Chapter 367: Frenzied Taiji Tiger

"Nine Heavens"

The second day, the third day... The controversy surrounding the Rose Holy Sanctuary remained intense, with all attacks seemingly erupting in a sudden, concentrated burst.

Following the Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary's accusations came the Xifeng Holy Sanctuary, which also took the front-page headline of the Holy Sanctuary's Light. It similarly accused the Rose Holy Sanctuary of issues related to beastkin but presented an even more damning fact.

What qualifications do these deceitful leaders have to run a Holy Sanctuary?

The arguments hadn't changed—still targeting the Rose Holy Sanctuary’s policies and attitudes toward beastkin—but the analysis was even more incisive than that of the Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary. It shifted focus from Wang Feng to implicate the entire leadership of the Rose Holy Sanctuary.

This time, the Xifeng Holy Sanctuary specifically highlighted Kela’s identity as an awakened beastkin, asserting that she had clearly awakened before entering the Rose Holy Sanctuary but later falsely claimed her breakthrough was guided by the Sanctuary. If the Rose Holy Sanctuary truly had such remarkable abilities—if it could genuinely awaken beastkin—then why not demonstrate it again? Didn’t the Sanctuary have another male beastkin? Let him awaken too, if they were so capable!

Of course, everyone knew this was a matter of probability. The decline of beastkin had been a fact for over a century. Even if the Rose Holy Sanctuary had some method to slightly increase the chances of awakening, there was no reason to expect a 100% success rate. Such a demand was clearly unreasonable, yet the accusations were impossible to refute. How could the Rose Holy Sanctuary prove Kela hadn’t awakened before joining? Based on her own word? Or the Sanctuary’s one-sided claims?

Unless they could make that universally acknowledged unawakened male beastkin awaken as well, the Rose Holy Sanctuary was undeniably lying, deceiving the entire Holy Sanctuary system and all of the Blade Temple for fame and profit!

This had now become the consensus—an indisputable, irrefutable fact.

Education begins with moral character. The Rose Holy Sanctuary had failed even at that. From Karida to Wang Feng, every leader was full of lies, deceit, and nepotism. As the saying goes, "As the leader goes, so go the followers." How dare they still flaunt the Rose Holy Sanctuary’s name and claim to nurture talent for the Blade Temple?

Was the Rose Holy Sanctuary even worthy?!

Without a doubt, the Sanctuary should be dissolved. Its leadership—even the Thunder Dragon family—must publicly apologize to all Holy Sanctuary colleagues and the entire Blade Temple, to rectify the truth, purify the Holy Sanctuary’s ethos, and uphold its untainted glory!

...This was a viciously calculated manifesto.

The Xifeng Holy Sanctuary was a consistent member of the top ten Holy Sanctuaries—a clear benchmark. Its principal was one of the Holy Sanctuary’s Elder Council members, giving this statement far more credibility than all previous accusations combined. As one of the rule-makers of the Holy Sanctuary, wielding real authority...

This declaration made waves—it unleashed a tidal wave. Partly due to the Xifeng Holy Sanctuary’s immense influence, but also because its arguments were irrefutable. When the tree falls, everyone gathers firewood. Even previously neutral Holy Sanctuaries now joined the chorus, flooding the Holy Sanctuary's Light with condemnations. Though the Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary still defended the Rose Holy Sanctuary, its voice was drowned out, making no impact.

Meanwhile, Aurora City’s New Lord added fuel to the fire. During a second press conference about the investment project, he reiterated that "Aurora City needs only one Holy Sanctuary."

His reasoning was sound: Holy Sanctuaries received resources based on location. Having two in one city inevitably led to waste or dilution. Merging them would undoubtedly benefit Aurora City—at the very least, its Holy Sanctuary ranking would rise, earning more resources from the Holy City. Superficially, this argument held water, but deeper scrutiny revealed its flaws.

Yet, Aurora City’s citizens were more than willing to see their city host a single, high-ranking Holy Sanctuary rather than two low-ranked ones. Civic pride played a role, and with relentless agitation against the Sanctuary’s leadership, even former supporters now clamored for the Rose Holy Sanctuary to merge with the Blade Temple, debating it endlessly.

With Holy Sanctuaries nationwide condemning them and Aurora City’s populace turning against them, the Rose Holy Sanctuary’s situation grew dire.

But worse was yet to come: Principal Hawkland fell ill—the very day he read the Xifeng Holy Sanctuary’s declaration. Reportedly, rage triggered a heart attack. Fortunately, Dean Farma and the Dean of Exorcism were in his office at the time. One administered first aid while the other provided potions, saving Old Hawkland’s life—but he was confined to a sickbed.

Losing their leader at this critical juncture was devastating. Thunder Dragon, for reasons unknown, remained silent, as if truly retired and detached from worldly affairs. The Sanctuary was now beset by internal strife and external threats.

Thankfully, seasoned figures like Dean Fanster of the Foundry and Vice-Dean Bai Linfeng of the Runes Department temporarily took over Hawkland’s duties, maintaining basic operations. But against the overwhelming tide of condemnation, they were powerless.

The atmosphere within the Rose Holy Sanctuary had chilled noticeably. Nearly every Sanctuary disciple wore a shadow of gloom. It was clear to all: the Sanctuary was collapsing. And what of its disciples? Where would they go?

Truthfully, since Old Wang took over the Student Council months ago, camaraderie among Sanctuary disciples had genuinely improved.

The scholarship system had intensified internal competition, but the key was Old Wang and the department heads’ fair handling of disputes. As Old Wang put it: "Address issues directly. Right and wrong speak for themselves. Don’t act high and mighty—no one’s richer or more powerful than me here." And with department heads like Hei Wukai, Winnie, and Kela—none of whom bowed to underhanded tactics—the Student Council had achieved true fairness.

Aside from a few resentful spoiled heirs, most Sanctuary disciples respected Old Wang deeply. Absolute fairness had fostered healthy competition and camaraderie—a rare sight in other Holy Sanctuaries.

Lately, Sanctuary disciples had been transferring out in droves. A handful of privileged heirs left gleefully, but most departed tearfully, reluctant to part with friends. Some didn’t want to leave, but in this storm, only influential families could secure transfers for their youth—decisions made by elders, leaving the young no say.

The Sanctuary was crumbling, its foundations shaking.

Yet to Old Wang, none of this seemed to matter.

Old Wang had been feeling increasingly drowsy these past couple of days, and it wasn’t just due to staying up late. The meticulous process of engraving runes was extremely draining, and after several days of relentless work, he still hadn’t finished arming all eighteen ice bees, forcing him to pull all-nighters every night. On top of that, the blood donation routine continued. While the members of Old Wang’s team didn’t consume much, the eighteen ice bees required constant evolution. Old Wang believed the ideal scenario would be elevating these ice bees to a Tiger-level soul power foundation, which would maximize the combat potential of the War Demon Armor.

But what was even more exhausting was Er Tong. This guy had a freakin' enormous appetite… Initially, Old Wang fed him the same Soul Elixirs used for the ice bees. While it seemed like Er Tong absorbed them, there was no substantial change. Old Wang refused to believe it—how could anything resist activation by his ‘blood’? Er Tong was, after all, the Snow Wolf King, even if he was meant to be ridden. He couldn’t possibly be that weak… Maybe the dosage needed to be increased? Perhaps Er Tong’s potential was so high that he required more?

But this turned Old Wang into a walking blood bank for everyone. What frustrated him even more was that Er Tong seemed like a bottomless pit—no matter how much he consumed, there was no visible change. It felt like throwing good money after bad with no return. Giving up now would mean wasting all that had already been invested, but continuing would drain Old Wang dry…

It was afternoon, and Old Wang was dozing in his recliner when Winnie emerged from the training room, sweating buckets.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The training grounds echoed with the sounds of fierce combat—Fatty and Wu Di were sparring.

Their physical abilities and soul power had improved significantly since their early days in Old Wang’s team, when they’d just rolled around on the ground in a desperate brawl. Fatty excelled in grappling, using techniques from the Dark Grappling Style, while Wu Di had recently learned two sets of the Godfist Style from the Martial Academy—a traditional style passed down by the Eight Sages. This was one of the rare pure strength-based fist techniques that didn’t rely on soul power, widely practiced across the continent. It was balanced and straightforward, easy to learn but difficult to master.

The two had already exchanged two rounds. Wu Di’s execution of the Godfist Style was now smooth and polished, showing he had put in considerable effort during their absence. The force behind his strikes carried an air-splitting whoosh, indicating solid progress. His hard, direct style clashed against Fatty’s soft, grappling techniques, resulting in a give-and-take battle.

While this marked significant improvement, Winnie clearly found it unimpressive and barely spared them a glance. She casually grabbed a bottle of elixir next to Old Wang’s chair and downed it.

“Done already?” Old Wang mumbled drowsily, glancing at Winnie. “So, did you manage to defeat your shadow?”

“Ugh, don’t even ask!” Winnie made a face at the mention of it.

Battling her dark self, Winnie had been constantly searching for weaknesses—but so had her shadow. This forced both sides to continuously refine themselves, eliminating flaws and growing stronger. Honestly, Winnie felt her combat skills had improved significantly over the past few days. The problem? The dark Winnie was progressing just as fast—maybe even faster. Today, she had barely managed to force a draw…

This was total bullshit. If she lost to her dark self, would she actually die?

Of course, Winnie would never admit such weakness out loud. She shot Old Wang an irritated glare. “Seriously, how can you just nap like this? Have you even looked at *The Holy Sanctuary's Light* these past couple of days?”

“I have.”

“And you’re not worried?”

“Worried about what?”

Winnie gaped at him, speechless. “Are you dumb or what? You keep saying you have a plan, but with Rose on the verge of disbanding, I haven’t seen any sign of it. Oh, wait—!”

She glanced at Wu Di, who was locked in a tough fight with Fatty. “Are you counting on our little Di awakening to shut those people up? Come on, Old Wang, be realistic. Look at him… Not to badmouth our little Di, but if you’re pinning your hopes on him awakening, you might as well hope the other Sanctuaries suddenly stop attacking Rose! If this is your grand plan, I seriously suggest you bail while you still can. If Rose really collapses, the rest of us can just transfer or go home—but you? You’ll be the one everyone kicks like a dog when you're down.”

“Watch your mouth!” Old Wang lazily rolled his eyes. “Who are you calling ‘down’?”

“You, obviously.” Winnie huffed. “Can’t even tell good advice from bad anymore…”

Their conversation was casual, but Wu Di heard every word.

He was well aware of everything happening inside and outside Rose these days. Though his literacy wasn’t the best, he could still understand *The Holy Sanctuary's Light*. That *Xifeng Holy Sanctuary* was using his inability to awaken to question Rose, to slander Captain Wang…

Damn it, Wu Di thought, feeling ashamed, miserable, guilty—and furious! Kela had come to Rose with him, and she had only awakened thanks to the captain’s Soul Elixirs. Yet these people were twisting the truth, shamelessly smearing the captain’s name. They were just… evil!

But what disgusted Wu Di even more was himself. The captain had given him so many Soul Elixirs, such excellent training conditions—he had even glimpsed the raging monster dwelling within his soul. Wu Di faintly understood that if he could unleash that beast, he would awaken. He could help the captain, help Rose clear their name of these false accusations. But he just… couldn’t do it.

The method, the conditions, the straight path—everything was laid out before him. Yet he remained unable to awaken. What kind of uselessness was this? He was truly worthless!

Lost in his thoughts, Wu Di suddenly found himself caught in Fatty’s nimble, chubby limbs—a rear naked choke locking his arms and neck.

Fatty’s strength was nothing like before. The more Wu Di struggled, the tighter the hold became, cutting off his air. His breathing turned ragged, his mind going dark from lack of air.

But in that hazy moment, a deafening roar echoed in his skull—as if he had been violently thrown back into that world of consciousness. This time, however, he wasn’t the Wu Di standing outside the cage. The choking, humiliating grip made him feel as if he had become the beast trapped inside.

Break free. Kill them all.

A terrifying killing intent suddenly invaded Wu Di's mind, turning his eyes bloodshot in an instant. His mouth opened, and an overwhelming surge of immense power erupted from his body.

Boom!

A terrifying force exploded from him, forcibly breaking free from Ah Xi's locked grip. Just as Ah Xi was shocked by Wu Di's sudden burst of strength, he saw Wu Di turn his head, revealing blood-red eyes.

Wu Di crouched on all fours, his mouth gaping to expose sharp teeth. Unlike their usual sparring, an endless killing intent radiated from him, as if he wanted to rip Ah Xi to shreds!

That gaze, that murderous aura...

Old Wang, who'd been lounging lazily, suddenly sat up straight, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Not yet... almost there!

Winnie, on the other hand, was startled. She sensed a raw, primal power awakening within Wu Di's body. Though still bound by something, unable to fully manifest, even the faintest trace of its presence was more than enough to overwhelm Ah Xi at this moment.

"Be careful!" Winnie instinctively moved to pull Ah Xi away, but Old Wang grabbed her arm. "Hold on! Watch!"

The raging Wu Di lunged forward, aiming to tear Ah Xi apart. But at that very moment, an even more violent force erupted from Ah Xi's body.

Raging Taiji Tiger!

Wu Di's killing intent had genuinely frightened Ah Xi. He had no doubt that Wu Di could have swallowed him whole in that state.

The Raging Taiji Tiger was an ability he had awakened himself. After days of soul-training, Ah Xi had been ready—all he needed was the right trigger. And now, the moment had arrived, everything clicked into place naturally.

Unlike his first frenzied state, where he had completely lost control, Ah Xi felt incredible this time. His body surged with power—and flexibility, granting him a sense of effortless mastery.

Crack!

His empowered body easily withstood Wu Di's raging charge. Without needing any technique, Ah Xi simply pressed down hard.

Boom!

The sheer force was overwhelming. The raging Wu Di was like a three-year-old child in Ah Xi's grasp. His entire body was pounded into the ground, his head buried deep, his frenzied aura vanishing in an instant as he fell unconscious.

Having dealt with Wu Di, Ah Xi gaped in disbelief at his own hands.

For days, his inner demons had tormented him—visions of Wang Feng and Famier's deaths. He had seen their bloody heads countless times before losing consciousness, unable to recall anything from the illusions. According to Old Wang's explanation, Ah Xi had once given up hope, believing himself the least talented, as he couldn't remember anything. He had feared that even after Wu Di awakened, he'd still make no progress.

Yet, against all odds, he was the first to awaken!

...Was this what Feng had called the "Raging Taiji Tiger"? This power... incredible! And such clear awareness! Ah Xi could even hear the faint breathing of the unconscious Wu Di... Oh right, Wu Di!

Only then did Ah Xi remember the Wu Di he had knocked out. Setting aside the wonder of his newfound strength, he quickly yanked Wu Di out of the crater. By then, Old Wang and Winnie had rushed over.

Old Wang cast a Healing Rain spell on Wu Di, then forced a potion down his throat.

It wasn't a serious injury—Ah Xi had held back. Wu Di's unconsciousness came more from his failure to withstand the terrifying will of the beast within and his own self-directed rage...

Wu Di groggily awoke to the concerned faces of Old Wang, Winnie, and Ah Xi. Huh?

This must be what the captain called the Raging Taiji Tiger. Ah Xi had awakened too, but he himself... He remembered nothing of what had just happened, not even the brief awakening of the beast's savage will in his body. He thought he had simply been choked unconscious by Ah Xi's bare-handed chokehold.

"C-congratulations, Ah Xi!" Wu Di tried to smile, but as soon as the words left his mouth, tears spilled uncontrollably. He quickly straightened up and swiped at them hastily.