Chapter 539 - 513: Slaying the Short Young Master

Zhaang Ye had been keeping a close watch on the movements of the experts. When he saw Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong flying toward the Ancient Cave Mansion at the same time, he groaned inwardly.

Both Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong had reached the True Dao Fifth Layer Early Stage. They had even vaguely comprehended a Realm, giving them combat power comparable to experts at the True Dao Fifth Layer Middle Stage. To deal with just one of them, Zhaang Ye would have to go all out. With the two of them attacking together, no matter how formidable Zhaang Ye was, he couldn’t possibly withstand them.

’Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong are both formidable experts. I’m no match for them alone. Right now, my only option is to delay them for as long as possible so the Fire Spirit can retrieve the items from inside the mansion.’

Zhaang Ye quickly analyzed the situation. A black Giant Bow appeared in his hands, and with lightning speed, he nocked two black long arrows onto the bowstring.

This black Giant Bow was the Profound Water True Bow, the former weapon of the Water Monster. Dozens of Arrays were inscribed upon the True Bow, making it a Sixth-Grade True Artifact that could fire incredibly powerful arrows. After killing the Water Monster, Zhaang Ye had taken his Storage Bag, and this mighty Profound Water True Bow had fallen into his possession.

Although Zhaang Ye hadn’t refined this Profound Water True Bow, he had already comprehended the Water Realm, allowing him to use seventy percent of this Profound Water True Artifact’s power. Zhaang Ye now planned to use this Profound Water True Bow to intercept Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong and delay them for as long as possible.

As soon as the Fire Spirit secured the items inside the mansion, Zhaang Ye could just walk away.

One hundred miles.

Ninety miles.

Seventy miles.

Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong approached the Ancient Cave Mansion with caution. These two were not just powerful combatants; they were battle-hardened veterans with vast experience. As they flew, they extended their Spiritual Sense to its limits, vigilantly scanning for any disturbance within a three-hundred-mile radius.

Fifty miles.

Forty miles.

Seeing them enter the forty-mile range, Zhaang Ye knew the time to attack had come. He flew out silently, positioning himself twenty miles away. Then, with a shudder of the Profound Water True Bow in his hands, two long arrows shot forth like streaks of black lightning, bursting from the void and flying straight for Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong!

As great experts of the True Dao Fifth Layer, Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong were proceeding with extreme caution. The moment Zhaang Ye’s arrows flew, the resulting fluctuations in the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi immediately alerted them. Both men let out a low shout in unison and drew their gleaming Long Swords.

CLANG!

The two of them swung their Long Swords in unison, batting the arrows away.

Although they had successfully batted the arrows away, they were inwardly horrified. The arrows that had just shot toward them contained immense power and were unbelievably fast. If they had been careless, they would have likely been injured. Even so, the force contained within the arrows had left their arms numb.

Ma Xingkong, holding his Long Sword, shouted, "Who’s there! Stop skulking around! If you have any guts, get the hell out here and fight me face-to-face!"

Wan Dapeng remained silent, his eyes darting about as he carefully searched the surroundings, trying to find Zhaang Ye. But Zhaang Ye had comprehended the Wind Realm and also had his Treasure Armor to conceal his aura. No matter how powerful Wan Dapeng’s Spiritual Sense was, he couldn’t find him.

After a brief pause, the two continued flying toward the Ancient Cave Mansion. Now aware of how formidable their hidden opponent was, they flew even more slowly and acted with greater caution.

Seeing their cautious demeanor, Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. He then fully unleashed his Wind Realm, changed direction, and silently flew beneath the two of them.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

This time, Zhaang Ye suddenly fired three arrows. This was precisely the Water Monster’s unique Arrow Skill—Three Dragons Raging in the Sea. The moment they were fired, the three long arrows transformed into three black Flood Dragons, twisting straight toward the two men’s feet!

Zhaang Ye had never practiced any Arrow Skill, but after taking several of the Water Monster’s arrows head-on, he had gained some insight into archery. Although the power of his three arrows couldn’t compare to the Water Monster’s, their threat was greatly increased at close range. Even experts like Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong were startled by the attack!

"Shatter!"

Wan Dapeng roared as he suddenly swung his Long Sword. A yellowish Sword Gang shot out horizontally, swatting away one of the endlessly roaring Flood Dragons.

While Wan Dapeng easily swatted his arrow aside, Ma Xingkong was left in a sorry state. Of the three arrows Zhaang Ye had fired, only one was aimed at Wan Dapeng. The remaining two, twisting and turning, had shot straight at Ma Xingkong. Even though he struck with all his might, the force of the arrows still left his arm numb and sent his qi and blood into turmoil.

Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong exchanged a glance, a hint of horror flashing in their eyes. The same question occurred to both of them: ’This Arrow Skill is so terrifying, so full of Profound Mysteries. If three arrows were shot at me at close range, how could I possibly block them?’

At this thought, the two young experts became even more cautious. Although they still wouldn’t give up on the Ancient Cave Mansion, they now moved with nerve-wracking tension. The slightest breeze was enough to make their hearts tighten.

"Heh, this expert hiding near the cave mansion is incredibly powerful. Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong are both experts on the Second-Grade List, and right now they can’t even catch a glimpse of their enemy’s shadow. This is truly unbelievable!"

"Yeah, that’s right! That hidden expert is definitely a True Dao Fifth Layer master. Only an expert of that level could handle two young experts at once."

"Heh heh heh... Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong haven’t even seen their enemy’s face, yet they’re being made to look like fools. They’ve really lost a lot of face this time."

Seeing this strange battle unfold, the spectating experts burst into discussion, pointing and gesturing at Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong, which made the two both frightened and furious. Both men were burning with the desire to drag their enemy out, torture them viciously, and after toying with them to their heart’s content, beat them to death.

WHOOSH!

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Amidst the crowd’s discussion, Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong continued flying toward the Ancient Cave Mansion. Meanwhile, Zhaang Ye relentlessly kept up his attacks. These ghostly, unpredictable ambushes made the two suffer immensely. They were only twenty to thirty miles from the Ancient Cave Mansion, but that short distance felt like ten thousand miles long; it seemed they could never cross it.

BOOM!

When they were twenty-five miles away, the Ancient Cave Mansion suddenly trembled, followed by a massive sound echoing out from within!

It turned out that the Fire Spirit had just successfully broken the Prohibitions on the Alchemy Furnace. As it broke the final Prohibition, the Alchemy Furnace let out a huge bang that could be heard from ten thousand miles away!

Hearing this huge noise, Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong could no longer remain calm. With a loud shout, they wildly swung their Long Swords, conjuring layers upon layers of Sword Gang to block everything in their path. Then, their figures suddenly transformed into two gusts of wind and shot straight toward the Ancient Cave Mansion!

Seeing the two of them flying over recklessly, Zhaang Ye’s heart sank. But Zhaang Ye was, after all, a battle-hardened veteran. He reacted in an instant, his gaze locking tightly onto Ma Xingkong.

’There’s no way I can handle both of them at once. I can only pin one down with my arrows, then use a powerful technique to kill the other.’

Wan Dapeng and Ma Xingkong were roughly equal in strength. Between the two, Wan Dapeng had a powerful physique, and the power within his body seemed on the verge of bursting forth; he was someone who won with strength. Ma Xingkong’s Body Technique, on the other hand, was elegant and unpredictable, his movements as eerie as a phantom’s. He clearly won through agility.

Zhaang Ye’s plan now was to use his arrows to pin Ma Xingkong down, keeping him twenty miles away. Then, he would exploit the weakness of Wan Dapeng’s less agile Body Technique, unleash a fierce attack, and kill Wan Dapeng in an instant!

Having made his decision, three more arrows instantly appeared in Zhaang Ye’s hand. He drew the Profound Water True Bow into a full moon. With a soft twang of the bowstring, the three arrows transformed into three Flood Dragons, roaring as they pounced on Ma Xingkong!

"Hmph!"

Ma Xingkong snorted in annoyance, but he was forced to stop and swing his Long Sword to defend against Zhaang Ye’s "Three Dragons Raging in the Sea."

"Three Dragons Raging in the Sea" contained hundreds of profound and mystical transformations, so many that even Zhaang Ye couldn’t see through them all. Ma Xingkong was completely ignorant of the Water Realm and was thus unable to see through its transformations. Faced with these three arrows, he had no way to dodge; he had no choice but to meet them head-on with his Long Sword.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

Ma Xingkong blocked the three arrows head-on, and the force immediately knocked him back several miles. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth; he had clearly sustained a minor injury.

"Hahaha!"

While Ma Xingkong was dealing with the arrows, Wan Dapeng used his keen Spiritual Sense to vaguely lock onto Zhaang Ye’s position. He let out a long laugh as his short, stout figure bypassed Zhaang Ye with surprising agility, continuing straight toward the Ancient Cave Mansion!

WHOOSH!

Wan Dapeng’s body shot through the air, and he was just about to enter the Ancient Cave Mansion. At that moment, his vision suddenly blurred. A large purple saber had appeared before him, trailing a long streak of golden light as it slashed straight at him!

"Get out of my way, you old bastard!"

Wan Dapeng could now see Zhaang Ye’s face clearly. He let out a great roar, and his Long Sword, like the Celestial River pouring down, unleashed an utterly magnificent Sword Gang that shot toward the dazzling golden Blade Tip.

BOOM!

The purple saber and the Long Sword clashed with a tremendous sound. Zhaang Ye felt an overwhelmingly powerful force wash over him like a tidal wave. His body was already riddled with hidden injuries, and under this immense pressure, he lost control of his qi and blood and violently spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wan Dapeng wasn’t faring much better. He possessed Innate Divine Strength, and with his True Dao Fifth Layer Cultivation, he was nearly unrivaled in terms of power. But against a formidable opponent like Zhaang Ye, the immense force he had unleashed was unexpectedly forced back upon him. The backlash of power made Wan Dapeng unable to stop himself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Die!"

Wan Dapeng roared in fury, his Long Sword pressing down hard on Zhaang Ye’s purple saber, while his other fist, whistling with the sound of wind and thunder, shot straight for Zhaang Ye’s chest!

Zhaang Ye’s eyes were fixed on Wan Dapeng’s fist, and a ruthless look flashed across his face. With a slight shift, he actually met Wan Dapeng’s punch with his own body!

BOOM!

Wan Dapeng’s fist slammed into Zhaang Ye, causing him to spray blood wildly. But Wan Dapeng felt no joy at all. Instead, a sense of foreboding washed over him. The moment his punch landed, he immediately shot backward in retreat!

Wan Dapeng’s reaction was incredibly fast, but he wasn’t faster than the Sword Gang. As Wan Dapeng shot back in a hasty retreat, Zhaang Ye swung his arm, and the Mysterious Blade Tip unleashed a brilliant golden Sword Gang. The terrifying Sword Gang flashed out like lightning, directly slicing Wan Dapeng’s body in two!

"AHH!"

The distant onlookers were stunned silly when they saw Zhaang Ye kill Wan Dapeng—ranked fifteenth on the Second-Grade List—in a single move. Ma Xingkong, who had just dodged Zhaang Ye’s three arrows and was flying over at full speed, couldn’t help but gasp in horror, a chill running down his spine!

-(To be continued. If you enjoy this novel, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)