Night had fallen, with just a hint of purple-red lingering in the western sky. In the city, lights began to twinkle here and there. Jill Young, Wu Zhengfeng, and Sylvia Shadows hurried forward at this twilight hour. Sylvia, as usual, blended into the shadows, while Jill and Wu each used their own tricks. With the situation still unclear, they couldn’t afford to attract too much attention in the city.
They raced along, listening to the latest case report as they went.
Incident location: Putian City Main Street.
People involved: Sylvia Shadows, Little Lotus and the girls, Junior, Jimmy Chang and the boys.
Incident details: The girls and boys were strolling down the street. In disguise, as usual, they began scouting the familiar terrain around Putian. Suddenly, a burly brute burst out, glaring at Junior with bull-like eyes. The brute babbled something, Junior babbled right back. The girls thought they were old friends catching up. Who knew—the brute instantly turned into a kidnapper, scooped Junior up, and dashed off at top speed.
The girls and boys tried their best to stop him, but this brute was like a golden giant—his martial arts were freakishly strong. He didn’t even need to fight; just barreled ahead, and no one could block him. The girls’ flying rings and lassos couldn’t catch him, and even if they did, he’d just snap them and break free. Jimmy Chang, with over thirty years of pure yang energy, slapped a palm at him—didn’t even slow him down. Jimmy got launched ten meters, crashing into several banana stalls.
The brute barreled through everyone, ran out of Putian, and headed straight for the wilds northeast of the city.
"That's the whole story." Sylvia Shadows’ voice was calm, with barely any emotion: "The guy attacked in broad daylight, and we couldn’t stop him. It’s a disgrace to the team. Please, Boss, Leader, punish us as you see fit."
"Punishment can wait. Where is that guy now?"
"His lightness skill isn’t anything special, but he runs crazy fast. None of us could keep up." Sylvia’s expression turned a little odd: "But—there was someone else who managed to chase after him."
"Who?"
"Ivory and Charcoal."
"Ivory and Charcoal?" Jill couldn’t help but laugh, then a glint flashed in her eyes. She suddenly pushed off with her feet, accelerating with a whoosh: "I see them!"
Out on the distant wilds, beneath the vast night, two horses—one white, one black—were charging ahead. Ivory was Joan’s loyal white mare, usually gentle, now running wild. In front, Charcoal was even fiercer, its black mane flying in the night, muscles rippling with wild power. At full speed, Charcoal, Jill’s black Akhal-Teke stallion, looked like an angry nightmare come to life.
Ahead of the two horses, a chubby brute was racing along, babbling as he ran, moving shockingly fast. The horses didn’t care—they went full Hollywood car chase, zooming in for flying kicks and body slams. Clearly, Charcoal and Ivory saw someone snatching a kid and charged in to block him.
But the brute was seriously tough. He dodged most attacks, and when he couldn’t, he let the horses slam into him—thud, thud, like a drumbeat. Yet, he didn’t show a scratch.
The horses chased relentlessly, but raw speed on foot wasn’t as nimble as martial arts. Suddenly, the brute pulled a fake-out, tricking the horses into overshooting him. He spun away and vanished into the woods.
Whoosh—Jill and Joan kicked into high gear, instantly overtaking the horses. The moment Ivory and Charcoal saw them, they neighed loudly and came right over. "Good job, you two!" Jill patted Charcoal’s ear and praised them. But instead of mounting up, she unleashed her long legs and chased straight through the woods and wilds.
The brute zigzagged through the woods, but Jill and Joan kept gaining on him. When he looked back, he saw Jill bearing down like a war machine, rumbling straight at him. Joan swooped in from above like a jet, way faster than he could handle. He was so scared, his soul nearly left his body.
The gap closed fast—now within striking range for Lion’s Roar. But the brute was still clutching Junior, so Jill couldn’t use a barrage attack. No problem—she went hands-on. Jill kicked a big rock, sending it flying like a meteor straight at the brute’s back.
The brute let out a weird shriek and tumbled into a pitch-black compound. The thick woods hid a deep, silent courtyard that looked straight out of classic Orchid Abbey. Who knew how many rooms, people, or secrets lurked there—or why such an old mansion sat in the wilds. But Jill didn’t care. Even if it was a dragon’s lair, she’d stomp right through!
"Fatso! Where do you think you’re going?" Boom—Jill stomped the ground and shot into the air, chasing him like an air-to-ground missile.
"Ha!" The brute tossed Junior aside, spun around, and whipped out a golden Demonbane Staff. Standing like a mountain of meat, he gathered his strength and swung the staff down with a gale. Jill didn’t flinch—she just punched straight into it.
In an instant, the Demonbane Staff smashed right into Jill’s fist.
CLANG—A shockwave rippled out. The steel Demonbane Staff was left with a huge dent, and the brute’s hands burst open with blood. Screaming, he was blasted backward, tumbling nearly ten meters and crashing into another courtyard.
But he wasn’t seriously hurt.
"Interesting." Jill flexed her fist, a faint golden glow flowing over her skin—her Eggshell defense was holding strong. The brute’s raw strength was almost on par with Elder Vajra. No wonder the girls couldn’t stop him. Still, he clearly hadn’t mastered any real body-protection skills; his physical resistance was lacking.
(This chapter isn’t over yet~.~ Click next page for more action!)
Where did this guy come from, anyway?
And why was he after Junior?
—Hmph, those questions can wait till I’ve pinned him down and given him a good beating!
Jill moved in a flash, darting through the pitch-black doorway. But as she crossed the threshold, she suddenly sensed danger. No sound, no airflow, no tremor underfoot—but Jill was certain something razor-sharp was coming at her, fast, in the dark.
This strike had no sound, no wind, no vibration—not because it was sneaky, but because it was faster than wind, sound, or shock!
Her mental energy flared, giving her total clarity. At the last second, Jill sidestepped, her shoulder muscles flexing—strong yet supple. In a flash, her Eggshell defense snapped fully open. A sword light streaked past her shoulder like lightning, almost slicing through her Eggshell.
That sword was so fast, it seemed to cut the very air.
But the sword could go even faster—it surged back in, wave after wave.
Countless sword shadows shot in from every direction like high-pressure water jets, never letting up. Some defensive masters claim they can block splashing water, but this swordsman was faster—way faster! Each sword flash blurred into the next, covering everything. The sword energy darted everywhere, able to strike every vital point in a heartbeat.
Meanwhile, the brute recovered, swinging his hundred-pound Demonbane Staff down with reckless force. A tag-team of assassin and berserker—ordinary fighters would be bleeding out in seconds.
But Jill was in a league of her own.
"Ha!!" Dragon Qi Phantom spiraled up from her legs, casting a faint gold glow on her skin. All eight layers of Eggshell defense snapped on, maxing out her protection. Her mental energy surged, expanding her senses—now, even the lightning-fast sword light couldn’t hide.
Jill shifted her feet, weaving forward and back in a tiny space, dodging nearly every attack. The brute’s Demonbane Staff swung wide, but couldn’t even graze her. When she couldn’t dodge, she used her hands like blades—chopping, slapping, and slicing with freakish speed. Sword sparks flew off her arms, but couldn’t break her defense!
The swordsman hesitated, slowed, then sped up again—but no matter what, he couldn’t get past Jill’s diamond-hard arms to hit a weak spot.
Sure, Pegasus Meteor Fist is fast, but it still comes from the fist. The sword light might strike a hundred times in a flash, but it’s still wielded by the swordsman. Jill’s eyes flashed—she followed the sword light backward, pinpointing the swordsman’s position.
This swordsman wielded twin swords, with strong swordplay and lightness skill—a true master. But… his internal energy just wasn’t strong enough!
"Hiss—ZHA!!" Jill took a deep breath and roared. BOOM—wind and thunder exploded, a Lion’s Roar like thunder from the heavens. The air warped with sonic shockwaves. The swordsman, skilled but lacking in internal energy, was shaken to the core—his endless sword light vanished instantly.
The brute jumped in to help, gritting his teeth and swinging down with all his might. But alone, he was no match.
Jill grabbed the Demonbane Staff as it came down. The brute roared and tried to force it down, but Jill twisted, slapped, and snapped it—CRACK—the solid steel staff broke in two, and the brute was jolted into the air.
An inch off the ground—that’s the difference between using your strength and being helpless. On the ground, he could dodge. In midair, with his lightness skill, he was a sitting duck.
"Get lost!" Jill kicked him square in the chest. The brute’s eyes bulged, mouth foaming, and he shot off like a cannonball, crashing through a wall and landing in a pile of bricks and rubble.