Infinite Fighting

First thing in the morning, Zhang Ji went to get some food.

While he ate, Kratos was mixing a medicinal paste for his training.

He mixed a large batch this time, probably enough to last Zhang Ji for a long while.

"This should be enough for a while. I’ve also told you the formula, so if you can figure out a way, you can mix it yourself later," Kratos said.

"You’re leaving?" Zhang Ji asked.

"I can’t stay here forever. There are things waiting for me outside." Kratos clapped Zhang Ji on the shoulder and said, "Keep up the training."

"Mm," Zhang Ji nodded.

There was nothing more to say. Everyone had their own choices to make and their own futures to face.

While he ate, he tried using the Limited Space again. His strength fluctuated, and he lost control for a moment, leaving a fingerprint indented in his metal chopsticks.

After he finished eating, he went to work.

After Zhang Ji left, Kratos’s gaze lingered for a long time on the chopstick with the fingerprint indented in it.

’Talent...’

He never would have thought he’d meet such a supremely talented young man at a time and place like this.

He had mastered the basics of the Iron Shirt technique in just three days, under such crude conditions.

It was unheard of, even in the history of the Vajra Sect.

He had sensed something was off before. With this kind of training method, it was incredible that Zhang Ji could manage to practice daily.

An ordinary person would be considered to have good potential if they could train once every ten days. Yet Zhang Ji trained every single day, went to work for a full day afterward, and was completely recovered by nightfall.

He didn’t know how to describe such talent.

He only knew that if Zhang Ji didn’t die, if he had more opportunities, he could perhaps create many miracles.

A shame he was on Shanli Island.

A shame the Vajra Sect had been wiped out, and he was just an insignificant, surviving disciple.

A shame the times had changed, and martial arts no longer reigned supreme.

Shaking his head with a smile, Kratos lit a cigar and began cleaning his gun.

Then he raised the gun and took aim.

"This thing is more useful than a fist!" Kratos muttered.

...

「Kratos was gone.」

When Zhang Ji returned that night, he was nowhere to be seen.

Only the medicine he had mixed was left behind.

Zhang Ji wasn’t one for sentimentality.

His relationship with Kratos was just a transaction: he helped Kratos hide and did work for him, and in return, Kratos taught him the Iron Shirt technique. It was perfectly fair.

Zhang Ji applied the ointment to his body and began to train again.

He struck his body with a wooden stick, able to reach nearly every part.

While training, he extracted the martial arts Skill Essence and stored it in his Limited Space. He had a vague feeling that his training efficiency was now faster than when he first started.

It wasn’t because of experience, but because his body had undergone some changes.

Even though the martial arts Skill Essence was extracted, the traces of his body having practiced the relevant skill remained.

It was like a water bottle that had been stretched out by the water inside. Even after the water was poured out, the bottle’s size wouldn’t change.

So, the benefits of [Limit] were not just about removing diminishing returns; there were also hidden advantages. For example, his current situation was equivalent to having his potential permanently increased.

Time passed, and another three days went by.

That night, Zhang Ji obtained another Skill Essence.

He extracted it, and now there were two (Normal) grade Iron Shirt Skill Essences in his Limited Space.

Then, with a thought, he took out both Skill Essences and applied them to his body.

The next moment, Zhang Ji felt a stretching pain in his body. Under the influence of the Skill Essences, some invisible changes were occurring.

After a while, the strange sensation in his body disappeared.

He exerted a little strength, throwing two punches into the air.

Zhang Ji felt his skin was tighter, his muscles tougher, and his bones and tendons more flexible.

After adapting for a moment, he found a water vat full of water in the corner. Grabbing both sides, he gave a powerful lift, and the vat came off the ground.

It was so much easier than before!

His overall strength had increased by more than thirty percent.

And this was just the change in his strength. The Iron Shirt technique primarily trained defense.

Putting down the vat, Zhang Ji hit himself with the stick a couple of times.

It was like striking leather. He felt no pain, as if he were being hit through a thick cloth. Moreover, his Qi and Blood surged slightly, further reducing some of the force. The damage from this kind of blunt weapon attack was almost zero.

With a thought, he stored the two Skill Essences away again.

Instantly, his slightly bulging muscles contracted, and his taut skin returned to normal.

Everything went back to how it was. Other than the increased capacity of that "stretched water bottle," no one would be able to tell he had practiced a martial art.

「Time flew by.」

Fifteen days had passed since Kratos left.

Zhang Ji had been constantly practicing the Iron Shirt technique, still maintaining his pace of obtaining one Skill Essence every three days.

He now had six Skill Essences.

When he watched TV in the roast duck rice shop, he already felt that the amateur fighters on screen were pretty average.

At the very least, he could also do things like breaking a brick, and he could do it better.

Kui District remained calm and peaceful.

Kratos’s departure didn’t seem to cause any ripples.

Zhang Ji didn’t sense any major changes either.

Goods were still being shipped in, and the shops that were supposed to be open were still open.

It was worth mentioning that Gu Jie’s learning had set an example, causing others to want to learn how to read and write from Zhang Ji as well.

However, Zhang Ji politely refused them.

He wanted to spend more time on his training.

As for Gu Jie, he would just assign him homework and send him home to study on his own.

He planned to explain the situation to Gu Ming soon and then have Gu Jie study by himself.

When it came to language, as long as one mastered the basic learning methods, the rest was just a matter of reading, writing, and practicing more.

Zhang Ji felt that with his limited skills, he wasn’t qualified to teach anything too advanced anyway.

"A large roast duck rice," Zhang Ji said, tossing five batteries onto the counter.

"Coming right up!" the owner replied, gathering up the payment.

Zhang Ji’s appetite had increased again recently.

Perhaps it was because of his martial arts practice.

Soon, the owner brought over the large roast duck rice and slammed it heavily onto the table.

"BANG~!"

...

"BANG~!"

A gunshot rang out. Kratos, hiding behind cover, looked at Wu Chen beside him and asked, "How are you?"

"I’m okay, Kratos. It was Xiaochu who leaked the information. We didn’t betray you," Wu Chen said.

"Chu Xiangwen?" Kratos frowned. "Do you know why?"

"They promised him he could be the new master of Kui District. He killed Ah Jiao and Uncle Gao," Wu Chen said.

"Who’s behind him?"

"I don’t know. All I know is they’re powerful. Slanted-face Guanyin is working for them too!!"

"Hong Kang? He surrendered to them too!"

Kratos couldn’t figure it out.

’Is some faction planning to unify the island?’

But the Eastern Extreme Country would never allow a unified Shanli Island to exist.

"BANG BANG BANG BANG~~!"

"Their firepower is a bit strong. Let’s fall back for now..."

...

’Setting off firecrackers this late at night??’

Zhang Ji frowned, not quite understanding.

He had never heard a gunshot before, and since it was far away, it just sounded like gunpowder, so he subconsciously guessed it was firecrackers.

But after a moment, he felt something wasn’t right.

In the end, however, he didn’t dwell on the issue.

’No matter what, I need to master the Iron Shirt technique first.’

Then, Zhang Ji began striking his entire body again.

...

...

Under the quiet night sky, Zhang Ji returned to his residence with a takeaway container of roast duck rice.

Normally, he didn’t eat roast duck rice at night.

But today was an exception.

Today, he had mastered the Iron Shirt technique.

He focused his mind slightly. Within the pitch-black Limited Space, there was a crystal emitting a dazzling white light.

[Iron Shirt Crystal (Normal)] *1.

This was synthesized from ten Skill Essences.

It represented a complete martial arts skill.

In other words, the theoretical peak state one could achieve with the Iron Shirt technique.

’It’s a shame the medicine is almost gone. I can probably only create two more Skill Essences at most,’ Zhang Ji sighed internally.

He had no idea where he would find more of that medicine in the future.

As he was walking, he suddenly twitched his nose.

Kui District was full of strange stenches, but the smell of blood was rare.

Zhang Ji had intended to go around, but it was clear the other party had no intention of letting him leave.

A dark figure emerged from a small alley, aiming a weapon that looked like a pistol at Zhang Ji.

In that instant, everything in Zhang Ji’s vision seemed to slow down.

His heart stopped, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"BANG~!"

The bullet hit Zhang Ji’s chest but was stopped at the surface of his muscles.

The mastered Iron Shirt technique displayed its defensive power for the first time.

The man was about to fire again, but Zhang Ji had already reacted.

He pushed off forcefully with his feet, shielding his head with his arms as he charged forward.

His opponent was also very experienced, immediately chambering another round and firing again.

"BANG~!"

The bullet struck his right arm. His skin’s Qi and Blood surged, and after the bullet broke through the outer layer of skin, it was caught by his muscles.

At the same time, Zhang Ji had already closed in on him.

There were no fancy moves.

Just one punch!

The man seemed to want to block, but the arm Zhang Ji struck snapped instantly.

"CRACK~!"

The elbow bent at a very bizarre angle.

Zhang Ji didn’t dare to hold back. He threw another punch, smashing it into the man’s head.

"CRACK~! SQUELCH~!"

The cervical spine snapped, and the skull shattered. More than half of it caved in. The man’s entire body fell sideways, sliding some distance along the ground.

He didn’t struggle again. He was completely dead.

Zhang Ji stared at the scene, swallowing hard.

Only then, as his ragged breaths escaped him, did he feel the fear.

’Kill him!’

So he had directly extracted the Skill Crystal from his Limited Space and charged forward to deliver two punches.

There was no technique to speak of.

The first punch had even hit the man’s arm, making it slightly off-target and preventing him from unleashing his full power.

After looking at the corpse, Zhang Ji turned to leave.

After taking two steps, he turned back, picked up the roast duck rice he had dropped, and then hurried back to his residence.

Not long after Zhang Ji left, a few people arrived at the scene.

The leader was a burly man around six feet tall.

He wore a tank top-like shirt that left both his shoulders bare.

On his left shoulder was a tattoo of Guanyin. However, the face of the Guanyin seemed to have been slashed by a knife and then stitched back up, making the face slanted.

As a result, the Guanyin lost its compassionate look, gaining a ferocious and bizarre quality instead.

He squatted beside the corpse, examined the injuries, and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"The force wasn’t weak, but why was it so crude? Did he say something that made Zhao Kui lose his cool? Makes sense. Betrayed by one of his own... I wouldn’t be able to take it either!"

Hong Kang chuckled as he pictured Zhao Kui losing his temper and lashing out with two furious punches.