Free Web NovelChapter 153: Chapter 149: The First Battle
After drawing the final vertical stroke, Zhaang Ye stood beneath it for a long moment, savoring its profoundness before finally looking away. Only then did he realize he had become the focus of everyone’s attention. The gazes from Luo Yongsheng, Lee Lie, Zhou Yuhe, and the others burned with intense fighting spirit. If not for the rules forbidding private duels, they probably would have rushed forward to challenge him on the spot.
’I’ve drawn too much attention. This isn’t a good thing,’ Zhaang Ye sighed to himself. He had already made up his mind: when he got back, he was going to extort some benefits out of Zhaang Tianlong as compensation.
’Best case scenario, I can squeeze a Gathering Flower Fruit out of him. That way, I won’t have to risk my life in that contest for the fruit, the one with the terrifyingly high death rate.’
As he schemed, Zhaang Ye walked back toward his own group.
A rare smile touched Zhaang Yijian’s usually stoic face. He nodded at Zhaang Ye and said, "You did very well."
Zhaang Yizhi handed the Thick-Backed Saber back to him, saying with admiration, "Incredible. I never imagined your Body Refining Techniques cultivation had reached such a level."
Dong Wanqiu and the other True Disciples came over to greet Zhaang Ye. His earlier performance had left them all stunned and feeling inadequate in comparison. In their minds, Zhaang Ye’s status was now almost on par with Zhaang Yijian’s. They spoke to him with such reverence that it made Zhaang Ye a little embarrassed.
Zhaang Changguang, Zhaang Dong, and the group of Inner Sect Disciples came over to greet him as well. They were even more courteous when speaking to him. Even Zhaang Changguang and Zhaang Dong, who knew him fairly well, were exceedingly polite. A few who had previously been cold and distant were now even more courteous than the other two. Despite being far more mature than his peers, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease.
"HAHAHA! Excellent! Excellent!" Zhaang Tianlong strode over and clapped Zhaang Ye on the back twice, so hard he almost knocked him to the ground. After the two firm pats, Zhaang Tianlong roared with laughter, "Now who dares say our Zhaang Family has no talent? Huh? Anyone who says our Zhaang Family has no talent is blind! HAHAHAHA—"
Zhaang Tianlong intentionally boomed, much to the chagrin of the three Elders from the Zhou, Lee, and Luo Families. They all turned their heads away, pretending not to hear.
Seeing their reactions, Zhaang Tianlong laughed even louder. His unending peals of laughter made the three Elders’ faces turn livid. Not only did Zhaang Tianlong’s prolonged laughter vex the Elders, it also unsettled the disciples of the various Martial Arts Families. But Zhaang Tianlong was an Elder of immense power, and there was nothing they could do. So instead, the disciples of the Zhou, Lee, and Luo Families directed their angry glares toward Zhaang Ye.
The Elder from the Zhou Family could no longer stand Zhaang Tianlong’s laughter. He frowned and spoke up, "That’s enough, Elder Zhaang. The Four Races Youth Ranking Tournament should begin!"
Having laughed for so long, Zhaang Tianlong finally felt the pent-up frustration in his chest dissipate. He chuckled and said, "Then let’s begin."
The Four Races Youth Ranking Tournament had been held for hundreds of years and had long established a set of procedures.
Before the tournament, tradition dictated that the judges be introduced first. The judges were Stewards from the four Martial Arts Families of Cyan Mulberry City. To ensure fairness, every match had four judges—one from each family.
The Elders of the four families served as supervisors.
After the judges were introduced, a Steward took the stage to announce the rules of the tournament and describe the various assets that would serve as prizes.
These prize assets primarily fell into three categories.
The first category was mines. These varied in value, with the most precious being an Iron Ore Mine containing deposits of Heavy Iron. Its annual output of Heavy Iron and common iron was worth up to ten million in Gold.
The second category was Beast Caves. These caves were not far from Cyan Mulberry City and were home to various beasts. They could be culled for profit at regular intervals. This was far safer than venturing into the outer forests of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range to hunt Fierce Beasts, and the income was much higher.
The third category was various shops within Cyan Mulberry City itself. These shops covered a range of industries, including auction houses, taverns, weapon smiths, and Elixir Shops. Owning one of these shops guaranteed a substantial income with minimal effort.
The prizes were so generous that even Zhaang Ye was sorely tempted. As for the other competing disciples, their eyes shone with greed and fierce fighting spirit. They looked ready to start battling immediately to claim all these assets for themselves.
After the prizes were announced, the Elders of the four families began the bracket assignments. Zhaang Ye was placed in the first group. His opponent for the first match was a True Disciple from the Lee Family named Lee Qi.
Once the brackets and opponents were announced, the tournament officially began. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The name Lee Qi was quite common, but the man himself was not. He was tall and lanky, with a serpentine appearance. His movements were also snake-like; his body constantly swayed in subtle, unpredictable ways, making it difficult to track his form.
Lee Qi flicked the Long Whip in his hand. His cold, merciless, serpentine eyes locked onto Zhaang Ye. "Zhaang Ye, you’re quite strong," he said. "But I must tell you, this Four Races Youth Ranking Tournament is not as simple as you think."
The True Disciples from every family were all battle-hardened veterans. Though Zhaang Ye had displayed an astonishing Body Technique and Body Refining Techniques, it wasn’t enough to command their respect. Lee Qi was one such individual. He was determined to defeat Zhaang Ye with lightning speed, to knock the Zhaang Family down a peg.
Zhaang Ye said nothing, his eyes fixed on the Long Whip in Lee Qi’s hand. The whip was over ten feet long and seemed unremarkable, yet Zhaang Ye’s keen perception told him it possessed a life of its own. It felt as if it were staring at him, and the bone-chilling sensation made the hair on his skin stand on end.
Zhaang Ye’s Dragon Elephant Skill had reached the 5th Layer, giving him immense strength in his arms. He had planned to fight bare-handed, but after sensing something strange about the whip, he decisively drew the Thick-Backed Saber from his back.
At that moment, the four judges instructed the two combatants to take their places, then announced, "Begin!"
The judge’s voice had barely faded when Lee Qi burst into motion. With a twist of his body—SWISH—he shot forward like a great snake, crossing twenty feet in an instant. The Long Whip in his hand lashed down violently toward Zhaang Ye’s head.
Zhaang Ye remained wary of the whip. Not daring to block it head-on, he used his Cloud Stepping Technique. His body floated away like a cloud, neatly dodging the strike.
A flicker of surprise crossed Lee Qi’s eyes when he saw Zhaang Ye dodge instead of block. On the surface, the whip strike had no follow-up, but a deadly secret was hidden within the whip itself. If Zhaang Ye had dared to block it, Lee Qi would have won in an instant.
But even though Zhaang Ye had dodged, he was still within the whip’s range. Lee Qi sneered. With a flick of his wrist, the Long Whip shot out in pursuit of Zhaang Ye like an arrow. The force of the lash sent a surge of air rushing forward like a tidal wave.
A cold glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. He executed the Cloud Stepping Technique once more, again dodging the whip’s attack.
CRACK!
Lee Qi lashed out again. The whip moved so fast it created a piercing sonic boom.
This strike was simply too fast. Zhaang Ye knew if he kept dodging, the ensuing barrage would leave him overwhelmed.
SWISH! The Thick-Backed Saber in Zhaang Ye’s hand slashed out.
Zhaang Ye’s training with stones in the Wind Cave, though only lasting for about ten days, had produced incredible results. His strike speed was now thirty to forty percent faster than before. This slash was executed almost as fast as a thought; the Thick-Backed Saber struck Lee Qi’s Long Whip at a speed nearly invisible to the naked eye.
SHREEE!
The heavy saber was incredibly sharp, and it instantly sliced the Long Whip in two. Just then, something bizarre occurred. A spray of fresh blood erupted from the severed end of the whip. The broken-off section, as if alive, coiled around Zhaang Ye’s blade and slithered like a snake toward his wrist!
’So his ’Long Whip’ is actually a snake!’ Zhaang Ye realized with a start. Seeing the severed half of the snake about to reach him, he abruptly twisted and flicked his saber-wielding hand, instantly flinging the coiled snake body off his blade.
"You—!" Lee Qi was both shocked and furious to see Zhaang Ye sever his snake with a single blow. His snake was an Iron Wire Snake, its body covered in a thick hide that made it look and feel like a whip. In battle, the Iron Wire Snake could follow his commands, launching agile attacks in mid-air.
The Iron Wire Snake was lethally venomous. One bite would cripple an opponent’s fighting ability. If they couldn’t take an Antitoxic Pill in time, Lee Qi would seize the opportunity to finish them off. He had defeated countless opponents with this Iron Wire Snake, yet he never imagined Zhaang Ye would sever it with a single stroke of his saber.
After flinging the severed Iron Wire Snake aside, Zhaang Ye slashed at Lee Qi. He didn’t use any Combat Skill, but his speed was astonishing. With his Iron Wire Snake gone, Lee Qi’s fighting prowess was severely diminished. He managed to use his serpentine Body Technique to evade two slashes before Zhaang Ye sent him flying with a kick.
Even though everyone had witnessed Zhaang Ye’s astonishing performance at the Memorial Stone and had already rated him highly, his ability to defeat Lee Qi—a cultivator at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer—in just a few moves still exceeded most people’s expectations.
’This brat... he’s so young, yet he already possesses such tyrannical strength. We have to find a way to eliminate him,’ the Elders from the Zhou, Lee, and Luo Families thought as they exchanged glances, each seeing the killing intent in the others’ eyes. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
