One force overcomes ten techniques, and four ounces can deflect a thousand pounds!

Chen Jue’s throw was restrained. He hadn't intended to injure the tiger, but rather to disperse its momentum, preventing it from following up with a bite.

One must understand that an adult tiger’s paw strike is about 10% more powerful than a lion's, ranking it at the top of all felids. The strongest strike from a tiger can reach a force of up to 1,000 kilograms. To put that into perspective, it is equivalent to a 100-kilogram boulder falling freely from a height of over five meters. Even the legendary world boxing champion Mike Tyson had a punch force of only 800 pounds (about 363 kilograms)—nearly three times less than a single swat from this tiger. Incidentally, Tyson once kept three tigers as pets but eventually gave them up, fearing he would be injured by a stray swat from one of them.

In Tai Chi, there is a legendary technique known as "deflecting a thousand pounds with four ounces." After practicing Tai Chi and raising it to level 4, Chen Jue realized that this concept wasn't as mystical as rumors suggested. To him, it was simply a technique for releasing power, and it should be preceded by the saying: "Superior strength conquers all." To deflect a thousand pounds with four ounces, you must first possess a thousand pounds of strength yourself to effectively utilize that leverage. Much like weight classes in boxing or weightlifting, an average person’s power is limited by their own body weight. If a featherweight boxer were to face a heavyweight, they would almost certainly lose, as their punching power simply isn't on the same level.

Chen Jue was slightly different. Because he could break through human physical limits by allocating attribute points, he was able to rely on his own strength to neutralize the force of a 200-kilogram wild tiger. His ability to hold his own against the beast using his Tiger Claw technique was due to his formidable physique and a strength attribute as high as 2.89, which allowed him to take a direct hit from the tiger’s pounce.

However, a tiger’s most lethal weapon isn't its paws, but its locking bite force. A single bite can reach 450 kilograms of pressure—nearly ten times that of an average human male, whose molar bite force is around 46 kilograms. A tiger's canine bite can easily crush human bones. Even with three layers of "hard qigong" training, Chen Jue dared not let the tiger get a good bite on him. While Chen Jue’s thoughts and actions could sometimes appear naive, stubborn, or overly straightforward, he wasn't truly foolish; it was simply that his heart remained pure and innocent, a result of his perfected "Child’s Skill."

After tossing the tiger aside, Chen Jue observed it. When the beast, unwilling to give up, roared a few times and caught its breath before lunging again, Chen Jue had no choice but to adopt a Tai Chi stance, disperse its strength, and toss it away repeatedly. By the sixth time it was thrown, the wild tiger was finally completely exhausted. It lay on the ground, looking bewildered, much like a yellow dog that had spent the day frolicking in the fields and returned home to sprawl in the yard. It panted heavily, tongue lolling, with visible white mist rising from its fur. This was the result of the evaporation of sweat following intense exertion, condensed by the cold night air of the mountain stream.

When Chen Jue approached with the two leftover roasted fish heads, he could clearly feel the incredible heat radiating from the tiger’s body.

"Tiger brother, want a bite to tide you over?" Chen Jue said with a grin. "We can consider this an introduction through combat. You’re a tiger, my nickname is 'Old Cat'—we’re practically relatives." He held the fish heads out toward the tiger’s panting muzzle.

The tiger looked at him suspiciously. Its nose twitched as it caught the scent of the roasted fish, and it suddenly snapped its jaws forward. But as fast as it was, Chen Jue was faster, pulling his hand back just in time. The fish heads were tossed into the beast's gaping maw, and Chen Jue retreated like lightning.

As he watched the tiger chewing the fish heads with great relish, Chen Jue, emboldened by his skill, reached out and patted its furry head. "Feels great! I’ve actually petted a big cat!" He felt satisfied, as if he had fulfilled a wish he previously couldn't have imagined.

"Awoo!" The tiger bristled and bared its teeth at the touch, but having lost its strength and the ferocity of the forest king, it could only emit a few dry roars while continuing to chew the fish. Truth be told, human-cooked food was fragrant; having eaten raw prey for so long, a change of pace wasn't so bad.

After swallowing, the tiger rested for a moment before slowly standing up. It intended to retreat into the forest, away from this dangerous human. Having been tossed around so many times, its wild ferocity had been completely ground down. Much like how life grinds away the sharp edges of ordinary people, even the most headstrong creature must acknowledge reality after being "taught a lesson" by society.

"Hey! Don't go!" Chen Jue called out. "Leaving after just a couple of bites? Trying to freeload like those orange tabbies? Stay and hang out! It’s cold in the mountains; come by the fire and warm up!"

Seeing the tiger retreating into the forest, Chen Jue hurried forward to block its path. During this brief tussle, he had noticed his "Tiger Claw" and "Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield" skills increasing rapidly in proficiency. It seemed that observing a real tiger’s movements and strikes at such close range had allowed him to grasp the true essence of the tiger form.

Martial arts classics often mention that masters of Xingyi Quan, to better master the essence of their art, would observe wild animals at close range once they reached a certain level. By observing their form, one captures their spirit and realizes the true meaning of the style. The Wudang Tiger Claw technique Chen Jue learned was said to have been created by the founder, Zhang Sanfeng, after observing the movements of a black tiger. Similar examples are countless, though historically, most people practicing the tiger form had to settle for observing domestic cats or wild cats.

Actually encountering a real tiger is a different matter—it’s not about you learning from the tiger, but the tiger trying to bite you, forcing you to fight for your life. In ancient times, there was no easy access to information like today, and no pampered, lethargic zoo tigers available for close-range study.

For some reason, when Chen Jue blocked its path, the tiger didn't get angry. It seemed to understand him, let out a low roar, and slowly retreated back to the campfire to lie down and rest. Chen Jue was stunned; he had expected to have to toss the beast around a few more times to make it settle down. Who knew it would be so easy to communicate with?

"Could it really be a meeting of minds?" Or was his "Old Cat" nickname actually related? A few absurd thoughts flashed through his mind, though he doubted his "mouth-cannon" skills were powerful enough to persuade a wild tiger across species. It was likely that the tiger simply feared his strength and was forced to retreat.

Seeing the tiger resting peacefully, Chen Jue stepped closer, put on his jacket, and took a pack of compressed biscuits from his bag. The exertion had drained him, so he opened the package and ate a few bites. Seeing the tiger’s nose twitching toward him, he broke off a small piece and tossed it onto the tiger’s crossed paws.

The tiger sniffed it, decided it was edible, and used its tongue to flick the biscuit into its mouth. In the glow of the fire, Chen Jue saw the sharp, barb-like structures on the tiger's tongue. If an ordinary person were licked by that, their skin would likely be shredded instantly. "Truly the king of the forest," Chen Jue sighed. "Every inch of its body is a weapon."

The tabby cat he’d had as a child had similar barbs, but compared to this, it was like a drop in the ocean.

One man and one tiger rested on the pile of pebbles, with Chen Jue sitting on a large rock, warming themselves by the crackling fire. The wood hissed because it was damp, but the wild tiger seemed unbothered by the snapping sounds. Seeing the flames, it showed no fear; it crossed its paws, stretched elegantly, let out a yawn, and gave Chen Jue a low roar.

"You want more?" Chen Jue had never encountered such a shameless wild tiger. It had been ready to kill him moments ago, and now it was mooching for food and warmth. Where on earth did it learn that?

He broke off a larger piece of the biscuit and tossed it over; the tiger lapped it up instantly. Finding the biscuits dry, the beast slowly crawled to the river to lap up some water before returning to the fire to collapse with elegant exhaustion.

A sound like a motorcycle engine emanated from the tiger’s throat. Chen Jue’s heart skipped a beat as he watched closely. Amidst the low, thunderous purring, the tiger’s fur-covered body began to ripple and tremble. From its arched spine to the black-ringed tail, the bones throughout its body seemed to vibrate in a unique, rhythmic harmony.

"Is this the true 'Tiger and Leopard Thunder Sound' mentioned in the boxing manuals?" Chen Jue squinted, observing intently, and began to mimic the low, rumbling sound himself.