Lin Chen gazed at the broken wall, and out stepped a hulking man with an imposing presence.
The man stood at a towering 1.9 meters, his physique resembling that of an ox with bulging muscles all over his body. In his hand, he carried a bloodied boning knife.
Blood dripped steadily from the blade onto the ground, the scene utterly gruesome.
"Big Ox, it's that punk and those girls who want to wreck our shop," Gu Sanniang shouted, pointing at the group.
"Daring to bully my wife and even trying to destroy my shop—I'm going to destroy him!" Big Ox bellowed furiously, storming toward them.
Wang Zixuan and Lan Xingling exchanged a quick glance before their bodies flickered and they dashed toward Big Ox.
"Careful!" Lin Chen's expression changed drastically upon seeing the two rush forward with clenched fists.
"Bang! Bang!" In an instant, their punches landed heavily on Big Ox.
However, to their shock, Big Ox was completely unscathed, a mocking smile even flickering across his face.
"How is that possible?!"
Wang Zixuan and Lan Xingling were dumbfounded.
Both of them were at the advanced stage of the Yunhai Realm, and even a Void God Realm expert wouldn't dare underestimate their combined attack.
Yet, when their joint strike hit this man, Big Ox didn't suffer the slightest injury. Instead, their fists felt numb, as if they had just struck solid iron.
"Hmph! Is that all the strength you've got?" Big Ox snorted coldly, raising his massive arms high.
"Bang! Bang!" The two women tried to block with their forearms, but they were still sent flying from the impact.
Just as they were about to smash into the wall, Lin Chen suddenly flashed forward and caught them.
Wang Zixuan and Lan Xingling were pale. If not for Lin Chen stepping in, they would've crashed straight into the wall.
Given Big Ox's ferocious strength, the collision would likely have shattered their bodies.
Though Lin Chen had caught them, the two women didn't appear appreciative of his help.
"You bastard, let go of us this instant!" they roared in unison.
Lin Chen glanced at where his hands had landed on their bodies, his face flushing red.
"Damn, no wonder it felt so good just now," he muttered.
Reluctantly releasing his grip, he met their murderously intent stares and shuddered inwardly.
"Don't worry, ladies, I'll avenge you," Lin Chen assured.
Turning around, he walked slowly toward Big Ox. "You dare lay hands on my women? Lin Chen is pissed. And when I'm pissed, the consequences are severe."
"You touch my wife, and I'll crush you today!" Big Ox roared, barreling toward Lin Chen like an enraged black bear.
Despite his enormous frame, Big Ox moved with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, he was upon Lin Chen, lunging for him with a bear hug.
"Lin Chen, dodge!" The women, who moments earlier had been seething at him, were now shouting in alarm.
Big Ox's sheer strength was astonishing. Both women had experienced it earlier in their brief clash and were visibly shaken by it.
Gu Sanniang's lips curled into a wicked grin. Big Ox's bear hug was his deadliest trump card. Countless martial artists had had their bones crushed in his grip.
Yet, in the next instant, everyone froze in astonishment.
The Lin Chen who Big Ox had just grabbed... vanished without a trace.
Even Big Ox wore a bewildered expression.
He was certain he had caught Lin Chen moments ago. With his immense strength, how could anyone possibly escape his grasp?
"Big Ox, watch out behind you!" Gu Sanniang cried out in panic.
While Big Ox was still in a daze, a shadow abruptly appeared behind him.
"Boom!" A muffled sound echoed as Lin Chen delivered a powerful palm strike straight into Big Ox's back.
Though Big Ox took the hit, Gu Sanniang's grin remained. She was confident it wouldn't harm Big Ox with his iron wall-like muscles.
But Lin Chen merely smiled faintly after landing the strike, ignoring Big Ox entirely. Instead, he turned and began walking toward Gu Sanniang, as if Big Ox had already been defeated.
Big Ox, having taken the strike, felt as if he'd merely been tickled—completely unfazed.
What enraged him most was Lin Chen's audacity to turn his back and walk away in such a conceited manner.
"You really think that weak little slap can take me down? Dream on!" Big Ox sneered, charging at Lin Chen again.
"Lin Chen, watch out behind you!" Wang Zixuan and Lan Xingling had only just managed to catch their breaths when they saw Big Ox springing at Lin Chen again. Their hearts leapt into their throats.
Gu Sanniang, meanwhile, was ecstatic at the sight of her husband closing the gap. "Big Ox, smash him to pieces! Smash him!" she cried hysterically.
Big Ox leapt into the air, raising a palm as large as a fan, aiming a deadly strike at the back of Lin Chen's head.
This slap, should it land, would no doubt obliterate Lin Chen's skull.
"Lin Chen, move!" Wang Zixuan screamed in panic.
Yet, Lin Chen didn't even glance back. Instead, he continued walking forward, unconcerned.
When he reached his eighth step, he finally stopped, raising his head with a smile.
By then, Big Ox's palm was less than a fist's distance from Lin Chen's head.
"Die!" Big Ox snarled, his face twisting viciously as he brought his palm down with full force.
But Lin Chen neither dodged nor resisted. Instead, his lips curved with a playful smirk, and he uttered a single word.
Suddenly, eight muffled detonations rang out, originating from within Big Ox's body. His steps faltered.
Big Ox spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide with shock, before collapsing heavily to the ground.
"As expected, with my power increased, the Eightfold Collapse is even more effective now," Lin Chen remarked with satisfaction, glancing at the toppled Big Ox.
"Impossible! Big Ox beaten by a single strike from this punk?" Gu Sanniang exclaimed, her eyes wide in disbelief and her jaw hanging slack.
"It can't be! It's absolutely impossible! Big Ox, get up!" Gu Sanniang shrieked, throwing herself onto Big Ox's lifeless body.
Lin Chen's gaze turned icy as he looked at her. "The Eightfold Collapse—eight layers of Inner Strength, each stronger than the last. With all eight combined, even a body as sturdy as his would have its internal organs turned to mush."
Thanks to his piercing vision, Lin Chen had already seen the row of human skins hanging on the kitchen walls. The burly man had been butchering a middle-aged man like livestock.
Lin Chen was no bloodthirsty killer, but for someone who treated human lives with such wanton cruelty, he saw no reason to hold back.
"You killed Big Ox? I'll kill you!" Gu Sanniang screamed, charging at Lin Chen in a frenzy.
Just as she rushed forward, a figure appeared behind her.
The girl's eyes glinted coldly as her hand plunged like a dagger into Gu Sanniang's body.
Gu Sanniang coughed up blood and collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Lin Chen narrowed his eyes slightly as he saw the figure behind her.
"Why did you do that?" Lin Chen asked coldly, staring at Ai Xiaoying.