With Chen Xiuni's barrage, the tiger — stung — let out a wild roar, cast off the Great Vajra, and gave chase after Chen Xiuni.

Shen Cong immediately gave the four-legged dragon an order: "Little Four, get the Great Vajra back on its wheels!"

Then he bellowed toward Chen Xiuni's direction: "Chen Xiuni, mind the coordination — keep the tiger tied up!"

Her shout came back from over there: "Understood!"

No need for much communication. The two iron people took turns with their Mushroom Cannons, firing on the tiger like mad. For a while the tiger lost all sense of direction — when it went for Chen Xiuni, Shen Cong let loose round after round, and it couldn't easily catch her anyway. The same held when it wheeled back to chase Shen Cong.

More and more Mushroom Cannon rounds struck it, splitting its hide and flesh open.

Blood-gold spattered everywhere.

But this upward-glaring white-browed tiger lived up to its title as king of the hundred beasts — thick-skinned and thick-fleshed, these were all light wounds. It still moved with roaring vigor, and grew fiercer and fiercer as the true ferocity of a savage beast was kindled in it.

Roar after roar.

Its howls set the whole dense forest trembling.

By now the four-legged dragon had pushed the Great Vajra upright, and Shen Cong, tracking it through the Third Eye, shouted at once: "Go drive! I'll hold the tiger off!"

Chen Xiuni ran to the Great Vajra's position. The door was open and the engine hadn't stalled. Once aboard, she fumbled around a moment, found the gearshift and the accelerator, and called out: "It's running!"

"Third gear, ram it all the way down!"

Shen Cong circled the tiger, hammered off several vicious Mushroom Cannon rounds, drew the raging beast around in a full loop, then charged back and leapt onto the now-speeding Great Vajra, the four-legged dragon coiling up after him.

Still muttering its scraps through the Mind-Imprint: Bobo… kill… big tiger… tasty…

The Great Vajra had power to spare, and quickly built up speed.

The tiger tore after it from…