Free Web NovelChapter 78: Chapter 76: Defeating Zhaang Dahong Bare-Handed
WHIRR! WHIRR! WHIRR! Zhaang Dahong gave the iron staff in his hands a slight shake, and it let out a series of whistles. Zhaang Dahong chuckled sinisterly and said, "Zhaang Ye, this iron staff in my hand is my own creation. It weighs two hundred and nineteen jin. A year ago, I used this staff to sweep a guy at the Early Stage of Martial Arts Third Layer in half at the waist. I want to see just how many moves you can last against it!"
As he spoke, the iron staff in his hand let out a piercing "WHIRR!" as he swept it toward Zhaang Ye. Although this strike was just the simple "Sweeping Thousand Armies," its power was considerable. The sharp whistle produced by the staff’s movement inwardly startled even Zhaang Ye.
Unleashing his Startled Swan Step to its fullest, Zhaang Ye’s body moved slightly. He took a single step outward, perfectly dodging Zhaang Dahong’s attack. Seeing Zhaang Ye effortlessly evade his strike, Zhaang Dahong changed the staff’s outward sweep into a jab, thrusting it straight at Zhaang Ye.
Using his Body Technique, Zhaang Ye dodged again.
Zhaang Dahong was momentarily stunned. "Your Body Technique isn’t bad," he said, "but this iron staff is twelve feet long. No matter how fast you are, you can’t be faster than it!" As he spoke, he abruptly unleashed his Staff Technique, instantly sweeping through the wide area around Zhaang Ye.
The staff is known as the master of all weapons, capable of striking, uncovering, cleaving, jabbing, covering, pressing, clouding, sweeping, piercing, propping, lifting, raising, and deflecting. There’s also a saying: "A staff strikes a wide area." Zhaang Dahong possessed Innate Divine Strength, and when he swung this iron staff with all his might, everything within a twenty- to thirty-foot radius was enveloped by it.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH— Zhaang Ye’s form blurred into a faint shadow, practically dancing along the edge of Zhaang Dahong’s iron staff. Though Zhaang Dahong’s staff was immensely powerful, Zhaang Ye’s body seemed to have lost all weight. No matter how fast or ferocious Zhaang Dahong’s attacks became, he couldn’t so much as graze the corner of Zhaang Ye’s sleeve.
’This Zhaang Ye is so strong! His Footwork Technique seems to have reached a state where he can move as he pleases. It looks like I won’t be able to take him down without using my Ultimate Techniques!’ Although Zhaang Dahong knew Zhaang Ye’s strength was considerable, he had always looked down on him. Now that Zhaang Ye had displayed such an astonishing Body Technique, he was finally starting to take him seriously.
Zhaang Dahong’s Staff Technique shifted, and he finally unleashed an ultimate technique he had painstakingly practiced for years—"Big Mountain Covering the Top."
RUMBLE!
The moment "Big Mountain Covering the Top" was executed, the iron staff in Zhaang Dahong’s hands began to emit a series of strange noises, like thunder, an earthquake, or a tsunami. Amidst these bizarre sounds, the small iron staff instantly conjured thousands of phantoms. Countless staff shadows merged to form a great mountain, pressing straight down on Zhaang Ye.
’What a formidable Staff Technique!’ Zhaang Qing, Zhaang Yuhu, and Zhaang Yang exclaimed in their hearts simultaneously.
Of course, while all were amazed, Zhaang Qing was worried for Zhaang Ye, whereas Zhaang Yuhu and Zhaang Yang were calmly awaiting Zhaang Ye’s response. Both of them had fought Zhaang Ye before. They knew that while others might not be able to take this strike from Zhaang Dahong, Zhaang Ye definitely could! What they wanted to see now was how Zhaang Ye would receive this incredibly fierce blow empty-handed!
Zhaang Dahong possessed Innate Divine Strength, and his iron staff weighed over two hundred jin. No matter how powerful Zhaang Ye was, he wouldn’t dare to block it head-on. Unable to meet it directly, Zhaang Ye had two choices. The first was to rely on his Body Technique and swiftly retreat. However, doing so would mean he would have to endure Zhaang Dahong’s follow-up attacks, making it impossible to end the fight quickly.
Zhaang Ye’s other option was to draw his saber and counter. His Gentle Wind Slash had already reached the Great Success Realm, and although his Reverse Flow Slash wasn’t yet perfected, its power was immense. Blocking Zhaang Dahong’s move with it would not be a problem.
Would Zhaang Ye retreat, or would he draw his saber and meet the attack head-on? Zhaang Yuhu and Zhaang Yang’s eyes were wide as they watched.
Under their watchful gaze, Zhaang Ye’s body suddenly became incredibly gentle. Gentle like a gust of wind, gentle like a feather, gentle like a drop of water!
Zhaang Ye neither drew his saber nor retreated. He made a third choice: to dodge! He would use an extremely gentle Body Technique to evade Zhaang Dahong’s Staff Technique!
"This—this is insane!" Zhaang Yang’s eyes were wide as saucers, fixed on Zhaang Ye’s figure. He muttered, "He can’t dodge it! He can’t dodge it! There’s no way he can evade Zhaang Dahong’s move!"
A cold sneer played on Zhaang Yuhu’s lips. He absolutely refused to believe that Zhaang Ye could withstand Zhaang Dahong’s attack merely by dodging.
Meanwhile, Zhaang Qing’s face was etched with nervousness. He wanted to shout a warning, but he was afraid of distracting Zhaang Ye, and his hands trembled slightly.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!—
Zhaang Ye was like a gust of wind. Although Zhaang Dahong’s Staff Technique was ferocious to the extreme, it couldn’t strike the gentle breeze. Zhaang Ye dodged every part of his "Big Mountain Covering the Top," causing the strikes to slam into the ground, cracking it in every direction and sending countless shards of rock and clouds of dust into the air!
"Heavens!" Seeing Zhaang Dahong’s iron staff hit nothing but the ground, Zhaang Yuhu, Zhaang Qing, and Zhaang Yang all wore looks of utter disbelief. They muttered in unison, "He dodged it. He really dodged it! What—what kind of Body Technique is that!"
If Zhaang Yuhu and the other two were shocked, Zhaang Dahong was even more so. His "Big Mountain Covering the Top" was a Mid-Level Combat Skill. After his Cultivation had advanced to the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage, he had cultivated this move to the Minor Achievement Realm. Although it was still a ways from the Great Success Realm, its power was exceptionally astonishing. With this move, he could even hold his own against an expert at the Late-stage Martial Arts Third Layer. He never, ever imagined that such a ferocious attack could be so effortlessly dodged by Zhaang Ye!
Zhaang Dahong was shocked, but Zhaang Ye smiled. The Body Technique he had just used was one he had comprehended from the *Lingbo Triple Extremes* manual. The Body Technique within *Lingbo Triple Extremes* was supremely light and gentle; cultivated to its peak, one could dance upon water as if it were solid ground. Zhaang Ye had no one to guide him and thus couldn’t practice the Body Technique from the manual directly. However, his Comprehension was extremely high, and he had a vague understanding of the gentle Realm of "The highest virtue is like water." By combining the two, Zhaang Ye had finally created a completely new Body Technique.
Although this Body Technique was still far from perfect, its gentle nature had allowed Zhaang Ye to narrowly escape Zhaang Dahong’s frenzied attack without any real danger.
Having dodged Zhaang Dahong’s strike, Zhaang Ye abruptly moved. He took a step forward and, for the first time, launched an attack.
Zhaang Ye’s attack was simple: he formed his hand into a blade and executed a gentle chop.
Zhaang Dahong had just overcommitted to his technique and was unable to pull his long staff back in time to defend against Zhaang Ye’s chop. Left with no choice, he threw up a hand to block it. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
PING! Zhaang Ye’s attack may have looked simple, but it was brimming with concealed power. How could Zhaang Dahong’s hasty block possibly stop it? Following the loud sound, his body was sent flying as if struck by a monstrous beast. He flew over a hundred feet before crashing hard onto the ground, his iron staff knocked so far away its location was unknown.
"HAHAHAHA!" Zhaang Yang snapped out of his daze and burst into loud, mocking laughter. "Zhaang Dahong, and here I thought you were so tough! Turns out you’re just all talk! You’re always calling Zhaang Ye trash, so how come you couldn’t even take a single one of his moves?! HAHAHAHA!"
Zhaang Dahong had been struck by Zhaang Ye’s chop; a bloody gash had been opened on his fist, and the pain was excruciating. But no matter how much his hand hurt, he had no mind to pay it any attention. His face was beet red, and only a single thought echoed in his mind: ’Impossible, impossible! How could I have been defeated by Zhaang Ye in a single move?’
While Zhaang Dahong was filled with despair, Zhaang Yuhu’s expression was grave. He knew Zhaang Ye was strong, but he never expected him to be *this* strong. Even he couldn’t have easily dealt with Zhaang Dahong’s ultimate technique, yet Zhaang Ye had dodged it with absolute ease. Zhaang Ye’s performance dealt a heavy blow to his confidence...
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