Pig-Slaying Saber Technique Reaches Perfection!

A fierce gust swept toward him from behind, carrying a bone-chilling cold. Qin Ming's heart jolted. With no time to turn and see what it was, he swiftly slashed out with his pig-slaying saber.

But he had underestimated Yuan Lie, and even more so the Eighth-Rank Martial Art he cultivated, Xingyi Fist.

Yuan Lie was using Snake Fist, one of the techniques within Xingyi Fist. His arms suddenly stretched out and lashed forward like pythons.

Qin Ming felt as though a savage beast had slammed into him. He crashed uncontrollably into the fighting platform with a thunderous boom. Half the platform collapsed under the impact, burying him in the wreckage.

Dust filled the air.

"Qin Ming!"

"Junior Brother!"

"Brother Qin!"

Everyone's faces changed in alarm. Even the people from the Tiger Martial Arts Academy looked worried.

Qin Ming was their last hope. If he died, they wouldn't survive either.

Yuan Lie shook out his hands, the corners of his mouth curling upward. "You want to fight me, kid? Old ginger is spicier!"

He had attacked Qin Ming from behind with a fully charged blow. Let alone someone in the Skin Refining Realm like Qin Ming, even someone in the Mid-Stage Flesh-Refining Realm would have been grievously injured, if not killed!

Thump!

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the wreckage.

"What? Could it be...?"

Yuan Lie's expression changed. The next moment, the wreckage burst apart with a crash, sending broken stones flying as a figure charged out.

It was Qin Ming!

Though he had survived, he was severely injured. Three ribs were broken, his left arm was fractured, and all his internal organs had been shaken by Yuan Lie's palm strike.

If Qin Ming hadn't been holding the pig-slaying saber, which could dispel 35% of the force, that punch would have shattered both his arms. Then he would surely have died.

Qin Ming's expression grew grave.

With the bonuses from his Life-Bound Martial Art, Pig-Slaying Saber Technique, and Savage Bull Strength, his strength had increased by an extra 120 jin. On top of that, his base strength had risen by 20%, putting his total strength about 50 jin above an Early Flesh-Refining Realm martial artist's.

Even if he was still weaker than someone in the Mid-Stage Flesh-Refining Realm, how could Yuan Lie, with only two-thirds of his strength left after 35% of the force was dispelled, have shattered his left arm with one punch?

"It's Xingyi Fist!"

Qin Ming quickly realized what had happened.

An Eighth-Rank Martial Art was no small matter. Xingyi Fist had boosted Yuan Lie's strength by far more than a little. Besides, although Qin Ming's strength had increased, his body was still only at the Late Skin-Refining Realm. If his Minor Mastery of Savage Bull Strength hadn't worn away some of the force for him, he would have been even more badly hurt!

Looks like I'll have to find a defensive body-tempering art when I get the chance.

Qin Ming thought that if his strength kept up but his defenses didn't, he could easily be ambushed and severely injured.

That punch had sounded a warning bell for Qin Ming.

All these thoughts flashed through Qin Ming's mind. Right now, the most important thing was figuring out how to kill Yuan Lie.

If he didn't kill him, everyone would die.

Qin Ming glanced at his panel.

[Life-Bound Martial Art: Pig-Slaying Saber Technique (925/1000), Greater Mastery]

Qin Ming had killed his way here, and every bandit had died beneath his pig-slaying saber. This had sent his Pig-Slaying Saber Technique proficiency points soaring, leaving him just 75 points short of breaking through beyond Greater Mastery!

An ordinary bandit was worth 5 points, an Early Skin-Refining Realm bandit 10, a Mid-Stage Skin-Refining Realm bandit 20, a Late Skin-Refining Realm bandit 30, a Perfected Skin-Refining Realm bandit 40, and an Early Flesh-Refining Realm bandit 50.

As long as he killed a few more Skin Refining Realm bandits, his Pig-Slaying Saber Technique would advance!

With that thought, Qin Ming swept his leg across the ground, kicking all the loose stones at Yuan Lie. He then sprang backward and charged at the nearest bandits.

Swish, swish! Two slashes sent the heads of two Early Skin-Refining Realm bandits rolling.

His proficiency points increased by 20.

Only 55 more. Almost there!

His hair disheveled, face filthy, and body covered in blood, Qin Ming swung his saber at the bandits with his one remaining hand.

But to everyone watching, it looked like his final struggle.

With one arm already broken, Qin Ming had no chance of defeating Yuan Lie. He had given up and was trying to kill a few more bandits before he died.

"Junior Brother!"

Lu Liu beat his chest and stamped his feet, hating his own uselessness.

"Junior Brother Qin!"

Watching from a distance, Li Shengnan's eyes instantly reddened.

"Brother Qin!"

Embroiderer's voice was filled with sorrow. All the strength seemed to drain from her body in an instant, and the bundle in her hand slipped from her limp grasp. It struck the ground heavily, spilling silver everywhere.

She had collected the silver from corpses along the way, intending to use it for travel expenses.

Now, seeing that Qin Ming was about to die, she no longer wanted to live.

"A wife follows her husband. Brother Qin, if you die, I, Embroiderer, will never live on alone!"

Embroiderer's voice was firm, and Li Shengnan, standing beside her, was shaken to hear it.

She hadn't expected the seemingly frail Embroiderer to have such a steadfast character.

Li Shengnan remained silent and did not try to stop her.

If Qin Ming died, Embroiderer following him might be the best outcome. In troubled times, playing the beauty card alone led only to a dead end.

"One day, I'll wipe out the Clearwind Stronghold and avenge you."

Li Shengnan clenched her fists so tightly that her nails pierced her palms, but she didn't notice the blood streaming out.

Back in the square, Qin Ming killed four bandits in succession, frightening the rest into retreating.

Qin Ming wanted to drag a few of them down with him before he died, but they didn't want to throw their lives away.

Five more points! Just one last person!

Seeing the bandits retreat, Qin Ming was about to chase them when a saber flashed toward the back of his neck.

It was the Early Flesh-Refining Realm guardian whose hand Qin Ming had cut off and who had also taken a palm strike from him!

"You little bastard, you crippled one of my hands, so I'll cripple you too!"

The other two guardians closed in as well. They wanted to wash away their earlier humiliation and send Qin Ming to his death.

Yuan Lie did not attack again.

In his eyes, Qin Ming, with only one hand left, was certain to die.

Under the three men's frenzied assault, Qin Ming, with only one hand left, was soon at a disadvantage.

"You little bastard, take a blow from my mace!"

A spiked mace slammed heavily into the pig-slaying saber in Qin Ming's hand. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he and his saber were sent flying—straight toward the guardian with the severed hand.

"Just in time!"

The guardian laughed and swung his long saber down, intending to cut Qin Ming in half at the waist.

At that critical moment, Qin Ming swiftly spun the pig-slaying saber around his fingertips, caught it in a reverse grip, and hurled it forward.

Pfft—

The pig-slaying saber plunged into the guardian's chest in an instant, burying itself to the hilt.

The guardian with the severed hand looked down one last time, then his body crashed to the ground.

His proficiency points increased by 50.

[Life-Bound Martial Art (First Stage): Pig-Slaying Saber Technique (60/5000), Perfection]

Hum!

The instant his Pig-Slaying Saber Technique reached the Perfection Realm, Qin Ming seemed to hear a hum beside his ears.

The world grew clearer in his eyes. When he focused, he could even see the pores on Yuan Lie's face. In particular, he could accurately guess the positions of the pathways in Yuan Lie's body, even through his clothes.

[Pig-Slaying Saber Technique bonuses: while holding a pig-slaying saber, attack speed increases by 40%, 35% of force is dispelled, Fire Poison damage 20%, base strength increases by 20%]

[Realm: Late Skin-Refining Realm (strength: 380 jin), additional strength bonus (200 jin)]

[Pig-Slaying Saber Technique's first stage has reached the Perfection Realm. Active skill unlocked: Cook Ding Dissects the Ox.]

[Cook Ding Dissects the Ox: (By focusing your gaze, you can quickly identify an opponent's weaknesses. Corpse dissection speed is significantly increased.)]

Qin Ming was overjoyed.

Good! Cook Ding Dissects the Ox came at just the right time!

He had gained a great deal from this breakthrough.

Not only had his attack speed risen by 10% and he had gained a skill, but his additional strength bonus had also increased again, from 120 to 200!

Just as he had guessed, every time his Pig-Slaying Saber Technique advanced, his strength would grow with it!

Qin Ming took a deep breath. Though he had only one hand left, his state of mind was completely different from before.

"Third Brother!"

Seeing yet another brother die at Qin Ming's hands, the two remaining guardians shouted in rage.

"You little beast, I'll make you pay for my brother's life!"

The two men looked like madmen.

Qin Ming stood with his saber in one hand. When they drew near, his pig-slaying saber flashed across both their necks at an inconceivable speed.

Pfft, pfft—

Two heads fell, and blood spurted a foot into the air.

With both his speed and strength greatly increased, Early Flesh-Refining Realm opponents couldn't withstand a single slash from Qin Ming.

"Yuan Lie, you're next."

Qin Ming's voice echoed over the square. It wasn't loud, but it made everyone shudder.

Before anyone realized it, all four of the Clearwind Stronghold's great guardians had died at Qin Ming's hands!

They were Early Flesh-Refining Realm martial artists, in the same realm as Pei Heng, Qin Ming's master and head of the Eight Trigrams Martial Arts Academy!

"Pei Heng, oh, Pei Heng, you really found yourself a treasure this time."

Huo Zheng sighed, a trace of sourness creeping into his voice without his realizing it.

Shame showed on Huo Lan's face. "Father, it's all my fault. If not for me, Qin Ming would never have been driven out of the academy."

"No, this has nothing to do with you. I, Huo Zheng, cared too much about my face. I couldn't get past it."

Huo Zheng shook his head. It was timing, it was fate. "This isn't over yet. It all depends on whether that boy Qin Ming can kill Yuan Lie."

Huo Zheng's expression was grave.

Yuan Lie's Mid-Stage Flesh-Refining Realm cultivation was secondary. The main problem was that he had mastered the Eighth-Rank Martial Art Xingyi Fist. An Eighth-Rank Martial Art's power was far beyond that of a Ninth-Rank Martial Art.

An Eighth-Rank Martial Art cultivated to Minor Mastery could rival a Ninth-Rank Martial Art at the Perfection Realm, or even surpass it.

Most people only cultivated their martial arts to the entry level. Few reached Minor Mastery, and even fewer reached Greater Mastery. Not a single person in all of Qingyang County could be found at the Perfection Realm.

It could be said that among those in the same realm, Yuan Lie, who had mastered an Eighth-Rank Martial Art, was invincible.

Qin Ming, a mere Late Skin-Refining Realm cultivator, had little chance of defeating Yuan Lie, much less killing him.

In the square, Qin Ming's sudden burst of action had caught Yuan Lie off guard. By the time he reacted, it was already too late.

"You little beast, you killed my four great guardians! I'll make you repay this blood debt in blood!"

Yuan Lie flew into a rage and unleashed the Tiger Fist of Xingyi Fist, charging like a fierce tiger descending a mountain.

Qin Ming quickly focused, and a crisp notification sounded beside his ear: [Cook Ding Dissects the Ox skill activated]

In an instant, Yuan Lie's movements grew slower and slower in Qin Ming's eyes, and several faint red dots appeared on his body.

Those were Yuan Lie's weaknesses!

Qin Ming raised his pig-slaying saber. The Qi and blood throughout his body boiled and roared, pouring into the blade.

This slash would decide both victory and defeat, life and death!