The feline creature was about four meters long, its back arched as it glared at them, its tail held high behind it, bristling with sharp, splayed fur that made it look like a mace.
Beneath its eerie green vertical pupils was a gaping black maw, blending seamlessly with its fur. Its pearly white fangs were revealed within, indicating it was baring its teeth and preparing to attack.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty's hackles rose, and with practiced ease, they drew their guns.
"Damn it, the world changes so fast!" Fatty leaned against a branch, his gun steady as he aimed at the giant cat.
A few screams echoed from below the tree. The water sprites, upon seeing the colossal cat, scrambled and dove into the water, disappearing without a trace, as if this cat were their natural predator.
"Now cats are eating monkeys. If this keeps up, Fatty thinks he wouldn't be surprised to see a mouse riding a cat!"
"Holy cow!" Wu Tianzhen exclaimed, immediately interrupting Fatty's nonsensical rambling. "Don't even think about it, control your brain!"
Fatty also suddenly realized something. The two of them, with guilty consciences, glanced around, confirming that the bronze tree hadn't actually materialized a mouse riding a cat, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the cat, seeing that the two were completely ignoring it, was enraged!
Its sharp claws extended, raking the bronze tree's branches twice, producing an incredibly grating metallic screech, as chilling as chalk drawn vertically on a blackboard!
Sparks seemed to fly in the darkness. After a furious roar, the giant cat lunged upwards vertically!
It disdained to climb the branches, relying solely on its claws to grip the bronze tree's intricate patterns as it ascended. The piercing sound followed its every movement, as if intending to attack its enemies both physically and mentally!
Seeing this, Wu Tianzhen and Fatty immediately opened fire. The crackling bullets rained down, only to be deflected the moment they struck the giant cat's fur?!
This cat wasn't just bristling; its fur was naturally a metallic, piercing armor!
As the two were still in shock, a sonic boom echoed from above! This was the explosive sound produced when air is impacted at extreme speeds!
The familiar sound immediately reassured Wu Tianzhen and Fatty. With their bullets ineffective, they casually retracted their pistols and crossed their arms, adopting a condescending posture to mock the giant cat from above.
Fatty even made a few "tsk" sounds, as if calling a dog.
The giant cat, unable to comprehend this shift in dynamics, let out a fierce yowl and lunged forward. It opened its massive maw mid-air, eager to devour these two large monkeys instantly!
But at that moment, a sharp, space-piercing sword cry was heard!
Zhang Qiling had leaped directly from above, his Black Gold Ancient Sword gleaming, and plunged downwards!
The leaping giant cat had no time to react. It felt a fatal sense of crisis prickling its back, and instantly let out a scream, its fur stiffening completely, transforming it into a porcupine.
Zhang Qiling saw that the Black Gold Ancient Sword was not long enough. In a flash, he twisted his body with immense force, his Black Gold Ancient Sword following his powerful movement, tracing an arc in the air. The unstoppable thrust transformed into a sideways slash!
For an instant, the air seemed to freeze. The giant cat paused, and the sharp spikes on its back suddenly shattered!
The black spikes rained down, hitting the water. The giant cat, losing its balance, flipped backward!
At this moment, Zhang Qiling landed on a branch below it, pushed off with his foot, and leaped up. With a vertical kick that defied human limits, he struck the giant cat's exposed back, unprotected by spikes!
Fatty and Wu Tianzhen watched as the cat flew high into the air, crashing into the branches above. The bronze tree branches were incredibly sturdy, only trembling slightly from the impact, but the cat was severely injured. It opened its mouth and vomited a mouthful of blue blood!
After this collision, it fell straight down like a kite with a broken string, seemingly dead.
Just as the two were about to offer a perfunctory prayer for the giant cat, they were shocked to see its sinister eyes suddenly light up within its black face. The giant cat was faking its death?!
It feigned its descent, getting close to Zhang Qiling, its fangs bared. With a roar, it flipped and pounced, its long claws pushed to their extreme, in a desperate, all-or-nothing frenzy!
The two above watched clearly, and a cry escaped their lips:
"Xiao Ge, Xia—"
Their warning was cut short as Zhang Qiling calmly looked up at the incoming attack. His Black Gold Ancient Sword had already been sheathed, the hilt and scabbard making a soft "click" as they met.
This soft sound was drowned out by the giant cat's roar, yet it resonated like a thunderclap in their hearts!
The tip of the dark claw was inches away, then abruptly stopped.
The giant cat continued to fall under gravity and inertia, but its claw froze in mid-air.
A moment later, blue blood gushed out!
The claw finally fell, hitting the water, but it had been severed in the instant Zhang Qiling sheathed his sword!!!
The giant cat was stunned. The pain, delayed, finally registered in its mind, and it instinctively curled up with a howl.
Seeing the cat about to land on a vertical branch and become a skewer, Zhang Qiling, as it brushed past, suddenly reached out and grabbed the bare skin on its back. With a flick of his wrist, he changed its direction and tossed it into the water pool.
Seeing their predator beaten to a pulp, the water sprites, who had reappeared unnoticed, floated on the water's surface, clapping and watching the spectacle. When they saw the cat fall into the water, they scattered and fled.
The cat submerged for a moment, then poked its head out of the pool, its broken claw in its mouth.
It glanced at the fleeing water sprites, but had no desire to pursue them. It looked up at Zhang Qiling for a long moment, then swam into a wide channel and departed.
The grand spectacle finally concluded. The branch where Fatty and Wu Tianzhen were located shook as Zhang Qiling leaped up.
Wu Tianzhen immediately stepped forward to supervise the bandaging of Zhang Qiling's hand injury, while Fatty, with audacious boldness, stepped forward and patted Zhang Qiling's hood, feigning profundity.
"Well done, Xiao Ge."
"I hereby confer upon you the title of Cat-Fighting Warrior, with the honorific of Imperial Cat, and permission to carry a sword into the hall!"
Zhang Qiling looked up from under his hood at Fatty. Fatty choked, and sheepishly withdrew his hand.
Wu Tianzhen laughed for a while, but then suddenly heard a strange sound of water!
This sound, amidst the rushing water, seemed ordinary, but it caused Wu Tianzhen to turn pale with shock!
He looked at the water level that was suddenly rising madly below, and exclaimed:
"The rain has stopped, and the water inflow is stable. Why is the water in this pool rising even faster?!"