Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Tendon Forging Combat

’He’s too strong! I have to run!’

After just one clash, Yin Zhao was already severely wounded. He knew that if he delayed even a moment longer, he would die here!

"One more time!"

He roared.

Accompanied by the grating sound of popping bones, his originally burly frame began to transform again. His spine elongated unnaturally, piercing through his skin to become a thick, scaly tail.

The joints of his limbs twisted, and webbing grew between his fingers and toes, making him look just like a giant, humanoid lizard.

"I’ll kill you!"

Yin Zhao roared, his aura surging as he charged forward.

But after charging forward only ten feet, he abruptly pivoted and fled frantically toward the Black Water River.

His speed was phenomenal, his leaping ability especially astonishing. With a single bound, he soared high over the stockade wall, landing hundreds of feet away and smashing a deep crater into the ground.

"Where do you think you’re going?!"

Lin Wanzhu cried out, leaping and tapping her foot on the top of the stockade wall. Her figure was graceful as she gave chase, as if treading on snow without a trace.

Su Yu reacted even faster. The moment the enemy turned, he unleashed his Thunder Collapse Step. With a BANG, the ground spiderwebbed with cracks as he shot after him.

The three of them were incredibly fast, reaching the banks of the Black Water River in the blink of an eye.

Yin Zhao sensed the two people behind him, and his expression turned grim.

The next moment, he dropped to all fours and, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, plunged without hesitation into the churning black water.

SPLASH!

Water sprayed into the air. Once in the water, his body moved like a dragon, his speed exploding as he fled toward the depths.

On the bank, Lin Wanzhu was just about to gather her energy to pursue when a sudden chill shot up her spine, making the hairs on her body stand on end.

WHOOSH—

From the high cliff above, a vicious wind suddenly howled without any warning.

A masked figure in black leaped from hundreds of feet in the air. Like a goshawk hunting a rabbit, he descended with a terrifying aura that seemed to freeze the very air, instantly locking onto Lin Wanzhu!

In that instant, every muscle in Lin Wanzhu’s body tensed as a wave of mortal danger washed over her.

Muscle Forging Realm!

Only the pressure of a Muscle Forging Realm expert could make a late-stage Flesh Refining Realm martial artist like her feel such danger from their aura alone!

"Master!"

Lin Wanzhu cried out without hesitation, her figure retreating explosively.

The next moment, a figure emerged from the dense woods on the far riverbank.

The man wore white, a long Horse-cutting Saber strapped to his back. He seemed to be taking a leisurely stroll, but each step covered a distance of hundreds of feet.

In just a few steps, he appeared out of thin air in front of Lin Wanzhu, shielding her from the terrifying pressure that felt like a collapsing mountain.

The newcomer was none other than the master of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall, Qin Fangqiong!

"Phew..."

Seeing her master, Lin Wanzhu let out a long sigh of relief, her taut nerves finally relaxing.

A sharp glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. ’The plan worked!’

This seemingly perilous encounter had, in fact, been under Su Yu’s control from the very beginning.

It looked like Su Yu had walked into an ambush, but in reality, he was turning their own plot against them, luring them into a trap!

Days ago, when Su Yu had broken through to the Flesh Refining Realm, he had conspired with his master and senior sister.

Since the Bone-breaking Martial Arts Hall, the Iron Armor Martial Arts Hall, and other hidden enemies were constantly watching them, rather than spending a thousand days guarding against a thief, it was better to take the initiative and strike!

So, the moment he received the intelligence about the bandits, even though Su Yu sensed something was amiss, he still led the team over directly.

It was all to give these hidden enemies a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Meanwhile, Qin Fangqiong and Lin Wanzhu had been following in secret, just waiting for the big fish to take the bait.

And sure enough, they had hooked a big one!

"Senior Sister, I’m going after him!"

Seeing that his master was here, Su Yu felt relieved. He turned, leaped into the Black Water River, and continued his pursuit of Yin Zhao.

"Be careful, Junior Brother! It’s dangerous underwater!" Lin Wanzhu cried out urgently.

But in less than an instant, Su Yu had already vanished beneath the surface.

Lin Wanzhu couldn’t help but gasp. ’His underwater speed is incredible!’

She furrowed her delicate brow but ultimately set her mind at ease. ’Junior Brother isn’t a reckless person; he must have his reasons.’

’But even though I wounded him badly, he’s still a mid-stage Flesh Refining Realm expert. You have to be careful!’

...

The biting wind howled, kicking up the dry grass on the riverbank.

"Zhou Sinan!"

Qin Fangqiong’s gaze was ice-cold as he stared at the masked man, his voice suppressing a towering killing intent. "You killed my beloved disciple, Lin Feng. Today, I will put down an old dog like you and take your head to offer to his departed spirit!"

Seeing his identity exposed, the masked man no longer bothered with concealment. He ripped off his mask, revealing a sinister, aged face.

It was the master of the Bone-breaking Martial Arts Hall, Zhou Sinan!

"Qin Fangqiong!"

Zhou Sinan’s eyes were filled with venom, his voice hoarse. "You stole Ying’Er from me all those years ago, and then you humiliated me in the tournament. I’ve remembered that debt for decades! For all these years, out of respect for Ying’Er, I never laid a hand on your White Ape Martial Arts Hall disciples. But you never should have allowed that little bastard Chen Fan to cripple my most prized student, Zhou Heng!"

"Zhou Heng was my chosen successor! Now, he can only lie in bed like a dead dog, cursing me every day! If I don’t avenge him, I swear I’m not a man!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

Qin Fangqiong laughed, his fury so great it turned to mirth, his hair and beard standing on end. "Old dog! You were trash then, and you’re still trash now! You only dare to attack juniors with cheap tricks. You dare speak of a successor?"

"Come! This grudge ends today!"

SHIIING—

With a reverse grip, Qin Fangqiong drew the five-foot-long Horse-cutting Saber from his back.

As the long saber left its sheath, his entire demeanor changed abruptly. He seemed to transform into a ferocious white ape, its Qi and Blood soaring, violent beyond measure!

Across from him, Zhou Sinan’s aura also changed drastically. He had no weapon; his specialty was the Bone Shattering Fist Technique, and his pair of Iron Hands were trained to be harder than any divine weapon.

His hands took the form of eagle talons. His Qi and Blood flowed faintly within his body as he projected his aura, appearing like a colossal eagle.

Far in the distance, Lin Wanzhu felt a pang of fear as she saw the two men lock auras.

’Is this the aura of the Muscle Forging Realm?’

Watching them from afar was like seeing two ferocious, primeval beasts facing off. Anyone who dared to stand between them would suffer a terrifying blow in the next instant.

Unable to bear the pressure, Lin Wanzhu retreated even further.

CRASH!

The murky waves of the Black Water River surged, slamming against the jagged cliff face and exploding into a spray of foam. A cold mist spread on the sharp spring wind, pushing the grim atmosphere to its peak.

"Kill!"

The violent aura around Zhou Sinan suddenly retracted. Like a hawk before it strikes, he instantly went from extreme motion to absolute stillness, then vanished in the next moment!

When he reappeared, his pair of sharp, black-gleaming claws were already at Qin Fangqiong’s face!

"Bone-Shattering Eagle Claw!"

His Bone-Shattering Eagle Claws, like a goshawk hunting a rabbit, lunged fiercely for Qin Fangqiong’s throat!

His five fingers were like hooks. Before their tips even arrived, the sharp force of the wind they generated pricked at Qin Fangqiong’s skin.

"Mountain Suppressor!"

Qin Fangqiong’s face was a mask of fury. The heavy Horse-cutting Saber in his hand descended with the terrifying force of a collapsing mountain, cleaving straight down!

CLANG!

The eagle claw clashed directly with the saber’s edge.

It was unknown how many years Zhou Sinan had trained his palms, but they were even harder than refined steel. At the moment of impact, a sinister and venomous Hidden Force crazily drilled along the blade, making it hum and sending sparks flying.

His first strike having failed, Zhou Sinan used the momentum to sink down, his body contracting strangely.

SWOOSH!

His left hand shot out like a venomous snake striking from its hole, silently aiming for Qin Fangqiong’s lower abdomen—his Dantian!

This strike was completely different from the ferocious one before.

There was no sound of tearing air, no glow of Qi and Blood, not even a stir of his sleeve. It was the epitome of speed and viciousness!

This was the Hidden Force of the Muscle Forging Realm: unadorned mastery, with energy retracted into the very bones!

The momentum of Qin Fangqiong’s long saber was powerful and heavy, leaving him at that awkward point where the old force was spent and the new had yet to be generated. It was too late to bring the saber back to block.

But who was Qin Fangqiong? He had built a grand reputation in his youth; how could his combat experience be anything but rich?

He didn’t try to bring his saber back. Instead, his left hand instantly released the hilt, formed a fist, and shot out like lightning from under his ribs!

If Su Yu were here, he would have immediately recognized this as the "White Ape Asks the Way" from the White Ape Fist!

BANG!

Fist and palm met in the scant space between them.

It seemed to be an unremarkable collision, but at the instant of contact, a heart-stopping, muffled thunderclap erupted!

That was the sound of two streams of Hidden Force, condensed to their absolute limit, bypassing flesh to collide violently at the level of bone and organ!

The riverbank beneath their feet silently caved in, and both men sank three inches into the ground!

In the distance, Lin Wanzhu’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched.

’So this is the terror of the Muscle Forging Realm!’

At this realm, power was no longer about simple external clashes, but about explosive force and control.

They had long since mastered the ability to retract and release their power at will, without the slightest bit leaking out. A seemingly casual blow actually contained an explosive burst of terrifying Hidden Force!

If a Flesh Refining Realm Martial Artist were to face it, that terrifying Hidden Force would likely tear through all their defenses in an instant, utterly destroying their muscles and bones!