First came a piercing scream, followed by all sorts of commotion from a house on the left side of the alley. Before long, Bichir and the others forcibly dragged out a dazed, disheveled Claude.
Her face livid, Eileen glared at Claude and berated him through gritted teeth, then said bitterly, "Claude, you disgust me. I never want to see you again. Katie, let's go."
By now, Han Shuo knew he had achieved his goal, and there was no need to stay any longer. When he saw Eileen and Katie hurrying his way, he quickly slipped out of sight and headed back toward the inn at an unhurried pace.
After reaching the inn, Han Shuo washed up, then sat cross-legged on the bed and began practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art. Demonic Essence expanded his meridians inch by inch. Gritting his teeth, Han Shuo experienced the heart-piercing pain as he circulated the Demonic Cultivation Art in the manner required for Meridian Expansion, over and over.
Because practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art often brought unbearable pain, Han Shuo's formerly easygoing disposition had become tenacious and unyielding. Both his willpower and his endurance of pain had improved enormously.
Without his realizing it, Han Shuo's entire character and outlook kept changing as he practiced the Demonic Cultivation Art. As his strength gradually increased, the formerly timid Han Shuo, who had always shrunk from things, had undergone tremendous changes. His understanding and perception of things also differed greatly from his original views.
A dull thudding suddenly sounded in Han Shuo's mind. He abruptly stopped practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art, held his breath, and focused his attention. His bodily functions instantly settled into stillness.
The thudding drew closer from the junction between Doro Town and the southern part of the Dark Forest. From the dullness and rhythm