Chapter 81

Just as she was about to faint, Prayer smelled a familiar scent, as if a surge of strength had been injected into her heart. She couldn't help but open her eyes, just in time to see Xu Dong's profile. At that moment, tears welled up, and she was already on her last breath. She opened her small mouth, her voice as weak as a mosquito's buzz: "You damn bear, if you hadn't come, this lady... would have been in big trouble..."

Xu Dong felt the scorching heat radiating from Prayer's body and immediately reached out to touch her forehead. It felt as if he was holding a piece of red-hot charcoal, not a human being.

He took a deep breath, his eyes cold as he stared at Yang Bugi. The more he looked, the more detestable Yang Bugi's face became. He wanted to rush over and punch out his other eye, and he felt an intense hatred for Yang Shaoxing, who was behind Yang Bugi.

To be honest, Prayer and Xu Dong had only known each other for a few days since they met at the Broken Hand. On the surface, they were barely even ordinary friends. However, in reality, during the battle with Fox, Xu Dong had saved Prayer, and during the battle with Yang Bugi, Prayer had saved Xu Dong.

They didn't say it out loud, but they knew that in times of danger, they could trust each other and rely on each other as comrades and partners.

Moreover, Prayer was beautiful, and any normal man would have fantasies about her. To say that Xu Dong didn't secrete some hormones and dopamine would be unbelievable.

How could he not be angry, and how could he not be furious, seeing Prayer hurt to this extent?

Yang Bugi didn't bother with empty words. He stomped his feet, his joints and muscles stretching and contracting, causing the floor to crack. He shot forward like a cannonball.

The room was small, giving Yang Bugi, who was skilled in Shadow Steps, a geographical advantage. With a burst of speed, he activated his Shadow Steps and easily flashed to the side where Xu Dong was holding Prayer.

This man was cunning and ruthless, a seasoned killer. His sleeve sword hummed as it shot out, aiming straight for the girl's throat!

At that moment, Xu Dong let out a cold snort, his hand suddenly reaching out, fingers spread like a tiger's claw. The claw struck with a fierce momentum, evoking the image of a roaring tiger striking with its claws.

Tiger's Roar Strike!

When he was a one-star Awakened, he had already mastered this move. Now, as a two-star Awakened, his physical attributes had improved comprehensively, making the move even more powerful.

Bang!

Xu Dong's claw collided heavily with Yang Bugi's arm, producing a dull sound.

Yang Bugi's face changed drastically. He activated his Shadow Steps to retreat quickly, trying to deflect the force of the attack.

He backed into the corner, standing with his hands behind his back. His hidden arm trembled uncontrollably. If he lifted his sleeve, he would have seen five purplish-black claw marks on his skin.

Even the sleeve sword had a faint crack, requiring two movements to retract.

"How is this possible!" Yang Bugi shouted in his mind. "His strength has already reached the level of an ordinary two-star Awakened. More terrifyingly, he hasn't even activated his flesh armor. Once he does, his strength could reach the peak of a two-star Awakened!"

Xu Dong didn't have a clear sense of his own strength. When he struck with his claw and pushed back the opponent, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. How could he forget the moment when Yang Bugi used his shock force to break all five of his fingers?

The tide of fortune had turned. Yesterday, you chased me like a dog, but did you think that today, I would have the strength to treat you like a dog?

Xu Dong said coldly, "What's wrong, afraid to kill me? Oh, I almost forgot, you, the impotent waste, had your eyeball punched out by me. You must be extremely afraid of me, right? No wonder."

One doesn't reveal others' weaknesses, and one doesn't humiliate others. Xu Dong rarely spoke so venomously, but he tore open both new and old wounds, sprinkling salt on them without hesitation.

Yang Bugi's face contorted, his eyes bloodshot, and his breathing rapid. He stared at Xu Dong like a wild beast about to pounce and tear someone apart.

"You dare to insult me? I'll make you wish you were dead!"

Yang Bugi roared, his voice hoarse, spittle flying. In the next second, the muscles in his ankles twisted violently, as if countless worms had suddenly awakened and started moving intensely. A strange tremor surged through his body.

In an instant, his ankles and knees stretched unnaturally, and a powerful force erupted from his feet.

There was a sudden crack, and the wooden floor he was standing on split and fell, revealing a large hole.

Yang Bugi, carrying a thunderous rage, used the strange acceleration of his Shadow Steps, like a swordfish darting through water, and shot to Xu Dong's side in a blink.

Xu Dong's expression remained unchanged, but he was secretly surprised. This guy's speed was much faster than before, indicating a significant breakthrough!

Even as a one-star Awakened, he could already track the opponent's trajectory and intercept him preemptively. Now, as a two-star Awakened, his physical attributes had improved comprehensively, and his vision and reaction time were much stronger. How could he fail to track the strange movements of the Shadow Steps?

Xu Dong struck back with a claw, effortlessly using the Tiger's Roar Strike.

Just as Xu Dong was about to push back the opponent again, Yang Bugi suddenly sneered, his icy eyes full of mockery.

Shadow Steps, two in a row!

The floor beside Xu Dong cracked, forming a large hole. Through this hole, one could see the plump innkeeper cowering behind the counter, her fat trembling.

In the next second, a sharp blade shot out from the other side, slicing through the air like a rainbow. The angle was precise, the force formidable, and it was infused with Yang Bugi's boundless resentment and hatred, giving the impression that the heavens and earth were trembling!

His target was not Xu Dong, but the girl in Xu Dong's arms.

How could Xu Dong allow Prayer to be hurt again? Unable to dodge, he could only use his own body to block. The reason Sun Yang was so brutally injured was because Yang Bugi had exploited Prayer's vulnerability.

"Looking for death!"

Xu Dong roared, his feet pushing off the ground, and his waist twisting. Two holes appeared on the floor. He held the girl, his figure still agile, and in a flash, he stepped sideways, narrowly avoiding the strike.

However, how could Yang Bugi, who had created such a perfect opportunity with all his might, let it go to waste? How could he be willing to let it go to waste?!

His arm bones crackled like popping beans, and a strange shock force vibrated, tearing his sleeve into pieces like butterflies. The shock force was powerful, and Yang Bugi's progress was indeed significant.

His muscles twisted, and his joints dislocated, making his sword arm unnaturally longer and more mysterious.

Under the effect of the shock force, the sleeve sword hummed, its power increased by threefold. Even a three-star Awakened with a physical body might not dare to face it head-on.

Deceptive Thrust!

"Die!" Yang Bugi seemed to already feel the flesh and blood of the virgin being sliced, his eyes burning with madness.

At that moment, Yang Bugi suddenly saw a pair of eyes.

These eyes were as cold as a thousand-year-old snow peak, yet they burned with fierce flames, calm yet wildly insane. Seeing these eyes, Yang Bugi felt a sudden premonition of something bad, like a dark cloud over his heart.

A hand shot out like lightning, precisely grasping the opponent's arm.

At that moment, Yang Bugi's body was trembling with shock force, his sleeve almost torn apart. One could imagine that if Xu Dong touched him, his fingers would break and his palm would split in no time.

Crack!

Yang Bugi's expression froze as he felt a tremendous force from the other's hand. He couldn't control himself, feeling dizzy and hearing the floor crack. He was thrown against the wall, finally stopping after crashing through it.

Xu Dong had withstood the shock force, grabbed Yang Bugi, slammed him to the floor, and then threw him like a sack of potatoes.

The two impacts shook Yang Bugi's internal organs, and he struggled to get up, vomiting a large mouthful of blood. Among the blood were fragments, which turned out to be pieces of his internal organs!

"How is this possible!" Yang Bugi thought the reason Xu Dong had grabbed him was that he had neutralized the shock force. But when he looked up, he was stunned, "Your hand..."

Xu Dong's hand was twisted, red and swollen, a sight that was shocking. Clearly, the bones inside were shattered, causing massive internal bleeding.

But he acted as if nothing had happened, silently placing Prayer in the corner.

When he turned to face Yang Bugi again, the latter looked as if he had seen a ghost, screaming, "You're a madman!"

"I'm not a madman," Xu Dong stood tall, like a god in the sunlight. "I just want to tell you that I could catch you back then, and I can catch you now."

Back then, I could blind your eye and pierce your knee, so now I can kill you!

The confidence in his words shattered Yang Bugi's last psychological defense. He struggled to get up and crashed into the wall. The indoor walls, made of wooden boards, had poor soundproofing. Xu Dong had heard the faint moans of a woman and the heavy breathing of a man that day.

Crash! Dust flew as Yang Bugi broke through the wall, fleeing like a dog with its tail between its legs, no longer the arrogant and mocking man he had been.

Xu Dong was a vengeful person. Back then, he had been chased and beaten like a dog. How could he let Yang Bugi go easily? He stomped his feet, breaking through the floor, and fell into the first-floor lobby, blocking Yang Bugi's path.

Xu Dong's eyes slowly lifted from the ground, and he said in a deep voice, "I won't be happy until you're dead."

PS: Thanks to ZQQQ and he6018497 for the support.