Chapter 94: A Single Strike to Kill


    Watching Bart and Chuck disintegrate before his eyes, Han Ming was filled with a deep sense of reflection.


    He had always looked down on these men, even harboring hostility toward them. But reality often has a way of surprising you.


    At first, Han Ming had assumed that these individuals, who used others for their own gain, were nothing but ruthless villains—despicable at best. But life had taught him a lesson.


    Never judge someone too quickly, and never let first impressions cloud your vision. Never underestimate anyone. Everyone in this world has their own story, their own unique and winding journey. You don’t know what someone has endured to survive, but one thing is certain: no one is born wanting to be evil.


    Perhaps their actions are reprehensible, but who can claim they’ve never made a mistake? Han Ming sighed inwardly. Humans are like this: when we make a mistake, we find all sorts of excuses to justify ourselves. But when someone else makes a mistake in front of us, we’re quick to label them as the kind of person we assume they are.


    The twenty or so people who had followed Chuck on this expedition had indeed been used by him. But if they hadn’t been driven by greed, they wouldn’t have met such a tragic end. In a way, hadn’t they also tried to take advantage of Chuck and his companions’ strength?


    Using others and being used both come with a price. But people often only see the price paid by the weak, ignoring the sacrifices made by the strong. This is a kind of bias.


    In this world, there is no absolute right or wrong, and no one has the right to judge others. Han Ming didn’t bother dwelling on such philosophical questions. All he knew was that in their final moments, Chuck and Bart had shone with a brilliance that was impossible to ignore.


    The veiled woman stood up and began to clap.


    “I must admit, that was truly admirable. So, will you be joining the challenge next?” Her gaze locked onto the last remaining person—Han Ming.


    Han Ming smiled and nodded. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”


    With that, he stepped into the center of the arena.


    The woman tied to the stone pillar wept and pleaded, “Two of your friends have already died. That’s enough. Please, just leave. You’re no match for these monsters. Don’t end up like them.”


    Han Ming looked at her, his eyes filled with gratitude and respect. It wasn’t easy for someone in her position, facing life and death, to plead for the only person who could save her to leave. At the very least, she had earned Han Ming’s admiration.


    “Thank you for your kindness. But even if I were to withdraw now, do you think they’d let me go? No. And as a man, there are some things I simply must do.”


    Han Ming smiled faintly. “Who’s first?”


    A snake man stepped forward, nodding slightly at Han Ming. “I’ll take you on.”


    “Come on, then,” Han Ming said calmly.


    The snake man strode toward Han Ming, his thick tail whipping toward Han Ming’s chest.


    In Han Ming’s mind, the teachings of Li Xiaotian surfaced: “Han Ming, do you know what martial arts truly are?”


    “I know a little, but not enough.”


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    The legendary master, who had once dominated two continents, stood before Han Ming with his hands behind his back, exuding an aura of absolute confidence. It was the kind of presence that didn’t need energy or killing intent to define what it meant to be a true master.


    “Let me ask you this: if your speed is slower than your opponent’s, what would you do?”


    Han Ming thought for a long time but couldn’t come up with an answer. He shook his head helplessly.


    “If your opponent is faster, and you want to surpass them, there’s only one way: anticipate.”


    “Anticipate?”


    “Exactly. Anticipate your opponent’s next move, their reaction, their speed. Only by knowing what your enemy will do next can you act faster, because you’ll already be moving before they do. Even if you’re faster, anticipating their moves will save you energy. Often, the simplest attacks are the most effective.”


    Han Ming pondered this for a long time.


    Now, his thoughts returned to the present. The snake man’s tail was already sweeping toward him, so fast that it tore through the air.


    Han Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly as he suddenly crouched, dodging the tail.


    “If I crouch in front of him, he’ll definitely try to kick me in the face. He will!”


    Han Ming quickly assessed the situation. It wasn’t that the snake man was faster than him; Han Ming simply didn’t want to waste energy. Bart had lost because he had exhausted himself. Han Ming needed to conserve his strength and end this fight as efficiently as possible.


    “Kick me! Kick me!!”


    Han Ming’s heartbeat quickened as he focused all his attention on his senses, allowing him to detect even the slightest movement around him.


    Just as Han Ming had predicted, the snake man instinctively lifted his foot to kick Han Ming in the face. The kick was powerful, carrying a gust of wind.


    “Now!” Han Ming thought.


    “When one leg is raised, the other is the only support. That’s the weakness of this stance.”


    Han Ming’s feet shifted rapidly, twisting his upper body to dodge the incoming kick while simultaneously sweeping his own leg along the ground, striking the snake man’s supporting leg.


    The snake man’s leg was swept out from under him, and he began to topple. But Han Ming had already planned his next move. Without even looking to see if the snake man had fallen, Han Ming pivoted, his upper body twisting upward as his right arm bent at the elbow, driving it like a spearhead straight into the snake man’s temple.


    Crack!


    A sickening sound of bone breaking echoed as Han Ming’s elbow shattered the snake man’s skull, splattering brain matter across the ground. The snake man collapsed, dead.


    Han Ming’s movements had been effortless, requiring neither excessive strength nor speed. He had simply executed a series of precise actions, as easily as doing a push-up.


    “Impressive technique. I must admit, I didn’t expect a water mage like you to rely on physical combat,” the veiled woman said, clearly impressed. “You’re clever, conserving your energy.”


    Han Ming smiled. “Thank you. Who’s next?”


    The remaining snake people, now numbering around fifty or sixty, were stunned. They could accept Bart’s brutal, explosive attacks, even his fiery punches that reduced their kin to ash. That kind of violence, while shocking, didn’t shake them to their core.


    But Han Ming’s calm, almost casual execution of their comrade was something else entirely. It was unnerving, like watching a tiny flea leap onto a companion, bite once, and kill instantly. It created a sense of dread, a creeping fear that sapped their will to fight.


    “To defeat your enemy, first break their spirit,” Li Xiaotian had once told Han Ming.


    Another snake man stepped forward, trying to bolster his courage. “I don’t believe you can kill us all without using energy or magic, relying only on simple physical techniques!”


    With a loud cry, he lunged at Han Ming, his clawed hands glowing with sharp, deadly energy. He aimed to tear through Han Ming’s chest.


    Han Ming’s expression turned serious.


    “How do you deal with an enemy in the air? First, understand the limitations of someone who jumps.”


    “If they can’t fly, they can’t change direction mid-air. They can only attack again after landing,” Han Ming thought, recalling Li Xiaotian’s teachings.


    “So, how do you counter it?”


    “How do I counter it?” Han Ming’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he watched the snake man leap toward him.


    Suddenly, Han Ming dropped flat onto his back.


    The snake man, expecting Han Ming to either attack or dodge, was completely caught off guard. His trajectory had been aimed at Han Ming’s chest, but now Han Ming was lying on the ground, out of reach.


    “What kind of move is this?” the snake man thought, bewildered. As he flew over Han Ming, he prepared to land and strike.


    But Han Ming had already planned his next move. The moment the snake man passed over him, Han Ming planted his hands on the ground and kicked upward with both feet, striking the snake man’s face. With a powerful twist of his body, Han Ming flipped upright, his feet slamming the snake man’s head into the ground.


    Thud!


    Han Ming stood up, his feet resting on the shattered skull of the snake man.


    Another one-strike kill.