Overlord of the Wilderness

’Clear Wind Bright Moon Dusk Slash!’ Zhaang Ye finally knew the name of this Saber Technique.

Before he could dwell on it, a bright moon materialized overhead—Lee Lie’s saber had arrived.

Everyone below the Martial Arts Arena stared at Zhaang Ye, wondering if he would also execute a Bright Moon Slash. Even the two people in purple atop the Memorial Stone fixed their gazes on him.

Lee Lie’s Bright Moon Slash was fierce and domineering; even Zhaang Ye couldn’t counter it with an ordinary move. Facing the bright moon above, Zhaang Ye abruptly raised his Heavy Saber. The pitch-black weapon transformed into a dark cloud, surging toward the moon.

”Huh?”

When Zhaang Ye executed his Reverse Flow Slash, the crowd below the Martial Arts Arena found it oddly familiar. That’s right, familiar. Zhaang Ye’s move was clearly not the Bright Moon Slash, but like it, it was a Saber Technique that condensed a hundred strikes into one, and it was just as domineering and fierce.

Zhaang Yijian, Luo Yongsheng, and Zhou Yuhe were all taken aback when they saw Zhaang Ye’s attack. They hadn’t expected him to unleash a Saber Technique that was so uncannily similar.

Meanwhile, the three Elders from the Zhou, Lee, and Luo families all had the same thought: ’Zhaang Ye’s strike is clearly a continuation of his previous Gentle Wind Slash. But there’s only one known version of this Saber Technique. How could a move like this appear? Could it be... Zhaang Ye created it himself?’

At this thought, the faces of the Elders paled slightly.

If Zhaang Ye had truly created it himself, that would be utterly unbelievable.

Zhaang Ye was just over fourteen. At his age, other youths were still struggling to break through to the Martial Arts Third Layer. If Zhaang Ye had really created a Saber Move comparable to a Mid-Level Combat Skill at the age of fourteen, he was nothing short of a monster!

Zhaang Tianlong was one of the few who truly understood Zhaang Ye. Seeing him execute the Reverse Flow Slash, he was overcome with wild joy. He knew this move had to be Zhaang Ye’s own creation!

Creating a Combat Skill from scratch required one thing above all: exceptionally high Comprehension.

Others might not have known how formidable Zhaang Ye’s Comprehension was, but Zhaang Tianlong was keenly aware of it. Though Zhaang Ye was only fourteen, his mind and Comprehension far surpassed those of his peers.

For two nights in a row, Zhaang Tianlong had presented Zhaang Ye with dozens of Mid-Level Combat Skills to deconstruct. Faced with these profound techniques, even Zhaang Yijian, hailed as the number one genius of Cyan Mulberry City, would need a great deal of time to figure them out. But when it came to deconstructing Combat Skills, Zhaang Ye was a cut above even Zhaang Yijian. He could unravel the vast majority of Mid-Level Combat Skills in less time than it takes an incense stick to burn!

Zhaang Ye’s ability to quickly deconstruct Mid-Level Combat Skills proved he possessed extremely high Comprehension. And with such Comprehension, it wasn’t at all strange for him to create a Mid-Level Combat Skill of his own.

’A Self-Created Combat Skill... now *this* is a true genius!’ Zhaang Tianlong had to resist the urge to laugh out loud.

Zhaang Ye possessed both the legacy of the Ancient Races and exceptionally high Comprehension. With this foundation, his potential was simply immeasurable. Zhaang Tianlong even suspected that Zhaang Ye could very well break through the realm of the Martial Dao and step into the True Dao!

’The True Dao! Heh heh, if our Zhaang Family produces a True Dao Expert, we’ll become the number one family in the entire Wei Kingdom! The day of our family’s rise is at hand!’ At this wonderful thought, Zhaang Tianlong could no longer contain his excitement, and a brilliant light gleamed in his eyes.

While Zhaang Tianlong was overcome with excitement, the two people in purple atop the Memorial Stone were utterly astonished.

In his youth, the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes had practiced this very Clear Wind Bright Moon Dusk Slash. He naturally knew that the Bright Moon Slash used by Lee Lie was the orthodox version, while the Combat Skill Zhaang Ye displayed was an imitation.

It was precisely because he knew Zhaang Ye’s Combat Skill wasn’t the orthodox version that the man in purple was all the more astonished. He realized that in every respect, the Combat Skill Zhaang Ye had just executed was in no way inferior to the authentic Bright Moon Slash!

The man in purple’s eyes gleamed as he mused, ’If Zhaang Ye truly created this Combat Skill himself, then he’s a genius with incredibly high Comprehension! With such talent, I imagine Master would be very pleased to see him!’

...

While the spectators outside the Martial Arts Arena were lost in thought, Zhaang Ye’s Reverse Flow Slash met Lee Lie’s Bright Moon Slash in less than the blink of an eye.

BOOM!

The dazzlingly bright moon slammed into the dark cloud. The moon instantly dissipated, and the cloud manifested from Zhaang Ye’s Saber Force vanished with a deep, muffled boom.

The Bright Moon Slash was a domineering Saber Move, as was Zhaang Ye’s Reverse Flow Slash. When the two domineering moves collided, Lee Lie was sent flying as if struck by a Fierce Beast, landing more than three zhang away.

Zhaang Ye, however, relied on the power of his Dragon Elephant Skill, forcibly executing the Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation to channel the impact down into the arena floor. He retreated five consecutive steps, each one leaving a shallow footprint on the stage.

”Zhaang Ye, where did you learn that Combat Skill?” After exchanging a blow with Zhaang Ye, Lee Lie realized that Zhaang Ye’s strike was uncannily similar to his own Bright Moon Slash, and not the least bit weaker. He was so shocked that he couldn’t help but ask.

Realizing his Reverse Flow Slash was in no way weaker than Lee Lie’s Bright Moon Slash, Zhaang Ye felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He laughed and said, ”This Saber Move? I created it myself. What do you think? Not any worse than your Bright Moon Slash, is it?”

Lee Lie refused to believe him. He had spent years cultivating the Clear Wind Bright Moon Dusk Slash. The difficulty of creating a technique was far greater than that of simply practicing one. Not even an Elder-level expert would dare claim they could create a Combat Skill. Zhaang Ye was a mere fourteen-year-old; how could he possibly have created such a Saber Move?

Lee Lie sneered. ”Created it yourself? Such arrogance, Zhaang Ye. The Bright Moon Slash is a Mid-Level Combat Skill. Even an expert at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer would find it difficult to create such a Saber Move. You’re not bad, Zhaang Ye, but you’re a long way from creating your own Combat Skills.”

Zhaang Ye just chuckled, saying nothing more.

Having asked his question, Lee Lie attacked again.

This time, Lee Lie again used the Bright Moon Slash, but it was far more powerful than his last. Realizing he would struggle to defeat Zhaang Ye on the basis of Saber Technique alone, Lee Lie had decided to leverage his superior Cultivation to force Zhaang Ye into a direct confrontation.

Once he had depleted some of Zhaang Ye’s True Qi and stamina, he would unleash the final move, the Dusk Slash, and defeat him in one fell swoop.

Zhaang Ye was unaware of Lee Lie’s plan. However, he had already perfected his own third saber move. No matter what tricks Lee Lie tried to pull, he had no reason to be afraid.

Lee Lie’s repeated use of the Bright Moon Slash gave Zhaang Ye the perfect opportunity to observe it.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH—

Lee Lie unleashed the Bright Moon Slash, his blade surging with Saber Qi as he attacked with full force. Zhaang Ye countered with the Reverse Flow Slash, his Heavy Saber emitting a black Saber Qi that clashed directly with Lee Lie’s white Saber Qi.

They clashed more than ten times in a row. Lee Lie’s arm began to feel numb, and he had already expended nearly half of his True Qi. Zhaang Ye, in contrast, remained calm and unruffled, looking as if he could handle another hundred clashes without a problem.

”Hee hee, this is getting more and more interesting,” the purple-robed woman on the Memorial Stone suddenly said. ”Senior Brother, this Zhaang Ye is truly formidable. He’s taken more than ten of Lee Lie’s Saber Qi strikes and acts like it’s nothing. I’ve seen plenty of people who practice Body Refining Techniques, but this one Zhaang Ye uses seems especially powerful.”

The man in purple nodded. ”Even I can’t see through the Body Refining Technique Zhaang Ye practices. But I have a feeling it must be an Advanced Technique at the very least. Also, that saber he’s using weighs at least six hundred jin. A weapon that heavy is perfect for direct clashes. Furthermore, those who practice Body Refining Techniques have the most endurance. It’s impossible for Lee Lie to overwhelm Zhaang Ye by relying on his Cultivation.”

”A six-hundred-jin saber!” the purple-robed woman sighed. ”To use such a heavy weapon to execute a light and graceful Saber Technique like Gentle Wind Slash... Zhaang Ye’s strength is truly astonishing. It just goes to show that the Body Refining Technique he practices is anything but ordinary.”

On the Martial Arts Arena, after launching another three attacks, Lee Lie gasped inwardly. ’This Zhaang Ye kid took more than a dozen of my saber strikes head-on and is still completely unfazed. How can he be this tough?! This can’t go on. I have to use my final move now! If I drag this out any longer, the situation will only turn against me!’

His mind made up, Lee Lie’s Saber Technique changed, and he finally unleashed his final move—the Dusk Slash.

WHOOSH!

The saber in Lee Lie’s hand suddenly transformed into a dazzling radiance that shot toward Zhaang Ye.

When Lee Lie executed the Bright Moon Slash, the light from his blade was gentle, like that of the moon. But the light from this Dusk Slash was intense and domineering, like the sun itself.

When the sun appears, everything is caught in its glare, and the clouds scatter. Lee Lie’s Dusk Slash was just like that sun—a strike so fierce and domineering that one could not look at it directly.

Once the Dusk Slash was unleashed, anything in its path would be utterly obliterated!

”Good!” Zhaang Ye roared. Holding nothing back, just as Lee Lie’s Saber Force was about to crest, he moved. His entire body transformed into a Tornado as he sent his saber out in a simple, horizontal slash!

Lee Lie’s saber blazed with brilliant light, while Zhaang Ye’s was pitch-black and unremarkable. But as Zhaang Ye made his move, every single spectator turned their gaze toward him. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)