Shock!
Unimaginable shock!
As the boy fiercely battled the one-eyed bandit leader before him, every observer—be it the Blood Robe Guards or the mountain bandits—was filled with astonishment.
**How old could this kid possibly be?
**How could he, a mere martial artist, dare to challenge a martial master?**
Every heart brimmed with questions.
Yet, regardless of anything else, at this moment, the youth who could hold his own against a martial master was the most radiant figure, akin to the sun in the sky, radiating searing brilliance.
"You little beast, with such strength, it seems you are the one leading the assault on my Jade Peak Stronghold."
The one-eyed bandit leader's blade sliced through the air like lightning, rumbling incessantly, his eyes flashing with a chilling light that instilled fear.
**"So what if I am? Just a band of thieves, each one deserves to be eradicated!"**
Ye Tian sneered, his long blade growing increasingly fierce, exuding a murderous intent.
"Arrogant!"
With a roar, the one-eyed bandit leader flipped his blade and unleashed a barrage of over a dozen blade currents, each filled with a lethal sharpness that cut through the air with a deafening roar, all aimed at Ye Tian.
Unlike martial artists, a martial master could channel their true energy into a long blade, unleashing sharp blade currents that were both ruthless and piercing.
Of course, the most elite martial artists, those on the verge of becoming martial masters, could achieve this too—just like Ye Tian. But the difference in realms meant that they could not execute it as effortlessly as a martial master, lacking the sustaining power.
Thus, the one-eyed bandit leader held absolute confidence that with a bit more effort, Ye Tian would inevitably falter due to insufficient energy and would be slain by him.
He was right in thinking so—except for the fact that he was facing Ye Tian, a genius who had already condensed the seed of blade intent.
In truth, the one-eyed bandit leader had no understanding of blade intent; however, in the next moment, he would forever be unable to forget that most dazzling strike.
"Hah!"
Like a god of slaughter, Ye Tian let out a thunderous roar, two crimson beams shooting from his eyes. His murderous aura suddenly surged, a tangible malice erupting from the long blade in his hand.
At this moment, Ye Tian's long blade seemed to come alive; with each swing, the blade energy erupted, and the surrounding air felt as if it had solidified.
The one-eyed bandit leader's pupils constricted as he fixated on the descending long blade, his body trembling involuntarily, paralyzed as if squeezed by an invisible force.
In his sight, Ye Tian's figure appeared to vanish, leaving only that radiant strike, filled with murderous intent.
"What kind of sword technique is this? Ah…"
The one-eyed bandit leader couldn't help but shout in desperation, realizing he could not continue like this; otherwise, he would surely die. He gathered all his true energy, forcing it to burst from his body, shattering the constraints around him, and then struck back at Ye Tian.
"Swish!"
At that moment, Ye Tian's blade intent finally erupted; a vast and magnificent aura unfolded, sweeping outwards like a wave in all directions.
In the next instant, the bandits and Blood Robe Guards holding blades and swords suddenly felt their weapons tremble violently, as if they would slip from their grasp, leaving them aghast.
In truth, they had not misperceived anything; under the pull of a mysterious and irresistible force, their weapons flew from their hands, soaring into the sky.
To be precise, they flew towards Ye Tian's head, and along the trajectory of Ye Tian's long blade, they all shot towards the one-eyed bandit leader.
Clang, clang…
The sound of swords slicing through the air stunned everyone; the bandits and Blood Robe Guards stood frozen, their eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at Ye Tian, who was now surrounded by hundreds of blades.
"What's happening?"
"Heavens, what am I witnessing?"
"This is madness; I must be dreaming!"
…
Both bandits and Blood Robe Guards were utterly horrified, their faces filled with disbelief.
Only Liu Hongwu's eyes widened, filled with astonishment.
"That is… blade intent. Hiss! How could this be? He is clearly just a martial artist; how could he comprehend blade intent? Could it be that he is truly ten thousand times more talented than I!"
The little girl felt a surge of panic; this was the first time she had seen someone with a talent surpassing her own, so much so that she looked up to him.
As the daughter of the Blood Robe Guards' leader, she naturally understood things that other martial artists did not, and blade intent was the most significant among them.
She would forever remember the words her father had told her when she was ten years old.
…That was the year she had just advanced to being a martial artist; she was incredibly proud of herself, having become a martial artist at the age of ten, a feat that made her one of the top geniuses in the history of Blood Jade City.
However, her father's words had doused her with cold water.
"Xiao Wu, it's merely becoming a martial artist; you must understand that our Shenzhou Continent is vast and boundless, teeming with countless geniuses. Advancing to a martial artist at ten is not something to boast about because many geniuses surpass you; you are not yet a true genius."** At the time, her father, the leader of the Blood Robe Guards, had bluntly criticized her.
Young Liu Hongwu had been displeased with her father's response, pouting as she asked, **"What then defines a true genius?"
"If you can comprehend blade intent, sword intent, spear intent, and other martial will in the realm of martial masters, then you would be a true genius."Liu Hongwu's father had gazed at the sky, his eyes filled with longing.
"Martial will? What is that? Have you comprehended it, Father?"** Liu Hongwu had never heard the term "martial will" before, leaving her head filled with question marks.
Unbeknownst to her, her father shook his head in response, sighing, "If I had comprehended blade intent, then this small Blood Jade City could not possibly contain me; defeating the city lord would be a trivial matter!"
After hearing that, Liu Hongwu vowed to comprehend a form of martial will, but unfortunately, comprehending martial will was no easy feat.
In the history of Blood Jade City, no genius had ever grasped martial will.
But now—
Liu Hongwu gazed at the fierce young man not far ahead, his aura radiating an overwhelming murderous intent. Her expression fluctuated between jealousy, astonishment, and unwillingness; for the first time, she regarded someone with such complex emotions.
"Blade intent… yet he is merely a martial artist!" Liu Hongwu murmured, her gaze clouded with confusion. If comprehending blade intent is a mark of genius at the martial master level, what does it signify for someone at the martial artist level? Is he a genius beyond measure?
"Little girl, what are you pondering? Quickly search for treasures! These bandits have just plundered a merchant convoy and must be laden with valuables. The Captain has stated that all spoils from this expedition will belong to us!"
As Liu Hongwu remained lost in thought, Ye Tian gently patted her head and proceeded towards a nearby cave.
The young girl was abruptly jolted back to reality. She glanced at the one-eyed bandit leader in the distance, realizing he was irrevocably pierced by hundreds of swords and utterly lifeless.
Seeing their leader, a martial master, slain, the remaining ordinary bandits were seized by fear, their hearts racing with terror as they fled in all directions.
Soon, only the blood-clothed guards remained in the canyon. The battle had been remarkably smooth; despite a few setbacks, thankfully, no one had lost their life, aside from a few minor injuries among the blood-clothed guards.
Under Ye Tian's guidance, the blood-clothed guards began to gather the spoils of war.
...This was the cave of the one-eyed bandit leader, from which Ye Tian had seen him emerge. Therefore, he was the first to investigate this location.
He was right; it indeed concealed treasures—over a dozen large iron chests lay hidden within. Upon opening one, a dazzling golden light burst forth.
"Indeed, bandits are the wealthy!" Ye Tian mused, shaking his head at the sight of gleaming gold ingots inside before closing the lid.
He continued to open the other chests, discovering that over half were filled with gold, silver, and jewels, while one contained precious medicinal herbs.
Ye Tian set aside the chests filled with riches and focused solely on the one brimming with herbs, knowing that for an aspiring martial artist, these materials to enhance cultivation were paramount.
Indeed, within moments, he unearthed ginseng, spiritual fruits, and spiritual mushrooms among the treasures. Yet, what captivated him most was a fiery red spiritual root, radiating a searing energy, resembling a burning flame.
"It's actually the Fire Dragon Fruit!" Ye Tian's eyes sparkled with excitement as he fixated on the vibrant spiritual fruit.
The vastness of the Shenzhou Continent boasted numerous rare treasures, but among those suitable for martial masters, the Fire Dragon Fruit undoubtedly ranked within the top ten, coveted even by superiors at the ninth level of martial mastery.
Ye Tian could hardly fathom that a mere bandit possessed such a treasure. Could it be that they had plundered it from a major merchant convoy in Blood Jade City?
This was the only plausible explanation.
Ye Tian briefly entertained this thought, but soon his focus narrowed to the Fire Dragon Fruit. If even a ninth-level martial master could enhance their cultivation by consuming it, how much would it elevate his own?
Could it propel him through multiple levels?
Overcome with excitement, Ye Tian longed to devour the Fire Dragon Fruit immediately. However, realizing that the current circumstances were unsuitable for cultivation, he carefully stored the fruit and departed from the cave.
Before long, Ye Tian summoned several blood-clothed guards to carry the ten chests outside.
The captains, upon seeing the contents of the chests, were all visibly thrilled, their excitement palpable.
"By heavens, Boss, look at all this gold and silver, and these precious herbs! I dare say, even Captain would be envious!" Captain Zhang exclaimed, brimming with exuberance, oblivious to the fact that he had ceased referring to Ye Tian as "Little Boss."
Moreover, the other captains cast glances toward Ye Tian that shimmered with an undercurrent of reverence.
Clearly, Ye Tian's formidable prowess had left them awestruck.
Especially after witnessing the one-eyed bandit leader, a martial master, slain by Ye Tian, the way the blood-clothed guards regarded him had irrevocably changed; the deep-seated awe in their eyes was unmistakable.