The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

"Hehehe... Kid, you're quite alert."

A strange, eerie voice came from the cave entrance. Immediately afterwards, the rubble blocking the entrance was smashed open from the outside, sending stone chips flying and dust billowing everywhere.

A large, fat figure blocked the entrance to the cave, completely obscuring the already limited light.

It was Pang Fu!

At this moment, he stood with his hands behind his back, a signature fake smile on his face, but his small eyes, like those of a hawk, were fixed on Ye Sheng.

"Boy, what happened to your offerings these past few months? Did you think you could hide from me? Well, you've been hiding here for quite a while now."

Pang Fu walked into the cave step by step, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the empty porcelain bottles on the ground and Ye Sheng, his greed undisguised.

"Hey! You've been hiding here sneaking a good bite, haven't you? Looks like I was right, you have more secrets than I thought."

Ye Sheng's heart sank. He hadn't expected Pang Fu to suddenly find him here. However, he also blamed himself for being so busy refining pills and weapons these past few months that he had forgotten about the "protection fee" he had promised to this fat man.

But now that he has followed me here, and judging from his words just now, he seems to have discovered something. Judging from his appearance, he clearly has ill intentions.

"Steward Pang is too kind. I've been too busy with the affairs of the Hundred Herbs Garden lately, and Senior Sister Liu is not in the sect. I really didn't dare to leave Liu Garden and go down the mountain on my own, which is why I forgot to pay my respects. I will definitely make up for it in full later, okay?"

Ye Sheng clasped his hands in a fist salute and bowed.

"Hmph, don't try to intimidate me with Liu Qing. What exactly is in those porcelain bottles in front of you? Why is there a lingering medicinal fragrance? Did you really steal something good?"

Pang Fu snorted coldly, staring intently at Ye Sheng, as if trying to discern something from his face.

Upon hearing this, Ye Sheng gripped the Black Ridge sword in his hand and replied calmly, "I'm just cultivating here, how could I be stealing food?"

"Ha! Cultivation?"

Pang Fu scoffed, his fat face jiggling, and said in a deep voice, "Kid, stop pretending! Back in the menial quarters, you were just a mere beginner-level martial artist, and now you've broken through to the Bone Forging Realm. Such rapid improvement in such a short time—you're kidding me if you haven't relied on any external aids!"

His eyes flashed with a sharp light as he stared intently at Ye Sheng, shouting, "Speak! Have you obtained some rare treasure or ancient inheritance? Hand it over! Otherwise, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Before he finished speaking, a powerful aura belonging to a Foundation Establishment cultivator suddenly erupted, like an invisible mountain, pressing down hard on Ye Sheng, who had just broken through and whose qi and blood were not yet fully stable!

Ye Sheng felt a tightness in his chest, and it became difficult to breathe. He knew that things probably wouldn't end well today.

"Old ties?" Ye Sheng sneered, his internal energy surging as he resisted the oppressive force. "Manager Pang, between us, there's nothing but exploitation and coercion; what old ties could there be?"

"court death!"

Pang Fu was struck on a sore spot and immediately flew into a rage.

Without further ado, his massive body suddenly unleashed a speed completely disproportionate to its size, his five fingers forming claws, carrying a chilling spiritual power, aimed straight at Ye Sheng's crown!

If that claw lands firmly, even if Ye Sheng doesn't die, he'll suffer a broken soul and become an idiot!

Pang Fu is trying to use the Soul Searching Technique to forcibly seize the secrets in his mind!

In a flash, a ruthless glint appeared in Ye Sheng's eyes.

Instead of retreating, he faced Pang Fu's sharp claws head-on, advancing instead of retreating! He frantically poured the surging, newly broken-through blood and qi within his body into the Black Ridge in his hand!

[Burning Blood Blade Technique]!

"Buzz—"

The Black Ridge emitted a violent buzzing sound, and a layer of eerie blood-red light appeared on its pitch-black blade!

"Open it... for me!"

Ye Sheng used all his strength to unleash a single slash! This slash had no set moves or techniques; it simply incorporated all the internal energy of his Bone Forging Realm cultivation and his ruthless fighting spirit!

A hint of disdain flashed in Pang Fu's eyes: How dare a mere mortal martial artist compete with a cultivator?

The spiritual power in his five fingers intensified threefold, preparing to crush Ye Sheng's knife with a single claw.

But the moment his claws collided with the blood-black dagger, the disdain on his face instantly turned into horror!

"Bang!" A terrifyingly powerful force came from the blade!

That power was not only the physical strength of a Bone Forging Realm martial artist, but also contained a violent and scorching power of blood and qi that seemed capable of burning everything!

Pang Fu felt that the protective spiritual power in his palms was as fragile as paper and was instantly torn apart in the face of this domineering force!

"Pfft!" A flash of blood.

Pang Fu let out a shrill scream as his right hand, which was reaching for Ye Sheng, was severed at the wrist!

Fresh blood gushed out like a fountain!

"Ah—! My hand!"

Pang Fu clutched his severed wrist, backing away repeatedly, his face filled with disbelief and terror.

He couldn't understand how a martial artist who had just broken through to the Bone Forging Realm could unleash such terrifying power, even severing the hand of him, a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

Ye Sheng succeeded in his attack, but he was also in considerable pain.

The Blood Burning Blade Technique is a life-or-death demonic art that burns one's own blood and qi. With his current cultivation level, forcibly using the strongest move would naturally put a huge strain on his body.

At that moment, Ye Sheng felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and a mouthful of blood welled up in his throat, which he forced down.

He leaned on his knife, half-kneeling on the ground, panting heavily, but his eyes remained as cold as knives, filled with ruthless killing intent, staring intently at Pang Fu.

Pang Fu felt uneasy under Ye Sheng's gaze and was even a little scared: This kid is definitely strange. The strike that broke my protective spiritual power just now was too bizarre. He might have a backup plan.

He hesitated for a moment, but dared not take the risk. He covered his severed wrist with his other hand and, without the slightest hesitation, scrambled out of the cave.

"You brat! You just wait! I won't let you get away with this!" The venomous roar echoed through the valley.

Watching Pang Fu's disheveled retreating figure, Ye Sheng's tense nerves finally relaxed. He could no longer hold on, his vision went black, and he fainted.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Sheng slowly awoke. The cave was still dark, with only a few rays of light filtering in through the cracks at the entrance.

He struggled to sit up, feeling as if his whole body had fallen apart, every muscle and bone aching. His internal organs, in particular, felt like they had been burned, burning with pain.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed violently a few times, spitting out mouthfuls of blood mixed with dark red clots, his face as pale as paper.

Ye Sheng thought to himself: The backlash from this Blood Burning Blade Technique is more severe than I imagined. If I hadn't just broken through to the Bone Forging Realm, and my physical body and blood energy were far superior to before, that last strike would probably have been enough to take half my life.

But his ruthless determination to fight to the death had ultimately scared Pang Fu away. Moreover, he had unexpectedly severed one of Pang Fu's hands.

Thinking of Pang Fu's terrified expression and his disheveled escape, Ye Sheng felt a surge of pleasure: This greedy fat man finally paid the price.

"But... why would this fat guy suddenly abandon all pretense and attack me?"

Ye Sheng pondered, somewhat puzzled.

He struggled to his feet, took out a healing pill from his pocket and swallowed it. The pill transformed into a warm current, slowly repairing his damaged meridians and internal organs.

A moment later, Ye Sheng examined himself and found that after the battle, his newly broken-through Bone Forging Realm cultivation had unexpectedly stabilized, and the surging blood and qi within his body had become more refined and powerful.

"This could be considered a blessing in disguise."

Ye Sheng inwardly mocked himself, thinking, "This place is not safe to stay any longer. Although Pang Fu was scared away, he will not give up easily. A cultivator whose hand he cut off will only have a greater thirst for revenge and madness than Du Tao. I must return to Liu Yuan as soon as possible. That is Liu Qing's territory. Even if Pang Fu is bold, he will not dare to openly break in and kill him."

He packed his things, carefully wrapped the black ribbon in his hand with a black cloth, and then, despite his weakened state, limped out of the cave.