Tendon-Bone True Return Realm

The Rat Demons did not seem afraid that the three of them would escape. Rather than circling around to pursue them, they formed a semicircle and slowly closed in.

Gao Fei moved quickly, fighting as he retreated.

Every thrust of his spear sent the pursuing Rat Demons flying.

This time, his priority was holding them back, and he only slapped one Rat Demon to death.

His total Merit Points rose to 32 once more.

His martial arts had now fallen into an awkward state: his defense was high, but his attack power was lacking.

Rats that had reached great accomplishment in their tendons and bones were difficult to kill. Most of them could only be sent flying.

When he sent another large Rat Demon flying—

Crack!

The wooden shaft had endured too many cuts from the Rat Demons' broken blades. Unable to withstand the prolonged blows, it snapped completely.

He tossed aside the wooden stick, turned, and ran in the direction the other two had fled.

Yet before he had gone far, he saw Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu running back.

"What's wrong with you two? Why are you running back?"

Lu Xiaoliu did not stop even after reaching them, instead running in another direction.

"I didn't want to either. That way is full of Rat Demons. We need to change directions."

"Really! Brother, hold them off a little longer!"

Zhang Constable also slipped past him and ran in another direction.

Gao Fei hurriedly followed.

A Beast Core appeared in his hand again.

"System, put it all into the Purple Tendon Bone-Tempering Art. Max it out for me."

In the first year, you learned of the True Return Realm. The trembling of your blood and qi throughout your body no longer had any effect on improving your tendons and bones, yet you still could not find a way to enter the True Return Realm.

...

In the tenth year, your fine control over your blood and qi allowed you to temper a single bone independently. You successfully tempered the first bone in your hand. Instead of darkening, the bone turned white, like white jade.

...

In the thirtieth year, you completed the tempering of the tendons and bones throughout your body. Your tendons became like dragons, your bones like jade. Your tendons and bones entered the True Return Realm. (Your body can grow taller for a short time.)

In the thirty-second year, you became proficient in exerting force throughout your body and discovered that your internal organs were listless and severely damaged.

After his consciousness returned, he checked his lifespan while running.

One year.

The Beast Core in his hand had faded considerably again. It would probably only be enough to reach the Peak Early Organ Refinement stage.

Thinking of how he would not be able to buy the medicinal ingredients needed for Organ Refinement in the future, Gao Fei somewhat regretted using the Beast Core in his hand.

He turned to look at the Rat Demons still pursuing them, killing intent spilling from his eyes.

"It's all your fault for continuing to chase us."

At that moment, he stopped running. Drawing his long saber, he charged toward the twenty-odd Rat Demons.

He would collect the Merit Points first. The matter of medicinal ingredients was not urgent; he could deal with it after returning. At worst, he could visit the Lin Family.

Rob the rich to aid the poor, eliminate human traitors, and earn Merit Points as well.

At that thought, the strength in his hands increased greatly.

The bones throughout his body gave off crisp metallic cracks. Borrowing the momentum of his rapid charge, he swept out with all his strength.

Two Skin Tempering Realm Rat Demons folded over the blade and were flung away.

Instant kill!

The two Rat Demons provided 24 Merit Points.

The saber's remaining force also sent a Bone Tempering Realm Rat Demon flying.

Gao Fei's strength now held an overwhelming advantage.

After testing the result, he did not attack the other Rat Demons. Taking several quick steps, he charged toward the one he had just sent flying.

He paid no heed whatsoever to the short blades closing in on him.

The sound of blades slicing iron skin soon rang out from his body, and dozens of cuts instantly appeared in his clothes.

If he had not clenched his buttocks tightly enough, he would have been hit by the thousand-year kill.

Even his little elephant trunk had been cut several times.

The True Return Realm's defense had no blind spots. Though it hurt, his defense had not been breached.

As Gao Fei advanced, he traded blows with the Rat Demons, directing his force mostly downward.

Bone Tempering Realm Rat Demons could not be cut deeply in one stroke. Once the blade passed the spine and struck bone, it was difficult to cut through.

Many of them were simply "smashed to death" by the saber. Should I switch to a heavy weapon like a hammer or an axe?

While he was thinking, when he was attacked for the second time, he hurriedly used his hands to shield two places.

He did not want to experience that kind of pain in a second location.

He shielded them, but that left him bent over, his posture somewhat unsightly.

It was far too cowardly. Since his defense was sufficient, Gao Fei simply put away his long saber.

He began using his hands, grabbing Rat Demons beside him and smashing them around as weapons.

His blood and qi surged, and flecks of gold appeared over Gao Fei's skin.

One was not satisfying enough, so he casually grabbed another.

To the Rat Demons, Gao Fei now resembled a giant ape, grabbing whatever he caught and using it as a hammer.

Just as he was having a wonderful time fighting, Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu ran back again.

"Hold them off first. I'll try looking in another direction."

"My lord, why have you turned into a golden man?"

Lu Xiaoliu gave him a glance before continuing to flee.

Rat Demons now hung all over Gao Fei's body.

They used their teeth and short blades, slowly grinding away at his skin.

Every Rat Demon Gao Fei grabbed was smashed to death. He paid no attention to the others.

Now he understood how exhilarating it was for the Hulk to swing someone around and smash people with them.

Only when he reached out and failed to grab a Rat Demon did he come back to his senses and look around.

Rat Demon corpses filled the area around him.

Only five Rat Demons remained, staring at him in terror. They backed away again and again, then finally turned and fled.

Gao Fei picked up the saber on the ground and began finishing them off.

A total of twenty-three Rat Demons had provided 262 Merit Points.

After he finished dealing with them, the two-man escape team returned again.

Zhang Constable stopped, panting heavily as he walked to Gao Fei's side.

"All three directions are full of Rat Demons. There's only one direction left. Can you hold them off a while longer?"

Gao Fei swept his gaze around. His hearing was sharp, and sparse rustling sounds came from every direction.

"No need to run. We're surrounded!"

After watching for a moment, Lu Xiaoliu hurried over, pulled the long spear from the body of a White-Clad Constable, and brought it back to Gao Fei.

"Here!"

"Don't try getting friendly. I might not be able to protect you later." Gao Fei took the spear and gave a bitter smile.

This time, he had been careless.

More than ten breaths later, the Rat Demons slowly surrounded them. They were in no hurry, chittering all the way.

When the encirclement reached thirty meters away, they stopped. A rough estimate put their numbers at over a thousand.

A Weasel lay on its side in a simple wooden sedan chair, carried out by four Rat Demons.

"The quality of this batch of blood food is excellent. They even gave us a warm-up. The scent of their blood and qi feels good just to smell."

The Weasel had taken a group of Rat Demons as subordinates.

Gao Fei took one look at it and felt that he could not defeat it.

If only he had learned an Organ Refinement Realm cultivation technique first. He just did not know whether Second Uncle knew one.

The Demon Core on him could only support him to Early Organ Refinement, only a little stronger than he was now. Its effect would not be great.

"I'll go test the flavor for everyone."

After saying that, Gao Fei raised his spear and charged toward the Weasel.

The surrounding Rat Demons had just prepared to advance when the Weasel stopped them.

"I'll warm up too, before having a bite of something fresh."

As it spoke, it leaped down from the roofless sedan chair.

It charged toward Gao Fei at extreme speed.

Before it even got close, it drew a short saber from its waist and slashed at Gao Fei.

A crescent-shaped saber qi shot forth at high speed.

Watching the saber qi attack his face, Gao Fei turned sideways and flicked it upward with his spear tip.

Clang!

The two collided. The entire pale shaft bent into a bow, and the saber qi slid past the spear tip.

Gao Fei let out a muffled grunt.

A cut two feet deep, as thick as a finger, and ten feet long appeared in the ground.

That strike had only been meant to test its power.

Now that he had tested it, it was best not to clash head-on. Though one strike would not kill him, he had not reached Organ Refinement. The impact alone would be more than his internal organs could bear.

If the other side stood at a distance and kept using saber qi, he might as well lie down and wait for death. There would be no way to fight.

But seeing the Weasel charge over with its short saber in hand, preparing for close combat, Gao Fei let out a breath of relief.

Not bad. He could give it a try. Raising his long spear, he met it head-on.

Startle the grass and alert the snake.

Sweeping spear.

Relying on his larger frame and superior strength, he wanted to send it flying in one blow.