The Strongest Way to Survive in the Apocalypse - Chapter 11：Seclusion at Home

Li Qiang, after ‘calming down’, entered the shower.

He winced, the soapy water giving him a little pain in his wounds. He stood before his mirror after his shower.

The person that looked back was strangely unfamiliar. After cultivating the Champions Form: Warrior manual, his physique had changed and so had his looks, although not the same extent. He was even larger, touching 7 foot tall.

His shoulders had gotten broader as well, along with his muscle becoming even more defined.He struck an imposing image, with his huge stature and muscle knotted all over his body, layered with scars. His skin had been coloured slightly bronze and his black hair had gotten longer in the few days since he began cultivation.

Li Qiang dressed himself and then sat down, focused on cultivation. He intended to heal his wounds before he did anything else. There, sitting on his bedroom floor, he meditated for hours, concentrating on air filling and exiting his lungs. His wounds itched lightly during this time until they didn’t.

Li Qiang opened his eyes. As expected, his wounds had closed, his cuts had vanished, and he could feel his blood pumping strongly around his body. Li Qiang felt a small sense of euphoria and stretched his long torso and arms upwards, reaching towards the ceiling. Now that he was healed, it was time to empower and progress his power.

He opened the Swords Manual that he had received from the Coliseum of the Cosmos and immediately he was intrigued by its contents.

‘The sword is a weapon. Weapons are made for killing. To use a sword is to kill.’

This opening line entranced him and pierced his psyche, as if they had power beyond mere ink on a page.

‘To kill is to live. To live is to become strong. To use a sword is to become strong.’

These next three sentences sent tremors into his heart. On the surface they seemed like normal, even unreasonable statements that followed no line of logic, but when comprehended, they had endless meaning.’

The sword is a weapon. The sword is the strongest weapon. To use the sword is to become the strongest.’

Li Qiang blacked out after reading these final 3 lines. In his unconsciousness he began to dream, and in his dream, he was an observer. To be specific, he watched sword moves. For what felt like an eternity, he spent looking, seeing and comprehending a shadowy figure display sword moves.

At times it spun and pirouetted, wielding the sword as a flower and at others it thrust with killing intent and valour. Li Qiang observed all this. And then he observed some more. Until finally, he awoke.

Li Qiang’s eyes flitted and he clutched his head in pain. He felt an enormous amount of knowledge burrow its way into his head. No, not knowledge.

Experience.

Li Qiang realised that from reading those 9 lines, his life was forever changed.

‘From now on, I am a master of the sword.’

Li Qiang picked up his sword and looked at its closely, examining its edges and scratches, its sharper and duller points and even its slight smell of old metal.

Li Qing felt shame towards his past self. Before now, he merely swung his sword, like a stick or a club. He used raw power to achieve victory, lacking the finesse and skill of a master. Up to this point Li Qiang had sneered at martial arts. After he became a master martial artist, he realised the naivety and simplicity of his previous self.

In essence, Li Qiang had changed in that dream. His bone-headed demeanour and blundering fighting style were now not a part of his personality, replaced by a controlled blade, someone who was slightly more calculating and cunning.

Li Qiang headed to the sports hall. He made a stance in the centre of the floor and calmed in his mind. Then he began wielding his sword. In a fluid and smooth motion, he displayed incredible moves that were sharp and clean, transitioning between them with no wasted movement and incredible efficiency.

His sword moved fast, extremely fast. It cut through the air so fast it whistled and hummed creating a mysterious air to Li Qiang.

“Wow~. Qiang Gege, your sword moves are really fancy. When did you learn the sword?”

Li Qiang instantly stopped and looked over at his sister, who was standing by the doorway.

“Li An, if you have nothing better to do, go make dinner.”

The girl pouted.

“Big Qi, you don’t play with me anymore. I remember before this all happened, you used to be really fun.”

Li Qiang’s eyes darkened. While it was true, he didn’t spend as much time with Li An as he used to, it was because he was constantly busy, trying to get stronger and avoid death.

“Li An. I try to get stronger not only for myself but to protect you as well. People are dying left and right, alien are invading our planet and killing our people. If you have nothing else stupid to say, go cook.”

Li An bit her lip, regretting her words and spoilt behaviour. She ran off with a red face. Li Qiang paid no mind to this short episode and continued familiarising himself with his sword moves.

After 30 minutes of practice, a delicious smell drifted in the hall. Li Qiang, salivating I hunger, almost ran to the kitchen. Waiting for him, was a huge plate of meat pie and across from the plate sat Li An, in an apron.

Li Qiang set into his food without a word. Most of dinner passed like this, with Li Qiang wolfing down his food and Li An looking at him with a gentle expression. After he finished eating, Li Qiang hesitated but, in the end, went over to comfort Li An. He hugged her from behind, in a very intimate position.

“An-An, I’m sorry for snapping at you. You must understand, supernatural forces are at work. Beings that could squish you with a finger exist and perhaps are even already on the planet. I must get stronger for both of us.”

Li An turned her head towards Li Qiang, her eyes sparkling wet and lips trembling.

She hugged Li Qiang tightly, her small arms barely fitting around his muscled torso. Li Qiang froze, feeling the white buns of Li An pressing close to his waist.

He attempted to banish all dirty thoughts, but he felt a reaction in his p*nis. If he continued hugging her, his p*nis would be poking her white buns!

Hastily, he patted her head and made his exit, returning to his room. There, another battle ensued between his good and bad thoughts. Thankfully, it was solved by his trusty right hand.