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In the backyard of the City Lord's Mansion, the sudden turn of events left Xu Yanran completely stunned.
She never expected that Xiao Chun'er would sacrifice her companions and flee alone.
At this moment, a group of corpse refiners was rushing toward them.
Seeing this from behind, Zhao Heng cursed inwardly. He initially thought about leaving directly.
But when he saw the warm protective talisman in his hand and Xu Yanran, who was standing there in a daze, he hesitated for a moment before finally rushing toward her.
Before Zhao Heng could act, Xu Yanran suddenly turned around and grabbed his hand, her gaze resolute and determined.
"Senior Brother Zhao, don't be afraid. I'll get us out of here!"
With that, the young girl unleashed a burst of strength, pulling Zhao Heng forward as they charged ahead.
Facing the oncoming corpse refiners, Xu Yanran circulated the qi and blood in her body, executing a palm technique that appeared soft but was actually filled with surging energy. With a single strike, she sent the approaching corpse refiners flying.
Zhao Heng was surprised to discover that Xu Yanran's cultivation had already reached the Second Level of Bone Forging. Not only was her foundation solid, but her palm technique had also reached a minor mastery level, making her skills extraordinary.
Under Xu Yanran's lead, the two of them managed to break through the corpse refiners and make their way to the front hall, where they repelled several more corpse refiners rushing in from all directions.
Finally, they escaped the City Lord's Mansion and emerged onto the city streets.
However, as soon as they stepped onto the street, they were stunned by the scene before them.
Outside the City Lord's Mansion, the wide avenue was lined with countless blood-red lanterns, illuminating the street.
On the street, a dense crowd of corpse refiners roamed aimlessly. At a glance, there were at least several hundred of them.
Moreover, from the right side of the street, the sounds of intense fighting could be heard. A group of corpse refiners was swarming toward that direction.
The two of them vaguely saw Xiao Chun'er, who was struggling to break free from the encirclement of corpse refiners. She was already completely surrounded.
But the two of them had no time to worry about Xiao Chun'er, because the moment they stepped out of the City Lord's Mansion, the corpse refiners on the street had already noticed them and were charging toward them like wild beasts.
"Be careful, stay behind me!"
Before Zhao Heng could act, Xu Yanran pushed him back toward the mansion's gate, while she faced the onslaught of corpse refiners alone.
With her palms moving swiftly and gracefully, like a butterfly flitting through flowers, each strike sent a corpse refiner flying.
For a moment, palm strikes flew in all directions, sweeping through the horde of corpse refiners, and not a single one managed to breach the mansion's gate.
However, these corpse refiners had been refined, their bodies as hard as iron and their strength immense. Each one was comparable to a Body Tempering Realm martial artist.
They felt no fatigue or pain, and unless their heads were crushed or their limbs severed, they would simply get back up and attack again.
Although Xu Yanran's palms moved faster and faster, she was still being forced to retreat.
To make matters worse, the corpse refiners at the back of the mansion seemed to have finished devouring Ye Bufan and were now heading toward the gate, likely putting them in a pincer attack.
Seeing the situation becoming critical, Xu Yanran didn't hesitate any longer. She pulled out a sword from the bag on her back.
"Clang...!"
The slender blade gleamed coldly, clearly a divine weapon.
Xu Yanran swung the sword, and a faint glow appeared on the blade. Wherever the sword passed, the corpse refiners' iron-hard bodies were sliced apart as easily as cutting wheat.
Zhao Heng was astonished by what he saw.
With the power of the sword, Xu Yanran led Zhao Heng through the horde, cutting down over a hundred corpse refiners. It seemed they were about to break free.
"Ugh...!"
Suddenly, Xu Yanran staggered. Her originally rosy face turned pale, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.
Zhao Heng was startled, realizing that Xu Yanran's aura had become extremely weak.
It seemed that although the sword was powerful, it took a heavy toll on her.
At this moment, the surrounding corpse refiners were still rushing toward them. Xu Yanran forced herself to raise her sword and cut down several more corpse refiners, but she spat out another mouthful of blood.
Looking at the ever-growing horde of corpse refiners, Xu Yanran's expression darkened, and a sense of helplessness rose in her heart.
She turned to look at Zhao Heng behind her and gave a bitter smile.
"I'm sorry, Senior Brother Zhao. I said I would protect you, but now I can't.
This sword is a mystic weapon. There are a few more defensive items in my bag. Take them with you, and maybe you can still escape.
If you survive, please tell my family not to grieve too much."
Seeing Xu Yanran, who was weak and pale but still apologetic and even preparing her last words, Zhao Heng's eyelids twitched.
He felt like he was being brainwashed by her "saintly aura"!
"Fine, fine, consider this repaying a favor!"
Zhao Heng sighed inwardly, then grabbed Xu Yanran and, without another word, hoisted her onto his back.
Xu Yanran was confused. "Senior Brother Zhao, what are you doing?"
"Getting us out of here!"
Zhao Heng pulled out a rope from somewhere and quickly tied Xu Yanran securely to his back.
"This won't work. We'll both die."
Xu Yanran struggled on Zhao Heng's back.
Zhao Heng didn't bother arguing. He reached back and slapped her butt.
"Stop moving and hold on tight!"
Xu Yanran's body trembled from the slap, and she instantly went limp, her face burning with embarrassment as she rested her head on Zhao Heng's shoulder.
"Senior Brother Zhao, you..."
In the next moment, the surging horde of corpse refiners closed in on them.
Xu Yanran, lying on Zhao Heng's back, felt the warmth of his thin but broad shoulders and inexplicably felt a sense of security.
She thought to herself that even if they were to die here today, at least she had Zhao Heng with her. She wouldn't be alone on the road to the afterlife. It was just a pity that she was still so young and hadn't even gotten married yet.
At this thought, Xu Yanran's beautiful eyes couldn't help but glance at Zhao Heng's back, her cheeks burning once again as she shyly buried her face in his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Zhao Heng had no idea what Xu Yanran was thinking.
Facing the ferocious, painless corpse refiners, the qi and blood in Zhao Heng's dantian boiled like a calm lake suddenly set aflame. The power of qi and blood surged through his meridians, filling his limbs with immense strength.
In an instant, Zhao Heng's body seemed to expand slightly, brimming with overwhelming power!
"Ha!"
With a loud shout, Zhao Heng threw a punch, striking the face of an oncoming corpse refiner.
"Boom...!"
With a loud explosion, the corpse refiner's head was sent flying, its blood-spurting body crashing into the horde behind it and knocking down a large group.
Then, Zhao Heng pivoted on his feet, using the strength of his waist to deliver a sweeping kick.
"Bang! Bang! Bang...!"
With a single sweeping motion, he knocked down a swath of corpse refiners.
In the next moment, he crouched low, his body tense like a drawn bowstring.
With Xu Yanran on his back, he leaped several meters into the air, flying over a group of corpse refiners. As he landed, he drove his knee down, smashing a corpse refiner's head into its chest cavity.
Upon landing, Zhao Heng grabbed another corpse refiner and tore it in half, its blood and organs splattering everywhere.
Without pause, Zhao Heng charged forward, his fists flying like lightning. Each punch either crushed a corpse refiner's skull or shattered its limbs.
Blood splattered, limbs flew, and heads exploded... Under the blood-red light of the city, the scene was like a blood-soaked ink painting.
Violent, bloody, and eerie!
Facing the ferocious, bloodthirsty corpse refiners, Zhao Heng was like a tiger among sheep, tearing through them bare-handed!
"This..."
On Zhao Heng's back, Xu Yanran, who had already given up hope, was utterly shocked by the bloody and intense scene.
"Senior... Senior Brother Zhao, your strength..."
In Xu Yanran's eyes, Zhao Heng had been mocked by Ye Bufan and Xiao Chun'er multiple times along the way, yet he had endured it all without retorting, always appearing timid and cautious.
All of this had led Xu Yanran to believe that Zhao Heng was weak, which was why she had stepped forward to protect him without hesitation.
But now, seeing Zhao Heng carrying her on his back and slaughtering his way through the horde of corpse refiners, she realized how wrong she had been.
"So, Senior Brother Zhao is this... fierce!"