Liu Chen had begun martial training at five. He trained through the bitterest days of winter and the scorching heat of summer, never daring to slacken for even a moment over twenty years.
At eighteen, he had been chosen by the Demon Suppression Bureau and had considered himself one of the dragons and phoenixes among men.
Yet just now, beneath the Pig Demon's blood-mist divine ability that blanketed heaven and earth, he had realized that he was merely a frog at the bottom of a well.
But...
Liu Chen raised his head and looked at the young woman bathed in the bloody light of the tiger's shadow, his heart churning like stormy seas.
Her figure was slight, and she appeared several years younger than he was.
But she...
How did she dare?
How did she dare face a Bone Resonance Realm Great Demon alone?
It was not only him. Even Xu Nian, who was struggling to hold on nearby, wore an expression of utter disbelief.
Yet his attention was not on the young woman herself.
It was on the blade at her waist.
The Pig Demon stared fixedly at the approaching figure. Its former arrogance and brutality had vanished without a trace.
It scrutinized Jiang Yuechu from head to toe, as though it wished to see straight through her.
There was something faintly familiar about this young woman...
Wait...
As it realized something, its eyes flew wide open.
"It was you!!!"
"You killed my children!"
Clang—
There was no probing strike, nor a single word of nonsense.
Her blade rose, and the phantom of the Blood-Colored Fierce Tiger behind her roared in response.
The blood and qi within her body surged thunderously, pouring in full into the blade.
Fierce Tiger Quickblade, Supreme Realm!
The next instant, a shrill blood-colored blade light descended like a fierce tiger coming down the mountain, carrying the weight of ten thousand jun, and slashed viciously toward Zhu Yan's neck!
Driven by its instinct to survive, those countless blood-red tentacles contracted in a mass, instantly forming a thick, viscous shield of flesh and blood before Zhu Yan.
Boom—
The blood-colored blade light collided violently with the blood-mist tentacles.
A dull, teeth-grating sound rang out, as though the blade had sunk into some kind of sticky gel.
The Supreme Realm Fierce Tiger Quickblade, bolstered by [Tiger Dharma Heaven-Bestowed], should have split even ordinary mountain rock in two.
Yet when it struck the blood-red tentacles, it did not feel remotely like cutting through melons and vegetables.
A tremendous rebounding force surged through the blade, making Jiang Yuechu's body sway. She staggered back several steps before barely managing to stop.
Her brows drew together slightly. Her palm was numb, and a trace of surprise flashed through her eyes.
This was the first time she had encountered such a bizarre method.
Yet from the very first glance she took at this Pig Demon, she had known.
The Pig Demon before her had to be the father the two fools had mentioned before.
Although the other party had not been present when she killed those two minor demons.
Who knew whether demons had some strange means of tracking down their enemies?
Her own identity had yet to be resolved. Not only did she need to evade the authorities' pursuit, she had no desire to be targeted by a Great Demon whose sons had died.
The tentacles of blood mist slowly unfurled, revealing the unharmed Pig Demon's true body.
"Such methods... such blade arts..."
"So it was you... who killed my sons like this."
Jiang Yuechu silently raised her blade a little higher.
Silence was the best answer.
"Good..."
"Good!!!"
Zhu Yan threw back its head and howled. Its already bloated body swelled again, while countless flesh worms seemed to writhe madly beneath its skin.
The blood-mist tentacles around it expanded at a rate visible to the naked eye.
In an instant.
Blood mist surged skyward along the long street.
Countless scarlet tentacles shot toward Jiang Yuechu like crazed pythons bursting from their lairs, blotting out the sky and covering the earth!
The few surviving Imperial Guards had already gone pale with fright.
With such a display, even if ten more of them came, they would merely add a few more side dishes to this demon's drinking feast.
But in the next instant.
Xu Nian gritted his teeth, and a trace of resolve flashed through his eyes.
He abruptly shoved the wounded Liu Chen beside him away. Rather than retreating, he advanced, charging fiercely toward the utterly frenzied Pig Demon!
"Lord Xu!"
Liu Chen was horrified.
But Xu Nian did not hear him.
Since ancient times, how could the Demon Suppression Bureau's men stand watching from the side while a martial wanderer faced a demon alone?
With no subordinates left for him to protect, Xu Nian no longer had any reservations.
The blood and qi in his body burned madly at an unprecedented pace. The ringing of his bones joined into one continuous sound, clear and resonant as a bell!
"Die!"
This slash contained every last bit of his Bone Resonance Realm cultivation, determined to defeat the enemy in a single blow.
Golden blade light rose once more.
This mad act was also a warning to everyone.
If he could kill this Pig Demon, then all would be well.
If he could not...
He only hoped that the girl and young Liu Chen would be clever enough to seize the chance and flee for their lives.
The blade light was like racing thunder, cleaving directly toward the Pig Demon's face.
Zhu Yan merely gave a savage grin and split off dozens of blood-red tentacles, which met that golden blade light like a great net.
Zhu Yan's eyes were filled with contempt. Before Xu Nian could react, it lifted one thick leg and struck after moving later.
A dull thud sounded.
Xu Nian was sent flying as though struck by a massive hammer.
But in that fleeting opening.
Jiang Yuechu moved.
She drove off with her feet, her entire body shooting out like an arrow loosed from the string, leaving an afterimage across the long street.
Then she kicked off hard, soaring high into the air. Midair, she gripped the hilt with both hands and raised the blade over her head.
"Die!"
She gave a sharp cry.
This slash descended from above, carrying the force of thunder and ten thousand jun, straight at the Pig Demon's neck!
Zhu Yan clearly had not expected the woman's speed to be so great. In its haste, it could only twist its neck.
Splat!
Blood burst forth.
Dozens of blood-red tentacles snapped at the blow. The blade's remaining force did not diminish, and it hacked deeply into Zhu Yan's fat neck!
"Roar—"
The agonizing pain drew an earthshaking howl from Zhu Yan.
Yet not a trace of joy appeared on Jiang Yuechu's face.
The blade had entered the flesh, only to become stuck fast!
The muscles and tendons in the Pig Demon's neck suddenly clamped down, making it impossible for her blade to advance another inch!
In pain, the ferocity in Zhu Yan's eyes only intensified. Completely ignoring the blade in its neck, it swung its fist, bringing a foul wind as it smashed straight at Jiang Yuechu's face!
Jiang Yuechu's pupils contracted.
She had no time to pull out her blade. She simply released one hand, then fiercely pressed down on the hilt with the other. Borrowing that force, she raised her foot and kicked Zhu Yan hard in its pig face.
Borrowing the recoil, she flipped backward through the air, spun once, and barely landed on her feet.
Jiang Yuechu steadied herself and looked at the Pig Demon, her Horizontal Blade embedded in its neck while its viciousness remained undiminished. She cursed inwardly.
This Pig Demon not only possessed bizarre methods, but its physical body was also outrageously powerful!
Her all-out slash had not even managed to sever its neck!
Enduring the pain wracking his entire body, Liu Chen crawled and rolled over to Xu Nian, who had fallen to the ground.
"Lord Xu! Lord Xu!"
There was a bloody, mangled hole in Xu Nian's chest. He took in more air than he breathed out, and with every breath, bloody froth welled from his mouth and nose.
He struggled to open his eyes and looked at the frenzied Pig Demon. "Retreat..."
"My lord!"
"Take the brothers... retreat!"
An immense sense of powerlessness swallowed Liu Chen whole.
If only...
If only he were a little stronger.
Even if, at this very moment, he could bear even a fraction of Lord Xu's burden...
"Ahhh—"
Under the warm sun.
He threw back his head and let out a sorrowful howl. He slammed his fist heavily against the ground, then finally could no longer hold himself up. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to them.
Not far away.
The young woman slowly pushed herself upright, spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged foul air, and stood straight.
In a daze.
Several terrified Demon Suppression Bureau Imperial Guards saw.
A tiger's claw reach out from thin air and interlock its fingers with the young woman's hand.
At the request of many readers, the VIP membership ad-free feature is now available.
Click to view
Before you continue