From a tuberculosis patient to a martial arts master

"Sanjiang!"

Seeing Ma Sanjiang die right in front of him, Huo Qianshan's anger flared up instantly.

"Fuck your grandma."

He roared, gripped the thick-backed machete tightly with both hands, and swung his arm down at Zhu Hong like a mad bull. This strike was filled with hatred; he wanted nothing more than to cleave Zhu Hong in two from head to crotch, to take him with him to his grave.

Zhu Hong remained unmoved, his feet not shifting an inch. With a flick of his wrist, his black blade flashed across the sky like a shooting star.

"Um?"

Huo Qianshan's expression changed immediately.

He felt a powerful force slam into him along the blade, making his hand go numb and his entire arm tremble three times.

"this……

What the hell is going on?

Huo Qianshan hurriedly took half a step back, glaring at him and demanding, "You were only at the Great Perfection of Body Refinement just now, how could your strength suddenly become so formidable?!"

A cold glint appeared on Zhu Hong's lips as he said indifferently:

"Want to know? Go ask the King of Hell."

Upon hearing this, Huo Qianshan's anger flared even more.

"Sharp-tongued, when did constables become as talkative as women?" Veins throbbed on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and said, "Don't think that just because you've used some underhanded tricks, I'm afraid of you!" With that, he gripped his knife with both hands, and a series of crackling sounds rang out from his body.

Fascial linkage enables the free flow of energy.

He finally revealed all his true skills as a martial arts apprentice.

What makes Wu Tuqiang so strong?

Not only are they strong, but they also attack faster.

Martial arts practitioners must first gather their energy and power before unleashing it, completing a precise and methodical sequence. A mere martial arts apprentice, however, is different. With a twitch of the fascia, the thought barely forms before the blade is already slicing across the face—so fast you don't even have time to blink.

Zhu Hong didn't dare to be overconfident.

Seeing Huo Qianshan's aura rise like an inflating balloon, he steeled himself, his left hand wielding a "Black Heart Strike," while his right hand slashed upwards with a black blade, delivering a "Draw Sword Slash!"

"clang--!"

The sound of blades clashing together is enough to make one's teeth ache.

In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged about twenty moves, turning the cabin into a scene of carnage, with tables, chairs, and benches shattering everywhere.

"He's really got some skills."

Zhu Hong's expression turned slightly grim.

Even though he had already reached the Great Perfection of the Flesh Refining Realm and was not at a disadvantage in terms of strength, he was always just a tiny bit slower in every sword fight. Even when he was slashing in the same spot, the other person's sword would arrive before his own was still halfway there. Every killing move he made was countered.

If it weren't for his martial arts skills, which would make people hesitant to act against him.

The only option is to escape.

"A monster, a monster!"

Meanwhile, Huo Qianshan's mind was in turmoil.

He could confidently guarantee that this kid had definitely not crossed the threshold of becoming a martial arts apprentice; his fighting style was still that of a martial arts performer, and there was no way he was faking it.

But what's with that power?

Huo Qianshan grew increasingly frightened and panicked as he thought about it, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.

"We absolutely cannot delay any longer."

If this drags on, and this kid pulls some trick and runs away, I'll become the next Ma Sanjiang.

Thinking of this, he instantly went mad.

He swung his knife and lunged forward, slashing once more.

That swordsmanship had long since lost its structure, but it was incredibly fast. Horizontal slashes, diagonal parries, and straight thrusts—every move was a reckless attack, aimed at vital points, as if he wanted to chop Zhu Hong into minced meat and make dumplings.

Zhu Hong's expression turned stern, and he took several steps back.

He wielded the black knife in his hand like a whirlwind, forcefully blocking all the attacks.

However, Huo Qianshan's frenzied attacks were too fierce and fast, so he could only subconsciously make a gesture and had no way to retaliate.

"hide?

Where do you think you're going to hide?!

Another slash came down, but Zhu Hong blocked it with his own sword. The impact made his hand go numb, and his whole arm felt like it had been electrocuted, sore and numb.

"Bang."

He then stepped back, his back slamming against the bulkhead. "...There was nowhere left to back up."

Seeing this, Huo Qianshan's eyes lit up. He thought the time was right, so he gripped the hilt of the knife tightly with both hands and raised it high. He put all his strength into this strike.

The wind howled through the air.

Zhu Hong looked up and saw the blade of light slashing down.

This time, he didn't dodge.

He took a deep breath, held the black knife horizontally in front of his chest, the tip pointing diagonally upwards.

next moment.

Huo Qianshan's blade was already slashing down.

The immense force traveled along the blade, causing the deck beneath Zhu Hong's feet to crack with a "crack," and he sank half an inch downwards.

"Good lad."

Let's see how much brute strength you still have!

Seeing him struggling to parry, Huo Qianshan grinned maliciously, exerted force with both arms again, and pressed the blade down three inches. "Too bad, what kind of skill do you have if you can only endure? I'll send you on your way!" Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn his sword and turned around to strike a second time.

This strike was aimed straight at Zhu Hong's neck, with the intention of beheading him in one blow!

The swords flashed again.

In that split second, Zhu Hong suddenly spoke:

"That's it, we're done."

Three words, neither warm nor cold, as if chatting casually, made Huo Qianshan pause for a moment. "This kid is about to die, and instead of begging for mercy, he asks this question?"

In that brief moment of surprise, Zhu Hong lowered his body.

He actually took the blow to the shoulder; the blade pierced his flesh, and blood splattered everywhere, but he didn't even flinch. Instead, he used the momentum to get right up to Huo Qianshan.

too close.

Huo Qianshan was so close that he could see his subtle smile.

"you……"

Huo Qianshan felt flustered and quickly drew his sword to slash back.

But an incomparably fierce aura instantly exploded from Zhu Hong, pressing down on Huo Qianshan so much that he couldn't even breathe.

The third form of the "Tiger Crouching on the Mountain Fist":

"A tiger's strength can be as great as a thousand pounds!"

The wind howled from the punch.

The candlelight in the cabin went out with a series of "poofs," leaving only a devastating fist shadow in the pitch black, heading straight for Huo Qianshan's chest.

Huo Qianshan tried desperately to dodge, but the punch was too fast.

It was even faster than his knife earlier.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, a fist landed squarely on his chest.

Huo Qianshan spat out a mouthful of blood, flew backward, crashed into the cabin wall with a "bang," bounced back, and knelt down on the ground with a "thud."

He had a dent in his chest, and he knelt there, his hands on the ground, his head drooping.

"You, you son of a bitch."

Huo Qianshan raised his head, blood spitting out from between his teeth, "You've even mastered martial arts? Why, why, I..."

Before he could finish speaking...

Zhu Hong's second punch had arrived, using the same move, "Tiger's Might Settles with a Thousand Pounds!"

The punch landed squarely on Huo Qianshan's face.

He tilted his head back, his face was all bruised and battered, his nose was flattened, as if he had been run over by a car.

But he still didn't die.

"He's a martial arts apprentice after all; he's as hard as a turtle."

Zhu Hong stood in front of him, panting heavily, his right arm trembling uncontrollably.

After two punches, he felt all his strength drained away, and he almost couldn't stand. This Tiger's Steadfastness, even with his advanced martial arts foundation, was forced out of him. Each punch was damaging his bones and tendons, draining his vital energy. He couldn't unleash it for more than a few rounds.

"but……

"Kill him, absorb his life force—it's all worth it."

A glint of greed flashed in Zhu Hong's eyes. In the blink of an eye, he bent down again, his whole body transforming into a black rainbow as he charged forward.

"A tiger's strength can be as great as a thousand pounds!"

Huo Qianshan lay on the ground, trying to dodge, but as soon as he struggled to get up, he saw a fist pressed against his back.

"Crack!" His spine snapped instantly.

He slumped down like a puppet with its strings cut, twitched a few times, and then fell still.

Once the spine is broken, even a god cannot save it.

……