Chapter 71: The Great Battle

Chapter 71: Chapter 71: The Great Battle

’It was a known fact that the higher the level of an Inner Strength technique, the faster one’s True Qi cultivation. The Clear Wind Technique was an Earth tier Middle Grade Internal Cultivation Method, which was considered excellent. Zhao Tianxuan’s cultivation method was probably this very same Earth tier Middle Grade Clear Wind Technique. However, to Ye Xing’s surprise, the Clear Wind Technique was actually slower than his Innate Skill when it came to cultivation speed. This meant the Innate Skill’s rank was undoubtedly higher than the Clear Wind Technique’s. It was most likely an Earth tier Top Grade Internal Cultivation Method, and there was even a slim chance it could be...’

’I originally thought the Innate Skill might be a Mystic Level Skill, but now it seems...’

Since the Clear Wind Technique was inferior to the Innate Skill, Ye Xing naturally decided to continue his Cultivation of the Innate Skill. As for Sword Skills, he would definitely start practicing the Gale Sword Skill. The power of an Earth tier Top Sword Skill was absolutely terrifying. Even the Gale Sword Skill at the Entry Realm had a destructive power that could completely eclipse any Mystic Level Skill at the Perfect Realm.

’The Lingfeng Sword Skill was, after all, only a Yellow tier Top-Grade Technique. Even if cultivated to the Perfect Realm, it’s only enough to show off in Phoenix Town. To become a true master, I have to rely on the Gale Sword Skill.’

WHOOSH! SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

The Sword Roar echoed through the forest. Beneath the moonlight, Ye Xing stood among the trees, Cyan Blade Sword in hand, and began to practice the Gale Sword Skill.

Afterimages of his blade multiplied as a fierce wind suddenly rose in the forest, sending fallen leaves scattering into the air.

Because the Lingfeng Sword Skill and the Gale Sword Skill shared some similarities, Ye Xing found the Cultivation of the Gale Sword Skill to be especially smooth and natural. Both the Lingfeng Sword Skill and the Gale Sword Skill were fast sword styles that focused on speed, their Sword Techniques nimble and swift.

Immersed in his Sword Skill practice, three to five hours passed in the blink of an eye.

It was now the latter half of the night. The darkness was gradually thinning, and in another two or three hours, the sky would likely begin to brighten.

Practicing a Sword Skill was different from cultivating Inner Strength through meditation. Meditating circulated True Qi and could dispel fatigue. But cultivating a Sword Skill required both physical and mental energy to comprehend the Sword Techniques, especially for profound and esoteric techniques like those of the Gale Sword Skill, which were not easy to practice.

Having practiced for five or six hours, Ye Xing felt it was about time to stop. He ceased his practice of the Gale Sword Skill and hurried back toward the Escort Agency’s camp.

At this moment, the Escort Agency’s camp was silent, with only the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

Everyone inside the tents was sound asleep. Only six Escort Masters were patrolling on night watch, keeping an eye on the movements in the surrounding woods.

Suddenly, the branches and leaves in the woods rustled, and the sound of footsteps grew closer.

"Oh, it’s Brother Ye! You’re back!" one of the Escort Masters said.

"Mhm," Ye Xing smiled slightly and nodded. With a single leap, he shot up into a large tree. Crossing his arms, he lay down on a thick branch, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

"He was out practicing for so long. This Brother Ye is really hardworking!"

"If he weren’t, how could he be so strong? I heard he’s already at the Martial Arts Second Realm. At such a young age, his strength isn’t much less than our Leader of the Escort’s!"

The few Night Guards chatted idly while keeping a close watch on the movements in the woods.

The darkness continued to thin, and a sliver of pale dawn light began to streak the horizon.

Before long, the light began to spread.

The night receded, and dawn broke.

The Escort Masters of the Weiyuan Escort Agency immediately woke everyone up, and the agency’s convoy slowly set off once more.

Green mountains and trees flanked the wide, earthen road. Wheels rumbled and hooves CLOPPED, kicking up clouds of dust.

After traveling for more than four shichen, it was already noon.

The sun beat down, scorching hot. After traveling for half a day, the group was tired and drowsy. Many of the passengers inside the carriages had fallen fast asleep. A few of the Escort Masters also rode their sturdy horses listlessly.

"Hold on, everyone! Perk up! There’s an inn just past this forest!" Li Yunlong shouted in a deep voice from the front of the convoy.

The Escort Masters immediately straightened up, whipping their horses to urge them on. The convoy’s speed picked up slightly.

The convoy continued to move slowly forward.

Suddenly—

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A series of sharp whistles suddenly pierced the silence of the woods. From the forests on both sides, volleys of sharp arrows sliced through the air, aimed at the Escort Agency’s convoy.

"Ambush!" "Quick, block them!"

The faces of everyone in the convoy changed drastically. They hastily swung their longswords and great sabers, deflecting the incoming arrows.

CLANG! PING! PING! PANG!

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

Arrows were deflected one after another, but despite the Escort Masters’ best efforts to defend, three of them were still struck and fell from their horses.

After the volley of arrows, an explosive roar erupted from the woods: "Kill! Kill all the men! Take the women and goods back to the stronghold!" From both sides of the forest, thirty to forty burly men swarmed out, each brandishing a large cleaver and radiating killing intent as they charged the Weiyuan Escort Agency’s convoy.

CLANG! PING! PING! PANG!

The two groups clashed, engaging in fierce combat. Chaos erupted within the Escort Agency’s convoy, punctuated by the terrified screams of women and children.

The bandits outnumbered the Weiyuan Escort Agency’s members two to one, and they had the element of surprise. The situation for the agency was dire. At the front of the convoy, the Leader of the Escort, Li Yunlong, was being ganged up on by two bandit leaders, both at the Martial Arts Second Realm. One of them wielded a Great Saber; his Saber Skill was so ferocious that he could clash with Li Yunlong’s long spear head-on without losing ground. The other was a skinny man with narrow eyes who used a thin longsword; his movements were extremely agile, and he constantly targeted Li Yunlong’s vitals.

CLANG! PING! PING! PANG!

Li Yunlong desperately defended himself, whirling his long spear like a pinwheel. His forehead was beaded with cold sweat. Hard-pressed to deal with the pincer attack from two Second Realm Martial Artists, he found himself in a perilous situation, barely hanging on.

’This is bad. Brother Yunlong is in danger.’

At the rear of the convoy, Ye Xing casually skewered a bandit with his sword and glanced toward the front. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. He couldn’t help but stare at the saber-wielding bandit leader, and he froze for a moment. ’Huh? That person looks like...’

"Yang Dalong of the Black Tiger Stronghold! Heh, enemies really do travel on a narrow road," Ye Xing sneered, a cold smile tugging at his lips. He immediately whipped his reins, urging his warhorse to charge forward.

SQUELCH! SQUELCH!

Wherever he passed, he brandished his longsword, taking the lives of three to five bandits in his path. Blood splattered, and the nearby bandits scrambled away in terror, keeping a wide berth from Ye Xing.

CLOP! CLOP! CLOP! CLOP!

The warhorse charged at full speed, moving so fast that it reached the front of the convoy in the blink of an eye.

Ye Xing stood up on his warhorse, kicked off its back, and launched himself into the air using his Lightweight Skill. His Sharp Sword transformed into a cold glint of light as he lunged toward Yang Dalong, the Great Village Chief of the Black Tiger Stronghold, who was locked in combat ahead.