Beichen was a bit tired.
Apart from his own camp, there were no other lights around, proving that his senior sister, Nangong Feiyan, was not in the vicinity.
So Ning Beichen didn't bother to search in the dark. It was better to rest well for the night and search for his senior sister when it was daylight tomorrow.
However, in the middle of the night, Ning Beichen heard some movement around his camp, which immediately alerted him.
Ning Beichen silently left his tent and went outside.
In the darkness.
He saw a massive tiger with stripes squatting outside his camp. It had likely caught his scent and was preparing to hunt him.
Ning Beichen silently drew a compound bow from his back, his arrow aimed at the tiger.
He pulled the string and released.
The bowstring buzzed.
The arrow flew towards the tiger's head.
The tiger, sensing danger, quickly turned its head and dodged Ning Beichen's arrow.
"Roar!"
The tiger let out a roar and charged towards Ning Beichen at a speed of over a hundred kilometers per hour.
Seeing that the tiger had discovered him, Ning Beichen calmly tapped his foot on the ground and flew backward diagonally, immediately shooting a second arrow at the tiger.
This second arrow was infused with Ning Beichen's internal energy, making it more than twice as fast as the tiger.
As the tiger leaped into the air, Ning Beichen shot it in the head with an arrow, and it fell from the sky.
However, the tiger was incredibly resilient. Even with an arrow in its head, it continued to charge at Ning Beichen after falling.
Ning Beichen, unperturbed, shot a third arrow.
This third arrow whistled through the air like a missile and pierced the tiger's head once more.
With a crash!
The several-thousand-pound tiger, like an out-of-control vehicle, smashed heavily into the trees, breaking branches with a series of loud snaps.
Ning Beichen slung his compound bow onto his back and, with a few agile leaps, landed beside the tiger. Seeing that it was still breathing, Ning Beichen decided to finish it off and fiercely kicked the tiger's head.
With a thud.
The tiger finally breathed its last.
Ning Beichen grabbed the tiger by its hind legs and dragged its carcass back to his camp.
This tiger was a great tonic, especially for martial artists.
If he hadn't encountered it, it would be one thing, but since he had, Ning Beichen wasn't going to be polite.
Besides, this was Annan; Ning Beichen had no psychological burden eating a tiger.
Soon, Ning Beichen skinned and dismembered the tiger. The most important part was the tiger blood, of which Ning Beichen drank several bowls raw.
He felt his body warm up, and his dantian emitted a sound like popping beans.
Ning Beichen immediately seized the opportunity to cultivate.
One night passed.
Ning Beichen finished his cultivation, his face filled with excitement.
He hadn't expected the tiger blood to significantly boost his Grandmaster cultivation.
Although he was already a Grandmaster, there were levels even within that.
Before, he could only be considered to have just begun, also known as a Junior Grandmaster.
After being nourished by the tiger blood last night, his cultivation had surged to the Intermediate Grandmaster level, a leap that could be considered a step into heaven.