Chapter 375

Chapter 375: The Consequences of Underestimating Martial Arts

Wind Dragon and the four forbidden law experts were stunned.

In their eyes, the Black Cloaked Strategist was the most terrifying figure in the Western Desert, the one whose very name made sacred dynasties tremble. A man believed capable of single-handedly withstanding three hundred Saints… and yet, at this critical moment, he had failed.

After ten years, with all his strategic brilliance, he now lay in utter defeat.

They watched in disbelief as Zhang Yang pinned him underfoot.

Could this truly be happening?

Wind Dragon pinched himself hard. The pain was sharp, and bruises quickly formed on his legs.

It was real.

The nightmare was real.

The most feared man in the Western Desert was being stepped on!

Wind Dragon swallowed hard, his throat dry. Fear and disbelief flooded his mind, leaving him utterly lost, completely dazed.

He remembered clearly how much hope the Taixu Dynasty had placed in the Black Cloaked Strategist.

Not just the Strategist himself, but all the Saints and the highest-ranking members of the Taixu Dynasty had believed that his mere appearance would reverse any disadvantage. He wouldn’t even need to act, just his presence would be enough to stabilize the Western Desert.

But now?

Wind Dragon’s thoughts buzzed in chaos. His mind went blank.

The four forbidden law experts reacted swiftly. They roared in unison and lunged at Zhang Yang.

All of them were in the Small Boundless realm.

Indeed, the Black Cloaked Strategist’s strategy had been impressive. But its greatest weakness was his complete ignorance of the Nine Extremes True Essence—the ultimate force of martial arts.

That was what Zhang Yang meant when he said the Strategist underestimated martial arts. It was this arrogance that had left a fatal flaw in his plans.

How could someone who didn’t cultivate martial arts, who relied solely on schemes and deception, possibly respect martial strength? Even after climbing to the peak of the Western Desert and earning a fearsome reputation, he didn’t bother hiding his disdain for martial cultivation.

Naturally, the so-called rescue attempt from the four experts was meaningless.

As they entered the twenty-meter radius of the Mother Bead’s light, their realms were instantly suppressed to the first level of the Opening the Sky realm.

Zhang Yang didn’t even glance at them.

He activated Baxiang Saintly Power.

Four streams of Baxiang Saintly Fire surged outward.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Each blast struck like a divine hammer, powerful and unstoppable. This was a sacred flame.

The four experts were incinerated on the spot, reduced to ashes.

Zhang Yang’s gaze turned coldly toward Wind Dragon.

Wind Dragon’s expression changed drastically. He turned and fled in panic, running for his life.

He no longer dared to resist.

He needed to get this news to Jin Liuli right away.

But fear had paralyzed his thoughts. In his panic, he forgot about the Spirit Communication Stone, the teleportation array, every method of swift contact. All he could think about was running, using his own legs to deliver the message.

Such was the psychological impact of seeing the Black Cloaked Strategist subdued. It pushed even a Small Boundless cultivator to the brink of collapse.

“Black Cloaked Strategist,” Zhang Yang muttered, “did you ever imagine this day would come?”

“You underestimated martial arts so deeply that you failed to understand its wonders. Martial arts has long since earned the title of ‘Dao’ (Way). Those who understand it can work miracles. You thought your ten years of careful planning had mastered the Western Desert. But you never realized that the world has changed. This is not the martial arts age of a decade ago. Remember this: never look down on martial arts… Forget it. What’s the point in talking to you? You’ll never have the chance to understand.”

He pointed a finger, and struck.

With one precise motion, he shattered the Black Cloaked Strategist’s dantian, turning him into an ordinary man.

The Strategist had been in the Ascending to Heaven realm, capable of soaring freely.

Now, with that single strike, his cultivation was gone. The skin on his hands shriveled instantly, aging before their eyes.

Yet, the Black Cloaked Strategist didn’t scream. He didn’t show pain, or rage, or even offer a threat.

He simply stared at Zhang Yang with a blank gaze, as if nothing that was happening truly concerned him.

Zhang Yang calmly took everything from him, not only the storage bag, but also his black cloak, folding fan, and all the seemingly insignificant trinkets he carried.

Only then did he see the Black Cloaked Strategist’s true appearance.

He was bald, with no eyebrows. His features were ordinary, though the lack of hair gave him a slightly menacing look.

His eye sockets were deep, his nose bridge high. A scar on his left cheek glowed faintly with a dark light.

There was nothing particularly shameful about his face. He looked like an ordinary man in his fifties or sixties.

However, his eyes gave an unsettling impression, too piercing and too profound, as if concealing a myriad of thoughts within.

“I know that someone with extraordinary talent like you, before reaching your current realm, would likely possess a holy treasure capable of suppressing an opponent’s cultivation. Such treasures are rare, but not unexpected for a Lord of the Sacred Forest, someone who has endured an Eternal Night, an event unprecedented in history. That’s why I came prepared, using the supreme forbidden law personally created by Jin Xunxian, the Second Generation Ancestor of the Taixu Dynasty. This law has helped me slay countless enemies, so why does it not work on you?”

The Black Cloaked Strategist spoke, no longer with his usual arrogance. His face was now filled with reluctance, like someone who had fallen into a ditch and still couldn’t accept it.

Throughout his life, he had calculated the heavens, the earth, people, and events without error, yet after ten years of careful scheming, he had stumbled into failure so pitifully.

Though he still believed he had a chance to escape, he could not accept this outcome.

It was the first mistake of his life.

Zhang Yang replied calmly, “I’ll repeat what I’ve already said, you underestimate martial arts far too much. How can someone who doesn’t even understand the Dao dare to look down on it?”

Of course, he would never mention the Nine Extremes True Essence.

That matter involved heavenly tribulations and could very well be the most powerful taboo path of immortality since the Eternal Night. How could he possibly reveal it, even to someone completely under his control?

“You may not speak,” the Black Cloaked Strategist said, his voice full of confidence, “but I will find out sooner or later.”

Zhang Yang raised a brow in surprise. “You’re already in my hands, and you still think you’ll figure it out? Do you believe you can escape alive?”

The Strategist replied indifferently, “No one can kill me unless I choose to die. In over fifty years of life, this minor mistake is just another experience, nothing more.”

“Hahaha…”

Zhang Yang burst into laughter.

This man was truly absurd, still acting superior despite being completely subdued.

With a sneer, he said, “Do you think I won’t kill you right now?”

The Black Cloaked Strategist gave a cold, proud smile. “Don’t bother with threats. If you were going to kill me, you’d have done it already. You should think about what will happen to the Cold Moon Dynasty after the moon-returning dragon dies. And what about the Vast Forest when Bing Yuyan perishes, stripping it of its Great Boundless deterrence? As for Gu Qianmu, others may see him as a genius of intelligence, but to me, he’s worthless. His death wouldn’t matter.”

Zhang Yang snorted coldly.

The Strategist continued, “I stand by what I said. I have never made a mistake, except this once.”

“Then let me be clear,” Zhang Yang said. “Your mistakes are far from over. The moon-returning dragon will not die. Bing Yuyan will not die. And Gu Qianmu? He won’t die either.”

The Black Cloaked Strategist responded with a cold laugh, not even bothering to argue.

Zhang Yang pressed on. “Remember, meeting me is your misfortune. Your so-called schemes are nothing more than childish jokes to me. Oh, and by the way, I once doubted the moon-returning dragon, and felt indebted to him. So I sent him a congratulatory gift for achieving the Holy Body. That gift was the Heart of the Saint Pearl.”

The Black Cloaked Strategist’s expression changed drastically.

Zhang Yang explained, “The Heart of the Saint Pearl can strengthen the Holy Body, stabilize it, and even help it evolve into a Holy Heart. And the best part? That pearl came from the storage bag of one of the ten great sages slain at Heavenly Reaching Mountain, someone from your own Taixu Dynasty. With this pearl, do you really think your schemes still stand a chance? Just one pearl is enough to save the moon-returning dragon. What else do you have?”

He paused, then said coldly:

“Enough talking. Now it’s my turn to strike.”

He slapped the back of the Black Cloaked Strategist’s head, knocking him unconscious.

Grabbing him, Zhang Yang headed straight for the Zi Tian Pavilion.

As someone with soul-level directional challenges, he constantly had to ask for directions until he finally found the street where the pavilion stood.

Upon arrival, he saw Yan Chihuo, prince of the Crimson Flame Dynasty, storming toward the Zi Tian Pavilion with a group of people, his face full of fury.

The moment Yan Chihuo spotted Zhang Yang, he said, “Lord of the Sacred Forest, you’re safe and sound, what a relief!”

Zhang Yang replied irritably, “Your Crimson Flame Dynasty isn’t safe at all. It’s only my first day here, and I’ve already been ambushed twice.”

Yan Chihuo smiled wryly and offered a quick apology. Then, noticing the unconscious man in Zhang Yang’s grasp, he asked, “Is this the one behind it all?”

“Mm,” Zhang Yang nodded. “He orchestrated everything and calls himself the Black Cloaked Strategist.”

“Who?!”

Yan Chihuo and everyone from the Crimson Flame Dynasty couldn’t help but cry out in shock.