Just Broke Your Spine

Fine yellow hairs suddenly sprouted across Du Juan's beautiful face. Her red-lipped, white-toothed mouth stretched sharply into a fox's muzzle, black, yellow, and white, and sharp fangs pierced her lips.

Her figure grew inch by inch until, in the blink of an eye, she had become a more than seven-foot-tall foxkin. The powerful surge of demonic energy burst her dance dress apart, scattering it into a rain of scraps.

Du Juan revealed her true form and seized Chen Bin's blade in a tight grip. Blood trickled slowly down its edge.

The Demon Suppression Blade had cleaved halfway through, yet her palm, wreathed in condensed demonic energy, had stopped it.

A bloodthirsty red glint flashed in her eyes. She let out a deafening roar at Chen Bin.

Her other claw shot out like lightning, stabbing straight for Chen Bin's chest.

At her roar, the two dancers beside Du Juan transformed as well. Their bodies swelled, fox fur pierced their dresses, and in the blink of an eye they had become seven-foot-tall Fox Demons, charging over with claws bared and fangs exposed.

At the same time, the two heads lying on the floor abruptly turned into fox heads as large as pig's heads. Pink demonic energy surged around them.

Yet the entire Jiaofang Si was shrouded in a sinister aura.

"Monsters!" The people inside the Jiaofang Si finally realized what was happening. Screams rose one after another.

Liu Wei, Li Kun, and the other Demon Suppression Division captains quickly came to their senses as well.

"Draw your blades!" Liu Wei barked. His voice rang out especially clearly amid the chaos.

Crash! A powerful force suddenly smashed through the wall, leaving a huge hole.

The captains standing nearby didn't have time to react before attacks from the Heavenly Character-type private rooms swept in like a violent storm.

Liu Wei reacted with incredible speed. He flashed in front of the others, and as he swung the Demon Suppression Blade in his hand, the air seemed to warp.

He slashed, and the wind of his blade howled. The splintered wood was swept up in it and shot back like a hail of arrows.

A table wreathed in demonic energy slammed into the blade wind and exploded into a shower of splinters.

Liu Wei looked up. The forces arrayed opposite him made him draw a sharp breath.

Two Qi Gathering Realm Fox Demons were bearing down on them, with four Body Tempering Realm Fox Demons watching them like tigers. The situation was truly thorny.

"Don't move! If anyone so much as twitches, I'll kill them!" Jun Lan and Hong Mei each gripped Lü Xiu and Qian Du by the throat, threatening them viciously.

Just then, an enraged cry filled with hatred rang out from the stage. "I'm going to kill you!"

Du Juan's claws reached for Chen Bin's chest, her eyes blazing with murderous intent.

Chen Bin wasn't the least bit afraid. He stepped with Two Forms Footwork, his figure crossing like a phantom, and closed in on her in an instant.

At that moment, he finally realized which martial art he should learn.

[You spent 50 Merit and began comprehending Bone Marrow Separation and Dragon Entanglement Hand: Beginner.]

[You have gained an Initial Glimpse of Bone Marrow Separation and Dragon Entanglement Hand.]

[Your physique has improved. Your limbs and bones are more agile.]

[Martial Arts]:

Bone Marrow Separation and Dragon Entanglement Hand (Beginner: 0/100)

[Remaining Merit: 522]

A strange power instantly surged into Chen Bin's body.

His hands felt as hard as steel, powerful as dragon claws. Training in Bone Marrow Separation and Dragon Entanglement Hand had strengthened his limbs and bones, making them incredibly flexible.

By now, the blade in Chen Bin's hand, which had been caught in Du Juan's claws, had already been released at some point.

Quick as a flash, he seized Du Juan's outstretched right wrist. His wrist twisted, and crack! The joint snapped cleanly.

Then, using the force of the motion, he flipped past Du Juan's side. His movements flowed as smoothly as running water and were fast as lightning. Even the two Fox Demons charging toward him missed.

Crack! Two more sharp snaps rang out as Chen Bin broke Du Juan's right leg and then her left, bending them underfoot. Even the left claw that had seized the Demon Suppression Blade and hadn't let go was not spared.

The Demon Suppression Blade clanged to the floor. Chen Bin planted his foot heavily on Du Juan's furry fox tail.

"Yow..." The severe pain drew a piercing howl from Du Juan. Demonic energy surged out of her like a raging tide, nearly lifting the roof off.

Chen Bin's body was wrapped in the Internal Energy of Pure Yang Art—Qi Gathering Chapter, glowing with a faint golden light like a blazing sun. It tore through the demonic-energy shield around Du Juan in an instant.

As he struck, his five fingers closed into a fist. He slammed it into Du Juan's arched back.

"Raaagh..."

Then his fingers spread like a flower opening, each one hooked. He gripped the spine that had caved in and sprung back, and snapped it too.

The two Fox Demons had missed their pounce. Before they could attack again, Chen Bin let go of the claw that could no longer fight back and gripped the Demon Suppression Blade once more.

Without Chen Bin holding her up, Du Juan could no longer remain standing. She crashed to the floor.

"What did you do to me?"

Du Juan's voice, amid the spreading demonic energy, was filled with terror and fury.

Chen Bin's gaze was icy as he glanced at the Qi Gathering Realm Fox Demons on either side of him, whose auras each radiated 12 and 14 Merit.

He stepped forward and planted his foot hard on Du Juan's limp head. His tone was casual. "Nothing much. I just broke your spine."

Du Juan truly couldn't feel her lower body anymore. Her face twisted in agony as she screamed at the top of her lungs:

"Kill him! Kill him..."

The two Fox Demons roared and charged at him.

A ruthless glint flashed in Chen Bin's eyes. He dug in his heel, and just as he darted forward, he unleashed Thunderous Might, crushing Du Juan's throat and snapping her neck.

The next moment, his figure blurred into a streak, like a black bolt of lightning, as he darted between the two charging demons.

His blade flashed like an opened Folding Fan, its black surface painted with red patterns. A perfect arc swept across both demons' necks.

Chen Bin didn't slow down at all. He charged straight toward the second floor, toward the Heavenly Character private room.

Behind him, the two Fox Demons' necks split open. Blood gushed out, flinging their heads into the sky like kites with their strings cut.

[Slayed Qi Gathering Realm Fox Demon: Du Juan. Gained Merit +20. Remaining Merit: 542]

[Slayed Qi Gathering Realm Fox Demon... Gained Merit +12. Remaining Merit: 554]

[Slayed Qi Gathering Realm Fox Demon... Gained Merit +14. Remaining Merit: 568]

The battle below was over almost as soon as it began, and the standoff above ended as well.

Chen Bin's foot had yet to touch the windowsill of the Heavenly Character-type room.

In an instant—

The spark had hit the powder keg. The Fox Demons in the Heavenly Character room were suddenly consumed by rage, their auras turning violent.

Killing intent surged in Jun Lan's eyes. She gritted her teeth and shrieked an order. "Kill them!"

Her voice was piercing, full of boundless resentment and hatred.

Lü Xiu and Qian Du turned as pale as paper. Their dangling legs shook like reeds in the wind, and they begged for mercy in trembling voices. "Spare us!"

Their voices shook badly, but out of habit, they still brought up their fathers:

"My father is... Agh!"