In truth, the woman's kick had ruptured Zhang Bin's intestines, which should have left him powerless. But he cultivated the miraculous Qingmu Longevity Technique, which gave him an unusually strong life force. He could still fight.
He rushed forward like a streak of light, a wooden sword—Chen Junheng's—suddenly appearing in his hand. He launched an onslaught on the masked woman, an attack as relentless as mercury spilling across the ground.
The masked woman's right wrist was broken, her right hand nearly useless. Her chest was pierced, and her throat had been torn open. On top of that, so many of his pets were still attacking her. Although she was powerful, she was clearly struggling to withstand the barrage. Yet she did not retreat, shouting furiously, "Zhang Bin, I will kill you today!"
She had just managed to block the awl aimed at her eyes and had released her Divine Sense once again. She could now sense any attack coming her way. So, she was still confident that she could kill Zhang Bin with just her left hand.
However, her expression suddenly changed drastically. She had stepped on something hard, and a sharp pain shot through her ankle as if something had just bitten down on it.
This was, of course, Xiao Xuanzi's handiwork. In the bloody battle between Zhang Bin and the masked woman, the only pet that had yet to attack was Xiao Xuanzi. Its speed on land was simply too slow, so it could only lie in wait for an opportunity. Now, by a stroke of misfortune, the masked woman had stepped right on its back. It naturally seized the chance, biting her ankle mercilessly.
A tortoise's greatest weapon is its bite. Even a normal tortoise, once it bites down, will not let go, even in death. It can even bite through bone. And Xiao Xuanzi, which cultivated the Xuanwu Version of the Savage Overbearing Body Art, not only possessed terrifying Defensive Power but also had a frighteningly powerful bite, even stronger than Da Huang's. It managed to break through the masked woman's True Qi defenses and sink its teeth deep into her flesh.
Although Xiao Xuanzi did not break her bones, the intense pain that shot through her was nearly unbearable. She shook her calf forcefully, erupting with Gang Qi in an attempt to dislodge Xiao Xuanzi, but she failed. Xiao Xuanzi's teeth were too strong and its head too sturdy; it refused to let go. She stomped fiercely on Xiao Xuanzi's back, trying to crush it to death, but its body only flattened without breaking. It was a performance worthy of the Divine Beast Black Tortoise, guardian of Xuanwu Star. To have achieved such strength after only a few months of cultivation was extraordinary.
"Kill!"
Seizing the opportunity, Zhang Bin launched a fierce attack, thrusting his sword out rapidly. The masked woman in black had no choice but to use her left hand, her fingernails deflecting Zhang Bin's sword.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Her nails and the sword clashed in a rapid series of strikes. Zhang Bin was still unable to breach her defenses. However, this gave his other pets the opening they needed, and they all attacked ferociously, especially Xiao Qian, who specifically targeted the woman's throat.
"Ah!"
Her throat was once again torn by Xiao Qian, leaving several more bloody holes. More terrifyingly, Liu Ruomei had somehow snuck up behind the masked woman and viciously thrust her sword into her back.
SQUELCH!
Liu Ruomei's sword was made of sharp alloy steel, and infused with her True Qi, it was sharp enough to penetrate about half a finger deep.
"Ah!"
The masked woman let out another piercing scream. But she was truly too powerful. Gang Qi burst forth from her body, sending Liu Ruomei, sword and all, flying, along with Xiao Qian and several other pets. Her other foot shot out with lightning speed and stomped on Xiao Xuanzi's head. It nearly crushed its skull, forcing the tortoise to finally release its bite.
Her left hand deftly parried Zhang Bin's incoming sword as she shot backward. Moving like a ghostly spirit, she dashed away with incredible speed, crossing thousands of meters in the blink of an eye. Her icy, resentful voice lingered behind her, "Zhang Bin, consider yourself lucky this time. You won't escape again!"
By the time her voice faded, she was long gone.
"What a terrifying woman." Zhang Bin collapsed onto the ground, his face etched with lingering fear. If he hadn't raised so many pets, today would have surely ended in tragedy. If he hadn't developed his Special Ability, the result would have been just as tragic. And if it hadn't been for Liu Ruomei's fatal blow, the outcome might have been entirely different.
"Brother-in-law, are you okay?" Liu Ruomei rushed over and cried out, her voice choked with sobs despite the blood streaming down her face.
Zhang Bin's most life-threatening injury was his severed intestines, which were still bleeding internally. His other wounds, while severe, were not fatal.
"Help me to the villa," Zhang Bin said in agony. "I need to operate on myself."
Liu Ruomei carefully lifted Zhang Bin and ran with him into the villa. Though the pets were all wounded, they remained on guard around the building.
Upon entering the villa, Zhang Bin washed his hands, removed his pants, and drew a sharp dagger to begin the operation. He cut open his lower abdomen, reconnected the severed intestines, and channeled his Longevity Qi to heal them. Once the intestines were repaired, he quickly sealed the wound on his abdomen as well.
Liu Ruomei stood by, watching as tears streamed down her cheeks. Hearing the commotion, Liu Ruolan, Xiao Fang, and Father and Mother Zhang also rushed over, their faces streaked with tears as they watched.
"Don't worry," Zhang Bin said, looking up to comfort them. "I promise, from now on, no one will be able to run amok in our Sanchahe Village."
"Why does everyone want to kill my son? What wrong has he ever done?" Mother Zhang asked, her voice thick with grief and anger.
"Mom, don't ask why. You just need to believe that your son has never done anything to betray his conscience," Zhang Bin said as he stood up. "There will only be peace when I am strong enough that others don't dare to provoke me. That is how this world works. They prey on the kind and fear the strong."
He comforted his parents and the women for a long time before they were finally reassured. They decided not to go back down the mountain, choosing instead to stay in the villa, where there were plenty of rooms.
Zhang Bin did not rest. First, he treated his pets' injuries, then he focused on his cultivation to restore his Special Ability and True Qi. Although the fight had lasted just over a minute, it had been incredibly harrowing, draining a substantial amount of his True Qi and spiritual power.
The sky gradually brightened as the perilous night finally passed.
Zhang Bin finally had time to ponder. Who was that masked woman? Barely in her twenties, and she was already nearing the Great Perfection of the Liquid State? How could she be so talented? A talent like that is terrifying. She's bound to be a major thorn in my side. What's scarier is that she has people behind her—likely Hanbing Yun, an even more ruthless and terrifying woman. Tutu, have you found any information on her? he asked in his mind.
His vision was excellent. Even in the darkness, he had managed to make out the woman's silhouette. Tutu had naturally taken a picture and was already searching online.