Chapter 3

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Chapter 3: So Simple

Freak!

This was not just the word Yuluan had in mind—it was the only word that appeared in everyone’s thoughts at the scene. They could not think of any other term to describe Zhang Yang.

"Half an hour! You’ve only cultivated for half an hour!" Yuluan nearly jumped in disbelief. "If I hadn’t checked and found that you had no essence in your Dantian earlier, I would have thought you were a master pretending to be a novice."

Zhang Yang blinked. "Am I cultivating quickly?"

Yuluan placed her hands on her hips, looking like an angry little hen. "Quick? Not just fast—it’s unbelievably fast! I’m considered a genius, yet it took me three years to reach the late stage of the Dust Washing realm, and you did it in half an hour! Tell me, isn’t that insane? I’m jealous of you!"

"Yuluan, you should be modest," Xue Feishuang scolded.

Yuluan felt disheartened. This was truly discouraging. As Xue Feishuang walked past her, Yuluan overheard her muttering under her breath, "Damn it, I’m jealous too."

"General!" Yuluan exclaimed in shock.

Xue Feishuang shot her a glare.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yang felt the essence surging within him, filling him with joy. This was true power.

"Junior brother, you must be cautious in your cultivation. Do not become arrogant or impatient. You need to…" Xue Feishuang began, wanting to warn him about the taboos of cultivation. However, as she spoke, she found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she changed the topic and said, "Never mind, here is the Diamond Dragon Strength."

She handed him a somewhat yellowed and worn book.

Zhang Yang took it and flipped through its pages.

The Diamond Dragon Strength was unlike other martial arts techniques.

Most techniques emphasized skill and explosive power, whether with weapons, fists, or fingers. However, the Diamond Dragon Strength harnessed one’s own essence to unleash tremendous force, comparable to that of a diamond dragon. When performed, the user’s body became as tough and resilient as a diamond, making this technique extraordinarily powerful but also extremely difficult to cultivate.

"General, very clever," Yuluan said teasingly as she leaned in. "By not telling him about the difficulties of cultivating the Diamond Dragon Strength, nor how to practice it, nor its unique properties, you’re forcing him to explore it on his own. No matter how talented he is, with almost no understanding of martial arts, he won’t master it easily. This way, he will understand that cultivation isn’t simple, preventing him from developing an arrogant mindset."

Xue Feishuang patted Yuluan’s shoulder approvingly, pleased that her attendant understood her intentions.

"Junior brother, do you feel lost?" Xue Feishuang asked with a smile.

Zhang Yang frowned deeply.

Xue Feishuang continued, "This technique is profound. It’s normal for it to be difficult to cultivate."

Zhang Yang read it again, his face filled with confusion.

"Junior brother, if you have any questions, you can ask me. Though I have not practiced it, I have studied it and know ways to make the Diamond Dragon Strength easier to grasp," Xue Feishuang offered.

Zhang Yang shook his head, then walked to a two-meter-high rock and placed his hand behind it.

Xue Feishuang and Yuluan watched in astonishment as his palm suddenly swelled, his muscles bulging, and a golden sheen appearing on his skin. He then pushed, and the rock sank half a meter into the ground before launching into the air with a swoosh. The massive stone soared over the Yanluo River, crashing onto the opposite bank and sending six or seven wolves flying.

The scene left everyone staring in disbelief.

Zhang Yang looked at his hand in wonder. "Is this the Diamond Dragon Strength? It’s so simple. I just read it once, and now I can do it."

The south bank of the Yanluo River fell silent, while the wolf pack on the north bank howled.

"General, I must be dreaming. Yes, I’m definitely dreaming," Yuluan murmured.

Xue Feishuang pinched her waist.

"Ah!"

Yuluan yelped in pain.

Xue Feishuang muttered, "This isn’t a dream; it’s real."

After witnessing this repeated display of talent, Xue Feishuang decided not to teach Zhang Yang any more martial arts techniques for the time being. She feared he would master them too quickly and grow arrogant. Of course, a small part of her also didn’t want to be further humiliated.

After demonstrating the Diamond Dragon Strength, Zhang Yang was exhilarated. He began tossing rocks across the river as if playing a game. When he grew bored of that, he grabbed a phoenix tree nearly half a meter wide and yanked it from the ground before hurling it. His actions drew many curious—and incredulous—stares.

Yuluan muttered, "Freak!"

After a while, Zhang Yang suddenly stopped, his nose twitching.

Xue Feishuang, noticing his change in expression, immediately asked, "Junior brother, what’s wrong?"

"I smell something," Zhang Yang said, stepping forward and sniffing carefully. "It’s coming from the opposite bank."

Xue Feishuang sniffed the air but could only detect the strong scent of the wolf pack.

"It’s faint… kind of like an orchid fragrance," Zhang Yang added.

"Orchid fragrance?" Xue Feishuang’s expression changed. "That’s not good—it’s the scent of the Ghost Wolf Flower!"

She quickly moved to the riverbank for a closer look.

Soon, she spotted a few wolves at the back of the pack with blood-red eyes. They had grown larger, their howls deep and menacing.

"The scent of the Ghost Wolf Flower drives the wolf pack into a frenzy. It makes them more aggressive and stronger—strong enough to leap across the Yanluo River," Xue Feishuang said decisively. "We need to leave immediately!"

She led the group along the south bank of the river.

Yuluan, observing everything, saw Zhang Yang sprinting ahead of everyone else. She sighed, "Vision, hearing, speed, strength, bone structure, talent, comprehension, smell—all ridiculously abnormal! He doesn’t seem human—more like a monster!"

Although more wolves were making their way across the river, their overall numbers remained low. Catching up to their group was still difficult, and within half a day, they had completely shaken off the pack.

However, according to Xue Feishuang, returning to the opposite bank by the same route would only delay them.

When Zhang Yang asked about their destination, he learned that Xue Feishuang was actually competing for a martial title.

According to the Great Xia Empire’s rules, there could only be seventy-two Martial Lords at any given time. A position had recently opened, and Xue Feishuang was competing for it against Yun Liuhuo from the Yun family.

After drawing lots, Xue Feishuang had received the task of eliminating the Blood Fox Thieves, a notorious group wreaking havoc in the area, within ten days. Meanwhile, Yun Liuhuo’s task was to hunt down the lone Night Thief within the same timeframe.

Whoever completed their mission first would earn the title of martial lord.

Thus, the battle for the title had officially begun.

“This must be Yun Dongji’s doing. The Yun brothers—Yun Liuhuo may be overbearing, but Yun Dongji is different. He lacks skill in martial arts yet makes up for it with his cunning. He has long made it clear that he wants the Yun family to hold two martial lord titles,” Yuluan said through gritted teeth.

“Two martial lords from the same family?” Zhang Yang asked.

Yuluan nodded. “Their father is already one of the seventy-two martial lords.”

“What exactly does being a martial lord mean?” Zhang Yang inquired.

“A martial lord is someone granted nobility through martial prowess,” Yuluan explained.

As they traveled, Xue Feishuang took the time to teach Zhang Yang various aspects of martial arts.

She gradually realized that she had taken in a monstrous talent in place of her master and would have to guide him carefully.

Half a day later, they arrived at a stream where they stopped to let their horses drink and rest.

Seeing Zhang Yang rely solely on his own legs for the journey was unsustainable, so Xue Feishuang decided to find him a suitable mount.

Not long after, she returned, riding a sturdy blue bull.

“This is an Ironback Blue Bull,” she introduced. “It’s not only fast and highly resilient, but it also possesses considerable combat strength. This bull is a second-level monster, which is equivalent to the Dust Washing realm in martial arts. For now, it should be a good enough mount for you.”

Zhang Yang was thrilled; he had never ridden a monster before.

Xue Feishuang smiled. “To form a bond with it, just let a drop of your blood fall between its eyes. I’ll establish a blood contract for you, which you can release at any time. This will allow you to have full control over the bull, ensuring it obeys you completely. If your bloodline is strong enough, this drop of blood might even trigger a transformation in the beast.”

Yuluan handed Zhang Yang a dagger, eager to see how potent his bloodline was.

Zhang Yang pricked his left index finger, allowing a drop of blood to fall between the bull’s eyes.

As the blood made contact, Xue Feishuang extended her right index finger. A faint glow appeared at her fingertip as she swiftly traced a complex design in the air before pressing it into the bull’s forehead.

At that moment, Zhang Yang felt a subtle connection with the Ironback Blue Bull.

Xue Feishuang, Yuluan, and the others watched intently, waiting to see if any changes would occur.