Chapter 266: Chapter 253: The 16th-Ranked Young Expert
Three arrogant men in black burst through the door. Following them was a sleazy-looking middle-aged man in gray.
The moment the four entered the courtyard, Zhaang Ye’s cold gaze swept over them. "Get out!"
Of the four, the three men in black had a Cultivation of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer, while the sleazy middle-aged man was only at the Martial Arts Second Layer. Zhaang Ye’s Cultivation had already reached the Martial Arts Seventh Layer. His roar was like a clap of thunder from a clear sky. The three men in black were so stunned by Zhaang Ye’s shout that their eardrums ruptured, and blood trickled from their ears. They were completely dazed.
As for the sleazy middle-aged man, the weakest of them all, the mighty roar sent him flying, spitting blood as he collapsed to the ground. From the looks of it, he was half-dead.
After reaching the Martial Arts Seventh Layer in his Cultivation, Zhaang Ye’s control over True Qi had reached an astonishing level. With his roar just now, he had infused his voice with True Qi and sent it to detonate right beside their ears. With their strength so far beneath Zhaang Ye’s, it was impossible for them to escape injury from such a blast of True Qi.
"WHOOSH!"
With a flick of his long sleeve, Zhaang Ye tossed the four men out of the courtyard like bags of trash, where they immediately passed out cold.
As he tossed the four men out, Zhaang Ye was just wondering how he could make them fix his main gate when he suddenly heard the sound of urgent footsteps surrounding the courtyard.
The footsteps were accompanied by hushed voices.
"The person in this courtyard has some serious nerve! To think he’d dare to throw out people from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall!"
"Yeah, exactly! We should get out of here. If people from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall show up, we’ll get caught in the crossfire!"
"Mm, right, right. I don’t know what’s gotten into them lately, but the people from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall have been searching Python City like madmen. Who knows how many people they’ve harassed. We’d better leave quickly."
"Right, we can’t afford to provoke the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. I heard there are several incredibly powerful young experts participating in this search. The strongest one is at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer. Even the old-timers are no match for them..."
"Heh, I heard that too. These young experts are all ranked in the top twenty in the Da Ling Kingdom. The weakest one is at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer, and they’re searching and fighting all over the place. Now that the two City Lords of Python City are injured, there’s basically no one left to keep them in check..."
’People from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall?’ A hint of vigilance rose in Zhaang Ye’s heart. ’A few months ago, I killed two masters from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. It seems this search is definitely related to them.’
Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment. ’My Cultivation has reached a good stopping point anyway. I might as well leave this courtyard to avoid looking for trouble...’
Having made up his mind, Zhaang Ye immediately began to pack his things.
But before he could finish packing, a calm voice drifted into the courtyard. "What an impressive show of force, sir! To actually throw men from our Da Ling Kingdom True Hall out the door!"
The voice seemed to come from miles away. It wasn’t loud, yet it carried clearly into Zhaang Ye’s courtyard. Evidently, the newcomer was a formidable character.
Zhaang Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly. He stopped packing and said in a low voice, "Who are you? Show yourself!"
The voice replied calmly, "Of course I’ll show myself. You threw our men out the door; I can’t very well ignore that."
As the voice faded, a young man in black suddenly landed in the courtyard. He appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with long hair draped over his shoulders and a handsome, refined face. His eyes, however, glinted with a cold, merciless light.
What surprised Zhaang Ye was that this man also used a saber. His was deep black, its edge shimmering with a heavy, dark light. Amidst the flickering darkness, a faint trace of blood-red appeared. A tangible killing intent emanated from the blade, making the entire courtyard bone-chillingly cold.
The black-clothed young man’s gaze fell upon Zhaang Ye, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He realized that Zhaang Ye was also a master at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer, and what’s more, Zhaang Ye seemed to be faintly blending in with his surroundings, giving off an unfathomable aura.
’To be able to blend with the environment... only someone who possesses Spiritual Power should be able to do that. This kid’s Cultivation isn’t low, but how is he able to faintly merge with his surroundings?’ The black-clothed young man was slightly bewildered. He sized Zhaang Ye up and down repeatedly, trying to spot something unusual about him.
After observing Zhaang Ye for a moment and confirming that he was genuinely at the Early-stage Seventh Layer of the Martial Dao, the black-clothed young man breathed a small sigh of relief. He spoke slowly to Zhaang Ye, "Kid, you just threw out people from our Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. In a moment, I’m going to do the same to you—beat you half to death and throw you out of this courtyard."
This black-clothed young man’s Cultivation was a bit higher than Zhaang Ye’s; he was at the Mid-stage Seventh Layer of the Martial Dao. And judging by his aura, he seemed even more formidable than Lingruo Sea. No wonder he dared to make such an arrogant boast about throwing Zhaang Ye out.
"Throw me out?" Zhaang Ye let out a dry laugh and said slowly, "I paid for this courtyard. No one enters without my permission. You, sir, trespassed in my courtyard. You’re the one who should be thrown out, not me."
The black-clothed young man hadn’t expected Zhaang Ye to disregard him so completely. A terrifying killing intent instantly flared in his eyes, and a tangible murderous aura filled the courtyard, threatening to burst it apart.
"How audacious, kid! Do you have any idea who he is?" The three men in black whom Zhaang Ye had tossed out were jolted awake by the young man’s powerful aura. Hearing Zhaang Ye’s words, one of them immediately began to shout at him.
Zhaang Ye just gave a cold smile, saying nothing.
Seeing Zhaang Ye’s silence, the black-clothed man assumed he was scared. He gave a smug chuckle, bowed respectfully to the black-clothed youth, and said to Zhaang Ye, "Listen up, kid! This is Young Master Zhang Bushuai, ranked sixteenth among the Younger Generation of the Da Ling Kingdom!
Young Master Zhang reached the Martial Arts Seventh Layer at the age of thirty-six, and by thirty-nine, his Cultivation advanced further to the Mid-stage Seventh Layer. Kid, you dared to lay a hand on us. You’re dead meat this time!"
Zhaang Ye glanced coolly at Zhang Bushuai and said, "If you want to fight, then fight. Why let this small fry jabber on?"
"Good, very good!" Zhang Bushuai sneered. "It seems you’re even more arrogant than I am. Kid, prepare to receive my attack!"
As he spoke, Zhang Bushuai’s clothes began to whip about as if in a gale, and his long black hair stood on end. The black long saber on his back suddenly appeared in his hand, letting out a low hum, like a living Black Flood Dragon.
"SHIING!"
The black long saber in Zhang Bushuai’s hand tore through the air, slashing abruptly toward Zhaang Ye.
Although Zhang Bushuai was arrogant, his judgment was sharp. He had just sized Zhaang Ye up, and while he could tell Zhaang Ye was at the Early-stage Seventh Layer, he couldn’t gauge his actual combat prowess. Therefore, the moment he attacked, he immediately drew his long saber and launched a full-power assault.
Zhang Bushuai was a battle-hardened master. His slash was like a beam of black light, filling the entire courtyard with a thick, bloody stench.
There was no telling how many experts this man’s black long saber had slain. It must have drunk the blood of countless masters to carry such a terrifying bloody stench.
The moment Zhang Bushuai made his move, the Heavy Saber on Zhaang Ye’s back was suddenly in his hand. His face was a mask of calm as he abruptly tapped his Heavy Saber forward.
"TING!"
Zhaang Ye’s tap landed precisely on the flat of the black long saber, striking the weakest point in Zhang Bushuai’s Saber Technique. With just that one tap, Zhaang Ye had broken the full-power slash. The attack’s Sword Force was dispelled before it could even fully manifest, leaving Zhang Bushuai feeling incredibly frustrated.
Zhang Bushuai grunted in anger, instantly retracting his black long saber and slashing out again.
As he slashed, a black saber gleam shot toward the heavens, seemingly eclipsing the sun itself. More terrifyingly, the bloody stench from the black long saber had now transformed into a tangible, savage aura. This savage aura soared into the sky, as if it could slash down the sun.
Zhaang Ye smiled faintly, his Heavy Saber once again tapping out lightly.
Zhaang Ye’s Comprehension was outstanding, and he possessed a wealth of combat experience. Moreover, he had read countless Martial Arts Secret Manuals, and his own Mountain-Breaking Slash had reached the Great Success Realm.
Under these circumstances, Zhaang Ye’s understanding of Saber Technique had far surpassed that of a typical Martial Arts Seventh Layer Martial Artist. Zhang Bushuai’s Saber Technique was not particularly profound; he relied on its intimidating aura to overwhelm his opponents. Thus, the moment he attacked, Zhaang Ye could see through his moves and immediately counter them.
"TING!"
Once again, Zhaang Ye’s tap struck the weak point in Zhang Bushuai’s Saber Technique. The sky-filling savage aura unleashed by Zhang Bushuai’s long saber was instantly dissipated by Zhaang Ye’s light touch.
"Hngh!" Zhang Bushuai’s face turned livid. Zhaang Ye’s two light taps had forcefully interrupted the Sword Techniques he had unleashed with all his might. His Sword Techniques were all about decisive kills and exhilarating ruthlessness, so having them interrupted like this was incredibly frustrating. The feeling was like being halfway through taking a dump, only to have someone rudely jam a finger up your ass—a sharp, searing, and utterly unbearable discomfort.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Just as Zhang Bushuai’s face was turning livid, a loud laugh rang out from outside the courtyard. A voice said, "Zhang Bushuai, oh, Zhang Bushuai. You’re supposedly the sixteenth-ranked figure among the Younger Generation of the Da Ling Kingdom, yet you can’t even handle a little guy at the Early-stage Seventh Layer? It seems you’re only getting worse with age!" (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.)
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