Tiger Eyes, Iron Bones, Warriors Are Not Human

"It's Big Foot Li! Damn it, why are there demons in this place?"

Upon hearing the scream and its direction, Qian Laosan's face immediately changed.

Big Foot Li, whose name was Li Cheng, was an old escort, just like Qian Laosan, with four to five years of experience. Because he had trained a good body-fleeing technique and was fast on his feet, he was called Big Foot.

He was among those who had lost the fistfight earlier. It was assumed he had gone to the wall to relieve himself, but who would have thought that just stepping a little out of the firelight's range would allow a demon to sneak in for an attack!

Li Cunxiao didn't have so many distracting thoughts. The moment he heard the word "demon," he lunged directly towards the Ironwood Staff leaning against the wall.

Although the short knife was sharp, it was ultimately too short. An inch shorter meant an inch more danger; distance brought more safety.

However, his speed was fast, but someone else's speed was even faster.

As the whistling wind sounded, golden light suddenly reflected in Shen He's eyes. The next moment, the instant the scream rang out, he himself, carrying an even more terrifying gust of wind, swept past Li Cunxiao, who was reaching for the staff, and lunged forward fiercely:

"Beast, you're asking for death!"

Roar!

A low beastly roar came from the side of the wall, sounding like an ape's cry or a child's wail. By the time everyone raised their torches and weapons and stepped forward a few paces, the scene before them made their faces turn ashen with horror.

Li Cheng clutched his left arm, his face pale. Blood continuously flowed from the flesh where his white bone was exposed. His left hand had been almost torn off by sheer force.

And a part of the culprit was now in Shen He's hand.

It was a severed arm covered in black hair, with three thick fingers on the hand, each extending sharp claws. The arm, from the hand to the elbow, also looked like it had been violently ripped apart, revealing yellowed bone and sinewy flesh within.

"Escort Leader Shen?!"

A young escort suddenly cried out. Li Cunxiao, using the firelight, shifted his gaze slightly upwards, his heart filled with dread.

The thick palm was like a fan, its fingernails extending an inch, dark green and reflecting light like stone;

The two-meter-tall body, with bulging muscles stretching the loose, round-collared robe to the point of near-ripping;

The faint golden eyes, with pupils of pitch black, seemed to emit golden light under the firelight. The headwear that concealed his hair had fallen off at some point, and upon closer inspection, his scattered hair strands were all standing on end, a fiery crimson.

From a distance, Shen He looked exactly like a human-shaped fierce tiger!

"Old Li! Hurry and apply medicine, your hand will be lost if you delay!"

"What are you all standing around for? Push the escort cart over, raise the protective boards and form a formation!"

"Protect the campfire, we absolutely cannot let the fire go out!"

The veteran escorts shouted repeatedly. The young escorts who had been staring blankly finally reacted, scrambling to pull the carts and grab their weapons.

Qian Laosan quickly checked his old friend's injuries, then, holding his saber and shield, returned to Li Cunxiao's side with a grim expression. Using the escort cart and his shield, he shielded both their bodies.

"Damn it, it's a Mountain Spectre! What the hell, why would there be a Mountain Spectre in this place?!"

"Mountain Spectre?"

Li Cunxiao forced himself to look away from Shen He. Although he knew that martial artists in the Muscle Realm might already be inhuman, seeing it with his own eyes for the first time, it was impossible not to be shaken.

This wasn't Tiger Form Fist at all; if it turned out like this, it might as well be Tiger Demon Fist!

"We'll talk about the rest later. For now, remember, this thing isn't large, but it's agile and can hide in shadows..."

"We have numbers. As long as we stay in the firelight, that beast won't be able to unleash its full potential."

"If you have to say it, that thing is only equivalent to a martial artist at the peak of Blood Essence. I've killed a few before, they aren't particularly formidable."

Qian Laosan said this very loudly, clearly not just to Li Cunxiao.

The crowd, initially a bit panicked, calmed down somewhat after hearing his words.

For a moment, the only sounds in the courtyard were Big Foot Li's suppressed groans of pain and the low breaths of a dozen men. Li Cunxiao gripped the Ironwood Staff, his palms sweating. He suddenly understood why the patina on the staff was so uniform.

Shen He was like a human-shaped fierce tiger, his two-meter frame casting large shadows on the courtyard wall.

His fan-sized tiger paws held torches, which he stuck into the corners of the courtyard one by one, looking as comical as an adult holding matchsticks.

His feline golden eyes were filled with frenzy and killing intent.

He had almost let someone die on this escort mission!

Right under his watch!

No matter how weary he was of escort missions, no matter how little honor or sense of belonging he felt towards the escort agency and its escorts, at this moment, Shen He's inner rage surged like a tide, showing no signs of receding.

With his body enlarged, the sword at his waist was no longer suitable. He unbuckled his belt and tied the loose, round-collared robe around his waist.

Under the firelight, a line of brown-yellow fur that had grown on his chest and abdomen at some point, along with faint black patterns on his skin, complemented the vibrant lining of his white robe, outlining a powerful, inverted trapezoid physique.

Li Cunxiao's eyes couldn't help but show a look of longing.

Strength! This was the strength to stand firm in a chaotic world!

After a quiet period of dozens of breaths, just as one of the escorts near the outside, whose hands were too sweaty, couldn't help but discreetly wipe them on his clothes, a whistling sound suddenly echoed from outside the courtyard wall again.

Shen He's face contorted instantly, his golden eyes locking onto a spot in the darkness:

"Beast, I've got you!"

A huge gust of wind sounded, drowning out the death cries. The torches in the courtyard flickered, and when the firelight stabilized again, Shen He's thick tiger claws had already pierced the chest and abdomen of the black monster.

In a fleeting glimpse, Li Cunxiao's eyes reflected the monster's appearance:

The one-meter-five to one-meter-six body was short and stocky, covered in black fur all over, resembling an ape.

However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that the monster's hands only had three fingers, and below the waist, it had only one leg, with a foot that was backward, the heel in front of the sole.

The face hidden by the fur resembled a human face, but upon closer examination, it was different. In the flickering firelight and shadows, whoever saw it was filled with dread.

"Hmph, nothing more than this."

Shen He flicked his hand, tossing the remains of the Mountain Spectre to the side of the wall. Just as he was about to say a few words to boost morale, several whistling sounds suddenly came from the darkness behind him.

"Everyone, be careful!"

Qian Laosan roared. The escorts holding swords and shields immediately raised their shields and crouched down. As expected, in the next moment, the torches on the outer perimeter of the courtyard were extinguished, and distorted shadows leaped from the darkness.

Li Cunxiao had been observing closely. Seeing this, he circulated his Blood Essence, and his arms instantly became thick and bulging with veins. The tough Ironwood Staff was swung by him in an arc, whistling through the air as it swept out!

Crack

After the sound of cracking bones came a wail like that of an infant ape. Qian Laosan focused his gaze and saw a Mountain Spectre on its claws, dragging its broken and twisted single leg as it tried to escape. However, Qian Laosan stepped forward and ended its life with a single strike.

"Good Sanlang! Well fought!"

"See? That's how you fight!"

Seeing the monsters in the shadows killed, and not as terrifying as they had imagined, the fear of the crowd subsided, and their morale soared. They all began to defend and counterattack in the manner of Qian and Li.

Beyond the escorts' formation, Shen He was in a killing frenzy.

The Mountain Spectres clearly had some intelligence. They knew that Shen He was the main threat, and three or four of them attacked him from behind, below, and the front.

However, Shen He ignored them completely, focusing only on the Mountain Spectre in front of him. His thick, ape-like claws grabbed the black body that couldn't dodge in time, and with a strong pull, he directly tore off its head.

The attacks of the Mountain Spectres that landed on Shen He seemed to hit some kind of obstruction. After tearing through his skin and flesh, they could not advance further.

Shen He almost completely abandoned defense. Except for a few vital points, he allowed the attacks to land while he went straight for the kill. In an instant, several Mountain Spectres were brutally slaughtered by Shen He.

Of course, even with Shen He sharing the pressure, the demons were not easy to deal with.

Seven or eight Mountain Spectres swarmed forward, shrieking. They ran like the wind on their single legs, leaving afterimages and a foul wind. Even with the protection of the escort carts and shields, many escorts couldn't help but tremble.

Fortunately, although many were injured, most of the injuries were superficial. The most serious case was an old escort, whose fingers were fractured when two Mountain Spectres charged at him while he was holding his shield.

In the midst of the fierce battle, Li Cunxiao also seized an opportunity. He saw that after Qian Laosan's stab, one of the Mountain Spectres moved a little slower. He immediately gathered his Blood Essence and smashed it with his staff.

The Hardwood Staff, wrapped in iron sheeting, struck the soft spot on the Mountain Spectre's neck. The creature immediately wailed and died.

The Vajra Scepter flashed, and the progress bar increased by a quarter.

Afterward, Shen He's attacks became even more ferocious. He killed three or four more Mountain Spectres. Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, these demons only dared to howl from the shadows, occasionally launching probing attacks, but not daring to advance.

Everyone subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, but their hands gripped their weapons tighter.

Although a stalemate had been reached, the danger had not yet passed. Compared to the tense escort members, Shen He's heart grew increasingly restless.

He came from an extraordinary background and had a deep family heritage. He understood that there must be a leader among these Mountain Spectres, otherwise, they could not have launched such an offensive.

But after fighting for so long, all the fallen Mountain Spectres were only at the level of accomplished Blood Essence, with none standing out in strength.

He knew that the best strategy at this moment was to hold their ground in the courtyard. With him providing support, the escorts would at most be injured, but it would be difficult for them to die.

However, despite this, the pain from his wounds caused his inner restlessness and killing intent to surge. Several times, Shen He almost couldn't resist charging out of the courtyard and tearing all those beasts apart one by one!

At this moment, the courtyard fell into another kind of silence. The firewood in the bonfire crackled and popped from time to time, and the wind occasionally rustled the leaves.

The heavy breathing of the men could be heard clearly, interspersed with a strange sound, like a cat or tiger purring.

That was Shen He's breathing.

A quarter of an hour passed.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

"Did those demons leave?"

Hearing someone's low inquiry, everyone couldn't help but look at Shen He. Li Cunxiao keenly noticed that Shen He seemed to have shrunk a little compared to before, and his face seemed a bit… tired?

"I'll go take a look."

Shen He gave a look to an old escort in the team, who immediately understood and handed him a torch.

He took the torch and slowly approached the wall, his back gradually swallowed by the shadows.

On the roof of the relay station, a strange cry suddenly sounded from the darkness.

"Got you!"

Violent fighting sounds and strange howls erupted in the courtyard. The wind whistled, seeming to circle the courtyard, causing the torchlight to flicker, dimming and brightening. In a fleeting glimpse, only a monster could be seen fighting Shen He.

The monster generally resembled the Mountain Spectre, but it was taller and larger. On its face, a thick red line ran from its forehead to its lips, adding a touch of horror.

"It's a Mountain Spectre that's about to break through to the second stage… No wonder, so they came for blood food."

Li Cunxiao heard Qian Laosan's mumbling. He couldn't afford to be distracted and was only carefully discerning the movement of the wind in the courtyard.

However, this demon, which was "about to break through to the second stage," was actually holding its own against Shen He for a time. There were even a few instances where its sharp claws tore through Shen He's sleeve and dug into the flesh, scraping against bone.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Li Cunxiao seemed to hear the sound of metal grinding against metal.

The intense pain drove Shen He into a frenzy, and his attacks became even more ferocious. After a moment, the sound of the wind finally crossed the courtyard wall and moved away. Shen He roared and lunged out after it.

In the silent darkness, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

Finally, they were gone.

The escorts had been fighting for so long. While their gains weren't substantial, both their minds and bodies were stretched to their absolute limit.

The escort whose hand had been injured earlier, his tension finally released, let his shield fall into the mud, exposing his upper body. In the center of the group, Li Dacjio clutched his left arm.

Li Cunxiao suddenly caught a whiff of something foul, like the saliva of some wild beast. In an incredibly short time, the scent went from faint to overpowering—

"Careful!"

Almost the instant he shouted the warning, a fierce gust of wind lunged forward. The veteran escort, quick-witted, ducked and dodged it, but in the next moment, both their expressions changed.

"Aaaargh!!!!"

In the darkness, Li Dacjio let out a piercing scream, clutching the severed stump of his shoulder. Everyone's nerves snapped taut.

At this moment, Li Cunxiao stared intently, his gaze fixed on Li Dacjio's surroundings. Blood essence, pumped by his heart and lungs, surged into his limbs like an engine revving up.

His body rapidly swelled, his muscles hardening while his fascia became even more supple.

His fingers were like iron pillars, and the veins on his forearms resembled pythons.

Bloodshot veins appeared in his eyes, his face turned a deep crimson, almost purple, and his hair stood on end.

He saw, behind the wailing Li Cheng, a Mountain Spectre with faint red lines on its face, greedily chewing on flesh and blood—

"Die!!!"

The roar exploded like thunder. His feet crossed and stomped, propelling him three meters into the air. His thick arms swung the Ironwood Staff, the terrifying power causing the staff to bend into an astonishing arc mid-air. The force of the object's deformation, momentarily static at one end, rebounded from the other, unleashing a devastating blow!

BOOM!!!

In the darkness, the escorts heard a sound like a watermelon exploding, and warm, foul-smelling liquid rained down on their faces and bodies.

When the torches were relit, Qian Laosan was the first to push through the crowd. He saw only Li Cheng, unconscious and clutching his severed arm, and Li Cunxiao standing beside him, his face etched with exhaustion.

Qian Laosan nodded at him vigorously, then stepped forward and silently began tending to Li Cheng's wounds.

The courtyard was deathly quiet. The escorts stared, dumbfounded. The staff in Li Cunxiao's hand was broken at the other end, leaving only jagged wooden splinters.

Just how much strength did that take?

A veteran escort suddenly stepped forward and firmly patted Li Cunxiao's shoulder. Seeing this, the others followed suit. In an instant, these rough men poured their inexpressible emotions onto the young man with each pat.

Li Cunxiao breathed heavily, his gaze sweeping across their faces, reading an emotion called admiration.

In his mind, the Vajra Scepter's light flickered, covering its dim grayness. It passed over the spherical grip in the center, then the lotus base, and finally slowed its ascent near the conical indentation.

Charging progress: two-thirds complete.

As everyone relit their torches, tended to Li Cheng's wounds, and checked their own injuries and the condition of their weapons and escort goods, Shen He, who had gone out to pursue the attackers, finally arrived, albeit late.

His expression was grim, and he entered the courtyard carrying the scent of blood. For some reason, everyone's gaze shifted subtly.

Shen He couldn't help but frown.

"What happened?"