Overlord of the Wilderness

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After all, Zhaang Chengtian was a master at the Late Stage of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer. His Cultivation was far higher than Zhaang Ye’s.

Although he had suppressed his Cultivation to the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Third Layer, his actual combat prowess was still comparable to that of a Late-stage Third Layer master. After a dozen or so exchanges, he seized a fleeting moment when Zhaang Ye’s momentum faltered and swiftly made his move.

DING! Zhaang Chengtian lightly tapped the spine of Zhaang Ye’s saber with a single finger. An exquisitely subtle force surged through the blade, instantly dispersing Zhaang Ye’s Sword Force.

Zhaang Chengtian called out, ”Watch out!”

With a swift motion of his palms, he launched an attack on Zhaang Ye.

Zhaang Chengtian was using a Low-Level Combat Skill. In his hands, this Low-Level Combat Skill possessed an overwhelming aura and astonishing power. Faced with such a fierce Palm Technique, Zhaang Ye had no real strategy. He could only rely on his Footwork Technique and the Thick-Backed Saber in his hands, countering each move as it came and deflecting Zhaang Chengtian’s onslaught one strike at a time.

DING DING DING DING!

Zhaang Ye’s Thick-Backed Saber became a Blade Net, constantly fending off Zhaang Chengtian’s attacks. The sound of palm striking steel rang out again and again.

Zhaang Ye, on the defensive, was struggling to hold on. Zhaang Chengtian, the attacker, grew more and more astonished as the fight wore on.

Zhaang Chengtian was far superior to Zhaang Ye in terms of Cultivation, combat experience, and comprehension of the Martial Dao. Even with his strength suppressed to the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Third Layer and fighting bare-handed, his combat power still surpassed that of an ordinary Late-stage Third Layer master. And yet, Zhaang Ye was putting up a remarkable fight. Though he looked beleaguered, he was, in fact, successfully defending himself!

’His defense is nearly flawless. I’ve launched a full twenty moves, and I still can’t break through his Blade Net!’

”Excellent!” Zhaang Chengtian couldn’t help but exclaim. With a sudden blur of his hand, his palm multiplied into dozens of overlapping afterimages, instantly sealing the space around Zhaang Ye.

Instantly, a fierce wind tore through the small courtyard, kicking up sand and stones.

Suddenly confronted by so many palm afterimages, Zhaang Ye felt completely overwhelmed, unable to find an opening to attack or a way to defend.

Just as Zhaang Chengtian’s palm was about to land, Zhaang Ye suddenly took a step forward. The Thick-Backed Saber in his hand reversed its course, executing an upward slash from below.

”Hm?” Zhaang Chengtian realized that his flurry of palm strikes felt completely stifled by Zhaang Ye’s simple upward slash.

All of Zhaang Chengtian’s variations were sealed off. His palm and the Thick-Backed Saber clashed once more, and both of them retreated two steps.

A trace of surprise showed in Zhaang Chengtian’s eyes. ”Your last strike perfectly intercepted the focal point of my Palm Technique,” he said. ”It left me no room for any of my variations and forced me into a direct clash. How did you do that?”

Zhaang Ye, quite pleased with his last strike, answered, ”The Palm Technique you just used was incredibly powerful. But at that speed, your palms cutting through the air created all sorts of sounds. I was able to discern your line of attack from those sounds and counter it preemptively.”

When Zhaang Ye had practiced his saber beneath the waterfall, he had faced all sorts of unexpected difficulties. The most troublesome of these was the debris that came crashing down with the water. This debris was mixed in with the current. Getting hit could mean anything from a bloody gash on the head to instant death. After months of practicing his saber under the waterfall and being repeatedly struck by debris, Zhaang Ye had slowly developed extremely sensitive hearing and judgment. He became able to distinguish the debris within the waterfall just by the slightest sound.

It was this very skill that allowed him to so easily discern the variations in Zhaang Chengtian’s Palm Technique and counter them in advance.

Zhaang Chengtian didn’t know Zhaang Ye possessed such an ability; he simply assumed the previous strike had been a fluke. He said, ”Let’s go again!”

As he extended his palm, his entire aura changed. He became like a great tree, seeming to merge with the earth itself. Before he even moved, he exuded a heavy, profound presence.

Zhaang Ye’s expression shifted slightly. He knew Zhaang Chengtian was about to use a Mid-Level Combat Skill!

The power of a Mid-Level Combat Skill far exceeded that of a Low-Level one. The Nameless Saber Manual that Zhaang Ye had acquired, for instance, was a Mid-Level Combat Skill. Just by mastering a single move, the Gentle Wind Slash, he was already unrivaled among his peers.

If a Mid-Level Combat Skill was so powerful in Zhaang Ye’s hands, its might would only be that much greater when unleashed by a master like Zhaang Chengtian!

Without a word, Zhaang Ye swung his arm. The Purple Copper Thick-Backed Saber instantly became a gentle wind as he slashed outward.

He intended to seize the initiative by striking first.

A look of appreciation flickered in Zhaang Chengtian’s eyes. With a slight movement of his hand, he unleashed a technique called the Cyan Wood Rooting Palm. In that instant, Zhaang Ye felt as if he were standing beneath a great tree, surrounded by a dense tangle of roots that pressed in on him, making it hard to breathe!

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH— Zhaang Ye attacked with all his strength. As he channeled the True Qi within his body, wisps of Sword Qi emerged from the body and Blade Tip of his Thick-Backed Saber. For a moment, his momentum was no weaker than Zhaang Chengtian’s.

A rapid series of thuds echoed as their Qi Forces collided.

Zhaang Ye unleashed one Gentle Wind Slash after another, but he felt as though the roots around him were multiplying, impossible to cut through completely. Finally, one of Zhaang Chengtian’s palms struck Zhaang Ye. He was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Six moves. In just six moves, Zhaang Ye was defeated. A Late-stage Martial Arts Fifth Layer master truly lived up to their reputation—so much more powerful than someone at the Third Layer!

Despite taking a palm strike from Zhaang Chengtian, Zhaang Ye showed no signs of discouragement. The opportunity to fight a Martial Arts Fifth Layer master head-on was incredibly rare. Now that he had it, how could he let it pass? The moment his feet touched the ground, he was up again, charging at Zhaang Chengtian. ”Again!” he yelled.

The two immediately clashed again. Zhaang Chengtian’s strength was, after all, far superior to Zhaang Ye’s. Seven moves later, Zhaang Ye was once again sent flying like a kite, crashing into the courtyard wall.

An ordinary Martial Arts Third Layer practitioner would have been unable to get back up for a long time after a blow like that. But Zhaang Ye had recently consumed many Body Tempering Pills and Body Refining Pills, Elixirs which had greatly strengthened his physical body. He slammed into the wall but recovered instantly, raising his Thick-Backed Saber and charging at Zhaang Chengtian once more.

BANG! BANG! BANG!—

He was sent flying again and again, yet each time, Zhaang Ye scrambled back to his feet and resumed his attack on Zhaang Chengtian. Even someone with Zhaang Chengtian’s disposition was stunned by Zhaang Ye’s tenacious fighting spirit.

BANG! After holding on for ten moves, Zhaang Ye was knocked away again. This was the twentieth time he’d been sent flying.

Zhaang Chengtian flicked his sleeve. ”That’s enough for today. We’ll continue tomorrow.” With that, his figure blurred, and he vanished from the small courtyard.

Zhaang Ye was a wretched sight, but his eyes gleamed with an inexplicable light. He muttered, ”So this is the true power of a Mid-Level Combat Skill? It’s incredible! But I’ve improved. I could only withstand six moves at first, and now I can take ten. Just give me one night. Tomorrow, I’ll definitely give him a surprise!”