Chapter 394: Chapter 180: Senior Brother

A pair of amber tiger eyes were half-closed. As they swept over the horses, the pupils contracted slightly, and the corners of its mouth seemed to pull upward, revealing the tips of ghastly white fangs.

In an instant, the carefully selected warhorses completely lost their nerve.

The lead stallion, a powerful black horse, felt its legs go weak. Its front knees buckled, and it nearly collapsed to the ground. Snorting thick white plumes of air, it trembled and backed away.

The horses behind it were even more terrified, whining pitifully. Had their riders not held the reins for dear life, they would have bucked and bolted long ago.

Dong Chuo violently yanked the reins, subduing the black horse with brute force. Though it stopped backing away, its nostrils flared and its eyes were wide and round, the whites webbed with blood.

"All of you, with the exception of Ning Chong, should be addressing Chen Cheng as Senior Brother Chen! Yet here you are, one after another, showing no respect for your station and offending your superior. Truly insolent!"

Steward Sun slowly walked over. His voice was not loud, but every word landed with force.

"Dismount and apologize to Chen Cheng at once! Or do you all wish to be punished by the Xing Hall?"

As soon as he spoke, everyone except for Dong Chuo immediately dismounted. They cupped their fists, bowed to Chen Cheng, and apologized profusely.

Within the Sect, the hierarchy was strict, with a clear order of seniority.

It would be one thing if Chen Cheng let it slide. But if he decided to press the issue, with Steward Sun as a witness, the group would surely face heavy punishment from the Xing Hall. There would be no escape.

"Steward Sun..."

Dong Chuo ground his back teeth, his jaw clenching audibly. He remained defiant, refusing to back down.

"We’re on excellent terms with Chen... with Senior Brother Chen. We were just joking around. Senior Brother Chen himself doesn’t even mind, so why are you sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong?"

"Chen Cheng, what do you say?"

Steward Sun asked casually, his eyes fixed on Dong Chuo as he handed the tiger’s reins to Chen Cheng.

Chen Cheng froze for a moment before taking the reins. With a single leap, he landed securely in the saddle on the tiger’s back.

A clear look of displeasure flashed through the great tiger’s eyes.

Clearly, it did not accept Chen Cheng. It only let him ride out of deference to its master, Steward Sun.

It was Chen Cheng’s first time riding a tiger, but he was not the least bit intimidated.

Beneath the Vertical Eye Mark, the skill panel for [Riding Skill] suddenly pulsed with a faint halo of light.

He recalled how after honing his [Archery], he could master any form of the art.

By the same logic, after his [Riding Skill] was enhanced, Chen Cheng could naturally master any mount.

The halo vanished.

Chen Cheng squeezed his legs against the tiger’s flanks and gave the reins a gentle shake.

The great tiger visibly stiffened. For some inexplicable reason, it felt as if this wasn’t the first time Chen Cheng had ridden it. An instinct to obey, to submit to his command, surged through it.

With a low roar, its claws tore at the ground. In an instant, gravel flew as the tiger’s enormous body shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The tiger’s body rose and fell, muscles rolling like waves beneath its striped fur. Each bound unleashed an astonishing burst of power.

Chen Cheng sat tall atop the tiger, his body rising and falling with its movements, perfectly steady. It was as if he had spent years on its back.

Wind roared in his ears, his robes whipping about him.

Man and tiger charged straight for Dong Chuo, as swift as a bolt of lightning.

The tiger’s roar and the howl of the wind intertwined, thundering across the stone plaza and making everyone’s Heart Spirit tremble.

"...How can this be!?"

Steward Sun’s eyes shot wide open, his pupils rapidly contracting.

He had only wanted to give the reins to Chen Cheng, to let him use the tiger’s imposing presence to suppress Dong Chuo’s arrogance. That was all.

Who could have imagined that Chen Cheng would actually spur the tiger on, charging directly at Dong Chuo?

His bearing was more commanding than that of a valiant general leading a charge.

More importantly, Chen Cheng’s skill at riding and controlling the tiger was in no way inferior to an old hand like Steward Sun.

Riding a tiger might seem similar to riding a horse, but a tiger is a tiger. The rise and fall of its spine, the rhythm of its rolling muscles as it runs, and the gait of its alternating limbs are all completely different from a horse’s. A novice would inevitably need time to adapt.

Yet at this moment, Chen Cheng looked nothing like a novice.

Charging forward like this wasn’t just about overwhelming Dong Chuo with presence; this was clearly a direct, head-on challenge!

Steward Sun opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed his words.

He stood frozen in place, his horrified gaze tracking the receding figures of man and beast.

"Chen Cheng! Are you fucking looking to die!?"

The powerful black stallion beneath Dong Chuo was still trying to retreat, but he clamped his legs hard against its flanks, forcing it to a dead stop.

The pressure was immense, and the horse felt a clear threat of death from its rider.

It knew very well that if it did not obey Dong Chuo, what awaited it would be a slaughter even more terrifying than the tiger.

"Is Chen Cheng insane?" Yin Xi’s eyes went wide. "He only has Eight Pillars of Blood Qi, yet he dares to charge Senior Brother Dong!?"

"Senior Brother Dong is at the Peak of Nine Pillars of Blood Qi and has been trying to break through to the Divine Storage Realm... How does Chen Cheng dare!?"

Li Gang and Guan Tong both frowned deeply, looking at Chen Cheng as if he were an overconfident fool.

"This kid must be crazy! Does he think Senior Brother Dong wouldn’t dare to kill him!?"

"Chen Cheng! Don’t!"

Ning Chong couldn’t help but shout in desperation.

However, before his voice had even faded, Dong Chuo spurred his horse forward to meet Chen Cheng’s charge.

The great black horse whinnied, its hooves a blur, striking sparks from the stone as it surged forward.

Dong Chuo leaned low over his horse, pulling back his right fist. The beast-fang-like spikes covering his knuckles glinted coldly in the morning light.

The muscles of his entire arm tensed to their limit, filled with a terrifying power about to erupt.

Chen Cheng also drew back his arm, gathering his strength. He, however, had no Profound Iron Hand Armor—only a bare fist, its skin fair and unblemished.

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