Chapter 34 - Fighting
The night was calm, with the crescent moon hanging in the sky, complementing the serene, deep pool of the waterfall beneath.
Yang Xie had gained a lot of insight, but his thoughts were clouded with considerations for the future.
The condensation of his martial spirit wasn't just about his martial soul talent; it also required proficiency in skills and martial arts.
While it was easy to perfect the three skills he was practicing, thanks to his shadow soldier training tool, Yang Xie still felt that his martial arts repertoire was too limited. He had reached the pinnacle of Bloody Swordsmanship and Zhenwu Fist, both near perfection, but his agility skills were lacking. Yang Yi and the others often had to act on his behalf in his place. Relying on the same attack methods repeatedly could easily raise suspicion.
To address this, Yang Xie decided to add more martial arts techniques to his arsenal, which would also help in creating confusion among potential enemies.
Moreover, since he could train with his shadow soldiers in the background, he didn't have to spend time personally honing his skills. While others might take years to master a martial art, Yang Xie could progress much faster with the assistance of his shadow soldiers.
Although he planned to focus on one or two martial arts to master, there was no need to worry about training speed, given that his shadow soldiers could practice automatically in his stead.
Yang Xie had obtained quite a few valuable items from the pig-headed masked man and Xie Hu. He planned to sell them on the black market and use the proceeds to buy martial arts scrolls that would suit him.
With that in mind, he took 900 shadow soldiers into the wild to hunt beasts and absorb their shadows, leaving only 100 shadow soldiers to guard him. Exhausted from the day's activities, Yang Xie fell asleep, envisioning a bright future ahead.
The Next Morning
"Yang Xie, have you mastered Bloody Swordsmanship already?"
Yang Xie and his companions had just left the waterfall and were approaching the wildlands. Nangong Ya, who had joined them, saw Yang Xie using Bloody Swordsmanship and immediately noticed that he had already perfected it to the point of great success.
Nangong Wei, a sword user himself, was taken aback. Mastering a sword technique to such a high level was no small feat. It had taken him nearly half a year of constant practice to reach great success with his swordsmanship. Yet here was Yang Xie, only half a month into his awakening, wielding a sword technique with such precision.
"Outrageous!" Nangong Wei thought to himself, astonished by Yang Xie's skill.
He couldn't help but wonder: How was this possible for someone with D-level talent?
Yang Xie's rapid progress was truly unbelievable. If this was what a D-level talent could achieve, then what did that make the rest of them?
Yang Xie and Nangong Ya, focused on fighting the beasts in the wild, had no idea that their performances had left their companions so astonished.
In the Wild
The group continued on their journey, returning the way they had come. The previously cut path allowed them to make good time as they headed back to where their armored vehicle was parked.
Once back, Nangong Qing drove them to more remote areas of the wild. This area was inhabited mostly by first-level beasts, which were much weaker than the ones they had faced before. It was much safer, and the beasts here posed no major threat.
With Nangong Qing and the others watching over them, Yang Xie and Nangong Ya began fighting the alien beasts.
It was Yang Xie's first real combat experience with beasts, though most of the kills were made by his shadow soldiers. His only actual combat experience had been in his battle with the pig-headed masked man, but that fight was over quickly with just a single sword strike.
Yang Xie relished the opportunity to fight against the beasts firsthand. While his shadow soldiers were powerful, facing real opponents gave him the chance to refine his skills.
As he struck down beast after beast, Yang Xie found that the creatures were far weaker than expected. With one swing of his sword, they were easily cleaved in two.
"These beasts are no challenge at all," Yang Xie thought, finding it almost laughable.
Considering his current strength — as a seventh-stage warrior — he felt it was only natural. The beasts were at the first stage, and they didn't stand a chance against him. His power far exceeded theirs.
Still, Yang Xie appreciated the opportunity to fight them. At first, the massive beasts charging toward him had intimidated him. But after a few kills, he found them no more frightening than paper.
With every battle, Yang Xie grew more confident. His sword struck down beast after beast, blood splattering on his clothes, his movements smooth and effortless.
Observations
Nangong Qing watched in astonishment. "This kid's a natural killer. He's killing them so easily, despite this being his first real combat experience."
Nangong Xiuqin, beside him, sighed regretfully, "What a pity. We could have used someone like him on our team."
Compared to Yang Xie, Nangong Ya was struggling a bit more. While her whip was powerful, she was inexperienced in fighting beasts and had some difficulty landing solid hits. However, with time, she adapted to the situation, becoming more composed in the heat of battle. Her strikes grew more precise, and she began handling the beasts with greater ease.
Despite her difficulties, Nangong Ya's performance was still impressive. As a warrior herself, she was strong, and after a few successful kills, she appeared much more confident in combat.
Reflection
"Both of them are geniuses, with remarkable talents. It won't be long before they surpass us all," Nangong Qing thought.
"They might even make it onto the Hidden Dragon List one day."
"That's far off," Nangong Xiuqin replied. "First, we need to focus on this year's college entrance exam. Many talented individuals will be blinded by their own potential, but this exam will separate the truly exceptional from the rest."
Though the team had taken Nangong Ya and Yang Xie on this mission to test them, they couldn't help but feel that the day when these young geniuses surpassed them would come sooner than expected.
But for now, they could only hope that day would be delayed a little longer.