Chapter 567 - 255: Frenzied Purple-Winged Celestial Tiger
Chapter 567: Chapter 255: Frenzied Purple-Winged Celestial Tiger
Perhaps wanting to impress Director Chen and Professor Wang, or maybe it was just a bout of reckless curiosity, a young expert managed to slip past the guards. He squeezed forward a few steps and pulled a DSLR camera from his professional camera bag, one equipped with a super-telephoto lens and a powerful external flash.
"Everyone, I’ll get some clearer close-ups to aid in our subsequent analysis!"
As he spoke, he aimed the camera at Lian Po inside the enclosure. In pursuit of a more dramatic shot, he activated the camera’s powerful external flash.
"Don’t use the flash!"
Wei Zongting and Song Chunfang cried out in sharp warning almost in unison.
Anyone familiar with animal behavior knows that a sudden, bright light—especially for a highly alert wild animal—can easily provoke a severe stress reaction.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
CLICK! CLICK!
Two flashes of blinding white light, like twin bolts of lightning, erupted in the soft afternoon glow. They struck Lian Po squarely in the face as he dozed with narrowed eyes, hitting his amber pupils directly.
"ROAR—"
A deafening, enraged roar, full of shock and fury, suddenly exploded like a clap of thunder on a clear day.
It left everyone’s ears ringing and their hearts pounding wildly.
Inside the enclosure, Lian Po, who had been lying peacefully, shot to his feet like a cat whose tail had been stepped on—only magnified a thousand times over.
His eyes, assaulted by the flash, were instantly bloodshot. His pupils contracted into dangerous vertical slits, locking onto the young expert outside the enclosure, who stood frozen in terror, still clutching his camera.
The fury of being violated and attacked, combined with Yang Qi’s earlier instructions, sent Lian Po into an instantaneous state of defense and aggression!
He crouched low, his thick tail whipping back and forth like a steel rod, kicking up clouds of dust.
A continuous, low growl full of murderous intent rumbled in his throat, saliva dripping from his ghastly white fangs.
A terrifying, primal aura, as tangible as a cold wave, swept over the entire observation deck.
The next second, before everyone’s terrified eyes, the enraged king of the forest let out an even more ferocious roar. His massive body charged forward, stirring up a foul-smelling wind as he reached the enclosure’s barrier.
Then, rearing up on his hind legs, he brought his two thick, powerful front paws down on the alloy safety barrier with tremendous force.
CLANG—
A tremendous crash, like a sledgehammer hitting a steel plate.
The entire section of the barrier let out a grating groan, as if on the verge of collapse.
The bolts at the joints began to loosen.
The barrier shook violently, and the unpowered electric fencing along the top rattled noisily.
"AHHH!"
The crowd instantly descended into chaos as screams erupted everywhere.
Several people near the barrier, including the young expert who had caused the disaster, were so frightened their legs gave out. They collapsed to the ground and scrambled backward on all fours, their faces as white as sheets. A dark, wet patch visibly spread across the expert’s crotch.
Director Sun was also startled by the sudden turn of events. His face went pale as he stumbled back two steps, hastily retreating under the protection of his entourage.
With their hearts in their throats, Wei Zongting and Song Chunfang shouted for the security guards to maintain order and try to contain the frantic tiger, while simultaneously calling Yang Qi.
Director Chen and Professor Wang had lost all professional composure. The blood drained from their faces as they stared in horror at the frenzied beast battering the barrier, looking as if it would break free at any moment.
Their earlier professional assessments and talk of close observation now sounded like a complete joke.
In the face of such absolute power and primal ferocity, all their theories and proposals seemed utterly feeble.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Lian Po seemed to have locked onto the Two-legged Beast that had attacked him with the camera. He hammered the barrier relentlessly, each earth-shaking blow striking terror into the hearts of the onlookers.
His amber eyes blazed with furious rage and an agitated frustration that felt like betrayal.
’He was originally just putting on an act, following Yang Qi’s instructions.’
’But as he roared, he lost control and became genuinely furious!’
"ROOOOAR!"
The sky-shaking roars echoed with terrifying volume throughout the entire Tiger Mountain area.
The security guards, treating the situation like a major battle, raised their riot shields and steel poles to form a human wall. But faced with a frenzied tiger, especially with a rapidly deforming barrier between them, a bone-deep chill of helplessness washed over them. The scene was pure chaos, thick with panic.
Director Sun made a snap decision. He was about to order a full evacuation to a safer location and was already considering activating the emergency protocols, which included the use of tranquilizer guns.
Just as the situation was on the verge of spinning out of control—
SCREECH!
A piercing brake squeal sounded at the intersection.
A black Jeep Wrangler skidded to a halt with a fishtail, and the driver’s door flew open.
Yang Qi jumped out of the car. Without bothering to close the door, he rushed toward the chaotic observation area.
"Everyone, get out of the way!"
Yang Qi’s sharp command wasn’t loud, but it possessed a strange, penetrating quality that cut through the chaotic din and even the tiger’s roars.
The panicked crowd instinctively parted, clearing a path for him.
Yang Qi’s expression was grim, his sharp gaze sweeping across the scene.
He took in the bent barrier, the terrified, paralyzed crowd, and the enraged beast still battering the metal and roaring inside the enclosure.
His eyes lingered for a fraction of a second on the young expert who had wet himself, and on the camera still in the man’s hands.
Without hesitation or a trace of fear, he walked straight toward the dangerously buckled barrier.
"Director Yang, it’s dangerous! Don’t go any closer!"
Someone exclaimed in alarm.
Yang Qi raised a hand to silence them but didn’t break his stride. He stopped less than five meters from the rampaging Lian Po and spoke in a clear, resonant voice.