Say Thank You!

"Standard Hundred-Refined Embroidered Spring Blade, a Jinyiwei Lowly Soldier."

"Government Office's Ninth-Rank Official Boots, you're the new Ninth-Rank Black-Robed Head Catcher at the county yamen?"

"An interesting combination."

"Sit!"

White Ape gestured to the chairs on either side of the hall below him, while he himself sat imposingly on the main couch. He tossed the corpse of the courtesan, who had met a tragic end on the bed, aside as if discarding trash.

"Demons and Devils, die!"

Seeing this, Lu Xuenning's fury ignited. Wielding her Longsword, she unleashed a set of exquisite sword techniques and charged directly at White Ape.

"You refuse a toast, only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"

White Ape's eyes gleamed with ferocity. He threw a punch, his bare fist meeting Lu Xuenning's Longsword head-on.

BOOM!

The sharp Longsword left a long gash on his hand, but White Ape's terrifyingly savage fist also slammed hard onto Lu Xuenning's sword. With a forceful shove, he sent her flying backward, sword and all!

Lu Xuenning was sent flying several yards by White Ape's punch, crashing heavily into the wall, leaving a human-shaped indentation. She then fell to the ground.

"He's already reached the fifth level of the Spirit Concealment Realm, the Marrow Asura stage!"

"I'll hold him off, you run!"

Lu Xuenning struggled to her feet, stretching her limbs. She coughed out a mouthful of clotted blood, her pale complexion regaining some color. She immediately shouted at Chen Fan.

Saying this, she disregarded the danger and twirled her sword again, charging at White Ape.

Chen Fan, seeing the scene unfold, did not choose to flee. Instead, with a thought, he summoned his status panel:

[Name: Chen Fan]
[Realm: Spirit Concealment Realm (Fourth Level: Blood Martial Saint)]
[Cultivation Techniques: Body Tempering Fist (Perfection), Draw Sword Slash (Perfection)]
[Current Remaining Lifespan: 50 years]
[Current Demons and Devils Lifespan: 56 years]

He directly poured all 56 years of the Demons and Devils' lifespan into Body Tempering Fist. He intended to seize this opportunity to break through to the fifth level of the Spirit Concealment Realm, the Marrow Asura stage.

Initially, he thought that a martial artist at the fourth level of the Spirit Concealment Realm like himself, plus Lu Xuenning, a peak Spirit Concealment Realm martial artist, would be more than enough to kill a fourth-level Spirit Concealment Realm Demon and Devil. It wasn't until White Ape made his move that he realized they had underestimated him.

[After entering the fourth level of the Spirit Concealment Realm, the Blood Martial Saint stage, you continued to diligently practice Body Tempering Fist at the Great Perfection level. In the fifteenth year, you broke through to the stage of refining blood like mercury, entering the fifth level of the Spirit Concealment Realm, the Marrow Asura stage. During this period, your comprehension of Body Tempering Fist deepened continuously!]

[You continued to practice Body Tempering Fist. In the thirtieth year, you reached the stage of refining marrow like frost with Body Tempering Fist. You leaped over five levels, becoming a peak Spirit Concealment Realm martial artist. You sensed a trace of the world's vital energy and saw hope for Body Tempering Fist to break through its limits!]

[You continued to comprehend Body Tempering Fist. Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. However, your talent was limited, and you did not comprehend any higher-level techniques!]

[In the fiftieth year, you finally grasped a trace of the world's vital energy, comprehending the subsequent path of Body Tempering Fist. You began to continuously refine Body Tempering Fist and found endless joy in it.]

[In the fifty-sixth year, you poured all your lifelong effort into finally modifying Body Tempering Fist into a more powerful and formidable boxing technique. You named it Heaven and Earth Grinding Disc Fist. Cultivating this technique allows one to break through the five levels, communicate with the world's vital energy, and use it as a grinding disc to temper and strengthen oneself, ultimately condensing a congenital body!]

[Spirit Concealment Realm Peak]
[Heaven and Earth Grinding Disc Fist]

Chen Fan clenched his fists slightly, feeling the explosive power surging within him. His skin was as tough as copper, his bones like iron, his tendons like steel, his blood like mercury, and his marrow like frost. Now, his physique could be described as having skin like bronze, bones like iron, sinews like steel, blood like mercury, and marrow like frost. His vital energy surged like a dragon, and his combat power was immense!

BOOM!

Lu Xuenning, who had been entangled with White Ape for a long time, was once again sent flying, crashing heavily in front of Chen Fan. White Ape, too, was covered in wounds, several of them deep enough to expose bone. However, this only fueled his ferocity!

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Didn't I tell you to run?"

"Why are you still here?"

Lu Xuenning coughed violently, speaking with a helpless expression. With her current strength, she couldn't kill this Ape Demon, but if she wanted to escape, this Ape Demon might not be able to stop her.

However, she couldn't run because Chen Fan was still here.

She had originally planned to stall the Ape Demon for a while, letting Chen Fan escape first, and then retreat herself once he was safe. But she hadn't expected that while she was desperately holding off the Ape Demon, Chen Fan would be there with his eyes closed, meditating.

Big brother, what are you doing?

"Leave the rest to me!"

Chen Fan helped Lu Xuenning up, shielding her behind him as he faced the giant White Ape.

"Kid, kneel down and kowtow to me three times, then call me grandpa. I can spare your insolence today out of respect for the Jinyiwei."

"Say thank you!"

White Ape glared at Chen Fan, his face contorted as he spoke.

Lu Xuenning, being a Ninth-Rank Black-Robed Head Catcher with peak Spirit Concealment Realm strength, surprised the Ape Demon somewhat, but it was within his expectations. After all, she was a newly appointed Head Catcher from Longyuan Prefecture; it wouldn't be normal for her to have no skills.

But Chen Fan, carrying a Hundred-Refined Embroidered Spring Blade and wearing ordinary Jinyiwei boots, looked like just another unremarkable Jinyiwei member.

He could kill a lowly soldier like this with a single punch, without any effort.

"Thank you!"

Chen Fan responded calmly.

He took two quick steps, swinging his fist fiercely towards the Ape Demon. The Ape Demon didn't react at all, a hint of disdain on its face.

BOOM!

Chen Fan leaped up, unleashing a punch. The terrifying fist generated a gale, smashing hard into the Ape Demon's face. With a few crisp cracking sounds, the Ape Demon spurted out a mouthful of blood, along with a few teeth.

It was sent crashing to the ground by Chen Fan's punch. The immense force shattered the thick wooden planks beneath it, its head plunging through the floor and emerging onto the rooftop of the sixth floor.

At this moment.

On the sixth floor.

A wealthy merchant was intimately involved with a Courtesan from the Spring Blossom Pavilion when a loud noise suddenly erupted. A massive ape's head burst through the ceiling, startling him into a scream:

"There are Demons and Monsters here!"

The Courtesan was also startled by the sudden turn of events. But upon seeing the terrifying face clearly, she whispered:

"Master Ape."

However, the White Ape quickly pulled its head out of the wooden planks. Before it could steady itself, Chen Fan threw another punch.

BOOM!

This punch swept horizontally, smashing hard into the White Ape's left ribs, breaking several of them. It was sent flying sideways, dragging across the ground for several yards before crashing into a pillar in the hall and finally stopping.

The White Ape was stunned by Chen Fan's two punches. It felt as if Chen Fan were a humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex, his slender body filled with explosive power.

Yet, it couldn't sense any trace of spiritual energy from Chen Fan. This meant Chen Fan hadn't opened his acupoints or communicated with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and hadn't stepped into the Spirit Aperture Realm!

Without entering the Spirit Aperture Realm, a human Spirit Concealment Realm cultivator was actually fighting him, a Demon of the same realm, and pinning him to the ground. What kind of Monster was this?

"He's actually this strong?"

Lu Xuenning, witnessing the scene, felt her heart pounding.

She never expected Chen Fan to be hiding so much. He was also a peak Spirit Concealment Realm martial artist!