On the other hand, the silent companion of the arrogant cultivator finally stirred.
His sharp eyes swept over Zhen, narrowing as they fixed upon the strange uniform he wore—the clean lines, the gleaming badge, the neatness of cloth that looked utterly alien in this world of robes and loose sashes.
It was modern, foreign, radiating a sense of authority that didn't match any sect or clan he knew.
For a heartbeat, confusion flickered across his face.
But he shook it off almost instantly. Clothing was irrelevant. The aura—that was what mattered.
His spiritual sense probed carefully, and when he felt the wave of Zhen's cultivation, he sneered to himself. Fifth stage Body Refinement. Nothing more. A cultivator at that level was respectable, yes, but far from untouchable. Certainly not someone who could speak so boldly against Ru Hong.
The companion cast a glance toward Ru Hong, his arrogant comrade who still stood tall with his chin raised, and a cold thought passed through his mind.
Although Ru Hong flaunts himself as third stage, he hides his true power. He has already stepped into the sixth stage of Body Refinement. This so-called Immortal Police has no idea what storm he has provoked. He dares lecture us? He dares to challenge us? Foolish. Utterly foolish.
And then—Ru Hong moved.
In an instant, with his spiritual Qi flaring like a crack of thunder, his body suddenly blurred and vanished from sight.
Seeing this, his companion sighed and shook his head slowly. "Dead," he muttered under his breath. "That officer is already dead."
Meanwhile, Zhen's eyes widened for a heartbeat. He hadn't truly expected this bastard to attack.
Words were one thing—an exchange of threats, maybe. But to launch a real strike, here in the middle of the marketplace, with so many witnesses? That was pure arrogance.
So this is how it will be, he thought grimly. Fine. If this fool thinks a third stage Body Refinement cultivator can take me, he's mistaken.
His body shifted into motion, Qi pulsing strongly through his very veins. When Ru Hong appeared before him, Zhen met him head-on.
From the perspective of the civilians watching, the world seemed to fracture.
One moment, both figures stood apart; the next, they were gone.
The air cracked with a sonic boom as two dark blurs converged, colliding in the heart of the market.
BANG!
The impact rattled the stones beneath their feet, stalls quivered, fruits tumbled from baskets, and gasps erupted from the crowd.
The two figures crossed paths, passing each other like shadows, and then both halted, standing still, backs to one another.
The arrogant companion on the sidelines did not flinch. He folded his arms, eyes cold, already imagining the outcome. Ru Hong never fails. This so-called Police is already cut down. Master Fang may be displeased at the mess, but I will deal with the body before anyone dares question us.
A wet sound suddenly broke the silence—splutch!—the unmistakable spray of blood hitting stone.
The companion smirked faintly.
There it is.
But then, his ears caught the sound that followed.
A scream. A strange scream.
And it wasn't the immortal police's voice.
It was…
Suddenly, the companion's head snapped up, disbelief flashing in his eyes. He blinked, once, twice, as if his senses had betrayed him. But no—the thing that was in front of him was different from the outcome he expected. Ru Hong clutched his arm, shrieking, his body staggering.
"Aaaaaarrrggghhh!!!"
On the other side, Zhen stood calm, his breathing steady. His eyes were cold as they fixed upon the cultivator before him. That's what you get, he thought silently. Foolish enough to strike me head-on. Even a beast has more sense than you.
Ru Hong's arm dangled grotesquely, not twisted, not bruised—blasted apart. Bone fragments jutted from mangled flesh, tendons snapped, muscle shredded by sheer force. Blood poured in uneven spurts, staining the ground red.
The crowd gasped in horror, hands covering mouths, parents pulling children close. No one had expected such an outcome.
Zhen blinked, then looked at his own fist. His expression hardened with realization. Wait… why did his arm get blasted apart? At most, I should have broken it, maybe shattered the bone. But this… this level of destruction—
His gaze turned inward. He sensed his own cultivation, probing carefully, and what he felt made his breath hitch. Fifth stage… but not Body Refinement like normal cultivators. Body Enforcement.
The words reverberated in his mind.
Body Enforcement was something different and like Body Refinement of the normal cultivators at the same time.
Similar in framework, yes, but fundamentally different—each level built not only upon the refinement of the body but upon its enforcement, strengthening through law, justice, and the weight of authority itself. His uniform, the Immortal Police garb, pulsed faintly as if alive, was the one that activated its uniqueness.
The passive effect… His thoughts quickened. My strength multiplies depending on the target's crimes. And this bastard—he's sinned four times already. Assault. Intimidation. Public disturbance. Abuse of power. Four sins stacked together…
His cultivation surged, no longer a simple fifth stage. His power now rivaled the ninth stage of Body Refinement.
Zhen nearly cursed aloud. Holy shit. No wonder. No wonder his arm was obliterated by a single punch.
Ru Hong staggered backward, face pale, voice hoarse as he wailed. "Aaaarrghhh!!" His pride crumbled under the weight of pain.
Zhen's expression turned sharp. He raised his voice, letting it thunder across the square.
"You have committed yet another crime! To raise your hand against an Immortal Police Officer is to defy the very law that governs this city!"
The civilians erupted in whispers, shock and awe spreading like wildfire.
"He—he subdued a cultivator!"
"With a single strike?"
"A mortal officer… protecting us… is this truly real?"
"Justice… can such a thing truly exist?"
Their disbelief trembled on the edge of hope. For the first time, their eyes didn't just stare at Zhen with curiosity—they glimmered with something close to reverence.
Zhen took this moment to stand tall, his voice ringing with unwavering conviction.
"Do not fear me," he declared, sweeping his gaze across every face. "I am not here to oppress you. I am not here to demand worship. I am here to uphold justice. The Immortal Police does not serve a clan, nor a sect, nor a single family. We serve the law itself. We serve fairness. We serve you—the people who have lived too long in fear of the strong."
His words rolled out, slow and deliberate, each one heavy with meaning.
"Cultivators are not gods. Mortals are not ants. Strength does not give license to trample. The weak deserve dignity, and the strong deserve accountability. That is my oath. That is my duty."
The marketplace was utterly silent now, every ear straining to catch his words.
"I will not ignore your suffering. I will not turn away from your cries. As long as I wear this uniform, no injustice will go unanswered. That is what it means to be Immortal Police!"
The crowd murmured in waves, disbelief breaking apart under the weight of yearning.
"He really… he really said it."
"Protect us? A cultivator sworn to protect mortals?"
"I thought such things were only stories… but we saw it with our own eyes!"
"He struck down a cultivator! I feel like he meant some of what he claims!?"
"Justice… justice might finally be real… I just hope"
For the first time, hope flickered like fire in the hearts of the crowd. After all, this never happened before and it felt surreal.
But even as Zhen's words ignited some hope in them, Ru Hong's fury boiled.
Blood dripped from his ruined arm, but his rage burned hotter than pain. His eyes were wide, veins bulging, humiliation searing every inch of his pride.
"You… YOU DARE!" he bellowed.
His companion's face went pale, realization striking. His voice cracked in panic.
"Don't—! Don't do it, Ru Hong!"
But it was too late. Ru Hong's body flared with violent Qi, his legs coiled, and he hurled himself forward in a reckless charge, aiming to crush Zhen beneath sheer rage.
Zhen's eyes narrowed. His body shifted, stance solid as a mountain. He clenched his fist.
BANG!
The impact resounded like thunder. Stone cracked beneath the force, spiderweb fissures racing outward from the point of collision.
Ru Hong's scream was cut short as his body slammed into the ground, blood spraying, bones snapping audibly.
When the dust cleared, Ru Hong lay splattered across the broken earth, his body shattered, the ground beneath him torn like a shattered mirror.
"That was your fifth offense. You are under arrest!"