“What?!”
“He's Qu Bushi! The tenth chief of Chenjian Dock?!”
“Impossible! How could he be here?!”
Exclamations of shock rose one after another, horror written on everyone's faces.
The reputation of Chenjian Dock was simply too resounding.
Especially for the Ji family.
The fall of Ji Guannan was still fresh in their minds, like a wound that had yet to heal.
Hearing Qu Bushi's name suddenly made the Ji sisters tremble violently.
Yet Qu Bushi completely ignored the shivering crowd by the carriage.
He stared at Shen Xiuhan in surprise, a faint, intrigued smile curling his lips.
“Kid, I'm quite curious. How did you see through my hiding spot underwater?”
Meeting his highly oppressive gaze, Shen Xiuhan's face remained cold and grim.
“Go ask those three useless trash in the underworld. They were the ones who told me.”
Qu Bushi's smile froze instantly.
“You... killed them?”
“Otherwise?”
Qu Bushi's expression darkened slightly, and killing intent flared in his eyes, cold enough to form icicles.
“You court death!”
The bluestone beneath his feet shattered and sprayed outward with a boom!
His body lunged toward Shen Xiuhan like a raging bear escaping its cage, enveloped in a tidal wave of blood qi!
With his very first move, he unleashed a Great Accomplishment-level ultimate technique.
『Star-Plucking Hand』!
Martial arts were divided into four tiers: Low-grade, Mid-grade, High-grade, and Ultimate.
Low-grade could be cultivated to the Mingjin Rank, Mid-grade to the Anjin Rank, and High-grade to the Huajin Rank.
As for ultimate techniques, they were cultivation methods and martial skills that could be trained all the way to the Gangjin Rank.
This 『Star-Plucking Hand』 was derived from the 『General Outline of Star-Plucking and Moon-Seizing』, the sect-protecting divine technique of the 『Star-Plucking Sect』, one of the four great powerhouses of the prefectural city.
Later, Duan Xiao had obtained it by chance and passed it on to Qu Bushi.
This technique's moves were insidious and tricky, specifically targeting the human body's joints, acupoints, and vital bones.
Its combat style was complex and treacherous, like a cancer clinging to the bone. Once ensnared by it, one would suffer broken bones and severed tendons at best, or have their limbs completely crippled at worst!
Qu Bushi closed the distance like a phantom.
Blood qi swirled around him.
His five fingers curled into a claw, whistling sharply as they lunged toward Shen Xiuhan's throat!
“Bring it on!”
A brilliant light flared in Shen Xiuhan's eyes.
This technique shared a similar philosophy to the 『Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force』, instantly causing his battle intent to boil. He abruptly activated 『Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon』!
Swish!
Shen Xiuhan's spine arched and snapped like a great dragon, sliding sideways at an incredible angle and narrowly evading the claw.
The wind from the claw brushed past his ear, sending his sideburns flying.
“A movement technique!”
Qu Bushi let out a strange cry, surprise flashing in his eyes, which quickly gave way to intense interest:
“Good kid! Hand over the manual for that movement technique, and I will spare your life!”
Shen Xiuhan snorted coldly. Instead of retreating, he advanced, stepping forward with immense force!
Thud, thud, thud!
Blood qi surged into his legs.
The impact shattered the bluestone pavement, leaving behind a trail of deep, clear footprints!
Suddenly halting his advance, he twisted his waist and stepped forward, his right leg thrusting out like a javelin!
The kick generated a howling wind, tearing a visible shockwave through the air!
『Thirty-Six Paths Sky-Collapsing Kick: Spear-Thrust Kick』!
Qu Bushi did not panic in the slightest.
His hands unleashed a flurry of claw shadows. Sidestepping slightly to dodge the kick, he violently drove his claw downward, aiming straight for Shen Xiuhan's kneecap!
If this claw connected, even someone with a Great Accomplishment in the Bone Tempering Rank would have their leg crippled!
Yet Shen Xiuhan neither dodged nor avoided it.
Arching his foot, he used the inner side of his knee to directly block the lethal claw!
At the same time, his right hand curled into a claw, swinging out with a backhand strike!
『Heavenly Mystic Eagle Force: Mystic Eagle Bone-Cracker』!
“Trading blow for blow? You're asking for death!”
Qu Bushi laughed instead of getting angry.
Blood qi, like boiling water, flooded into his left hand. His five fingers, hard as steel nails, plunged down viciously!
Bang!
A dull thud echoed.
It felt as if he had struck a steel plate. The impact numbed Qu Bushi's fingers and sent a dull ache through his web of thumb and forefinger.
“Not good!”
Qu Bushi's expression changed dramatically as a chill surged up his spine.
But before he could think further, a sharp claw wind rushed toward his face.
Qu Bushi grit his teeth and desperately threw his head back.
But it was still a step too late!
Slash!
Shen Xiuhan's eagle-like fingers scraped across Qu Bushi's face!
Rip!
His fingertips left five deep, bloody gashes on the man's face. The flesh peeled back, and half of the skin on his left cheek was torn off, exposing the crimson muscle beneath!
Blood immediately gushed out, coating half of his face.
Qu Bushi staggered back several steps. He raised a hand to touch the wound on his face; as his fingertips brushed the mangled flesh, the intense pain made his lips twitch.
His gaze was as cold as ice as he stared at Shen Xiuhan, his voice raspy and low:
“Is this... a body-tempering technique?”
Without waiting for Shen Xiuhan to reply, he pulled his mouth into a grotesque smirk and said slowly:
“Good, good, good... As expected of the Face-Tearing Demon's disciple. That crazy hag's claw technique wasn't learned in vain.”
Shen Xiuhan flicked his fingers.
The bits of flesh, blood, and skin trapped between his fingers vanished into a mist of blood as his internal force vibrated.
Shen Xiuhan's expression remained indifferent, but a trace of oddity crossed his mind:
Face-Tearing Demon...
Is that Master's nickname?
Hmm, doesn't sound very pleasant.
“Kid, you really do have some skill! It seems Erniang, Third Brother, and Fourth Brother didn't die in vain by your hands!”
Qu Bushi stabilized his stance, the killing intent in his eyes as thick as ink, almost materializing into physical form.
Suddenly, he fished out a translucent jade bead the size of a fingernail and gripped it in his palm.
The bead was as lustrous as water, with a faint, undulating light rippling across its surface, as if a miniature lake were contained within.
“Too bad you are destined to have your skin peeled and tendons pulled by me today!”
The moment the jade bead touched his hand, the aura around Qu Bushi underwent a sudden change.
Around the pier.
The misty water vapor in the air seemed to be drawn by some mysterious force, converging frantically toward his palm, causing ripples to spread across the river's surface.
Immediately after, Qu Bushi's palms flew into motion, carrying the faint, roaring sound of raging waves crashing against the shore.
This was not his primary martial skill.
Rather, it was a palm technique he had specially trained after obtaining this water-attribute treasure.
As long as he held this singular jade bead and executed water-related martial skills, their power would skyrocket!
『Vast Wave Palm』!
“Die for me!!!”
His hair flying wildly in the gale, Qu Bushi unleashed a palm strike with absolute fury!
Boom!
In an instant, layers of palm shadows surged forward like deep blue, roaring waves, blocking all of Shen Xiuhan's paths of retreat as they swept over him!
The countless palm shadows overlapped and condensed in midair, ultimately forming a nearly solid, deep blue palm print several yards wide that crashed down from above, pressing toward Shen Xiuhan!
What a fierce and powerful momentum!
This is absolutely not an attack a Mingjin Rank martial artist could unleash!
Shen Xiuhan looked up at the massive palm print, shock flashing in his pupils.
In this life-or-death split second, he pushed his blood qi to its absolute limit. 『Swift Swan, Swimming Dragon』 turned his body into a blurry afterimage, sliding him out of harm's way just along the falling edge of the palm print.
Boom!!!
The massive palm print crashed down!
The bluestone pier was shattered to pieces, sending stones and dust shooting into the sky. It left behind a terrifying crater several yards wide, with cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
Before Shen Xiuhan could even catch his breath, Qu Bushi's hideous laughter rang out once more.
Immediately after, another palm print rapidly condensed and pressed down upon him!
“Palm Force! This is Palm Force!”
By the carriage, looking at the deep blue giant palm that seemed like heavenly wrath, Ji Xue seemed to remember something and suddenly shrieked in terror.
Rate on N.U.
