"Heh heh heh..." Zhaang Dashu let out a strange laugh and nodded slowly. "Young Master, you're right," he said to Zhaang Fang. "I should demonstrate my strength and sincerity." His sinister gaze then turned to Zhaang Ye. "Zhaang Ye, now that we've sought you out, you have to join us. It doesn't matter if you want to or not."
Zhaang Ye remained expressionless. "And if I don't?"
Zhaang Dashu stared intently at Zhaang Ye and said without hesitation, "Let me be honest with you. The Patriarch is currently in seclusion, and within the Zhaang Mansion, the only ones strong enough to compete for his position are my Young Master and your brother. If you don't join us, you become our enemy. I won't kill you, but I will cripple your cultivation. On the other hand, great benefits await if you join us. The choice is yours."
His tone was flat, but the chilling killing intent in his words made Zhaang Ye's pupils constrict. A Martial Artist's cultivation was their second life. To have it crippled meant spending the rest of one's days as a useless wreck—a fate worse than death. For Zhaang Dashu to immediately resort to such a threat, even the normally composed Zhaang Ye felt fury burn within him.
Staring expressionlessly at Zhaang Dashu, Zhaang Ye spat out two words: "Not interested!"
Since the beginning of their meeting, Zhaang Ye had now said "Not interested" three times, infuriating both Zhaang Dashu and Zhaang Fang. Zhaang Fang's eyes flickered, his thoughts unreadable, but Zhaang Dashu let out a savage grin. "Zhaang Ye, since you refuse to see what's good for you, don't blame me for what happens next! I'm going to turn you into a complete waste, someone who can't even practice Martial Arts—worse than any commoner!"
As he spoke, Zhaang Dashu's feet moved. He shot forward several steps, crossing more than ten meters in the blink of an eye, and a large, pale-yellow hand came smacking down toward Zhaang Ye's head.
Although Zhaang Ye had anticipated Zhaang Dashu's strength, seeing the power of his attack firsthand still sent a chill down his spine. Zhaang Dashu's speed was incredible; he closed the distance in an instant. The pale-yellow hand descending on his head carried a vicious wind. If it landed, his skull would likely be smashed like a watermelon.
Just as the massive hand was about to crash down, Zhaang Ye squatted slightly and raised both hands, perfectly intercepting Zhaang Dashu's palm strike.
BAM!
Zhaang Ye absorbed the blow, his body shifting as he retreated four steps. Zhaang Dashu, the aggressor, was also forced back one step, a look of surprise crossing his ugly face.
Zhaang Fang, watching from the side, was also astonished. He never imagined that Zhaang Ye, who had only just broken through to the Martial Arts Second Layer, could actually withstand one of Zhaang Dashu's attacks.
After all, Zhaang Dashu's strength was at the Mid-stage of the Second Layer!
Zhaang Dashu stared at Zhaang Ye and said slowly, "'Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation'? I never thought you'd be able to practice this form to such a degree!"
The Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation was one of the simplest Defensive Techniques from the *Martial Arts Enlightenment* manual. Yet when Zhaang Ye executed this simple Defensive Form, it was as stable as a mountain—solid and imposing. No matter how superior Zhaang Dashu's Cultivation was or how mountainously heavy his palm strike, he could not break through. This left both Zhaang Dashu and Zhaang Fang in shock.
After a moment of shock, Zhaang Dashu sneered, "So you've trained the Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation to the Minor Achievement Realm, and your execution is flawless. But a simple technique is still a simple technique. The Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation is just the most basic of Defensive Techniques. No matter how perfectly you perform it, it's useless in the face of true strength! Take another palm strike—"
As he spoke, Zhaang Dashu again stepped forward and brought his palm down. This time, he used eighty percent of his strength. The blow was heavy and oppressive, its power far greater than his last.
Zhaang Ye's expression remained unchanged. He raised his hands, once again using the Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation.
BAM!
Zhaang Ye steadily blocked Zhaang Dashu's attack and retreated another four steps. In the space of those four steps, he used a subtle technique to channel the force of the blow into the ground beneath his feet, leaving himself completely unharmed.
Zhaang Dashu's expression changed. That last palm strike had felt like attacking a great mountain; no matter how abundant his True Qi, he could not break through Zhaang Ye's defense.
'Eighty percent of my strength can't get past his Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation! How is that possible? It seems Zhaang Ye has elevated this simple defensive technique to an unbelievable level! To break through it, I'll have to use a proper Martial Art!' Zhaang Dashu thought. His figure flashed, and he leaped into the air, shouting, "Then try my Flying Eagle Nine Strikes!"
Flying Eagle Nine Strikes was a Low-Level Martial Skill. When performed, the user swooped down from the air like a cyan eagle striking its prey, their limbs moving to unleash nine exceptionally sharp attacks in a single instant.
A Martial Art, after all, was on another level. Although Zhaang Dashu was only at the Mid-stage of the Second Layer, his execution of this skill was already quite polished. As he dove, the wind howled, and the air filled with the phantom images of his claws.
A solemn look appeared in Zhaang Ye's eyes. He let out a long cry as his feet shifted. Standing firm like an iron bridge against a raging river, he spread his arms, once again using the Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation to parry Zhaang Dashu's assault.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! Zhaang Dashu struck out nine times, each claw strike landing on Zhaang Ye's palms and forearms. The sound of their clashing Powerful Qi was incessant. The scattered energy kicked up the surrounding dust into the air, creating what looked like a sudden Tornado.
Having received Zhaang Dashu's nine attacks, Zhaang Ye was forced back nine steps. He felt nine powerful shockwaves surge through his arms and instantly invade his Meridians. The qi and blood in his body roiled, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.
As for his opponent, Zhaang Dashu, despite having the upper hand, was far from comfortable. The Flying Eagle Nine Strikes was a ferocious Combat Skill; if it didn't defeat the enemy in one fell swoop, the user would suffer a degree of backlash. Using such a Combat Skill with his strength at the Mid-stage of the Second Layer was already pushing his limits. When Zhaang Ye blocked his assault, the resulting clash of Powerful Qi left him reeling as well.
Zhaang Fang, who had been watching the entire time, was completely stunned. 'This Zhaang Ye has mediocre talent and only just broke through to the Martial Arts Second Layer. How can someone like that withstand Zhaang Dashu's full-powered attack using only the simple Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation? He's far from simple!' A flicker of killing intent appeared in his eyes. 'Zhaang Ye is Zhaang Shu's younger brother. If he's allowed to develop, he'll surely become another opponent for me! Hmph. Since you refuse to join us, then don't blame us for crippling you!'
A savage look twisted Zhaang Fang's face as he slowly closed in on Zhaang Ye. As Zhaang Fang's confidant, Zhaang Dashu instantly understood his master's intent. The two formed a pincer attack, about to cripple Zhaang Ye once and for all, when they suddenly saw him let out a hollow laugh and rapidly retreat. Before the startled Zhaang Fang and Zhaang Dashu could react, Zhaang Ye had already reached the riverbank. With a backward somersault, he plunged into the wide river and vanished.
Zhaang Fang and Zhaang Dashu stared at each other, speechless. After a long moment, Zhaang Fang snorted. "We completely underestimated him! When he took your Flying Eagle Nine Strikes, he retreated nine steps in the direction of the river. Looking back, he must have already decided to escape by jumping in! We completely underestimated him!"
Zhaang Dashu swung his arm in frustration, his voice savage. "That brat is too damn cunning! Young Master, we can't let a person like that go. Next time we see him, we have to cripple him, no questions asked!"
Zhaang Fang nodded slightly, saying with a hint of regret, "Zhaang Ye truly is a talent. If he had agreed to join us, I could have used him against Zhaang Shu. That would have been interesting. Heh, using a younger brother to fight his older brother... that would have been a huge blow to Zhaang Shu's pride. What a pity..."