Difficult Struggle

Zhang Meng was tall and burly, with a powerful physique, perfectly suited for practicing the Fierce Tiger Fist, a style characterized by its wide, sweeping movements and unparalleled ferocity.

At this moment, the Fierce Tiger Fist, unleashed by him, truly resembled a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable. Every move and every stance was incredibly domineering and delivered with immense force.

The wind generated by his fists stirred up the sand on the ground, creating a rustling sound. The fists, borrowing the momentum of the wind, became even more terrifying.

Initially, Yang Heng didn't dodge, choosing to meet Zhang Meng head-on to gauge his strength.

He believed that after a long run, Zhang Meng's stamina must be depleted, and he wouldn't be at his peak.

Taking one punch should be manageable.

However, as their fists collided, Yang Heng realized he was terribly mistaken.

He felt as if he wasn't hitting a flesh-and-blood fist, but an iron one.

It was hard and imbued with immense power.

The moment they connected, Yang Heng felt as if his right hand had collided with a speeding stone. A piercing pain shot through his mind, his flesh and blood at the base of his fingers were mangled, and fresh blood began to seep out.

Fortunately, his body had been tempered by the Marrow Cleansing Pearl for over a month, making his bones incredibly tough. This prevented his finger bones from shattering.

This injury was entirely his own doing.

After killing a Martial Artist, Yang Heng had become a little arrogant, thinking the opponent was nothing special.

Reality, however, delivered a heavy blow.

An ordinary person facing a Martial Artist wouldn't just struggle to gain the upper hand; they'd be lucky to escape.

Having learned his lesson the hard way, Yang Heng no longer acted recklessly.

Relying on his own formidable physical conditioning, he began to maneuver around Zhang Meng, sometimes dodging, sometimes counter-attacking.

Bang bang bang

After seven or eight exchanges, Yang Heng was covered in wounds, but they were all superficial, not hitting any vital points.

Yang Heng gasped in relief. When Zhang Meng had charged at him, he hadn't picked up the long saber lying on the ground. Otherwise, he would have been in dire straits.

He could barely withstand the punches, but a saber would have cleaved him in two.

With every punch Zhang Meng threw, Yang Heng felt his breath catch, as if a great mountain was pressing down on him. He focused all his attention, painstakingly analyzing the trajectory of Zhang Meng's fists to dodge in advance.

Sometimes, when he couldn't dodge in time, he would bring his hands together, forming a defensive barrier in front of him to block.

Bang bang bang

Another seven or eight exchanges passed. Yang Heng's arms were covered in bruises and swellings. Large beads of sweat dotted his forehead, dripping onto the ground. His eyes were dim, and his face was deathly pale.

Maintaining intense concentration for so long, analyzing and predicting Zhang Meng's punch placements, had drained him mentally. The only reason he could last this long was sheer willpower to survive.

On the other hand, Zhang Meng was also struggling.

While the Fierce Tiger Fist was incredibly powerful, it also consumed a lot of energy. He felt a wave of weakness wash over him. His punches were becoming slower, and their power was significantly diminished.

He knew this was a sign of his Blood Essence burning out.

He had initially thought Yang Heng wouldn't be able to withstand more than a few punches under his aggressive assault. He never expected Yang Heng's physical conditioning to be so astonishing that he still hadn't fallen.

He began to question his reality. Who was the actual Martial Artist between the two of them?

Another heavy punch landed on Yang Heng's arm, but Zhang Meng felt no joy.

The Yang Heng before him seemed like a silent, unyielding mountain. No matter how he attacked, he couldn't knock him down.

Was this still an ordinary person?

His stamina was almost comparable to a Martial Artist's.

Unable to land a decisive blow, Zhang Meng had even considered picking up his weapon again midway through.

But Yang Heng had seen through Zhang Meng's intentions and clung to him, willing to take a few more punches to prevent him from retrieving his weapon.

Bang!

Zhang Meng's fist struck Yang Heng again, but strangely, Yang Heng smiled.

The punch was weaker, less than half its previous power.

Yang Heng knew Zhang Meng's stamina was nearing its limit.

Yang Heng's eyes grew brighter, his spirit becoming more invigorated.

Gradually, he began to counter-attack.

Bang!

Their fists collided, sending gusts of wind scattering. Fallen leaves on the ground were whipped into a frenzy, swirling and drifting everywhere.

This time, Yang Heng didn't fall into a disadvantage. He blocked Zhang Meng's attack without sustaining any injury.

Zhang Meng also noticed Yang Heng shifting from defense to offense. His expression grew grim, and a bad premonition welled up within him.

He might end up like Liu Xin!

Bang!!!

Another collision. This time, Zhang Meng was the one at a disadvantage. His body staggered, and he retreated several steps.

In a flash of lightning and thunder, Yang Heng reacted swiftly, seizing this rare opportunity. He took a deep breath, channeling all his strength into his right hand.

Moments later, Yang Heng's right hand swelled as if inflated, veins bulging like long earthworms writhing beneath the skin, a truly terrifying sight.

"Hmph!"

Yang Heng let out a fierce roar, gathering all his might. He clenched his fist and slammed it down heavily towards Zhang Meng's face.

With his guard wide open and the situation escalating rapidly, Zhang Meng was completely caught off guard. He didn't have time to dodge and could only hastily bring his hands together to block in front of him.

BOOM!

The heavy fist landed, and Zhang Meng's face turned ashen with shock.

He felt as if he'd been headbutted by a crazed bull. His body flew backward, and simultaneously, a colossal force erupted from his arms.

CRACKLE CRACKLE

Mid-air, Zhang Meng's arm bones let out a series of explosive cracks.

From a distance, his hands were bloody, bone fragments protruding, and blood mixed with shattered bone splattered everywhere.

THUD!

Zhang Meng crashed heavily to the ground, stars dancing before his eyes. He felt pain all over his body, but before he could even register it, he suddenly realized the world had gone dark!

As Zhang Meng was sent flying, Yang Heng pressed his advantage, striding forward.

The moment Zhang Meng hit the ground, Yang Heng raised his right foot and stomped down hard on Zhang Meng's head, giving him no chance to breathe.

CRACK!

Another sound of bone-shattering echoed.

Yang Heng's full-force kick landed squarely on Zhang Meng's head. Under hundreds of pounds of force, Zhang Meng's skull cracked, blood spurted, and he let out a piercing wail.

"Ahhhhhh!"

Zhang Meng screamed in agony.

He desperately pulled at the large foot on his head with his hands, but couldn't move it an inch.

His Blood Essence was completely depleted, and he had no strength left in his body, utterly weak.

Seeing Zhang Meng still screaming, Yang Heng couldn't bear his suffering.

He brought his foot down heavily again.

CRACK...

This time, the sound was even louder.

Zhang Meng's head was directly crushed, flattened like a watermelon, brain matter splattering everywhere, red and white.

Yang Heng's shoe was covered in brain matter, and his pant leg was also stained with blood, but he paid it no mind.

Seeing that Zhang Meng had stopped breathing and was no longer wailing.

Yang Heng let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

He was utterly exhausted, lying on the ground, not wanting to move at all.

After resting for a while and recovering some strength, he endured the pain and stood up.

Yang Heng knew the crisis was not completely over.

There was still one person left to deal with.

Li Kui!

Li Kui was the mastermind behind this entire bloody encounter. Yang Heng couldn't rest easy without killing him.

These two were young but possessed extraordinary martial skills, and there might be Martial Artists backing them. He didn't want to kill the younger ones only for their elders to come after him.

If the younger ones were this extraordinary, the elders would be even more so, very likely to be Martial Artists.

He had experienced the power of a Martial Artist through Shopkeeper Chen.

He was nowhere near a match for a Martial Artist yet.

Without hesitation, Yang Heng picked up a long saber and returned the way he came.

As for their belongings, there was no rush. He could come back for them later.

After all, this was a desolate area, and it was night; few people would come here.

After walking back for about two li, Yang Heng spotted a figure resting by the roots of a tree in the distance.

As he got closer, he saw it was Li Kui!