"Defeat you?" The Heavenly Dao elder was surprised that this tiger demon king would make such a request.
"Yes, defeat me, and you and those two little insects below can leave."
The tiger demon, Hu Wen, glanced at Zhang Ergou and Cai Chao on the ground.
Although the tiger demon merely glanced at them casually, Zhang Ergou felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer.
"What do you say, old man? A fight with me, and I'll let you go. Isn't that a great deal?"
The Tiger King, Hu Wen, humanly stroked his beard with his front paws, looking at the Heavenly Dao elder.
"Haha, since fellow Daoist is so interested, I respectfully accept."
The Heavenly Dao elder laughed heartily.
"Human old man, I am not an easy opponent. Do not underestimate me."
The tiger demon king, Hu Wen, kindly reminded the Heavenly Dao elder.
"Rest assured, I will do my utmost," the Heavenly Dao elder said seriously.
"So be it."
...
Hearing the conversation between the tiger demon king and the Heavenly Dao elder, Zhang Ergou's face showed surprise.
This was the first time he had encountered a demon beast that could speak, and the ferocity of this beast far exceeded his imagination.
Not only could it tread on the void, but it could also directly face the Heavenly Dao elder without fear.
Clearly, its cultivation and strength were not much weaker than the Heavenly Dao elder's.
As Zhang Ergou pondered, the battle in the sky resumed.
Boom!
Another earth-shattering roar, and a terrifying fluctuation descended from the sky, flattening the surrounding mountain peaks.
If Zhang Ergou had not been protected by the formation barrier set up by the Heavenly Dao elder, he would have been reduced to dust.
Witnessing the terrifying battle between the man and the demon firsthand, Zhang Ergou gained a clear and more direct understanding of the strength of Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
"Haha, exhilarating, human old man, again."
However, while Zhang Ergou was shocked, the tiger demon king, Hu Wen, laughed heartily in the void. The previous exchange had not harmed it.
The Heavenly Dao elder frowned slightly. Although the tiger demon king's offensive power was not very strong, its defensive capabilities exceeded his imagination.
Without speaking, the Heavenly Dao elder stood in mid-air, his hands forming complex seals, and a fireball shot rapidly towards the tiger demon king.
"Fire attack?"
Although the tiger demon king now possessed strength comparable to a human Nascent Soul stage cultivator, its fear of flames was innate.
When it saw the approaching fireball, its eyes were filled with intense fear.
"Human old man, you're cheating!"
The tiger demon retreated rapidly, attempting to create distance while shouting.
"Haha, fellow Daoist, that's not right. We are fighting, naturally, each according to their own abilities. What do you mean by cheating?"
The Heavenly Dao elder suddenly felt that this powerful tiger demon king was simply adorable.
He even had the thought of subduing it.
The tiger demon king, Hu Wen, naturally did not know that the Heavenly Dao elder had set his sights on him.
Boom!
The Heavenly Dao elder continued to unleash a fireball. Seeing the tiger demon king repeatedly retreating, the Heavenly Dao elder revealed a mysterious smile.
"Fellow Daoist, how about we discuss something?"
The tiger demon king, unaware of the Heavenly Dao elder's intentions, was somewhat curious about the sudden proposal while retreating rapidly.
"Human old man, what do you want to discuss?"
"How about we make a bet?"
"A bet?" The tiger demon king's fist-sized eyes rolled, a hint of wariness appearing in them.
It had heard that humans were always cunning, and one could easily fall into their traps.
"What, fellow Daoist dare not, or are you afraid of me?"
However, the Heavenly Dao elder did not give the tiger demon king, Hu Wen, time to think, continuing to provoke and deceive it.
"What? You say I'm afraid? Afraid of you?"
As expected, the tiger demon king fell for it, its eyes widening as it roared, its voice so loud it even shook the surrounding trees.
"If fellow Daoist dares not to bet with me, then forget it." The Heavenly Dao elder shook his head, not answering the tiger demon king's words at all.
But the tiger demon king's competitiveness had been ignited. Its fist-sized eyes stared intently at the Heavenly Dao elder.
"Human old man, tell me, what do you want to bet with me, and how?"
"Forget it, I'm afraid fellow Daoist cannot afford to lose."
The Heavenly Dao elder continued to shake his head.
"Nonsense, I am the king of this demon beast forest. How could I have something I cannot afford to lose? Besides, why do you say I will surely lose?"
The tiger demon king, Hu Wen, angrily raised its front paw, a claw mark that tore through the void slashing towards the Heavenly Dao elder.
"Go!"
The Heavenly Dao elder uttered a faint word, gently raising his hand, and easily neutralized the tiger demon king's attack.
"Human old man, tell me what you want to bet with me?"
The tiger demon king was now completely infatuated, having long forgotten the cunning and despicable nature of human cultivators.
"I already said, fellow Daoist, you cannot afford to lose. Just let it be. Let's fight quickly. I still need to go back to sleep after this."
Ugh...
The words of both the man and the demon reached Zhang Ergou's ears clearly. When Zhang Ergou heard the Heavenly Dao elder mention a bet, he knew the old man was about to start deceiving someone. Oh, no, deceiving a demon.
And this kind of tactic was all too familiar to Zhang Ergou. He watched as the Heavenly Dao elder, after mentioning it once, kept refusing the tiger demon king.
In reality, the Heavenly Dao elder was employing a strategy of advancing by retreating, tricking the tiger demon king into actively requesting a bet.
This human cunning was something the simple tiger demon king could not immediately discern.
Moreover, the tiger demon king was impulsive and highly competitive, and was soon almost completely deceived by the Heavenly Dao elder.
"Alas, I didn't expect this old man to be so good at deceiving others."
Zhang Ergou began to mourn for the tiger demon king.
"Human old man, tell me, what exactly do you want to bet with me?"
The tiger demon king, Hu Wen's, tone had become somewhat urgent. Clearly, after being teased by the Heavenly Dao elder for so long, it had completely fallen into the trap.
"I already said, fellow Daoist, you cannot afford to lose. Do you insist that I say it?"
The Heavenly Dao elder shook his head, still not saying what he wanted to bet with the tiger demon king.
"Nonsense, human old man. I am the greatest here. How could there be anything I cannot afford to bet?"
The tiger demon king, Hu Wen, said with its head held high.
"Haha, fellow Daoist, I say I want to bet my life with you. Do you dare?"
The Heavenly Dao elder laughed heartily, staring at the tiger demon king.
"Human old man, you're playing me?" The tiger demon king was immediately furious, its front paws lunging, and another attack aimed at the Heavenly Dao elder.
"Not at all, not at all. I absolutely did not mean that. I mean, our fight is just such a battle, it's too boring."
The Heavenly Dao elder remained unruffled, continuing to speak.
"If you win this battle, I will be your servant. If I win, you will follow me from now on. How about it?"
The Heavenly Dao elder looked at the tiger demon king with a tempting expression.