Lee Lie’s saber was like the midday sun—brilliant and overwhelmingly domineering. But when Zhaang Ye unleashed his Saber Technique, everyone felt their vision dim, as if Lee Lie’s dazzling technique had been blotted out by a dark cloud.

SWISH!

Zhaang Ye’s saber slashed through the air, heading straight for Lee Lie.

The domineering aspect of the Sword Force was like a massive Tornado, suddenly bearing down on a tiny ant. Its ferocity was like a thunderbolt from the heavens, striking in an instant and leaving no room for resistance or evasion.

Strangely, while being immensely domineering and fierce, Zhaang Ye’s strike also held a trace of nimbleness. The jet-black Heavy Saber, in Zhaang Ye’s hands, moved like a vigorous dragon, ready to transform at any moment.

"Such a domineering Saber Technique!" Luo Yongsheng and Zhou Yuhe River shot to their feet.

"Such a marvelous Saber Technique!" Zhaang Yijian’s hand tightened on his sword, his eyes glinting sharply.

Zhaang Ye’s strike was exceptionally domineering and fierce, yet within that dominance and ferocity, it was also incredibly nimble. Dominance, fierceness, and nimbleness were inherently conflicting qualities. How could Zhaang Ye possibly meld them into a single strike? Zhaang Tianlong, the Luo Family Elder, the Lee Family Elder, and the Zhou Family Elder all rose to their feet as one, astonishment flashing in their eyes.

Seeing this strike, a brilliant light shot from the eyes of the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes standing atop the Memorial Stone, his gaze locked on Zhaang Ye. Beside him, the purple-robed woman’s mouth hung slightly open in surprise. "What exquisite Rotating Power!" she murmured.

On the Martial Arts Arena.

The moment Zhaang Ye’s Sword Force unfurled, Lee Lie sensed immense danger. He had a vague feeling that his own technique, the tremendously powerful and domineering Dusk Slash, was somehow being suppressed by Zhaang Ye’s Sword Force. Although Lee Lie felt a sense of unease, he had already committed to his strike with all his might.

Since the Sword Technique was already unleashed, no matter how formidable Zhaang Ye’s Sword Force was, he could only grit his teeth and see it through!

KRAAACK—

Their sabers clashed abruptly. Lee Lie felt the force behind his blade suddenly get neutralized by a tyrannical and Rotating Power, as if a terrifying beast had devoured it in a single gulp. And this beast was not yet satisfied; it pressed on relentlessly, crushing forward at lightning speed!

If his Saber Technique was the midday sun, then Zhaang Ye’s was the legendary Tiangou said to devour the sun itself!

Lee Lie’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. He couldn’t fathom how Zhaang Ye had devoured the True Qi from his blade. What he did know was that he stood no chance against this strike. Not only that, but if he persisted, his very life would be at risk!

Lee Lie was a veteran of countless battles. He made a split-second decision. Ignoring the roiling qi and blood in his chest, he thrust his saber forward, spat out a mouthful of blood, and leaped backward off the Martial Arts Arena.

Such a sudden retreat was incredibly risky. If Zhaang Ye had wanted to kill him, he would only have needed to press his Saber Technique forward and pursue him along the flow of energy. However, Zhaang Ye knew that if he actually killed Lee Lie, the Lee Family would never let the matter rest, and things would become troublesome.

Zhaang Ye had no intention of killing Lee Lie, so he did not give chase. However, he showed no such courtesy to the saber Lee Lie had thrust at him. With a slight flick of his wrist, the saber shattered with five crisp cracks—CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!—breaking into six pieces that soared high into the air.

After shattering Lee Lie’s saber, Zhaang Ye spun slightly. The Heavy Saber in his hand moved like a dragon, abruptly changing direction and tracing a profound arc before he sheathed it on his back.

Below the Martial Arts Arena.

"He defeated Lee Lie with a single head-on strike. Zhaang Ye’s strength is terrifying! I have no complaints about losing to him before," Zhou Yuhe River sighed deeply.

A look of shock was frozen on Luo Yongsheng’s face as he watched Zhaang Ye defeat Lee Lie with one move of his utterly domineering Saber Technique. Although Luo Yongsheng had lost to Zhaang Yijian, he had never been particularly afraid of Zhaang Ye. But now, seeing Zhaang Ye display a Saber Technique so powerful it could defeat Lee Lie’s Dusk Slash head-on in a single strike, his heart sank.

Replaying Zhaang Ye’s last strike in his mind, Luo Yongsheng asked himself, ’Could I have taken that blow?’

The more he thought about it, the less confident he became. He felt that as powerful as his Thunder Shock Sword Technique and as profound as his Celestial Net Step were, they still seemed inferior to the strike Zhaang Ye had just delivered.

’How can this be? My Celestial Net Step Technique and Thunder Shock Sword Technique are both incredibly profound Mid-Level Combat Skills. Their power might not match an Advanced Combat Skill, but they’re far superior to ordinary ones! I’ve already brought both Combat Skills to the Great Success Realm, so how can I still be no match for Zhaang Ye? It’s impossible!’ Luo Yongsheng’s expression flickered between gloom and uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the Elders were lost in their own thoughts.

Zhaang Tianlong was both shocked and overjoyed. The more brilliantly Zhaang Ye performed, the more delighted he became. Zhaang Ye had just defeated Lee Lie in a single, head-on exchange—a display of strength so far beyond his imagination that he nearly laughed aloud. ’I hope that person arrives soon,’ he thought ecstatically. ’If he sees this level of strength, he’s sure to take an interest in Zhaang Ye! Among the twenty or thirty cities in Cyan Forest County, there may be many geniuses, but ones like Zhaang Ye are few and far between!’

In contrast to Zhaang Tianlong’s delight, the Elders from the Zhou, Lee, and Luo Families sighed inwardly. They knew the Zhaang Family had produced another genius, one who was in no way inferior to Zhaang Yijian.

Before, the Zhaang Family had only Zhaang Yijian, and he alone was enough to keep them suppressed. Now, with another genius in the mix, the three Elders from the Zhou, Lee, and Luo Families all felt a sense of threat...

On the Martial Arts Arena, Zhaang Ye coughed lightly.

Hearing the cough, the referee on the Martial Arts Arena was finally jolted back to his senses. He shot Zhaang Ye a complicated look before announcing, "Zhaang Ye wins!"

Zhaang Ye leaped off the Martial Arts Arena. Zhaang Yijian walked over, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, "That last strike of yours was quite good. I look forward to our match."

Zhaang Ye gave a wry smile. "Senior Brother Zhaang, your Cultivation is profound. How could I possibly be a match for you..."

Zhaang Yijian smiled, then lowered his voice. "I could tell. You were holding back against Lee Lie. If you were to unleash your Saber Technique at full power, it’s hard to say which of us would win."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Zhaang Ye was taken aback for a moment. He shook his head and found a rock to sit on.

Atop the Memorial Stone.

The woman in purple withdrew her gaze. She let out a soft breath and said, "This Zhaang Ye has excellent control over Rotating Power. Senior Brother, for the strike Zhaang Ye just performed, he used Rotating Power to execute his Hair Blade, making the Sword Force exceptionally domineering and fierce. Its power is already approaching that of an Advanced Combat Skill. I never thought Cyan Mulberry City would have such a talent."

At this, a hint of confusion appeared on her face. "Senior Brother," she said, "why does that strike of Zhaang Ye’s feel a little familiar?"

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes’s expression grew serious. He said slowly, "It is a bit familiar. Junior Sister, do you remember? The Inheritance Stone passed down from our master contains the memory of a Space Storm. The tyrannical power of a Space Storm—ignoring all, destroying all, devouring all—is terrifying to the extreme. You feel it’s familiar because Zhaang Ye’s strike just now forcibly devoured the power on Lee Lie’s saber. It’s a bit like a Space Storm."

Hearing him mention the Space Storm, the woman in purple shook her head. "Impossible. This Zhaang Ye has likely never even left Cyan Mulberry City, so how could he have encountered a Space Storm?"

A hint of doubt also appeared in the man’s eyes. "I find it hard to believe myself," he said. "But in terms of power, while his strike didn’t have even a ten-thousandth of the might of a Space Storm, its Realm was remarkably similar. You’ll sense it if you think about it carefully."

The woman closed her eyes to think for a moment, and her expression changed. "Now that you put it that way, I see it. His strike really was a bit similar to a Space Storm. A Space Storm is something that even our master can’t get close to. And those who have had the chance to see one are already dead. To think that Zhaang Ye could actually manifest its Realm... it’s just astonishing."

After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Senior Brother, do you think that move was something Zhaang Ye created himself, or did he learn it from somewhere else?"

"It couldn’t have been his own creation," the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes said. "The Sword Techniques Zhaang Ye just used contained profundities that even I couldn’t fully comprehend. How could he possibly have created them?"

The woman in purple nodded slightly in agreement.

Just then, the tournament below resumed. The next match was between Zhou Yuhe River and Luo Yongsheng.

The woman seemed to have lost interest in the fight. She glanced at the Martial Arts Arena. "Senior Brother, we’ve seen the capabilities of all five of them. There’s no point in watching any longer. The ones who’ve caught your eye are Zhaang Yijian and Zhaang Ye, right? Why don’t you just say what you need to and we can go?"

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes nodded slightly. "The one I’ve chosen is Zhaang Ye. He’s young, has high Comprehension, and strong combat instincts—exactly the kind of talent our True Hall needs. Zhaang Yijian isn’t bad either, but he’s a bit older. We’ll keep him as a candidate for now. There’s a Gathering Flower Fruit competition coming up. I’ll just throw the prospective disciples in there and pick the one who performs the best."

The woman nodded and chuckled. "You chose Zhaang Ye so quickly, despite his young age. I’m afraid many of the other disciples won’t be happy about it. Heh, he’ll probably have to deal with challengers every single day. I wonder if he’ll be able to handle it."

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes said coolly, "As a disciple of my True Hall, if he can’t even handle challenges from his peers, then he might as well stay put in Cyan Mulberry City and remain a common disciple."

With that, his figure blurred, transforming into a streak of purple light that shot into the sky above the Martial Arts Arena.