Overlord of the Wilderness

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”Ten moves?” Hearing Zhaang Tianming’s confident yet domineering words, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but smile. ”I’d like to see how you’ll keep me from lasting ten moves. Watch yourself. I’m making my move.”

As he spoke, Zhaang Ye’s hand shot out. A powerful gust of wind erupted, instantly enveloping Zhaang Tianming.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s grab, a trace of disdain flashed in Zhaang Tianming’s eyes. The attack looked ferocious, but anyone with a bit of knowledge in the Martial Dao could see that it lacked any proper form, to say nothing of follow-up moves. Zhaang Tianming had practiced martial arts since childhood and was battle-hardened. He had a hundred ways to easily counter such a grab.

Zhaang Tianming extended his arm, holding one hand upright. His thumb was slightly bent while his other four fingers formed a blade, chopping toward Zhaang Ye’s palm like a sword.

Zhaang Tianming’s greatest strength was the sword. His Swordsmanship was a Mid-Level Combat Skill, powerful and majestic when executed. Though the Swordsmanship he now displayed using his fingers as a blade was far from a real sword, it was not to be underestimated. As the Finger Sword struck, it hissed through the air as if it were a real blade.

Zhaang Tianming’s Swordsmanship was grand and powerful, its angle and force both perfect. In contrast, Zhaang Ye’s Claw Technique was completely formless. The difference in skill was immediately apparent. With a single chop, Zhaang Tianming’s Finger Sword struck Zhaang Ye’s five fingers.

Having landed the strike on Zhaang Ye’s fingers with ease, a smile touched Zhaang Tianming’s lips. ’Although I only used fifty percent of my True Qi, the blow is still quite powerful. Human finger bones are fragile. With my strike landing on Zhaang Ye’s hand, all five of his finger bones will probably shatter.’

Seeing Zhaang Tianming succeed with one blow, Zhaang Yuhu was overjoyed. ’This Zhaang Ye not only has astonishing combat prowess, but his Cultivation speed is even faster than mine. Whether in Cultivation speed or actual combat strength, Zhaang Ye is better than me, outshining me at every turn. Now that he’s been defeated in a single move, he’ll never dare to show his face in front of me again...’

Both Zhaang Tianming and Zhaang Yuhu turned their gazes to Zhaang Ye’s face, wanting to see his wonderful expression after being defeated in a single move. But they were destined for disappointment. There was no trace of dejection or pain on Zhaang Ye’s face; instead, he wore a slight smile.

THUD!

When Zhaang Tianming’s Finger Sword struck Zhaang Ye’s hand, it didn’t produce the crisp sound of breaking bones. Instead, there was a dull thud. Zhaang Tianming felt as if his Finger Sword had struck a thick-skinned Fierce Beast. Not only had it failed to kill the beast, but the rebound had made his own palm go numb.

’Huh? How is this possible?’ Zhaang Tianming was shocked. His strike had contained fifty percent of his True Qi; even a millstone-sized boulder would be split in two by such a casual chop. How could he believe that such fierce True Qi couldn’t even break Zhaang Ye’s finger bones?

While Zhaang Tianming was still reeling in shock and confusion, Zhaang Ye’s wrist suddenly twisted. His five fingers, like five blades, instantly locked down all of Zhaang Tianming’s potential follow-up moves. This Technique of using fingers like blades was far beyond Zhaang Tianming’s expectations. A chill ran through his heart. He subconsciously tried to withdraw his Finger Sword, but the thought had barely formed when he felt a sudden tightness. Zhaang Ye had gripped his four fingers tightly!

’He grabbed my fingers! Unacceptable!’

Zhaang Tianming’s expression changed. He put all his strength into his four captured fingers, trying to shake Zhaang Ye off. At the same time, his other hand instantly formed a Finger Sword and chopped toward Zhaang Ye.

Zhaang Ye laughed heartily. The hand holding Zhaang Tianming’s four fingers was like it had taken root, holding him firmly in place no matter how much strength he used. Simultaneously, Zhaang Ye’s other hand formed a blade and met the attack head-on. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged nearly ten moves.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—

With one hand of each combatant locked, their other hands launched all sorts of fierce attacks in the small space between them. The sharp whistles created by their palms made Zhaang Yuhu’s face change color as he stood to the side. He could never have imagined that Zhaang Ye, with a Cultivation at only the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer, possessed such powerful combat strength. Even when trading blows with Zhaang Tianming, he wasn’t at the slightest disadvantage.

At this point, the longer Zhaang Tianming fought, the more his heart sank. One of his hands was held in Zhaang Ye’s iron grip; no matter how he struggled or blasted it with True Qi, he couldn’t break free. And while his other hand launched fierce attacks, Zhaang Ye neutralized every single one. To him, Zhaang Ye felt like an ancient, unfathomable well whose depths could not be plumbed.

Suddenly, Zhaang Ye laughed. ”It’s almost ten moves! Watch out!”

As he spoke, the hand that gripped Zhaang Tianming’s four fingers suddenly flung him.

”AH—”

As Zhaang Ye flung him, Zhaang Tianming felt an irresistible, overwhelming force wash over him. He only had time to cry out before his body was launched uncontrollably into the air.

At that moment, Zhaang Ye laughed loudly. ”Brother Tianming, you’ve come from so far, you must be tired. Allow me to see you off.” As he spoke, he swung his arm in two circles and hurled Zhaang Tianming away as if tossing a scarecrow.

WHOOSH!

Thrown by Zhaang Ye, Zhaang Tianming’s body let out a piercing shriek as it tore through the air. He soared high into the sky, flying for nearly a hundred zhang before landing deep in the bamboo forest. A miserable cry was followed by the sound of scattering leaves and incessantly cracking bamboo.

”You... you... how is this possible...” Zhaang Tianming, a cultivator with a Martial Arts Fourth Layer Cultivation, had been defeated in less than ten moves and thrown like a stone. The event was too shocking, too unbelievable. Zhaang Yuhu watched from afar as Zhaang Tianming screamed and fell into the bamboo forest, only then snapping back to his senses. He pointed at Zhaang Ye, wanting to say something, but he couldn’t even form a coherent sentence.

Taking advantage of Zhaang Yuhu’s distraction, Zhaang Ye closed the distance in a single step and gave Zhaang Yuhu’s handsome little face a hard pinch. He said amicably, ”Bringing a guest from so far away, Little Brother Yuhu must be tired too. To thank you, let me see you off as well.”

Zhaang Yuhu was only fourteen, after all. Having his face pinched so hard by Zhaang Ye, he was shocked, furious, ashamed, and scared all at once. He let out a yell, broke free from Zhaang Ye’s grasp, and was about to use the Ten Thousand Miles Wind Chasing Step to escape when he saw Zhaang Ye’s hand flash out in a slap.

SMACK!

Zhaang Yuhu heard a loud noise as Zhaang Ye’s palm connected squarely with his butt. An immense force followed the unbearable pain, sending his entire body flying high into the air.

”You... you hit my butt! Zhaang Ye, I’m going to kill you—” Zhaang Yuhu let out a shriek mixed with shock and fury as his body flew farther and farther away. Just like Zhaang Tianming, he landed heavily in a thicket of bamboo, crushing a large patch of it.

After a good while, Zhaang Tianming and Zhaang Yuhu crawled out of the dense bamboo thicket in a sorry state. With their hair disheveled and clothes in tatters, they looked like wild men.

Zhaang Tianming grabbed Zhaang Yuhu and shouted viciously as they fled, ”Zhaang Ye, you just wait! I will get even with you!”

Zhaang Ye sneered and called back, ”This time, I only threw you into the bamboo forest. Next time you come, I won’t mind throwing you into a cesspool to let you take a bath.”

Zhaang Tianming let out a muffled grunt and fled even faster, disappearing into the distance in a flash.

Zhaang Ye smiled and leisurely walked back to his small courtyard.

Zhaang Ye didn’t take the threats from Zhaang Tianming and Zhaang Yuhu to heart. After that battle, he had a rough idea of his own strength. His current combat prowess was even greater than that of an expert at the peak of the Martial Arts Fourth Layer. Zhaang Ye estimated that if he used all his abilities, he could even put up a fight against a master of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer.

In the fight just now, Zhaang Ye could have thrown Zhaang Tianming out the instant he had grabbed his fingers. There was only one reason he had exchanged more than ten moves before tossing him: Zhaang Ye considered his own Cultivation to be still low, and he needed time to practice without attracting too much attention. So, he had dragged out the fight for a few more moves to also get a look at Zhaang Tianming’s Swordsmanship.

With this absolute strength, Zhaang Ye feared no Outer Sect Disciple. Even against the top-ranked disciples of the Inner Sect, he’d have to fight them to see who was truly stronger. The threats from Zhaang Tianming and Zhaang Yuhu were nothing but a joke.

’Dragon Elephant Skill... the power of one dragon and one elephant,’ Zhaang Ye thought, looking at his palm. ’I have already grasped a sliver of this Elephant Power. But as for the Dragon Power, I have no clue at all. I don’t know where dragons are, or if they even still exist in this world. I hope that one day, I can come into contact with Dragon Power, master it, and allow the Dragon Elephant Skill to truly possess the power of one dragon and one elephant.’

After a moment of silence, Zhaang Ye went into his small courtyard, took out the ”In Seclusion, Do Not Disturb” sign, and hung it on his door before heading to the Training Room.

Having cultivated the Dragon Elephant Skill to the 5th Layer, his Dantian and Meridians had already undergone a transformation. Zhaang Ye wanted to take advantage of this golden opportunity to enter seclusion again and raise his Cultivation to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer.