Chapter 36: Perfection of the Seven Stars

"Since the offense is already given, there is no use in talking further." Qin Liang’s expression was cold as he unleashed his Wind-Runner Step, darting forward to launch an attack.

He had heard of the Sulfur Fire Mercenary Group, and naturally, he knew of the Black Tiger Gang. This gang had never done a virtuous deed; they were a gathering of vicious and lawless scoundrels. Even if one were to set a fire to cleanse them all, no one would be wronged. Qin Liang had long desired to rid the people of such a pestilence. In the past, he lacked the strength, but today was different from the past, and perhaps he now had the hope to fulfill his wish.

"You court death!"

Zhu Hao was incensed. Crimson spiritual radiance bloomed from his body, glowing like a scorching sun as he lunged at Qin Liang.

Qin Liang wielded his Origin Weapon, but he could not meet the force head-on. Each time, he narrowly evaded the sharp edge with incredible agility. Several times, the force of the strikes nearly sent his weapon flying from his grip, leaving Qin Liang secretly shaken. Zhu Hao was formidable among those who had undergone six Spirit Refinements; he was the most agile opponent Qin Liang had encountered, possessing speed nearly equal to his own. It was extremely difficult for Qin Liang to gain an advantage in speed.

"This Origin Weapon of yours is not bad; it shall be my spoils of war."

After several exchanges, admiration gradually flickered in Zhu Hao’s eyes, and he prepared to claim the sword blank for himself.

"Win against me first before you dream of that."

Qin Liang replied coldly, continuing to swing the sword with slashes that tore through the air with a piercing whistle.

Boom!

Zhu Hao dodged, and the sword’s energy split a large tree behind him in two, sending the birds perched upon it scattering in terror. Zhu Hao’s frame was smaller than a Iron-Bristled Boar, and his footwork was nimble, making it difficult for the sword blank to land a hit.

"Take this!" Zhu Hao raised his fist and struck again from another angle.

Qin Liang engaged his Wind-Runner Step to evade. With a thunderous bang, a massive boulder beside him was shattered by the sheer force of the punch, sending stone fragments flying in every direction. Seeing Zhu Hao wind up for another powerful strike, Qin Liang hurriedly raised his sword to parry. The force of the impact was violent, and the sword blank was knocked from his hand, falling into a distant thicket.

Seeing this, Zhu Hao was overjoyed. Like a wild beast, he began punching at Qin Liang with renewed, terrifying ferocity.

"Hmph!"

Qin Liang snorted inwardly, activating his secret technique, the Wild Beast Body: Azure Wolf Frenzy. He elevated his combat power to its limit and countered with the Seven-Star Fist, continuously unleashing wave after wave of hidden force that sent the air in the forest churning.

"What secret technique is this?" Zhu Hao was astonished. He had not expected this youth to have hidden cards up his sleeve.

However, being accustomed to a life of bloodshed, he quickly steadied his mind and utilized his familiar basic martial arts to trade blow for blow. It was a contest of pure pugilism, and when pushed to the limit, his technique was a match for Qin Liang’s Seven-Star Fist.

The longer they fought, the more alarmed Zhu Hao became. He could not help but shout, "Who exactly are you? The Sulfur Fire Mercenary Group has never had someone like you. If you leave now, my Black Tiger Gang will pretend this never happened."

He realized that he might not be able to kill his opponent, and if this youth were allowed to grow, it would be a major threat; thus, he resorted to verbal weakness.

Unfortunately, Qin Liang was not buying it. He remained silent, his punches unrelenting. He, too, had realized that they were evenly matched, and if this continued, it would only result in mutual destruction. A seasoned six-time Spirit Refinement expert was indeed difficult to handle, especially one who had already manifested spiritual radiance within his body. Even when he released his spiritual perception, he failed to disrupt Zhu Hao’s focus; the man’s combat resolve was remarkably steadfast.

"Perhaps I can push the proficiency of this fist technique to perfection."

In the midst of the stalemate, a sudden realization dawned on Qin Liang. He felt that the proficiency of the *Seven-Star Fist* could still be improved. He had already mastered the ability to integrate seven layers of hidden force, which was considered the "Great Completion" stage of the technique. Most martial arts manuals only recorded content up to Great Completion; perfection required the practitioner’s own enlightenment.

Zhu Hao was much older than Qin Liang, and his years of practice meant his own martial arts were clearly at the Great Completion stage as well. If Qin Liang could push his technique to perfection, he might just gain the edge needed to survive this fight.

"But, how do I achieve perfection?"

Qin Liang felt a surge of anxiety, but he quickly steadied his mind, immersing himself in the sensation of every punch. He imagined that he himself was the fist—a fist capable of shattering everything.

"Seven layers of hidden force... why must there be seven? Wouldn't one layer be more convenient?"

Qin Liang was puzzled. What had the creator of this technique been thinking? Was it not cumbersome to manifest seven layers of force?

"Or perhaps... the seven layers can be fused into one?"

With this thought, Qin Liang acted decisively. He was in the middle of a life-or-death battle and had no time for deep reflection; he could only experiment as he fought. If others knew that Qin Liang was calmly researching martial arts in the middle of a duel, they would surely call him a madman. In such a crisis, one should be focused, yet he dared to let his mind wander.

*Bang, bang, bang...*

After repeated attempts, his persistence finally paid off. After half an hour of intense combat, Qin Liang finally grasped the balance of power. He fused the seven layers of hidden force into one, concentrated it into his fist, and smashed it against Zhu Hao’s radiant, glowing fist.

Boom!

The two collided like shifting mountains. Spiritual radiance flickered, and the surrounding air surged violently, devastating the grass, trees, and earth.

"How is this possible?"

Zhu Hao’s pupils constricted instantly. He realized that his own fist was beginning to disintegrate, inch by inch. His arm was mangled up to the shoulder, flesh and bone reduced to a pulp. His body was thrown sideways like a kite with a broken string, smashing into a massive boulder.

Before the shock had even faded from his face, Qin Liang was already upon him, a fist pressed against his forehead.

"Any last words?"

Qin Liang’s expression was indifferent. He stepped on Zhu Hao’s chest, looking down at him with undisguised killing intent.

"You... if you kill me, the Black Tiger Gang will never let you go..."

*Bang!*

Hearing only the first half of the sentence, Qin Liang knew the man had nothing good to say. Having lost his patience, he concentrated the fused hidden force into his foot and stomped down. Zhu Hao’s internal organs and meridians were shattered instantly, and he perished on the spot.

Having resolved the fight, Qin Liang took the Qiankun bag from the ground and tossed the body into the Heavenly Desolation Cauldron. A moment later, only a pool of bright red essence remained in the cauldron. He poured the essence into a porcelain bottle to store it for the time being. The corpse contained considerable spiritual energy, and he did not want to waste it; even if he could not drink it directly, he believed the spiritual essence would have other miraculous uses, waiting for him to discover them through the cauldron.

"What is this?"

Qin Liang pulled an ancient piece of animal skin from Zhu Hao’s Qiankun bag and examined it closely. The hide was ancient, taken from some unknown beast. It was covered in intricate, crisscrossing lines and square patterns, resembling a map of an underground labyrinth.

"This doesn't look like a defensive layout of the Black Tiger Gang either!"

Qin Liang was puzzled, but he tucked the hide away and set the matter aside. He cleaned up the battlefield, retrieved his sword blank, and turned to head toward the encampment of the Sulfur Fire Mercenary Group.

This battle had yielded a bountiful harvest. Aside from the medicinal herb Wither-Bloom Grass, the Qiankun bags of Zhu Hao and his men contained many beast materials; at the very least, they could be sold to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in exchange for spirit coins. The greatest gain, however, was that the *Seven-Star Fist* had successfully reached the stage of perfection. Facing another six-time Spirit Refinement expert like Zhu Hao would no longer be as arduous as before.

...

In the dense forest, Qin Liang utilized his movement technique, his feet skimming tree branches, his body as light as a swallow. Traveling with the wind was indeed fast; some birds had not even reacted before he had already flashed past them.

Traveling alone, his speed was much faster than when he had arrived, and he reached the mouth of the valley within half an hour.

"What is going on?"

Qin Liang stood at the valley entrance, his brow furrowed. He had released his spiritual perception, yet he could feel no presence within the valley. The grass huts and stone chambers within his line of sight were all deserted.

The cooking fires were still burning, indicating that the people had left only moments ago. He walked to the pen where the spirit beasts were kept; all ten or so beasts were gone, with only traces of blood remaining.

"Ling Fei and the others... I fear they have met with misfortune."

Qin Liang’s expression turned grim. Just as he was about to turn away, he saw a Silver-Horned Deer crawl out from the grass in the corner.