Confidence can sometimes be a baffling illusion, and Liu Chen, a Bone Forging martial artist, proved it in three swift stages:


    Before the fight: bold boasts.


    Mid-battle: wild ramblings.


    Now: utter silence.


    Han watched it all unfold from the sidelines.


    “To die at my hands—a Viscera Realm genius rivaling Bone Forging? Thrilling just to think about!” Liu Chen had roared at the start.


    “…”


    “How… how are you this strong?! Impossible—this can’t be!”


    “I’m nearly at Bone Forging Minor Completion—not some weakling—how can I not beat you?!”


    “…”


    Those were his grand declarations and frantic outbursts.


    Han felt nothing—except maybe a flicker of amusement.


    Bai Ruoyue, locked in combat, stayed silent, reveling in the clash. Her ferocity, though, made Han’s eyes twitch.


    Brutal. Too brutal.


    The defensive talisman he’d slapped on her? Overkill—she didn’t need it.


    She looked like she was having a blast, so Han held back… until Liu Chen, battered and bleeding, let out a furious bellow and yanked out a bell.


    Ding-a-ling!


    The chime rang crisp, unleashing an invisible wave straight at their minds.


    Han felt it—a hypnotic force surging toward his soul, aiming to drag him into a dreamlike stupor. But his soul flared, radiant and unyielding, shattering the illusion without a scratch.


    A magical artifact—expected. The town guard had warned the killer might wield techniques, and artifacts fit the bill.


    Bone Forging martial artists could tap basic mental power, wielding certain tools. Bai Ruoyue blinked under the bell’s sway but shook it off fast—barely fazed.


    It couldn’t even buy Liu Chen a sneak attack.


    But that wasn’t his plan.


    He lunged—not at her, but at Han.


    “Kid, you’re my lifeline!”


    In a flash, he crossed ten meters, clawing for Han, aiming to snag a hostage.


    He couldn’t win head-on—desperate measures it was.


    Oh, Bai Ruoyue, bringing your genius junior to hunt me was your biggest mistake!


    “Damn it!” she shouted, voice thick with fury, not fear.


    At the last second, Han clenched his fist, stood his ground, and struck back.


    “Overconfident—wait, what?!”


    A surge of raw power rocked Liu Chen’s arm, toppling his scheme. Han staggered back, boots gouging a trench in the dirt, shaking out his tingling hand.


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    He eyed the stunned Bone Forging thug and shook his head. “Fair one-on-one not good enough?”


    I was gonna let you go out with dignity, but you blew it.


    “You’re… early Viscera?” Liu Chen gaped, incredulous.


    The Divine Ape Visualization hid Han’s true stage, and he’d never gone all-out in public. Black Cloud folks pegged him as Viscera Realm, but guesses varied—most bet on early, a few wild optimists, swayed by his past speed, swore he was near or at Bone Forging.


    Ridiculous. Higher realms slowing cultivation time? Absurd.


    Liu Chen saw it now—and wished he hadn’t. Early Viscera, yet Han’s burst matched Viscera Peak!


    Wounded from Bai Ruoyue, he couldn’t down a near-Peak fighter in one blow.


    Early matching Peak? A freak!


    Worse than Bai Ruoyue!


    What’s with Tai Bai breeding monsters?


    No wonder two “juniors” dared chase him.


    No—on the path, strength ruled. I’m the junior here.


    Flesh titans, Tendon ancestors, Viscera masters, Bone Forging kids, Marrow-Washing ants…


    “Why’d you mess with my junior?!” Bai Ruoyue roared, sword slashing.


    Finding a good fight’s hard—I rarely get to cut loose. Today’s my chance, with him watching, and you poke the bear?


    He stuck to martial moves earlier—what if he unleashes his soul? What’s left for me to fight?


    Trying to ruin my day? Then yours is toast too!


    Liu Chen scrambled to parry as Han barked, “Senior Sister, I’ve got your back!”


    Sword light blazed, icy and sharp, chilling the air.


    She’s got this solo, but I’m jumping in—time to test Bone Forging strength!


    Her fury spiked—at Liu Chen—fueled by Han’s words.


    Gave you a shot, and you’re useless!


    Dynamic Duo, justice beatdown!


    Both wielded Tai Bai swordplay—first joint fight, unlike their separate Black Mountain clashes. No prior practice, yet their synergy clicked, evolving into seamless precision.


    A duo forged by fate—unstoppable.


    Shing!


    [Tai Bai] sliced the air, shrill and relentless.


    Liu Chen swung his blade to block. Han’s raw power lagged, but no way Liu Chen could eat that strike bare—martial weapon or not.


    Try taking a stab yourself.


    Bai Ruoyue followed, her strike cunning and angled, syncing with Han to trap Liu Chen’s guard.


    Outmatched, he prioritized—blade met Bai Ruoyue, true essence flared over his body, inner armor bracing for Han’s hit.


    “Cough!”


    Blood sprayed as he lurched back, crashing hard.


    Han and Bai Ruoyue pressed the chase—no breather for him.


    “Despicable—shameless! Righteous my ass—no honor!” Liu Chen bellowed.


    Two prodigies ganging up on a lone rogue—outrageous!


    Han snapped, “Honor? For scum like you?”


    You had your fair shot and threw it away! Being double-teamed by Black Cloud’s finest is your privilege!


    A blast of Bone Forging true essence roared at Han.


    Mid-fight, he’d clocked it—true essence trounced true qi by miles. Viscera versus Bone Forging was a steeper climb than Tendon versus Viscera.


    Han didn’t dodge—sword swung, splitting the blast like a river cleaved in two, craters exploding on either side.


    Bai Ruoyue darted in, her strike a terror aimed square at Liu Chen.


    He flailed, out of moves.


    One-on-one, he’d lost. With Han in the mix, his doom sealed.


    Han even called Bai Ruoyue to ease up—stretch it out—so he could savor sparring a Bone Forging foe.


    Sticking to martial skills, he honed himself, gauging his own strength and a fresh Bone Forging fighter’s.


    Against typical Viscera foes—Minor, Major, Peak—he feared no one, victory assured.


    But Bone Forging loomed—a chasm. Not unbridgeable, yet at early Viscera, he was a step shy.


    That was pure martial might—soul power and full annihilation aside.


    Bone Forging was a beast—true qi to true essence, body juiced up across the board.


    No wonder they roamed free, status sky-high. Day Roaming cultivators often fell short. Even in top sects, they shed disciple tags for management roles.


    Bones mattered—temper them, and defense, burst, stamina skyrocketed. Liquid true essence? Lethal.


    True qi crumbled before it—shattered on touch, dwarfing the Flesh-to-Tendon gap.


    Higher realms widened the divide—by the end, it was heaven versus earth, cross-tier fights a fantasy.


    Bone Forging: the dawn of true power.


    Yet no matter the boost, Liu Chen buckled under their onslaught.


    Two blades zeroed his vitals; he couldn’t block anymore.


    “Escaped Black Cloud, only to fall to you brats—I won’t accept it!”


    Shink!


    A sword pierced his chest, severing tendons. Liu Chen hit the dirt, howling.


    Not dead—Han and Bai Ruoyue spared him.


    A murderer, best caught alive for justice. If not, his corpse would do.


    Together, they had him.


    Bai Ruoyue flicked a pill from her spatial pouch into his mouth.


    Liu Chen’s aura vanished—Town Guard’s Martial Suppression Pill. It neutered his cultivation, true essence dormant, body rigid—a temporary cripple.


    Even post-effect, it’d scar his martial path permanently.


    For a killer like him? No mercy needed.


    “Two…” Liu Chen rasped, mouth opening to curse.


    Han ripped his sleeve, stuffing it in. Still barking?