Chapter 220 - 217: A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (10)

Chapter 220: Chapter 217: A Night of Fish and Dragon Dance (10)

But just then, a figure shot out from the fiery explosion, flashing before the Western gentleman like a phantom.

His five fingers, like hooks, shot out and clamped down on the man’s skull.

Before the gentleman could react, his face a mask of shock and disbelief, the figure yanked hard...

"RIIIP—"

With a single, brutal pull, he ripped the Western gentleman’s head, spine still attached, right out of his torso!

Under the moonlight, an imposing figure wreathed in faint smoke held the head and spine in one hand. Countless long, thin white filaments twisted and squirmed in his grasp!

Fu Juemin’s expression was placid. On his face and body, orange-red glowing patterns resembling an ancient totem were gradually fading, revealing the still-flawless skin underneath.

With a surge of Vitality from his palm, the Western gentleman’s head exploded. The white filaments that had "grown" from the spinal column, like some bizarre parasitic worms, spontaneously combusted and withered into nothing.

An invisible stream of energy surged into Fu Juemin’s body, instantly filling his Skill Slot’s Golden Energy to over the halfway mark.

A deathly silence descended upon the embankment.

The sound of the wind, the rush of the water... all noise seemed to vanish in that moment.

Everyone, friend and foe alike, stood frozen as if petrified, their gazes locked on that inhuman figure.

Their faces held nothing but sheer shock and terror.

They had all clearly felt the power of the explosion. In an age dominated by Western firearms, nothing was more staggering than witnessing a man withstand an artillery blast with his own body.

If it had been a matter of dodging such a close-range explosion, the few masters of the Gratitude Sensing Realm present might have held a sliver of hope for survival.

But to withstand it head-on? No one was confident they could emerge unscathed. Surviving with grievous injuries would have been the best possible outcome.

If it was like that for those in the Gratitude Sensing Realm, then for the Tongxuan Martial Artists—and even the Revolutionaries, who were little more than ordinary people—a single word echoed madly in their minds: Monster!

Could a Martial Artist’s body conditioning truly reach such a realm?!

’Luo Zhengxiong and his Demon Fiend test subjects... they all had limbs from Demon Fiends transplanted onto them.

But these two modified humans... it seems they were implanted with something more essential, like the internal organs of Demon Fiends...’

Fu Juemin thought to himself, casually tossing the grisly remains aside.

He lifted his gaze, his eyes instantly locking onto the nearby silver-robed old man from Toad Palace.

The moment the old man saw Fu Juemin’s gaze fall upon him, he flinched as if struck by lightning and, without a word, immediately began to retreat.

"BOOM!"

The stone pavers beneath Fu Juemin shattered as he shot toward the old man like a cannonball.

Unleashing his full power, he closed the distance in an instant. While still several meters away, Fu Juemin thrust out his right hand.

In that instant, Vitality erupted from his five fingers, creating a powerful suction and an invisible binding force out of thin air.

The fleeing, silver-robed old man was caught by this force. He froze mid-stride, then, with an expression of horror, was pulled involuntarily through the air toward Fu Juemin.

For this technique, Fu Juemin was using Moon Grasp from the Ape Form of the Five Beasts Skill, combined with some of the force from Controlling Cranes of the Bird Form.

Empowered by the immense Vitality of the Four Phases, the technique manifested as a terrifying telekinetic grapple.

Though they were both masters of the Gratitude Sensing Realm, the silver-robed old man was like a mere toy. In an instant, Fu Juemin had him by the neck, held tight in his grasp.

Fu Juemin was about to apply pressure and crush the life out of him.

Just then, an incredibly sharp gust of wind suddenly struck from the side.

He tilted his head, and the force grazed his cheek. Then, with a sharp CRACK, something landed on his wrist.

Fu Juemin glanced down and saw that a long, slender Soft Whip was wrapped tightly around the wrist of the hand choking the silver-robed old man.

His brow furrowed. He tried to pull away but found the Force contained within the whip was so strong that he could barely move against its pull.

Following the whip with his gaze, he saw a figure stepping slowly out of the nearby darkness.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man wearing a Profound Robe and a long queue. An intricate design, a toad embracing the moon, was embroidered on his chest with purple thread.

Though his face was plain and ordinary, his every step exuded an innate, bone-deep arrogance and coldness.

It was the same Gratitude Master from Toad Palace that Fu Juemin had seen before.

He had once thought the man was an ordinary master of the Gratitude Sensing Realm, but now it seemed his strength and status were both far greater than he had anticipated.

Seeing this man appear, the silver-robed old man—still caught in Fu Juemin’s grasp—showed a look of ecstatic hope.

"Lord Yu... save... save me!"

The man in the Profound Robe didn’t spare a glance for the purple-faced old man who was choking out his cries for help. His gaze landed calmly on Fu Juemin.

He held the whip in one hand and continued his slow approach. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was as clear as ice shattering on a platter, each word carrying an indescribable chill.

"Your reputation is well-deserved. You are truly worthy of the name Demon Elephant Ji Shaotong, the one who threw half the Jiangzuo Martial Arts into turmoil..."

He looked at Fu Juemin and spoke in a level tone, "A man of your caliber cannot possibly be content serving as someone’s attack dog.

What is it you want? Power? Wealth? Martial Arts?

Toad Palace can give you all of these things.

Why not cease this foolishness and join us? From this day forward, we can work toward a greater cause together!"

After speaking, his gaze swept over the surviving Instructor and Young Master, and even to Tang Jing and the others standing guard with drawn blades in the distance. His tone did not change:

"The same goes for all of you."

Fu Juemin listened to him, tilting his head. A flicker of interest showed on his face, as if he were genuinely considering the proposal. The fingers clamped around the silver-robed man’s neck even seemed to loosen slightly.