Under One Person: The Sea Emperor Who Shattered Heaven and Earth

Click!

The assassin intended to use the short sword imbued with "Qi" to forcefully cut through, but the moment the blade touched Jiang Zhen's fist, the entire short sword seemed to be caught in a shredder.

Faced with that extremely high frequency vibration, the so-called "protective qi" was as brittle as a layer of plastic wrap. The short knife shattered into hundreds of tiny iron filings, and then that frequency traveled along the broken blade and blasted directly into the assassin's arm.

"what!!"

The scream was only half-finished when, in full view of everyone, the assassin's entire arm exploded into a cloud of blood mist with a "bang." As the bones were shattered into powder, his body spun like a rag doll and crashed through the wall.

"What?!" The lead man in the kimono's pupils constricted.

In his view, this laborer had no Qi at all and was simply using his bare body to catch the blade. How could he possibly shatter a famous sword that was imbued with Qi?

"Your turn, lighter."

Jiang Zhen twisted his neck, his bones cracking like popping beans. He could feel the vibrations within his body cheering him on; this pressure from actual combat with the superhumans was the "fuel" his body craved.

"Baka! Ishikawa-style Sky-Splitting Slash!"

The leader flew into a rage, drawing his long sword and unleashing a two-meter-long crescent-shaped arc of blue light that sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Jiang Zhen's eyes narrowed.

He's not arrogant enough to dare to use his bare body to catch a weapon, especially since this little guy's sword has been buffed with sharpness.

"Since you want a big show, then I'll give you a big one!"

Jiang Zhen took a deep breath, his legs suddenly plunging into a horse stance, his muscles tensing intensely. He placed his left hand on the joint of his right arm to absorb the impending recoil.

"Break for me...!"

He faced the blue arc of light head-on and threw his heaviest punch to date.

*Snap!*

Under the horrified gaze of the man in the kimono, the air in front of him suddenly cracked like a shattered mirror, revealing tiny white fissures!

That was space itself wailing.

The azure sword energy vanished the moment it struck the crack. Immediately afterward, an unparalleled shockwave swept out.

Rumble!!

The already dilapidated alleyway shack was completely reduced to dust by this punch.

The man in the kimono didn't even have time to scream before the famous sword in his hand shattered. He was hit head-on by the shockwave, his internal organs shifting instantly. His body flew more than thirty meters, crashing through three brick walls before collapsing like a rag doll in a pool of blood.

Smoke and dust filled the air.

Jiang Zhen stood in the center of the ruins, his right arm trembling slightly, tiny beads of blood seeping from under his skin.

"Huh...huh..."

"This level of capability is still acceptable."

Jiang Zhen was panting heavily, but his eyes were brighter than ever before.

"This is what is known as the Ishikawa River, full of rotten fish and shrimp."

Jiang Zhen glanced at the two broken swords on the ground and curled his lip in disdain: "With this level of skill, you dare to act arrogantly in Shanghai? Are all the local supernatural beings dead?"

He turned his head and looked at the third assassin who had been watching the show from the shadows.

The assassin was also affected by the aftershocks, lying on the ground with gurgling blood coming out of his mouth.

Jiang Zhen plopped down on the ruins, looking at the faint light of dawn breaking on the horizon, rubbing his aching arms, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.

"Damn, showing off really takes energy, I'm hungry again..."

The Tremor-Tremor Fruit's power is indeed groundbreaking and incredibly strong, but its biggest limitation right now is its user.

We must find a solution quickly, lest it turn out like the Seven Injury Fist, which injures others but injures ourselves first.

Chapter 4 The Olive Branch of the Canal Gang

Jiang Zhen squatted in the ruins, searching everywhere. Finally, he found the cold, dusty steamed bun under half a broken brick, patted it, and stuffed it into his mouth without expression.

"Damn, it's unbelievable that a transmigrator has ended up like this."

While others who time-travel to Longhu Mountain or Sanyi Gate, he's still here picking up trash to eat.

The ache in his right arm surged up his head in waves. He looked down and saw that the bluish-purple color of the veins had faded slightly, but the fine blood droplets on the skin were still particularly noticeable in the morning mist.

"Ishikawa Ryu? Sounds impressive, and he's good at cutting through walls, but he's fragile and even more delicate than me."

Jiang Zhen grumbled, but he didn't feel much sense of accomplishment. In his opinion, these so-called "little-day superhumans" were no different from biscuits in terms of physical fragility, except for their sharp knives and green glow.

If you were even grazed by his vibrations, you would fall apart instantly. Compared to those true masters, they are at best insignificant nobodys.

Just as he was wondering if he should find another place to hide, a series of orderly footsteps came from the alley entrance.

It wasn't the harsh sound of wooden clogs, but the steady, muffled thud of thick-soled cloth shoes stepping on the bluestone slabs.

hum-

Jiang Zhen's expression instantly tightened. In his perception, an extremely thick Qi, like an earthen wall, was rapidly approaching.

"Isn't this over yet?"

He forced himself to stand up, his left hand resting on his right arm again. Although he was currently in a "fragile mage" state, even if it meant losing this arm, he could still send this entire alleyway to the sky.

The newcomer had not yet revealed his face, but Jiang Zhen's tense aura was already palpable, and he quickly spoke up.

"Young man, don't misunderstand, we're on the same side!"

Manager Liu peeked out from the corner first. Behind him were four burly men, each dressed in a neat black short jacket with a menacing dark red "漕" character embroidered on their chest.

The leader was a middle-aged, burly man who looked like a black iron tower. With each step he took, Jiang Zhen could feel a certain regular fluctuation transmitted back from the ground.

“This is…” Jiang Zhen’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“This is our Grand Canal Gang’s top leader in Shiliupu, ‘Mountain Opener’ Master Feng Wu.” Manager Liu rushed over, his eyelids twitching as he looked at the broken knives scattered on the ground and the half-collapsed alleyway. “I knew those Japanese were up to no good. Luckily, young man, you have extraordinary abilities.”

Ignoring Manager Liu's flattery, Master Feng kept his eyes fixed on the crack beneath Jiang Zhen's feet.

The crack was extremely strange; it wasn't a dent caused by a heavy object hitting it, but rather as if some force had forcibly broken the stone.

"No Qi?" Master Feng spoke up, his voice booming like a broken gong. "Kid, you don't have a trace of internal energy. How did you manage that move just now?"

Jiang Zhen chewed on his steamed bun while glancing at him sideways: "It's innate. If you want, I can give you one, but this wall will probably collapse completely."

Master Feng's face stiffened for a moment, then he burst into laughter.

"That's arrogant! I like it!" He walked up to Jiang Zhen, and the heavy "Qi" fluctuation made Jiang Zhen feel a sense of oppression. "Those few good-for-nothings, Ishikawa Ryu, have been bullying Shanghai for half a year, but today you, a mere laborer, have taken them down. Japan is putting pressure on the police station now, and you can't stay in this shabby shack anymore."

Jiang Zhen swallowed the steamed bun and dusted off his hands: "So? Fifth Master came to arrest me to collect a reward? And how come a few good-for-nothings can run rampant like this?"

"Receive a reward? Receive a reward from the Japanese? I'm afraid my ancestors will come back in the middle of the night and strangle me!" Master Feng snorted coldly, then became dejected. "We have our own difficulties too."

Immediately, Master Feng's eyes sharpened. "You're a talent. I'll protect you for daring to attack ordinary people, but no matter what kind of unorthodox techniques you practice, in Shanghai, you won't survive long fighting alone. Join the Canal Gang, and we'll settle your affairs. If Ishikawa Ryu dares to lay a finger on you, I'll chop them up with my own hands."

Jiang Zhen began to make plans in his mind.

He knew his current predicament. Although he possessed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, his body was too weak, and his stamina was practically zero. If he didn't find a powerful backer, the daily cost of food and the hidden injuries from the recoil alone would wear him down.

"Um... if I join the Canal Gang, will I get meat every meal? The kind that's all you can eat." Jiang Zhen asked directly. It was a low but practical request, since we hadn't achieved true freedom from meat, eggs, and dairy products in this day and age.

Master Feng paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Not only will you get meat, but also the best medicine for bruises and the best martial arts instructors. As long as you can fight, you can have anything you want in this Shanghai!"

"Okay, I'll add it." Jiang Zhen agreed so readily that even Master Feng was a little taken aback, and he didn't ask for any other conditions.

Jiang Zhen isn't stupid. In the world of "Under One Person," the Cao Gang, an organization that's both official and private, must have considerable resources behind it. What he lacks most right now isn't destructive power, but rather a "container" to contain that destructive power.

Jiang Zhen had considered visiting famous sects like Longhu Mountain, Sanyi Sect, Quanzhen Sect, and Tang Sect, but the journey was too far and he was short of money. He spent most of his dock wages on food and couldn't save any money.

"Fifth Master, after I join..." Jiang Zhen pointed to his right arm, "I need a martial arts master to teach me martial arts moves, and whether the gang has any methods to strengthen my body or any tonics that can strengthen bones and body."

Master Feng frowned: "A method for tempering life? You've got quite the nerve, kid. This is something that only those who have entered a prestigious sect can learn, and it's only the most basic stuff."

"It's hard to say about sexual cultivation, but I can promise to find you a book on cultivating life force first. That's what you need most right now. But those things are all incredibly bitter. The medicinal materials are easy to find."

"Alright, thank you, Fifth Master." Jiang Zhen agreed without much thought. Having a method to practice was better than doing hard labor at the docks every day.

"Then it's settled. But the rules can't be broken. As long as you can pass the 'three trials' to join the gang, the secret manual will be sent to you immediately."

"Don't worry about these initiation rules. Most of it is just a formality, a way for the gang's other members to recognize you," said Master Feng, patting Jiang Zhen on the shoulder.

Jiang Zhen winced in pain: "Fifth Master has such a solid physique. Once I've mastered it, I promise I won't let you down."

Master Feng paused for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter: "Hahaha, good, I'll wait for you. It seems our canal gang is about to have an extraordinary person."

Before leaving, Jiang Zhen looked back at the ruins. He was finally leaving this temporary place, and it was a step forward in this world, a formal encounter with the world of the supernatural.

He was confident, and even more confident in the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Once his physique improved, he wouldn't have to hesitate when throwing punches. The word "natural disaster" was no joke.

"Under one person... no one can withstand this punch from me."

Jiang Zhen followed Master Feng and disappeared into the morning mist, heading towards the canal gang.

Chapter 5: Entering the Canal Gang and Testing One's Skills

The Sixteenth Branch of the Canal Gang, Juyi Hall.

Inside sat dozens of key members of the Canal Gang, each exuding a calm and collected aura, including several internal martial arts masters with bulging temples. They had no idea what had happened. To them, Fifth Master Feng had ordered them to come over and personally brought back a pale-faced laborer reeking of fish.

"Master/Fifth Master, you called us all here just for this kid?"

Ignoring the crowd's questions, Master Feng walked straight to the tiger-skin chair in the main seat, turned around and addressed the crowd below.

"Brothers, you all know that those Japanese ronin have been running rampant at our docks lately, right?"

Everyone nodded, but their expressions were not very good.

Those few people were no match for them, but since they had beaten up foreigners before, they had been warned by the government multiple times and their business was frequently disrupted by inspections. As a result, they had to put up with things involving foreigners for the time being, which made them extremely unhappy.

"This young man crippled a Japanese man at the docks during the day, and just now, three samurai from the Ishikawa school came to seek revenge, but he crippled them all as well," said Master Feng, pointing at Jiang Zhen in a thunderous voice.

"Haha, well done, young man!" The once quiet hall instantly became lively, and the resentment that everyone had been suppressing seemed to be released at this moment.

Master Feng continued, "So now I'm planning to bring this Brother Jiang Zhen into our canal gang. If the yamen comes looking for trouble, our canal gang will take the fall. What do you all think?"

"Agreed!" *N

“It’s just the lives of a few foreigners. I heard about this during the day, but I didn’t expect it to be this young man. Since it happened in my area, then take an extra share from my quota to bribe the authorities,” a bald man said, standing up.