Yan Haobo chuckled. “Master Ou, a saber doesn’t have eyes, and Chengcai isn’t very flexible with it yet, so I’ll battle you this time.”
“Okay, sorry for the trouble, Squad Leader.” Ou Yangming understood.
He took a step back, then lifted his saber in front of his chest to be on guard.
On the other hand, Yan Haobo held his saber casually. “Master Ou, please make a move.”
Ou Yangming was terrified. Even though Yan Haobo was not in a stance and was holding the military saber loosely which gave off the feeling that there were plenty of loopholes, he seemed extremely threatening.
It was similar to when Ou Yangming was forced into a dead-end in the abandoned depot by Zhang Hanyu, where he was prickled with fear.
Ou Yangming instantly stopped breathing, and the purple light in his mind shone brighter.
The greater the crisis, the more focused he was, and the better the purple light cooperated.
It was not strange at all because any living being would either wait helplessly for death or unleash a shocking potential during desperate moments.
This was what people meant when saying that one would be quick-witted in an emergency, and pressure always resulted in motivation.
Suddenly, Ou Yangming shifted his body to dash toward Yan Haobo, then slashed his saber down.
Yan Haobo was taken aback. The slash was not great as it was not above a Force Grade Class Three martial artist’s limit, but he sensed a fearsome killing intent when the slash was made.
It was the violent killing intent that made him shudder with fear.
A saber that was used to kill and was covered in blood was completely different from the saber used by a normal martial artist during cultivation.
In Yan Haobo’s opinion, Ou Yangming was exceptionally talented and was a good sprout in martial arts cultivation, but as hard as he cultivated, he could not compete with an experienced soldier who had fought in the war. Hence, it was normal for Ou Yangming to lack the guts and the killing momentum no matter how great his blade technique was.
That being said, Ou Yangming’s slash totally overturned Yan Haobo’s understanding.
The saber was certainly a murder weapon, and the killing intent did not come from the treasure saber, but the person holding the saber.
Yan Haobo was puzzled. ‘Can someone become a cultivating god by cultivating from home?’
Although he could not figure it out, he did not slow down his attack. A saber-light was seen heading for Ou Yangming’s wrist when he attacked.
Instead of using the saber blade, he attacked with the saber back because Master Ou would not be injured even if he was hit.
While it seemed like Ou Yangming went all out, he suddenly changed direction the moment Yan Haobo attacked. Additionally, he moved with his saber such that he dodged Yan Haobo’s saber, and even went behind him.
The feeling when he battled with Yan Chengcai earlier emerged again, but it was clearer and more thrilling this time.
A flash of saber-light was seen as Ou Yangming swung his saber at Yan Haobo’s arm. Needless to say, he did not exert all his force, but his attacking angle was so tricky that it was truly plausible.
Yan Haobo was indeed a towering mountain when he remained still, but when he moved, his flaws were exposed.
“Nice!” He yelled, then faced the attack with his saber.
“Ding—” A loud sound was heard when both sabers clashed.
Ou Yangming’s face changed a little, and he quickly moved backward. He finally realized that there was a huge disparity between their strengths.
Yan Haobo’s quick reaction was definitely beyond Ou Yangming’s reach. His saber hit first though he struck later, and it managed to stop Ou Yangming’s saber. On top of that, the snow-white saber-light, as well as the powerful momentum, forced Ou Yangming to retreat.
On the opposite, Yan Haobo did not shake a bit, let alone swaying.
The huge difference made Ou Yangming hopeless.
Despite that, Ou Yangming was not resigned to the outcome yet. Yan Haobo was indeed powerful and agile, but Ou Yangming was certain that he would be superior if he had his equipment set on.
Of course, he was not going to reveal his trump cards yet.
He took a step back to stare at Yan Haobo. Instead of taking the advantage to attack again, the squad leader stayed on his spot to wait for Ou Yangming’s next attack.
Perhaps Yan Haobo thought that Ou Yangming would not be threatening at all no matter what tricks he used, because he had a saber with him.
Ou Yangming took a few steps back, and his eyes shone brighter.
Some people would withdraw themselves during difficult moments, whereas some would have a higher fighting spirit upon facing greater dangers.
Ou Yangming was unquestionably the latter.
After knowing that Yan Haobo would not kill him with a slash, Ou Yangming decided not to retreat at all. He had been hoping to train with a powerhouse like him.
Subsequently, he took a deep breath and went against the current.
A saber-light from Ou Yangming’s saber was aimed at Yan Haobo’s head again, but the instant Yan Haobo moved a little to attempt a block, Ou Yangming’s blade force changed. The saber-light that was slashing down took a turn to attack Yan Haobo’s arm.
It was as if the same scenario was repeated, but the difference was that Ou Yangming’s saber-light became faster.
Yan Haobo smirked and thought to himself, ‘So what if it became faster? I’m definitely going to eat him up by suppressing him with my power and speed.’
However, just as there was a movement from his wrist as he changed his direction, Ou Yangming’s saber-light flashed and headed for his thigh instead.
Yao Haobo was stunned, and was forced to change accordingly.
Soon enough, he realized that Ou Yangming’s military saber was ever-changing, and it was simply impossible to guard against it.
Ou Yangming’s blade technique was not exquisite, and his attacks were neither fierce nor fast. In fact, he was actually inferior to Yan Chengcai.
In spite of that, his ever-changing blade technique left them in awe.
Additionally, Ou Yangming’s saber-lights were aimed at Yan Haobo’s weak point. Though he was much slower than Yan Haobo, Sui Hezhi and Yan Chengcai could tell that the latter lost his dominance and was being led by the former by the nose.
Sui Hezhi and Yan Chengcai were speechless when they looked at each other.
Especially Yan Chengcai who finally understood his uncle’s real intention. If he had battled instead, he would not be able to suppress Ou Yangming with his power and speed, and would probably be defeated already.
Yan Haobo who was in the battle at the moment was beginning to feel that way.
Ou Yangming was like a vortex. The vortex was not powerful in the beginning, but it became deeper as his saber-lights kept changing, to the extent that Yan Haobo felt like he was being restrained.
When the feeling grew stronger to a certain point, Yan Haobo felt a sense of crisis.
He must make a change, or like a frog being boiled, he would not even know how he would die in the end.
Following that, Yan Haobo widened his eyes and roared. His voice was thunderous and full of killing intent.
He did not bother about the incoming saber-light as he fixed his gaze on Ou Yangming, then slashed his saber without hesitant.
Under the pressure from Ou Yangming’s strange blade technique, he actually put his status aside, and attacked with a method that would cause destruction to the both of them.
Chapter 38
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
‘Danger! Danger! Danger!’
Ou Yangming felt as if a signal rang in his head, and it could only mean one thing.
The slash from Yan Haobo was so dangerous that not only was it threatening his life, but he could actually be slashed in half.
Without hesitation, O
u Yangming decided not to care about the loopholes and the attack anymore. The purple light in his mind emitted an incredible radiance, and something seemed to be vibrating at the core of the light as though it was trying to come out of a shell.
Ou Yangming could not bother about the abnormality as he leaned back and tried his best to leap backward. Almost at the same time, he threw the military saber away like it was a hidden weapon. As long as he obstructed Yan Haobo for a short time, he would be out of danger.
In actual fact, he had another option too. He could stab Yan Haobo with his saber, and it would be covered in blood when he pulled it out after.
Nonetheless, he was not a fool. Dying together with Yan Haobo? One would be extremely foolish to go with that option.
“Ding…”
A saber-light was seen when Yan Haobo hit the military saber that flew to him. Instead of slowing down, he charged forward persistently.
The saber-light from his saber was bright, and his killing intent increased.
While it seemed like a moment of life or death at that moment, Ou Yangming calmed down.
The purple light in his mind was cold, but it tranquilized his mind, and the effect was especially obvious during a time like this.
Ou Yangming found it strange that he was completely calm because he was not at all fearful of the scary saber-light that was about to hit him.
It was as if his body was in an exceptionally wonderful state.
“Pow!”
Something deep in his mind shattered, and he suddenly gained somewhat familiar energy that was ready to cause trouble.
“Move!”
That was the thought that crossed Ou Yangming’s mind at that instant. Subsequently, his body twisted unbelievably, and he managed to dodge the violent saber-light that was aimed at him.
All lights vanished at once, and Yan Haobo who was holding his military saber looked at Ou Yangming in shock.
Needless to say, Yan Haobo was not going to endanger Ou Yangming’s life. It looked like he went all-out, but he actually left a leeway such that his saber would halt the instant it was very close to Ou Yangming’s body.
However, he was soon struck dumb. Just as he thought that he had control and that Ou Yangming could not dodge anymore, the fellow actually did a godlike slide to escape from his saber-light’s range.
It was strange because Ou Yangming did not look like he was dodging the attack himself. It seemed more like an invisible hand pulled his body forcefully to get him out of the saber-light’s range.
Yan Haobo had goosebumps when he witnessed the peculiar scene.
Afterward, Ou Yangming stood still a distance away from Yan Haobo, and the sense of crisis he felt went away like a tide.
When he took a deep breath, he felt so dizzy that he was about to fall to the ground.
Nevertheless, Ou Yangming had practiced martial arts for a considerable amount of time. He had gained a robust body, as well as a strong will, thus he was able to get through the dizziness by gritting his teeth.
“Master Ou, that was a great move!” Yan Haobo remarked sincerely after he calmed down, “According to your performance, you can definitely join us at the dense forest.”
It was worth noting that he commented on Ou Yangming’s performance, not his cultivation base.
Ou Yangming forced a smile. “Thank you for your pointers, Squad Leader Yan.”
Yan Haobo twitched his mouth as wondered, ‘Pointers my *ss, more like you’re the one giving me pointers.’
Everyone witnessed the battle earlier. Yan Haobo was able to have a soaring momentum that could kill because he made an unreasonable decision that would cause both of them to be defeated. In terms of their understanding of techniques, he was actually inferior to Ou Yangming. Upon realizing that, Sui Hezhi and the others were resentful.
Later, Yan Haobo cleared his throat and mentioned, “Master Ou, my squad will be hunting in the forest after three days. Would you like to join us if you’re free?”
Ou Yangming was immediately spirited. “Yes, I apologize for the trouble in advance.”
Following that, Yan Haobo left with the others. Once they returned to the West Camp, he asked, “My boy, are you sure that he only started practicing martial arts three months ago?”
“I heard it from Captain Liu himself, why would I lie to you?” Sui Hezhi smiled bitterly. He then shook his head as he commented, “Actually, I don’t really believe it anymore.”
Yan Haobo pondered for a while before he said, “There really are gifted geniuses in the world. I initially thought that the legend was fake, but it seems possible now.”
Siu Hezhi was surprised. “What legend?”
Yan Haobo replied softly after checking their surroundings. “I heard that the general’s son is also an extraordinary genius who could contend and be on par with the general when he was twelve years old. It has been many years since then. I really wonder how much he has advanced.”
“Twelve years old?” Sui Hezhi was so shocked that his mouth was wide opened.
Yan Haobo laughed. “I used to think that it was just a rumor, but after meeting Master Ou today, I realize that there really are geniuses in the world, and it’s not something that you and I can imagine.”
Sui Hezhi and Yan Chengcai looked at each other as they were speechless.
※※※※
Ou Yangming returned to his room after sending them off. He lied on his bed without removing his clothes, and fell asleep as soon as he shut his eyes.
While he consumed a lot of energy during the battles against Yan Haobo and his nephew, the consumption was not that high. It was the last dodge he made that caused an unusual change to his body, thus he ended up like this.
Ou Yangming only awoke after three hours.
When he shook his head that was still aching a little, although he still felt uncomfortable, his mental state was much better.
Ou Yangming pondered for a while on his bed, and ate some snacks as he was hungry. He then tried to figure things out.
The greatest gain from his battle against Yan Haobo was that he understood something.
Cultivation base was the most reliable thing for a martial artist.
Even though Ou Yangming possessed the purple light’s unique energy that allowed him to win by skills in a battle, the skills were useless if his opponent’s martial arts boundary surpassed his, and if he was suppressed by one’s power and speed.
It was exactly like Yan Haobo’s final slash that was violent and full of killing intent.
Of course, Ou Yangming eventually realized that he would not be hurt by that slash at all even if he did not avoid it, but it left such a deep impression that he probably would not forget about it for a long time.
Faced with the extreme slash, it seemed like he could only resign himself to death if the purple light could not find a solution.
Yes. He could at most have pounced onto his opponent as well to cause both of them to be defeated, which would be the best ending.
Despite that, it was definitely not the choice that Ou Yangming wanted to make.
The martial arts boundary represented absolute power and speed. If one could eliminate a city with a punch, or split the earth with a slash from a saber, one could not be matched by anyone no matter how exquisite one’s opponent’s skills were.
Ou Yangming clenched his fists. He was determined to improve his martial arts boundary.
Only by possessing powerful strength could he guarantee his own safety, thus he was surely not going to slack at all.
However, Ou Yangming suddenly had a question in his head. ‘What was the power that helped me escape from the dangerous situation earlier? The mysterious power probably came from my mind, and it’s something that can help me escape from death during crucial moments.’
He closed his eyes slowly and focused through his consciousness.
At the next instant, he found the abnormality in his body. There was a bottomless hole inside his head at the part betwee
n his eyebrows.
A bit of luster could be seen inside the hole, and Ou Yangming was startled as it was similar to his dantian.
He quickly figured out the power that saved him from the saber-light just now.
It was mental power. Just like Old Craftsman had said, he possessed mental power.
Before this, his mental power was unleashed when he used the Military Fire but that was it. Other than that, he did not feel that power at all.
When Ou Yangming sensed the light inside the hole, he was thrilled.
Although he had no idea how to use the power, he knew that it would be his greatest trump card if he used it during important times.
He wondered, ‘Since it can help me get away from dangerous areas, can I use it to attack my enemies too?
‘If I catch my enemy off guard by sneaking an attack with this power… I really look forward to seeing that.’
After a long time, Ou Yangming curbed his emotions, and began thinking about how his mental power could be used.
He was extremely disappointed because the mental power could not be used flexibly as he imagined, which was unlike his essential Qi that could be used with ease. The power hid in the hole like a hibernating tortoise that was ten thousand years old, and could not be activated no matter how he summoned it.
If Ou Yangming had not sensed the power’s existence, he would really think that it was just a hallucination.
He exhaled deeply, and felt that he should seek guidance from someone else instead of figuring it out on his own.
Chapter 39
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“Old man, how much do you know about mental power?” Old Craftsman was in his smithing workshop when Ou Yangming asked him the question eagerly.
In the entire military camp or rather the whole world, there was only one person whom Ou Yangming trusted the most, Old Craftsman. Therefore, Ou Yangming went to him whenever he had a problem.
Old Craftsman stopped what he was doing to think, then replied, “Mental power is an extremely mighty power.”
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 23
