The spotted blood tiger's face contorted in shock.
With this pounce, driven by Little Tiger's speed, he could very well be thrown off the stage.
Desperate!
The spotted blood tiger gritted his teeth, his body rapidly expanding, and in the blink of an eye, he was twice his original size.
Of course, this was a dangerous maneuver. The larger his body, the larger the target for his opponent's attacks.
However, under these circumstances, the spotted blood tiger had no other choice.
"Bang!"
Little Tiger pounced onto the spotted blood tiger, only causing the massive form to sway slightly.
Failing to push the spotted blood tiger off the stage, Little Tiger inwardly lamented his misfortune.
Since his initial plan hadn't yielded the desired result, Little Tiger didn't hesitate and immediately deployed his wind wings, soaring into the sky.
Just as he moved away, the spotted blood tiger turned and roared, unleashing a torrent of wind.
Little Tiger broke out in a cold sweat.
Thankfully, he hadn't hesitated, or being hit by this gale, even with his speed, would have sent him tumbling off the stage.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. This perilous moment unfolded in an instant.
The spotted blood tiger and Little Tiger exchanged knowing glances and re-engaged.
On another stage, it was already enveloped in lightning.
Lightning was one of the Thunder Pattern Ice Tiger's innate divine abilities, and amplified by its ice attribute, the lightning became even more terrifying.
The Netherworld Snow Tiger, meanwhile, had unleashed its Netherworld Shadow Clone technique, creating over a dozen duplicates that weaved rapidly through the lightning.
Strangely, no one could discern which of these clones was the true body.
"Interesting!"
Zi Linling sat in the air, munching on melon seeds and sipping tea brewed by Ye Lingyuan, watching the spectacle unfolding on both stages.
Ye Lingyuan smiled indulgently and said, "Both the Thunder Pattern Ice Tiger and the Netherworld Snow Tiger have been pushed to reveal their ultimate skills. No matter who wins or loses, neither will be the Tiger King."
Zi Linling pouted, "Only you understand!"
If Ye Lingyuan could see the situation on the stage clearly, so could she. She simply chose not to point it out.
Ye Lingyuan refilled her tea, his voice laced with affection, "Alright, alright! Your husband was wrong. Your husband should have seen but not spoken."
If this scene were witnessed by Feng, Yu, Lei, and Dian, their jaws would have surely dropped.
Their stoic and imperious King of the Underworld actually found himself repeatedly agreeing to things.
Zi Linling giggled as she watched Ye Lingyuan try to appease her.
On the stage, the spotted blood tiger and Little Tiger had exchanged over a thousand blows, and both bore traces of their grueling fight.
Meanwhile, the battle between the Thunder Pattern Ice Tiger and the Netherworld Snow Tiger was drawing to a close. The Thunder Pattern Ice Tiger's lightning power was depleted, and the Netherworld Snow Tiger's shadow clones had been whittled down to just its true form.
With a roar, both surged towards each other.
"Bang!"
The Thunder Pattern Ice Tiger was sent flying by the shockwave, crashing heavily onto the edge of the stage.
The Netherworld Snow Tiger was also thrown back, but at the last moment, it gritted its teeth and took a step forward.
It was this single step that allowed him to cling to the edge of the stage, securing victory.
Seeing that a winner had been decided here, the spotted blood tiger no longer delayed and said, "How about we settle it with one move?"
Little Tiger nodded his head and replied, "Alright! One move to decide the winner!"
At this point, the spotted blood tiger had expended over eighty percent of his strength, while Little Tiger, due to his speed, had only consumed sixty percent.
If the fight continued, Little Tiger would undoubtedly emerge victorious, and with minimal exertion.
However, Little Tiger still chose to end it with a single move against the spotted blood tiger, as the latter had earned his respect. He was willing to forgo his advantage to give the spotted blood tiger a dignified end.
"Be careful, I'm making my move!"
As the spotted blood tiger warned, he channeled his remaining twenty percent strength into his two forepaws and lunged at Little Tiger.
Little Tiger dared not rejoice and likewise channeled twenty percent of his strength into his forepaws, charging forward.
"Bang!"
The four tiger claws collided, shaking the entire stage.
The spotted blood tiger was sent flying directly towards the edge of the stage, landing on the ground and panting heavily.
Little Tiger was also flung backward, but with a spin in mid-air, he landed steadily on the edge of the stage.
Unlike the spotted blood tiger, he was standing on the edge.
"Brother, you've won!"
The spotted blood tiger uttered his last words with his remaining strength and then fainted.
Little Tiger looked up at the location where Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan were, a determined glint in his tiger eyes.
Seeing this, the referee quickly announced, "This match is won by the Wind Wing Phantom Tiger!"
"Now, please have the Netherworld Snow Tiger ascend the stage and compete against the Wind Wing Phantom Tiger in the final match to determine this year's Tiger King!"
With the result declared, the spotted blood tiger's clansmen hurried onto the stage to carry him away.
Simultaneously, the Netherworld Snow Tiger, dragging its weary body, stepped onto the stage and stood opposite Little Tiger.
The referee said, "This year's Tiger King will be decided between you two. Are you ready?"
Little Tiger nodded, "Ready!"
The Netherworld Snow Tiger hesitated for a moment, then nodded as well, "Ready!"
The referee declared, "In that case, the match begins!" As soon as his words fell, the Netherworld Snow Tiger lunged at Little Tiger.
Earlier, the Netherworld Snow Tiger had finished its match before Little Tiger, granting it a brief recovery period.
In the Netherworld Snow Tiger's opinion, Little Tiger, having just concluded its battle, must have been completely exhausted. Therefore, the slight recovery it had gained in a short time should be enough to defeat Little Tiger.
However, the Netherworld Snow Tiger had underestimated Little Tiger's strength.
It hadn't expected Little Tiger to still possess twenty percent of his power after defeating the spotted blood tiger.
How could Little Tiger not see through the Netherworld Snow Tiger's intentions?
His tiger eyes narrowed, and he gathered his remaining twenty percent strength in his forepaws, pouncing towards the Netherworld Snow Tiger.
This pounce sent the Netherworld Snow Tiger flying off the stage.
The Netherworld Snow Tiger stared in disbelief at Little Tiger, who was still standing on the stage, and exclaimed with unwillingness, "Impossible! How is this possible? He cheated! He was supposed to be exhausted, how could he have thrown me off the stage?"
The referee was about to announce the result when he heard the Netherworld Snow Tiger's words, his face immediately darkened. He reprimanded, "Enough! Do you think I, the referee, am just a decoration by accusing him of cheating?"
The Netherworld Snow Tiger froze, regaining some clarity.
Little Tiger, watching him, slowly walked to the edge of the stage, only ten paces away from the Netherworld Snow Tiger.
His tiger eyes turned cold. "You say I cheated, is that it?"
The Netherworld Snow Tiger glanced nervously at the referee and said, "If you didn't cheat, how could you have defeated me when you were exhausted?"
Little Tiger snorted, "Some things, you will never understand!"