Realm-Hopping Martial Master

He pulled out the lime from his chest and drew the dagger from his waist.

All in one swift motion.

This set of moves, Jiang Shu had practiced countless times in the small courtyard, and he was already exceptionally skilled at it.

His figure burst forward, the grip on his dagger growing tighter.

He didn't know what realm this martial artist who came to rob him was in.

*Cowhide? Stone Skin? Or Iron Skin?*

But that didn't matter.

This was his counter-kill now.

*After all, on the panel, the shuttle time's cooldown had long since finished!*

Retreat was ready.

So, life and death mattered little!

Zhao Tai and Zheng Kun weren't truly life-or-death battles.

This fight, perhaps, was.

"Not bad!"

To become a Martial Artist in the Skin Grinding Realm was not something just anyone like Zhao Tai or Zheng Kun could achieve.

Jiang Shu had just moved when the masked martial artist sensed something off and quickly retreated. He didn't even have time to worry whether the nameless treasure would be smashed if dropped.

No matter how precious a thing was, how could it compare to one's own life?

The iron staff in his hand, the masked martial artist shifted to the side, raising the staff with one hand, displaying great, overwhelming strength, and suddenly swung at Jiang Shu's head!

*That's not martial arts from the Pingling County martial arts school!*

Jiang Shu's eyes narrowed and he sidestepped the blow. In recent days, he had studied the martial arts taught within the city's schools in detail. Each school's martial arts had its merits, but without exception, none employed weapons!

Strictly speaking, it was as if there was a rule being followed.

Inside the martial arts school, teaching the use of weapons was forbidden.

Jiang Shu kept dodging, the masked martial artist's iron staff swinging according to form and pattern. Under his internal force, the muscles on his arms bulged section by section. It was as if an inexhaustible power could burst out from them.

"You little bastard, how dare you drop my treasure!"

Unable to help himself, the masked martial artist glanced down at that strange treasure, with a look of surprise. He had thought a treasure like this would be fragile for sure. He hadn't expected that after hitting the ground, it was totally unharmed!

*His judgment really was sharp!*

Without the slightest pause, the iron staff in his hand swung straight down at Jiang Shu's head!

This kind of treasure should be owned by the capable!

"Bang."

The iron staff and dagger clashed, sparks flying—the base of Jiang Shu's thumb went numb.

The man before him was at least in the Stone Skin Realm!

"Kid, if you don't know how to use a dagger, then don't mess around. Kneel! If you tell me where you got this treasure, maybe I'll spare your sorry life."

No mercy after gaining the upper hand.

The masked martial artist pressed the attack, his footwork just as exquisite, blocking every attempt Jiang Shu made to counter.

"If I want to survive, I have to exhaust his vital energy, and in the moment of his distraction, snatch the iron staff from his hands!"

Jiang Shu twisted and darted, that thought flashing through his mind.

*The masked martial artist was strong, but his real strength lay in that iron staff. If they could fight hand-to-hand, maybe he wouldn't lose!*

Judging by this world's Martial Arts Realm, up till now, he was still only at Cowhide Realm.

His power had just tempered his skin once.

But in the Xia Country's martial arts, ever since he'd reached Open Strength, his blood and vital energy had only been increasing!

Blood Flower Pig meat.

Red Armored Tiger meat.

These exotic beast meats had all turned into blood energy, stored inside him.

*In a war of attrition, he definitely wouldn't lose to a Stone Skin Realm martial artist!*

In fact, he could even win.

*Thinking back to each of his fights against Qi Yuan, Jiang Shu grew more composed, dodging time and again. Famed for offense as the Tiger Form Three Styles of the Famished Tiger Martial School were…*

*Even the Perfect Level "Slice" could be used for defense instead of attack.*

His body flashed by, sometimes swiping the dagger at the masked martial artist's waist.

In his movements, there was already the shape of the Famished Tiger's Deadly Claw!

Jiang Shu only got smoother and smoother as he fought.

The masked martial artist, on the other hand, grew more and more shocked. By now, he could tell—this kid was just a martial artist at the Cowhide Realm, with his skin tempered only once.

His iron staff had scraped Jiang Shu's skin several times, swelling it right up.

If he'd had Stone Skin, that wouldn't have happened.

But what was strange was that for a Cowhide Realm, fighting with such intensity, his blood energy should have long been exhausted. Why was this kid only getting steadier and steadier? Was he just pretending, or stalling for backup?

He couldn't help narrowing his eyes; anxiety began to set in.

*After all, he'd only tailed the kid out here.*

He couldn't guarantee this guy didn't have partners nearby.

He drew a deep breath, put even more power into the iron staff in his hand, his whole body's blood bursting, force crackling.

He had to settle it as fast as possible!

"He's getting nervous, and here comes my chance."

Jiang Shu acted weary, faking declining blood energy. Several times he deliberately aimed his dagger at the iron staff's side, each time getting knocked back, leaving even the dagger edge with a few small chips.

"Still not giving up?"

He saw Jiang Shu forced against the wall, legs trembling, clearly having run out of strength.

The masked martial artist slammed the iron staff down hard.

This time, he was sure Jiang Shu had no strength left to fight back.

He angled the staff just slightly, switching from a strike at the head to a blow at the shoulder instead.

A single treasure might win someone's favor, but only once.

But if he could get this kid to reveal where more treasures were stashed, he'd not only win someone's favor—he'd win a fortune for himself!

"Now's the moment!"

Jiang Shu's eyes fixed, and as he sidestepped, the Famished Tiger Roar Mountain Strength erupted.

All his blood energy turned to force, and he gripped the dagger even tighter.

This was his last-ditch strike.

If it failed,

he'd have to rely on the panel's shuttle to escape intact!

Jiang Shu leapt up, sidestepping in, charging forward instead of back at the masked martial artist.

He drove the power from his back directly into the masked man's right arm.

"Bang!"

Back and iron staff collided against the right arm.

Agonizing pain shot through him instantly.

*He traded injury for absolute advantage!*

This was the only way Jiang Shu had thought to break the stalemate!

"Bang."

The force of his back rammed like a bull.

The masked martial artist's wrist jolted with pain, and for the first time, the iron staff he'd been gripping tightly dropped to the ground.

Right then, Jiang Shu, in front of him, gritted his teeth and kept his grip strong, refusing to ease up one bit despite the pain.

"Squelch!"

The dagger twisted, driven hard and deep!

Unstoppable, icy sharpness stabbed straight into the masked martial artist's chest.

*Stone Skin! In the end, it was only Stone Skin!*

It wasn't Iron Skin!

What's more, the masked martial artist had already used up a huge amount of blood energy in the fight!

"You—"

Regret flashed in the masked martial artist's eyes, but it was already too late.

He tried to grab the iron staff, but Jiang Shu kicked it out of reach.

Jiang Shu let his inner force break loose, hitting with all his might!

He didn't dare stop!

*He knew that for Stone Skin Realm martial artists, the kind of injury that would kill a normal person instantly—they could still hang on for a long while!*

So what he had to do right now was keep up the pressure!

Beat the masked martial artist till his heart froze in fear!

Beat him until he had nowhere left to run!

Beat him down to the netherworld!

Tiger Form Three Styles.

Pounce!

No matter how tough Stone Skin was, it couldn't toughen up the eyeballs!

Jiang Shu smashed his fist into the man's eye socket and brow.

Punching again and again!

"Kid… you're dead… I am—"

The masked martial artist tried to spit out a final threat, but Jiang Shu couldn't hear a word now. He was like a mad tiger, completely in the zone, swinging his fist again.

The eye socket split, the eyeball bursting out.

The taste of blood filled the air!

"Bang!"

The masked martial artist finally lost his balance and dropped to the ground.

Jiang Shu lunged, gripping the dagger still stuck in the man's chest, and yanked it out with force.

Then stabbed again, fierce and hard!

"Squelch."

"You talk too damn much!"

"Go to hell!"