Realm-Hopping Martial Master

Two days later.

After telling his parents that he planned to travel far, Jiang Shu returned to Pingling County and set off for Sanling Town with Qi Yuan.

Sanling Town,

Surrounded on three sides by mountains.

Half the residents in the town came from hunter families.

Living off the mountains.

Though they were not Martial Artists, they inherited skills and experience from generation to generation and, even at the mountain's edge, could still hunt a few wild rabbits or pheasants.

They could sell them at a good price in town,

Or bring them home to improve the family's meals, giving the women and children a bit more meat.

"Young Master Zhao,"

Just as they reached town, a middle-aged hunter around forty was already waiting for them, calling out.

Qi Yuan, going by the alias Young Master Zhao, wore sturdy travel clothes and carried a large longbow and a quiver of a hundred arrows on his back—anyone could see they were expensive.

There was a long knife on his waist as well.

The two weapons covered both close and long-range attacks.

Jiang Shu, on the other hand, looked much more understated.

The iron staff that belonged to the masked Martial Artist was simply wrapped in a layer of iron sheet for disguise and slung across his back.

He carried a canteen in his hand, and there were some seasonings in his bundle.

"Let's go,"

Qi Yuan's tone was cold. The more you said when traveling, the more likely you would give yourself away,

Even though, in this little town, there wasn't really any threat to them.

But if nothing went wrong, then it was best nothing went wrong.

He needed to save most of his energy for the mountain.

"Alright. Dahei, let's go."

With his most precious old dog at his feet, the hunter led Qi Yuan and Jiang Shu up the mountain, sharing the knowledge he had picked up along the way.

"We use this road the most, so there's not much left that's good. Look, this kind of wild fruit tastes a little bad, but it quenches thirst. Eat a few, and they're even better than drinking water."

"If you go up the left road, not so many people walk there. Last time, there was talk about a hunter from our town being dragged away by a big tiger. Who knows if it's true."

"The road on the right, we've searched every inch, and there's not much left there, either."

The middle-aged hunter kept talking as he led them up the left mountain path.

He'd taken a good amount of silver, so of course he couldn't take his clients to a spot with nothing at all.

The left road was a bit dangerous, but in broad daylight, it probably wasn't that bad.

Besides, Dahei was leading the way up front.

"Whoa, hey. Young Master Zhao, wait up,"

The hunter suddenly stopped, a flicker of joy flashing in his eyes. He turned around, bent down, pulled a tiny sprig out from a crack in the rock, and explained, "We call this sweetheart grass. Boil it in water, and the water gets sweet. Just right to take home for my grandson."

Treating this finger-sized wild grass like treasure, the hunter grinned from ear to ear. Then, all of a sudden, the big black dog up ahead began to tremble and bolted back in a panic.

Leaves rustled to the ground, and for a moment it felt like a wild wind had swept through the forest.

There was a tremendous crash behind the tangled undergrowth.

A large fierce tiger with a white forehead and hanging eyes leaped out.

Its fangs were bared and terrifying. As it roared, the air shook with the sound of its howls. The black dog collapsed on the ground, whimpering helplessly.

The middle-aged hunter fared even worse. For all his experience, he had never faced such a ferocious beast!

He had a hatchet on his belt,

And his heirloom wooden bow on his back,

But in front of a tiger like that, what use were these little things!

*Was he… finished this time?*

"Whoosh!"

He drew an arrow and pulled back his longbow.

Qi Yuan completed the motion in one smooth move, sending an arrow straight into the tiger's eye.

He had made plenty of preparations for this outing into the mountains—even this bow and arrow, he had practiced with for over ten days.

No matter how fierce the tiger was, it was just a regular beast.

How could it block his way!

"Let me do it!"

Jiang Shu let out a long roar.

Coming to the mountains, he meant to test and hone his fighting skills.

If it were a bear or something, he would have let Senior Qi finish it with an arrow.

But a tiger was different.

He had learned martial arts from Hungry Tiger Martial Arts School—how could he not experience it for himself!

Jiang Shu sprang forward, wild as the roaring tiger before him.

"Bang!"

Dodging the tiger's claws, Jiang Shu punched down, his strength clashing with the beast's!

Pounce!

Lift!

Slice!

Jiang Shu felt something stir within him. After experiencing it firsthand, he saw the proficiency of Tiger Form Three Styles leap again—he was close to reaching the limit!

"If you want to head back, you can go now."

The hunter had already shared considerable experience on the way up,

And explained the layout of the mountain paths.

Qi Yuan turned to the now-shaken hunter and said, after all, they had only just started and already run into a tiger,

The rest of the trail could hold more wild beasts.

Without the hunter along, it would actually make things easier for them.

In his ears, the sound of fists and tiger's roars echoed nonstop.

He didn't care.

After sparring so many days with his younger apprentice, he knew the boy's level well.

An average Stone Skin Realm fighter might not even take him down.

The tiger was fierce, sure,

But it was still just a wild beast!

When it came to skill, it was no match for his younger apprentice.

When it came to strength, it was no match, either.

Sure enough, when Qi Yuan turned around, Jiang Shu had already taken the upper hand, straddling the tiger's back,

Punches like hammers! Hammering the tiger's head!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

After three strikes,

The once-mighty tiger was left bleeding from its eyes, mouth, nose, and ears.

Howling in pain, it collapsed and couldn't move!

"Th-this—this is a Martial Artist, sir!"

Seeing the tiger fall, the hunter could not help but speak in a trembling voice.

He had never imagined these two young masters in front of him were Martial Artists!

No wonder they dared to enter the mountains.

"Here's the reward I promised you—time for you to head back."

Flipping the hunter a tael of silver, Qi Yuan repeated himself.

"Alright, alright,"

The hunter didn't dare stay. He took his pay and left with Dahei.

Jiang Shu slung the tiger over his back and went deeper into the mountains with Qi Yuan.

They hiked mountain paths in the morning and slept in caves at night,

Drank stream water and ate wild game,

For three days and nights, not a single Mutant Beast appeared.

But they did run into plenty of ordinary wild animals.

Bears, tigers, wolves, and wild boars.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In the forest, Jiang Shu's clothes had already been torn to rags.

He never took a day off. Every day, he fought different wild beasts, racking up loads of experience.

In his mind, since Mutant Beasts were just wild beasts born with strange mutations,

They must keep their old habits and fighting postures, too.

The more he understood these wild animals,

The better prepared he would be for future fights with Mutant Beasts of the same realm—he might not be at a disadvantage.

Every punch, every kick, already carried the force of a tiger.

By now, his Tiger Form Three Styles seemed ready to break into a whole new Realm.

No longer limited by just those three moves.

With a long howl!

Jiang Shu raised both hands, and with a surge of power, tore a leopard apart bare-handed!

Warm leopard blood splattered all over Jiang Shu.

In his mind,

Pounce!

Lift!

Slice!

Each move transformed again and again!

A semi-transparent panel appeared suddenly,

Jiang Shu—

Hungry Tiger Sits Cave Stance, Perfection (800/1000)

Hungry Tiger Breathing Technique, Perfection (800/1000)

Tiger Form Three Styles, Break Limit

Hungry Tiger Killing Claw, entry-level (400/1000)

Snake Step, entry-level (600/1000)