Nan An initially underestimated Qiao Ci, believing she was no match for him. Thus, with an arrogant flair, he didn't block her attack but merely dodged to the side.
To his surprise, Qiao Ci's iron fist struck, nearly twisting his face askew.
Nan An reached up to touch his mouth, his hand coming away slick with blood. His teeth felt loose.
He spat fiercely onto the ground, his spit tinged with the metallic taste of blood. Upon closer inspection, a small incisor, broken halfway, was visible. Nan An erupted in fury!
"Roar~" He glared menacingly at Qiao Ci. "Very well, you have succeeded in angering me. Now, prepare to face the wrath of the Tiger King!"
"Transform!"
With a mighty roar, Nan An transformed into a massive tiger, unleashing the full pressure of his Tiger King aura, which made the surrounding beastmen tremble and instinctively want to bow in submission.
Qiao Ci watched him transform successfully. As he lunged fiercely towards her, she raised her slender, elegant right foot, imbued with a solemn, divine radiance, and kicked towards the tiger's head.
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. The sanctity surrounding Qiao Ci was like a divine descent, and all the beastmen reverted to their original forms and bowed before her.
Meanwhile, Nan An was sent flying backward by an unseen force, crashing hard against a collapsed earthen wall. The ensuing dust billowed towards Lu Yan, causing her eyes to water uncontrollably.
However, she had no time to tend to herself. Instead, she stared at Qiao Ci with stunned jealousy.
The holy light emanating from Qiao Ci was so dazzling.
Did gods truly exist in this world?
Nan An was utterly defeated but felt no shame. Gazing at Qiao Ci, bathed in holy light, he couldn't help but show admiration.
A deity had descended upon his Tiger tribe. The unification of the beastmen continent by the Tiger tribe was now within reach!
All the beastmen collectively bowed their heads in reverence towards Qiao Ci.
"A deity descends, bless our Tiger Clan!"
"A deity descends, bless our Tiger Clan!!"
"A deity descends, bless our Tiger Clan!!!"
At this moment, ambition overcame love for the man. Nan An also joined the chant: "A deity descends, bless our Tiger Clan! As leader, I will guide everyone to the pinnacle of the beastmen continent!!!"
The little tiger, Xiao Shaozi, was so disgusted he almost threw up. Shameless! The host was the victor now, the actual leader!
Amidst its grumbling, the little cub trotted forward, bit down on Nan An's tail, ripped off a tuft of fur, and quickly retreated to Qiao Ci's side for protection.
Nan An knew this little tiger belonged to Qiao Ci, so he didn't get angry. Instead, he gazed at Qiao Ci with immense ambition.
Qiao Ci watched the divine power bestowed upon her gradually fade, a slight frown on her brow. When had she ever needed help to beat someone up?
Immediately after, she heard arrogant words. Qiao Ci raised an eyebrow, "What, you're not convinced?"
Qiao Ci was now a treasure. Nan An wouldn't dare to disobey her. He smiled, believing himself to be dashing, "Of course, I'm convinced! Saintess, you are favored by the gods. In the future, we shall join forces..."
"What Saintess? My new identity now is the leader of the Tiger Tribe." Qiao Ci looked at Nan An as if he were trash.
"The divine power that descended just now was to prevent us from fighting amongst ourselves. Rest assured, I will listen to you and will not, as leader, enter into a partnership with Lu Yan."
Qiao Ci was surprised by the extent of Nan An's sycophancy, given his supposed love for Lu Yan. Seeing him play coy, she said impatiently, "If you're not convinced, you can continue."
It was clear that he wouldn't be the leader anymore.
Nan An's face immediately fell. "Your ability to defeat me just now was merely due to divine intervention. I have already agreed to your unreasonable demands. Are you still not satisfied?"
"Whether with divine help or not, I can defeat you!" Qiao Ci's dominance was absolute, as she ground Nan An's face into the dirt.
"Qiao Ci, don't push your luck too far! Without the gods, you are nothing!" Nan An threatened.
"Oh, you're still not convinced??" Qiao Ci completely disregarded his threat and declared loudly, "Since you're not convinced, then I'll fight until you are! Whether with divine power or not, you are trash to me."
"The gods won't listen to you anyway. What if they help you again during the fight..." Nan An was already afraid to confront Qiao Ci directly. Who could possibly defeat a god?
Wasn't he just asking for a beating?
"The gods will not help," Qiao Ci said, and immediately attacked Nan An.
Nan An passively endured a severe beating. Seeing that no divine light reappeared on Qiao Ci, he prepared to counterattack with a vicious expression, determined to regain his dignity and status.
However, he discovered that even with his full strength, he couldn't defeat Qiao Ci.
The ferocious power and inhumane fighting style left Nan An with no ability to do anything but receive blows.
It was laughable!
He had initially thought he was going easy on Qiao Ci, but after going all out, he was still at the mercy of her blows!!
Although he knew he was bound to lose, his dignity as the Tiger King prevented him from begging for mercy. He was finally released after being beaten into a limp, lifeless husk like a dead dog.
Lu Yan had hated Nan An when he said he wouldn't be her partner. But now, seeing him on the verge of death, covered in blood, she couldn't help but worry.
If he died, who would protect her in the future?
Resignedly, she stepped forward and, along with the helping beastmen, carried him back to the simply constructed shelter.
Listening to the cheers and praises of the crowd behind her directed at Qiao Ci, she bit her lower lip tightly.
She was the chosen one, the daughter of destiny. Why would the gods protect Qiao Ci?
That deity must be a fallen god!
Or perhaps it was blind and mistaken, recognizing the wrong person!
When it returned to the righteous path, she would not forgive it so easily. Hmph.
While Nan An was recuperating, the people's enthusiastic support for Qiao Ci soared to unprecedented heights.
Without the status of the leader's mate, Lu Yan lost many privileges. Those female tigers who had disliked her before became even more critical of her. Whenever Lu Yan felt wronged, she would complain to Nan An.
Although Nan An felt sympathetic towards her, he was powerless. He was a wounded tiger now, incapable of doing anything.
Lu Yan suggested he leave the Tiger Tribe, but he sternly refused. Only those who had committed unforgivable sins were driven out of the tribe, and he still needed to heal.
Speaking of healing, he couldn't help but harbor some resentment towards Lu Yan.
He had originally planned to ask Qiao Ci for healing, but Lu Yan had stopped him.
She claimed Qiao Ci's medical skills couldn't cure him and might even involve some malicious trickery. So, Lu Yan had sought out some unorthodox methods for his healing.
However, half a month had passed, his condition worsened, and one of his legs, due to delayed treatment, was likely to suffer permanent damage.
Qiao Ci, with nothing else to do, took Xiao Shaozi for a stroll.
She sat and admired the lush greenery while Xiao Shaozi, disguised as a little cub, frolicked everywhere.
"Help! There's a tiger!"
At this moment, a panicked boy's voice rang out.
Xiao Shaozi stared blankly at the impossibly beautiful, 1.86-meter-tall young man before him, then looked at its own short, chubby, furry form. Instantly, it doubted its very existence!
Had it, a cute and soft little cub, been ambushed?