Chapter 553 - 526: Domineering Power

SWOOSH!

Zhaang Ye sidestepped like a phantom, his hand a misty blur as it reached for Gu Hengshui’s palm. In the air, their hands shifted dozens of times before slamming into one another.

THUD!

Zhaang Ye swayed and took a step back. Gu Hengshui also retreated a step, a hint of astonishment flashing across her beautiful face.

’This woman is incredibly strong!’ A chill ran through Zhaang Ye. He had used sixty percent of his power in that grab, intending to teach Gu Hengshui a lesson. But to his surprise, his attack had been completely ineffective against her. He had even been the one forced back a step.

GASP!

Zhaang Ye was secretly shocked, but the young experts around them all gasped in unison. Gu Hengshui’s Cultivation was at the Late-stage of the True Dao Fifth Layer, while Zhaang Ye’s was only at the True Dao Third Layer Peak—a full two layers lower. For Zhaang Ye to force her back under these circumstances, the combat prowess he displayed was truly formidable!

Having been repelled by Zhaang Ye, Gu Hengshui felt a great loss of face. Her expression turned cold as she said, "Zhaang Ye, you do have some Barbaric Power. There are still two moves left. Let’s see how you handle them!"

A frigid aura rose from Gu Hengshui’s body. This cold energy seemed to have a life of its own; it snaked outward, sealing off a ten-zhang radius in the blink of an eye. Zhaang Ye felt like a fish in a transparent bowl, completely locked in place.

HUMMM!

Gu Hengshui aimed her ten delicate, spring-onion-like fingers and gently jabbed them toward Zhaang Ye. As her fingers moved, invisible yet incomparably sharp strands of Binding Silk suddenly shot out to ensnare him.

Upon seeing Gu Hengshui’s move, the eyes of the young experts lit up. With a wave of her ten fingers, she diced the ten-zhang area of empty space into hundreds of pieces with her Binding Silk. If those strands touched your body, you’d be flayed alive, if not killed outright. More impressive still was her graceful posture as she attacked; she looked like a celestial fairy descending to the mortal realm, a truly breathtaking sight.

Zhaang Ye’s brow furrowed. The Attack Technique Gu Hengshui was using was a classic example of softness overcoming hardness. The hundreds of strands of Binding Silk were shockingly powerful, yet they were soft and yielded to force. These seemingly delicate strands were like a spider’s web; no amount of strength could have the slightest effect on them.

’This woman is clever, figuring out how to use softness to overcome hardness so quickly. But while softness can overcome hardness, hardness can also overcome softness. We’ll see how your Binding Silk holds up against my tyrannical Sword Gang!’

A slight smile touched the corners of Zhaang Ye’s lips. He held up his hand and executed a chopping motion.

BOOM!

A razor-sharp Sword Gang blasted from his palm, carving visible ripples into the void. The intense friction between the air and the Sword Gang created dazzling sparks. As sparks flew, the sharp and tyrannical Sword Gang shot forward like a ferocious Flood Dragon, hurtling violently toward Gu Hengshui.

SHIIING! BANG!

Amid the tremendous clash of Qi Force, Gu Hengshui’s expression changed, and her body swayed. Zhaang Ye, however, remained perfectly still, as steady as a great mountain.

"What a sharp Sword Gang! He actually used hardness to break softness."

"Such a powerful strike!"

"Someone at the True Dao Third Layer can use such a tyrannical Saber Technique?"

Zhaang Ye’s single strike severing Gu Hengshui’s Binding Silk immediately drew a flurry of low gasps. The surrounding young experts, who had previously paid Zhaang Ye no mind, now wore solemn expressions. After seeing his sharp and tyrannical strike, none of them dared to look down on him again.

Gu Hengshui’s expression was also grave. Anyone capable of Cultivating to the True Dao Fifth Layer was an elite. To reach the Late-stage of the True Dao Fifth Layer before the age of eighty-one, one had to be a genius among geniuses. And while Gu Hengshui was proud, her judgment was excellent. After two exchanges, she instantly knew that Zhaang Ye’s combat prowess was no less than her own.

Though she knew Zhaang Ye was powerful, Gu Hengshui had no intention of giving up. She was a master of the True Dao Fifth Layer, yet she had failed to take down a True Dao Third Layer expert in two consecutive attempts. It was far too humiliating. No matter what, she had to reclaim her honor. She had to capture Zhaang Ye and expel him from the Sect!

Gu Hengshui gritted her teeth. Her aura surged, climbing higher and higher as she prepared to unleash her ultimate technique to defeat Zhaang Ye in one fell swoop.

Seeing Gu Hengshui preparing to attack again, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but frown. He thought to himself, ’This woman is relentless! If I don’t fight back, she’ll think I’m a pushover!’

SWOOSH!

Zhaang Ye’s figure abruptly vanished. When he reappeared, he was only three zhang from Gu Hengshui, already throwing a punch at her!

"Ah!"

Gu Hengshui cried out in alarm. She hadn’t expected Zhaang Ye to take the initiative, much less that his attack would be so fast—as swift as the wind, as quick as lightning!

Only now did Gu Hengshui finally understand how formidable Zhaang Ye was. He didn’t just have immense power; he also had terrifying speed. That horrifying speed combined with that incredible power meant that even an expert at the Peak of the True Dao Fifth Layer wouldn’t dare to underestimate him. She had looked down on Zhaang Ye and run out to challenge him—it had been a grave miscalculation!

Although Gu Hengshui was inwardly horrified, her movements remained calm and unhurried. A Soft Sword suddenly appeared in her hand. Runes flowed across its surface. Propelled by her Innate True Qi, the silver Runes seemed to come to life, emitting waves of a terrifying aura, as if a ferocious Barbaric Beast were awakening from a deep slumber.

HUMMM!

The sword transformed into a streak of silver light, slashing directly at Zhaang Ye’s fist. Within the shimmering light, the Runes swirled without end, and a power both profound and sharp swept out, bearing down on the void!

The sword struck Zhaang Ye’s fist head-on.

Seeing her sword strike Zhaang Ye’s fist, a faint smile appeared on Gu Hengshui’s face. The sword in her hand was a Fifth-Grade True Artifact; every slash possessed terrifying might. After Cultivating to the Late-stage of the True Dao Fifth Layer, she could completely unleash the sword’s power. A single slash could easily cleave a mountain peak.

This slash, made in haste, only contained thirty percent of its usual power. But even thirty percent was terrifyingly strong. For Zhaang Ye to meet her sword with his bare fist—he was simply courting death!

CRACK!

A loud crack echoed.

Amidst the sound, Gu Hengshui’s face changed. She discovered to her horror that Zhaang Ye’s fist had met her blade head-on and was completely unscathed!

"How is this possible?! How?!" Gu Hengshui’s eyes went wide. She thought her eyes must be playing tricks on her, that she must have seen it wrong!

Zhaang Ye ignored Gu Hengshui’s shock. Protected by his gloves, he sent her sword flying with a punch. Then, his hand shot out and seized her wrist.

Zhaang Ye gripped Gu Hengshui’s wrist roughly, as if holding a piece of wood. Immense force squeezed her hand, and her fingers made a cracking sound, threatening to shatter at any moment. Gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain, Gu Hengshui raised her other hand and struck at the top of Zhaang Ye’s skull.

But at that moment, Zhaang Ye gave her wrist a slight shake. An immense power surged out, nearly jolting her skeleton apart. Her other hand immediately lost all its strength, no longer posing any threat to Zhaang Ye.

A glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. Just as he was about to throw Gu Hengshui away, a figure suddenly appeared. A voice said, "Alright. Zhaang Ye, let’s stop here."

The speaker was Qi Qingle. Seeing him appear so suddenly, Zhaang Ye’s heart tightened. With a flick of his arm, he threw Gu Hengshui three zhang away.

Gu Hengshui’s figure flashed, and she managed to steady herself in mid-air. Only then did she feel the dull ache spreading through her bones; her fingers were completely numb. Gu Hengshui gasped for breath, her eyes wide as she glared at Zhaang Ye and said hatefully, "Zhaang Ye, you just wait! I’ll teach you a good lesson at the Young Masters’ Symposium!"

The young experts all sized up Zhaang Ye with wary eyes. The strength and speed he had just displayed in defeating Gu Hengshui were simply astonishing.

"Such terrifying speed! Such terrifying power!"

"That’s right. Generally speaking, those with high speed tend to lack power, while those with great power tend to be slow. Zhaang Ye is not only incredibly strong, but he’s also fast. It breaks all the rules."

"It’s bizarre! His Cultivation is clearly only at the True Dao Third Layer. How can he have such terrifying speed and power? Could his bloodline contain the strength of an Ancient Barbaric Beast?"

"With Zhaang Ye being so powerful, this year’s contest for the title of First-Grade Young Master is going to be even more intense. Heh, the nine young titans of the Purple Spirit Domain were already fierce enough. Add Zhaang Ye into the mix, and the fight is guaranteed to be exceptionally brutal."

"Heh heh, not necessarily. Zhaang Ye’s combat prowess may be terrifying, but there’s probably still a considerable gap between him and the nine great young titans. I’d bet anything that Zhaang Ye can’t become a First-Grade Young Master."

The young experts secretly sized up Zhaang Ye, discussing him in low voices.

"HAHAHAHA!" A powerful voice boomed from dozens of zhang away. With the voice came a tall, powerfully built man, striding over. This man had a mane of golden hair. His hair was Gold, his beard was Gold, and even his eyelashes were Gold. He had an awe-inspiring and incredibly domineering presence.

The imposing man’s gaze swept over Zhaang Ye, and he laughed heartily. "Excellent, excellent, excellent! That was a brilliant fight! To think a True Dao Third Layer Peak expert could actually repel someone at the Peak of the True Dao Fifth Layer! Little brother, your strength isn’t bad. However, my strength—the strength of the Little Lion King—is even greater. At the Young Masters’ Symposium, I will let you see what real power is!"

Little Lion King Ba Xiongfei!