[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h":3,"chapter-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Devouring Evil, Exterminating Demons Across All Heavens",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2266955,4426,"Chapter 10: Vertical Pupils","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>When Chu Tianshu arrived, several militia members had also reached the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gong had been struck specifically to alert the militia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men were all able-bodied youths from town, wearing no uniform; only two carried rifles, the rest held steel blades and black iron spears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they seemed accustomed to such bloody scenes—merely pausing a step, they gathered around the corpse to examine the wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The body’s still warm—it’s Liao Ayong, the bamboo weaver. Looks like he was killed by wild wolves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia questioned the night watchman, who only said that when he turned onto this road, he saw blood everywhere and immediately rang the gong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu also saw tooth marks and tearing wounds on the corpse, with chunks of flesh missing from the thigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this were truly an animal, wouldn’t it have hidden before attacking? And after killing, why was there no howling, no signs of dragging or further feeding?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scanned his surroundings, quietly entering a spirit-perceiving state—but found no trace of malevolent spirits lingering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearby townsfolk had begun whispering among themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This must be another wolf attack. Ordinary hungry wolves or stray dogs wouldn’t just nibble so little—they’d go for the neck, drink the blood there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right—years ago, we killed a wolf that had devoured eight people; its tail-tip fur was stained red.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve got to go home and board up my windows, prop the door shut from inside—this time, who knows how long it’ll take to catch the thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu frowned as he listened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his modern world, he’d had little contact with wild beasts; the supernatural incidents he’d encountered were mostly spirits transformed from human souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it really be an animal—still not evil, yet cruel and cunning enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yizhou is mountainous, and in this era of war, it’s not surprising that some beasts grow unusually shrewd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too bad all these backroads are dirt paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the beast bit someone, as long as its paws didn’t get too much blood on them, walking over dirt would leave no clear trail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wonder if I’ll ever get a chance to catch that beast and avenge this poor man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop gawking and get home before you’re next!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The militia began shooing the crowd away; the two with rifles, bolder, decided to stay behind and report to their captain while others dispersed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu had no leads here, so he turned away from the road, planning to return to the tavern via the side alleys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The few remaining militia noticed him walking alone and exchanged glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s that kid? He’s strolling like nothing happened—doesn’t he want to run home?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s a friend of Meng Dashao, studied abroad—probably has some skill.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If he’s not afraid and doesn’t need our help, we shouldn’t meddle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu had already turned the corner and vanished from the militia’s sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t moving fast—but compared to his earlier casual stroll home, he was now far more alert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twenty-plus days had passed too comfortably; the town had been peaceful, and his initial tension upon arriving in this world had long faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just now, those events reminded him—he was truly living in a brutal age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a single spot, one can glimpse the whole leopard: even these minor-town militia were utterly unfazed by such a gruesome corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This lively, seemingly peaceful little town had long been accustomed to blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Chu Tianshu walked, he suddenly felt something odd—he turned to look behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The road behind was empty, bathed only in moonlight and shadows of houses, clutter hidden in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up—rooftops on both sides held nothing but a thin mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint glow in Chu Tianshu’s eyes didn’t fade; he lowered his eyelids slightly and continued walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he took a step, the hairs on his nape bristled—he lurched forward in a sudden sprint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The violent acceleration made his loose robe whistle sharply through the silent night air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thin mist and dust on the ground rose in disturbed swirls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mist had barely lifted when it was crushed down and shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black figure, like a hunting leopard, slammed onto the street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His feet landed, his claws grasping empty air—right where Chu Tianshu had just stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black headwrap, black fitted attire, a gaunt black face—he was no townsman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Missing his target, his narrowed eyes snapped wide—his pupils turned green, vertical as shuttles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This lunge was his perfected technique: leaping from the rooftop, he still kicked his legs to accelerate the fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Chu Tianshu dodged anywhere else, he might not have escaped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But human forward sprinting speed far exceeds lateral movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man missed, his feet slamming the ground, his body sinking to absorb the impact—slowing him a fraction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that split second, Chu Tianshu lunged to the wall, seized a discarded table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unpainted wooden table had three of its four legs broken—weighed no more than thirty or forty catties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Chu Tianshu gripped the single intact leg, twisted his waist and hips, and hurled the thirty-to-forty-catty weight backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The momentum remained fierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the tabletop spun toward the black-clad man, it suddenly froze midair—then shattered with a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two claws pierced the table, arms splitting apart, tearing the rotten wood to pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wood splintered in all directions; inside, hollowed-out sections revealed white insects flying into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assault was relentless—no pause—silver needles shot forth, piercing the insects, streaking toward the black-clad man’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>TING TING TING!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three sharp metallic clinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid flying wood chips, the black-clad man snatched three times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three silver needles were caught.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu surged back, arms fully extended, palms lunging to seize the black-clad man’s forearms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bamboo stalk as thick as a bowl, fresh and healthy, its skin tough—yet Chu Tianshu’s grip crushed it open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a normal man’s forearm, such a grip would rupture skin, crush flesh, snap bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he gripped the black-clad man, the man let out a piercing shriek—like a wildcat with its tail stepped on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black cloth wrapped around his forearms trembled and contracted—their diameter seemed to shrink, fingers curling into sharp cones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Chu Tianshu felt his grip take hold, his palms went suddenly empty—his tiger’s mouth scraped raw against the fabric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his hands fast enough, fingers digging inward—but he only tore off a layer of cloth, stripping something from the man’s fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simultaneously, the black-clad man kicked—knee driving toward Chu Tianshu’s groin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s knee rose at the same instant—their flesh met with a heavy, wooden-thud impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both staggered backward several steps, losing their footing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man crouched low, stance in a bow, hands clawed, pressing forward as if a tiger or leopard about to pounce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s heel struck the dirt road, steadying himself—he flung the object in his hand forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two torn scraps of cloth—and ten finger sheaths, forged of steel, coated in black lacquer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man hadn’t caught the needles bare-handed—he’d used these sheaths to deflect them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu glanced at the sheaths—and remembered the wounds on the corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond wild beast fangs, these sheaths, combined with sufficient finger strength, could easily produce such carnage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You killed the bamboo weaver. Who are you? Why attack me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s gaze was ruthless, his face angry—but his voice was low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To shout loudly, one must draw breath from the chest and abdomen, raising pitch—this drains physical power and slows reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu dared not expose such a weakness before this black-clad man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man said nothing—his facial muscles tensed, teeth bared, throat vibrating with a low growl, lips and teeth trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utterly like a beast trying to intimidate—his teeth still stained with blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But wild beasts, facing an enemy they can’t overcome, usually flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man’s eyes and breath radiated a hunger to devour Chu Tianshu alive—no retreat, only thick, smoky malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu stared unblinking at the black-clad man, his side-hanging wrist slowly turning—prominent veins crept from forearm to back of hand, fists clenched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither wanted to blink—but eye fatigue ignored willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When blood vessels surfaced in Chu Tianshu’s sclera, his wide eyes couldn’t help but blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>WHOOSH!!—the real attack came in that blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man was already before him, claws slicing air, iron-blue nails—though not as hard as steel sheaths—still capable of gouging deep marks into brick walls, sweeping toward his most vulnerable face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the air exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fist suddenly swung up from below, striking the black-clad man’s forearm with precision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>POM POM POM POM POM!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Between the two figures, it sounded like a string of firecrackers detonating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man’s hands relentlessly attacked Chu Tianshu’s head, face, neck, groin, waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But each time, Chu Tianshu’s fist struck true, smashing aside his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tong Bei Quan—White Ape’s Sudden Exposure!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tall trees dripped with dew; wind blew, and dewdrops rained down with a splash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white ape below, startled, lunged out—hands in rapid succession, striking the dewdrops in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This punch unleashed a shocking, explosive force, the fastest of all strikes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More crucially, this technique trains a combat method that does not rely entirely on vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The White Ape’s Surprise relies on sight, hearing, and a touch of instinct working together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu, who cultivates both Spirit Communication and fist arts, achieved the most refined result with this move of all his techniques.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man realized his forearms kept getting struck—he knew something was wrong, but through the impact, he suddenly surged forward with even greater speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strand of hair on Chu Tianshu’s left temple was sliced off, and the fabric on his right waist was torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tear looked as if several blades had been sliced parallel across it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He barely dodged, avoiding direct injury, yet his back hairs still stood on end, his teeth clenched tight, his left hand snapping out like a released spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His powerful fist, brimming with fury, struck again, hitting the arm sweeping in from his left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black-clad man’s burst failed to land; his arms began to ache and throb, his hands slowing slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chu Tianshu’s eyelids narrowed; in a flash, his fist—almost instinctive—shot toward the black-clad man’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1690,"2026-06-19T20:45:51.976Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","84aa2fff41ab120fa96c8e6bd0b5db9025fcdf185fb9504ed04773dea5686593","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-11","devouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-chapter-9",155,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdevouring-evil-exterminating-demons-across-all-h-cover.jpg"]