Breaking Bones

Boom!

Michael's Level 5 Body Refining power had been unleashed to its full potential, leaving everyone in the crowd astounded.

"How… how can this be?"

Wide-eyed and incredulous gazes from the crowd were fixed on him, their minds left in utter disbelief.

How could such a young fighter at the Body Refining stage defeat a warrior from the Body Strengthening stage?

...…

Jane's face displayed a mixture of shock and confusion, struggling to come to terms with what she had just witnessed. What was even more challenging for her to grasp was that it had only been a few days since he competed in the Heaven's Gate competition as a Body Refining stage level 1 cultivator. How had he achieved Level 5 of the Body Refining stage at such an astonishing speed?

"It's impossible! It's utterly impossible…" Jane muttered, but she quickly concealed her shock and barked orders at the remaining guards.

"What are you waiting for?! ATTACK!" Jane roared.

The remaining guards advanced and surrounded him.

"I suggest you all attack together," jeered Michael with a snicker.

He was not surprised that they were attempting to overpower him. It was a sensible strategy when facing someone as powerful as himself. However, due to his Responsive shield, he felt no fear from the guards.

"Look at him, he seems so composed and collected."

"I think Jane may have met her match."

"Let's wait and see, I can't believe he can defeat all the guards. After all, he's just a Body Refining stage cultivator." The onlookers began murmuring among themselves as they observed the scene, while a continuous beeping sound echoed in Michael's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 200 badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 200 badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 200 badass points.]

….

Instead of immediately attacking Michael, they administered a healing pill to the injured guard and then focused their intense gaze on him, prepared to spring into action at any moment.

Among them was a formidable woman, the most skilled among the other guards, at Level 4 of the Body Strengthening stage. She served as Jane's personal guardian, and the sight of her friend or colleague's grievous injuries ignited her fury.

"System, how much does it cost to upgrade the Responsive shield to the next level?"

[The Level 3 Responsive shield will block all attacks at or under Body Strengthening stage level 6.]

[The upgrade cost will be 9,000 badass points.]

The cost of upgrading to the next level was a significant leap, especially since it had only cost him 1,500 points to upgrade the shield from level 1 to level 2. Now, to reach Level 3, he had to expend 9,000 points, and it would provide protection against attacks up to Body Strengthening stage level 6.

"Upgrade the Shield, System. I don't want to underestimate my enemies or overestimate myself," he decided, understanding the consequences of underestimating or overestimating in battle due to his experience with countless RPG games and movies. Trusting his gut feeling, he swiftly upgraded the shield and exited the system, ready to accumulate more badass points in this fight without worries.

"Get on your knees and apologize now!" the woman angrily demanded as he exited the system. Her voice was chillingly cold, and she seemed intent on seeking retribution.

The crowd was left in shock. No one had anticipated that Michael would incapacitate the guard to such a severe extent. It was evident that he possessed extraordinary power to achieve such a feat!

Now, all eyes automatically turned toward the female guard and Michael.

Michael, however, wore only a smug expression as he addressed the woman.

"I'll make you the same offer: kneel down and apologize. I might spare a few of your bones." His smile transformed into a cold, threatening scowl.

Gasps filled the crowd. Despite witnessing his capabilities in the Heaven's Gate competition, they found it hard to believe that he could defeat such a formidable warrior right before them.

...…

The guards were seething with rage, and Jane trembled with anger. Only one of them remained at Jane's side, holding her back from joining the fray. The rest of them, their swords drawn, charged toward Michael simultaneously.

It was like a pack of lions converging on a rabbit, but in this scenario, only Gaya knew who the true lion and rabbit were.

Aware that Michael's strength was not to be underestimated, they each unleashed their most powerful attacks, surrounding him with their onslaught.

However, Michael remained composed, showing no fear in the face of their onslaught. He had a variety of moves at his disposal to counter these assailants, including the option to employ Ignitia to eliminate several foes without much effort.

Surprisingly, he chose not to use lightning bolts. Instead, he stomped the ground and caught the sword wielded by the previous guard, which had flown into his hand. He then dashed straight toward the approaching guards.

"Lightning dash."

He made no gender distinctions when it came to battle. With every swing of his sword, his strikes were precise and on target.

The entire crowd was so astounded by the unfolding spectacle that they could barely blink. The guards and most onlookers couldn't keep up with the speed of Michael's movements.

Unbeknownst to them, the air around them grew increasingly colder, as if some mysterious force was closing in on them. However, none of them had noticed it yet.

Jane was consumed by fury, her face burning bright red. She had practically ruled Bradford with an iron fist, and everyone had quaked before her. Yet today, her own guards were being systematically defeated one by one, and her mighty protectors struggled to land even a single blow.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 400 badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 500 badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 300 badass points.]

...

Michael saved the main female guard, who had ordered him to kneel down, for last, and dealt with the others first. Witnessing her colleagues and friends fall one by one, drenched in their own blood, only fueled her murderous rage.

"You filthy piece of trash! I'll shatter your bones with my bare hands! You're going to die today!" The leading guard cursed at Michael as he deactivated his lightning dash.

Surrounding him were the guards, lying on the ground in pools of blood. Many of their bones protruded from their bodies, and their faces were so battered that even their own mothers would struggle to recognize them.

"Shit!"

"Oh my god!"

The crowd trembled at the gruesome sight, and those with weak stomachs turned pale. Gaya, on the other hand, wore a wicked smile and craved some snacks.

"Release me!" Meanwhile, Jane attempted to break free and confront Michael herself, but the guard by her side prevented her from doing so.

"Miss Jane, I doubt you can defeat him. Hell, I'm not even sure if Maria could take him down. The best course of action is to leave this place now and tend to their wounds before they bleed to death," the guard advised Jane, prioritizing her safety over her potential temper tantrum.

At the Morning Star sect, Maria had been ranked within the top 50 of her batch before she became a personal guard to Jane. She had personally recruited and trained every member of Jane's protection detail, treating them like her own elite students. However, seeing Michael almost kill her comrades and now ready to do the same to her, her anger boiled over. This was no longer about following Jane's orders; it had become personal.

She glared at Michael with fury in her eyes. "Just as you did to them, I'll break every bone in your body and bathe in your blood!" she hissed.

As she spoke, a flying sword materialized in front of her out of thin air. The sword emitted a fierce, fiery light that was blindingly bright, causing onlookers to briefly shut their eyes due to its intensity.

The sword's radiant light resembled an overwhelming storm, charging aggressively toward Michael. For Maria, this had gone beyond the limits of endurance. She was determined to defeat him by any means necessary, and the crowd of spectators watched in stunned silence, their faces filled with apprehension.

"This sword technique... could it be the Sun Flare Art of the Morning Star Sect?"

"This is too strong, such momentum, this technique clearly contains formidable sword will!"

"She's really infuriated. By using such a potent attack, she obviously wants him dead no matter what!"

"The Morning Star sect is truly powerful!"

Many people in the crowd felt a chill that made their heads numb. Even Gaya frowned when she sensed the formidable aura emanating from the sword.

On the other hand, Michael remained calm, facing the impending attack with serenity. Regardless of how powerful or impressive the spell appeared, Maria was just a Level 4 Body Strengthening cultivator.

"Break him, Maria!" Jane shouted as her guard lunged at Michael, who made no effort to evade the attack.

Boom!

The collision between the sword and the Responsive shield caused a deafening explosion. The shockwaves radiated outward, knocking many bystanders to the ground and shattering nearby glass windows. The crowd watched in horror as Gaya whispered, "This guy is truly powerful!"

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 900 badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 1000 badass points.]

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully being a badass. The reward is 800 badass points.]