Enlightenment of the Blade

"Ah!"

The Chen Family's young masters cried out in terror as one.

The blood spraying from the severed necks of the two servants was caught by the mountain wind, much of it splattering across their faces and bodies.

Breathing in the thick stench of blood and feeling death so close at hand, the fact that the three pampered young masters had not fainted on the spot already showed remarkable strength of will.

Yet the intense fear in their hearts made them all shrink back in unspoken accord.

As he retreated, the Chen Family's eldest young master screamed hysterically, "A martial artist! He's a martial artist!"

Zhang Xiong had once told this young master that Zhang Yuan was no ordinary man.

He was an Entry-Level Martial Artist.

Chen Young Master had not truly believed it before.

But now, the bloody reality told him otherwise.

Zhang Yuan, the mud-legged country bumpkin he had looked down upon, truly possessed the power to decide whether he lived or died!

Chen Young Master's mind went blank.

His father, however, was far calmer, immediately growling, "Master Lu!"

Before Chen Yuanwai's words had even faded, a burly middle-aged man was already charging toward Zhang Yuan.

This Master Lu was the Chen Family's bodyguard.

The Chen Family had originally employed two martial artist bodyguards. One of them, Sun Bodyguard, had met with an accident after encountering a ghost, leaving only Master Lu.

Chen Yuanwai had originally hired Hunter Gao as an instructor for the household, hoping to make up for the gap in their defenses.

Yet Hunter Gao had also met with an accident.

As for Zhang Xiong, whom they had invited from the County Town, he was nominally a Guest Elder of the Chen Family. In truth, Chen Yuanwai could not command this powerful martial arts master, who also had duties of his own.

That was why the only person Chen Yuanwai could rely upon now was Master Lu!

Bodyguard Lu's expression was grave. Before he even reached Zhang Yuan, the long saber clenched in his hand swept sideways, bursting through layers of fierce blade light as it slashed toward the latter's chest and abdomen!

Zhang Yuan felt a chilling aura of slaughter rush straight at him. Seeing the opponent's flashing blade, he was instantly startled.

This Chen Family bodyguard was clearly highly skilled with the saber. His frontal assault was as swift as thunder, and his unstoppable momentum made one's heart quail!

Although Zhang Yuan was already an Entry-Level Martial Artist and had the Jade Mantis's mastery of the saber reinforcing him—

Faced with Bodyguard Lu's attack,

His weakness of having never trained in Martial Skills and possessing severely inadequate combat experience was immediately laid bare.

With no other choice, Zhang Yuan could only leap backward, avoiding his opponent's edge.

But Bodyguard Lu was experienced. Seeing that Zhang Yuan did not dare meet him head-on, he immediately pursued like a maggot clinging to bone.

His saber momentum grew even fiercer and sharper.

It was as though he meant to cleave Zhang Yuan in two with a single stroke!

Zhang Yuan retreated again and again, completely at a disadvantage, looking rather bedraggled.

Seeing this, Bodyguard Lu let out a savage grin. "Die, little thief!"

Suddenly, his blade turned and slashed fiercely at Zhang Yuan's face.

This stroke was heavy and powerful, delivered with decisive brutality, displaying considerable mastery of the saber.

Yet this seemingly certain strike cut through empty air.

At the very brink of disaster, Zhang Yuan abruptly shifted and retreated, his speed far greater than before.

Though he had narrowly evaded his opponent's killing blow, Zhang Yuan still broke out in a cold sweat.

If he had not kept the Golden Grasshopper's doubled agility active, there was an eight- or nine-in-ten chance he would not have escaped that stroke!

Having just narrowly escaped death, Zhang Yuan felt no fear. Instead, the ferocity buried in his bones was completely stirred awake.

The next moment, he activated the power of his first vessel—the Black Giant Ant Power!

The extraordinary abilities of Divine Nest vessels could be applied simultaneously. However, as the abilities stacked, the consumption of vitality and blood increased drastically, making them impossible to sustain for long.

Once his vitality and blood were exhausted, he could only become fish on the chopping block, left for others to slaughter.

But with life and death before him, how could Zhang Yuan spare a thought for any of that!

His vision darkened, then a new force surged into his body, swelling every muscle at once and making all his joints crack with resounding force.

The extraordinary powers of the Black Giant Ant, Jade Mantis, and Golden Grasshopper—three Extraordinary Lifeforms reinforcing him at once—instantly pushed Zhang Yuan's body to the limit of what it could bear.

Threads of blood seeped from his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears, while his skin turned crimson red.

"Kill!"

Zhang Yuan stopped retreating and swung the long saber in his hand at the rapidly closing Bodyguard Lu.

This saber had come from Hunter Gao.

Though it was no divine weapon or peerless blade, it was still a true instrument of killing!

This was Zhang Yuan's first counterattack since his duel with Bodyguard Lu began.

Though it contained no saber technique or formal move.

It carried the courage and determination to cut through everything!

Bodyguard Lu was greatly startled.

In the eyes of this seasoned martial artist, Zhang Yuan seemed to have suddenly become a different person, utterly unfamiliar to him.

This Zhang Yuan was like a Ferocious Beast driven into a corner, suddenly erupting with a terrifying, awe-inspiring presence.

He hesitated, even halting his steps.

The older one grew in the martial world, the smaller one's courage became. Bodyguard Lu's instincts told him that if he clashed head-on with Zhang Yuan, he might have some chance of cutting the latter down.

But he would also have to pay a terrible price!

Was it really necessary to fight a life-fearing young brat to the death?

His wages were only a few liang of silver!

The moment Bodyguard Lu thought of retreating, his body responded with absolute honesty.

Retreat!

Yet as this ebbed and flows, Zhang Yuan, who had been at a complete disadvantage, suddenly saw the momentum of his counterattack soar.

Stroke after stroke, he pursued Bodyguard Lu with a tempestuous barrage of attacks.

Every stroke was delivered with all his strength!

Bodyguard Lu had never encountered such an opponent. He twisted, leaped, and retreated step by step, yet stubbornly refused to trade even a single hard blow with Zhang Yuan.

He did not believe Zhang Yuan could maintain such a powerful state for long. As long as he waited for the latter's strength to run dry, victory would be his.

Bodyguard Lu did not lack patience.

But this old hand of the martial world did not know that Zhang Yuan had entered a profoundly mysterious state.

He felt as if he had become a mantis.

A young mantis that had just broken from its egg, driven out to survive alone before it had received enough shelter and protection.

To live, he dwelled and hid in mountain forests teeming with countless dangers, foraging and hunting.

Gradually growing.

Failure after failure, persistence after persistence; starting with the smallest, weakest prey, then facing ever more powerful opponents, his bladed forelegs became harder and sharper.

And increasingly fierce and merciless!

Until one day, he encountered a black-and-white Silver Ring Snake.

This was an unprecedentedly formidable enemy.

Yet Zhang Yuan felt not the slightest fear.

The instinct written into his genes told him that if he defeated this enemy, his life would undergo a transformation!

Zhang Yuan swung his saber without hesitation.

Kill! Kill! Kill!

Only one thought remained in his mind.

To kill the opponent before him.

This was an unending struggle unto death—either you died, or I perished!

At this moment, Zhang Yuan.

Suddenly grasped a trace of the true essence of the saber.