Chapter 108: Chen Wen

Seeing those people driven away, Yang Ze finally let out a sigh of relief. Had a fight truly broken out just now, he certainly would not have come out on top.

As for the person who had intervened, there was only one individual in the Scripture Hall capable of such a feat. Though he did not know why Zhang Chengxuan had chosen to save him, Yang Ze bowed toward the direction of the hall before taking his leave.

Lying on his chair, Zhang Chengxuan remained in a state of slumber, though he muttered to himself, "For Brother Ning's sake, I shall help you this once..."

Naturally, Yang Ze was unaware of all this. He was currently walking briskly back toward District D. Originally, he had intended to visit the Mission Hall to see what kind of tasks were available, but the incident caused by the One-Water Sect had put him on high alert. His top priority now was to increase his strength as quickly as possible. If Zhang Chengxuan had helped him this time, what would he do if he were cornered by these people in District D again?

With this thought in mind, Yang Ze grew anxious. He quickened his pace and finally reached his residence before sunset. Sitting in his room, he felt a heavy weight in his heart. With insufficient contribution points, he could not exchange for the "Great Whirlwind Breaking Blade Footwork." Under these circumstances, he was left with only one choice: to practice the "Wind-Facing Saber Slash."

Indeed, Yang Ze decided to cultivate the Wind-Facing Saber Slash. The power of this martial art was not low, and if mastered, it would surely provide a significant boost to his combat prowess, especially when combined with his Black Tiger Saber Technique.

No longer resting, Yang Ze took out the small manual for the Wind-Facing Saber Slash that he had obtained earlier. He pored over the booklet, committing its contents firmly to memory, and then channeled his consciousness into the space within the Black Stone.

Inside the Black Stone space, a gray silhouette emerged. The Wind-Facing Saber Slash was performed by the figure, and as the blade techniques were continuously executed, a sharp blade aura quietly manifested within the space. Yang Ze stared unblinkingly at the silhouette, his hands slowly moving in sync. Soon, he fell into the rhythm, imitating the figure and performing every movement of the blade technique.

Yang Ze was no longer the mediocre talent he once was. Having been cleansed by the energy of the Black Stone multiple times, his natural aptitude had improved drastically. Coupled with the Black Stone space—an ideal place for cultivation—his speed in mastering the Wind-Facing Saber Slash became remarkably fast.

When the Black Stone space finally expelled him, Yang Ze returned to his room. Allowing himself no rest, he wolfed down some dry rations. Feeling his strength partially restored, he immediately resumed his training. Grasping his long saber, he practiced the Wind-Facing Saber Slash in the room's training area.

For the next twenty days, Yang Ze lived exactly like this. He did not step out of his residence once, dedicating every moment to rigorous training. Whenever he could enter the Black Stone space, he did; when he could not, he practiced outside. Apart from eating and sleeping, he never paused to rest, for he knew powerful enemies awaited him outside.

After twenty days of arduous practice, he finally reached the entry-level of the Wind-Facing Saber Slash. Because it was the perfect version of the technique, its power was in no way inferior to a small-success level technique of the same name. During these twenty days, not only did he master the Wind-Facing Saber Slash to the entry-level, but his "Nine-Whirl Finger" also reached the stage of great completion.

Consequently, Yang Ze's strength had surged significantly; he was now confident that he could defeat a martial artist at the eighth stage of True Essence. However, such rapid progress came at a cost. He had consumed nearly half of the medicinal herbs in his pack. Had the Black Stone not converted the herbs into energy to nourish his body each time, his physique would have collapsed under such intense training. Instead, he had grown stronger, with his blood and energy levels rising, which in turn bolstered his cultivation.

Satisfied with his progress over these twenty days, Yang Ze stretched his limbs and collapsed onto his bed. Having kept his mind tightly wound for twenty days without a proper rest, even with the energy supporting his body, the mental exhaustion could not be purified. He fell into a deep sleep, resting for a full six hours until dawn.

After stretching and washing up, Yang Ze stepped out of his room. Tired of the dry rations, he decided to visit the cafeteria for a proper meal. As he walked toward the District D cafeteria, he hadn't gone far when a burly man stepped out to block his path.

Before Yang Ze could speak, the burly man sneered, "So, Yang Ze, you've finally decided to stop hiding like a turtle for the last twenty days."

The man's tone was hostile. Yang Ze scanned him and, judging by the fluctuations of blood and energy emanating from him, determined that his cultivation had reached the eighth stage of True Essence.

"So, the One-Water Sect has its eyes on me, then," Yang Ze said calmly, showing no sign of fear.

"The One-Water Sect? I am not one of them; those people have nothing to do with me," the man replied.

"If they have nothing to do with you, why have you been watching me for so many days? Given your demeanor, I doubt you have anything good in mind," Yang Ze countered.

"Whether it's good or not, you'll find out once you come with me."

"Go with you? Based on a few words? Who do you think you are? If there is nothing else, stay out of my way. I have important matters to attend to and no time to play games with you," Yang Ze said, moving to walk around him.

As Yang Ze stepped forward, the burly man reached out with his right hand to grab him. Yang Ze's eyes flashed—this was exactly what he had been waiting for. He struck out with a palm, parrying the man's hand, and both retreated two steps.

Seeing that Yang Ze had blocked his grab, the burly man sneered, "You have some skills, but you are only at the seventh stage of True Essence. It will be child's play for me to capture you."

With a cold laugh, the man stepped forward, his right palm opening to reveal a slight suction force that enveloped Yang Ze, attempting to draw him in. Yang Ze circulated his True Essence slightly, easily neutralizing the force. Not stopping there, the man unleashed his True Essence, merging eight energy whirlpools in his palm to form a powerful wave that slammed toward Yang Ze.

Yang Ze didn't dodge. He quickly merged seven energy whirlpools in his own palm, forming a similar wave, and collided with the man's strike.

*Boom!*

The seventh-stage and eighth-stage True Essence collided, sending a gust of wind sweeping outward from them, raising a cloud of dust and sand. Nearby, several registered disciples who had been watching the fight turned pale and quickly retreated.

Both men trembled at the center of the impact and were knocked backward. However, Yang Ze planted his right foot firmly to steady himself. He channeled his energy again, transforming his palm into two fingers, which were soon swathed in True Essence. He executed the Nine-Whirl Finger at the stage of great completion.

The burly man was shocked, having never expected Yang Ze's strength to be this formidable. As the Nine-Whirl Finger struck toward him, he roared and swung his left hand, unleashing a blade of True Essence to intercept. Yang Ze let out a cold hum, his fingers moving with lightning speed to strike nine times. Nine energy whirlpools appeared out of thin air, instantly disintegrating the energy blade before it could fully form.

The blade was shattered, but the power of the Nine-Whirl Finger remained, striking the burly man squarely. He let out a muffled groan as blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Before he could react, Yang Ze charged forward, striking several points on the man's body to seal his vital acupuncture points.

The fight had lasted but a moment before the burly man was defeated, his cultivation temporarily sealed. Pale and trembling, the man could not believe he, a master of the eighth stage, had lost so quickly to a seventh-stage disciple.

Yang Ze didn't care. He kicked the man to the ground. "Tell me, who are you, and who sent you?" he demanded coldly, his posture suggesting he would strike again if necessary.

"I'll talk, I'll talk!" the burly man said, truly terrified. "My name is Chen Wen, a registered disciple from the southern part of District D. Zheng Hong sent me."

"Who is Zheng Hong?" Yang Ze wondered. Among the few disciples he knew, he did not recognize the name.

"Zheng Hong is from the One-Water Sect—the guy who invited you to join them. He spent some contribution points for me to help him drag you to the One-Water Sect. I have no idea what they intend to do with you."