A small cloud floated above Yang Zhen's outstretched palm. It was identical to the white clouds constantly changing shape in the sky, and it gave off a primal Qi fluctuation that made hearts tremble.
"Has Yang Zhen comprehended some kind of heaven-grade martial skill?"
"That white cloud in his hand actually makes my heart tremble. What kind of martial skill is that? How can it be so strange?"
Everyone in Ghost's Sorrow stared at Yang Zhen in astonishment. Though he looked like an idiot at the moment, this was the kind of idiocy they all spent their lives desperately pursuing.
An epiphany!
There were many kinds of epiphany. Some people could comprehend the true essence of power during one, some could sense the profound truths of life, and others could even grasp the cultivation methods and martial skills they had struggled in vain to master.
No matter the kind, an epiphany was a state every cultivator on the Youzhou Continent desperately sought, regardless of talent, strength, or even gender.
Of everyone in Ghost's Sorrow, Zhang Zongjin felt it most keenly. Yang Zhen had been talking to him all along, the two of them targeting each other in open and hidden contests. It had looked like a casual conversation, yet it had already taken on the character of a Dao verse.
Even with Zhang Zongjin's exceptional talent and profound cultivation, and despite being called the Number One Sword Under Heaven, he had still lost to Yang Zhen in that exchange. This, however, would not greatly affect his disposition.
What Zhang Zongjin cultivated was his State of Mind. If his heart was tranquil, his Sword Intent would be invincible. So even after losing to someone whose cultivation was far below his, he merely smiled. Victory and defeat were common affairs for a soldier.
But Yang Zhen had not only crushed him utterly in realm, he had also experienced an epiphany while they were contending against each other, and had thoroughly comprehended a cultivation method of at least heaven grade.
That was a little too much to bear!
Zhang Zongjin's face flushed red, and a sweet taste rose in his throat. Yang Zhen had nearly angered him into coughing up blood. Zhang Zongjin wasn't sure whether comparing oneself to others could kill a person, but it could certainly make one cough up blood.
A cool wind whistled past the back of Zhang Zongjin's neck. He shivered, broke out in a cold sweat, and came to his senses. That was close. If he hadn't awakened then, he might have developed a Heart Demon.
For some reason, every sound Zhang Zongjin heard now seemed to be mocking him, mocking his ignorance and his failure to know his own limits.
If Zhang Zongjin had known that Yang Zhen had not comprehended some heaven-grade cultivation method, but had instead created a martial skill, he would probably have been vomiting blood by the mouthful already.
Yang Zhen emerged from his epiphany and glanced at the white cloud in his hand. With an odd expression, he asked Zhang Zongjin, "Do you know a palm technique that descends from the heavens?"
At Yang Zhen's words, everyone's hearts tightened, and they instinctively looked up at the white clouds overhead.
Zhang Zongjin's expression changed as well. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "Who exactly are you? Which great sect are you a disciple of?"
Yang Zhen shook his head. "I'm just a nobody. I'm a little handsome, so people always remember me. I'm not a disciple of any great sect."
Zhang Zongjin staggered back two steps and stared at Yang Zhen in suspicion. "Very well. So you want me to test this 'palm technique that descends from the heavens'?"
Yang Zhen got to his feet, glanced at Zhang Zongjin, and said, "No!"
"You..." Zhang Zongjin took another step back, suddenly seized by the urge to turn around and leave. Talking to Yang Zhen was unbearable. This fellow never played by the rules, leaving people so frustrated they wanted to cough up blood.
Everyone looked at Zhang Zongjin with a measure of pity. Just how much would one have to suffer after provoking a monster like Yang Zhen?
At that moment, Yang Zhen casually turned his hand and put away the white cloud. Grinning, he said, "Once I've perfected this martial skill, I'll find you and try it out on you."
Per... perfected?
"You created a martial skill?" Zhang Zongjin staggered back three steps in horror. With a splutter, he finally lost control and spat out a mouthful of blood. As though all his strength had been drained away, he murmured in a daze, "No, that's impossible. You're lying to me. You must be lying to me."
Everyone was stunned. Creating a martial skill of his own-how was that possible?
Never mind disciples of minor sects; even the leaders of great sects didn't dare casually create their own martial skills. Every martial skill had specific meridians through which primal Qi circulated. A single mistake could mean death or injury. Cultivating a martial skill was already as perilous as walking on thin ice; creating one was practically no different from courting death.
Seeing that Yang Zhen had actually made Zhang Zongjin cough up blood with just a few words of trickery, everyone's hearts tightened. Their gazes were filled with terror as they looked at Yang Zhen.
Too frightening. This Yang Zhen was simply a monster.
It wasn't Yang Zhen's shamelessness that was frightening, but the fact that his tongue was so vicious when he was being shameless. One careless moment, and he could leave a psychological shadow on someone, perhaps even giving them a Heart Demon.
Yang Zhen shook his head and sighed, looking up at the sky with a melancholy expression. "Alas, life really is as lonely as snow. No one even believes me when I tell the truth. Can we still cultivate happily together?"
Pfft!
Everyone spluttered. Show off. Go on, keep showing off. You'll make flowers bloom in the sky at this rate.
After coughing up a mouthful of blood, Zhang Zongjin had regained his composure. He snorted coldly and said, "No matter how glib your tongue or how many tricks you have, your true colors will be exposed at the Dao Comprehension Stele after the Youzhou Grand Assembly. I hope you won't disappoint me then!"
Zhang Zongjin's words brought everyone to their senses.
The most exciting part of the Youzhou Grand Assembly was not the Desolate Forest Trial, but the Dao Comprehension Stele afterward. The stele contained the profound truths of the Heavenly Dao. Every year, geniuses blessed by heaven would comprehend truths of heaven and earth from it, obtain a powerful cultivation method or martial skill, or even receive a complete inheritance.
That was when the gathering dragons would each display their Divine Abilities. Those with little talent had no chance whatsoever.
Yang Zhen had actually declared at this moment that he had created a martial skill. Naturally, no one knew whether it was true, but once he stood before the Dao Comprehension Stele, they would be able to tell almost immediately whether he was putting on an air of mystery or truly a monster.
"Huh?" Yang Zhen was taken aback. Seeing everyone's expressions, he asked Princess Changyang beside him in surprise, "There's something like that?"
If Zhang Zongjin was right, then this Dao Comprehension Stele was practically tailor-made for his off-the-charts talent. Yang Zhen's interest was immediately piqued.
Seeing Yang Zhen look her way, Princess Changyang paused for a moment, then couldn't help giving a wry smile as she explained, "Young Master Zhang spoke the truth. After the Youzhou Grand Assembly's trial, there is indeed a Dao Comprehension Stele. It contains endless cultivation methods, martial skills, and Martial Dao inheritances. It's said that someone once comprehended a saint-grade cultivation method from it!"
"A saint-grade cultivation method?" Yang Zhen was even more interested now.
"Hmph!" Zhang Zongjin sneered. Watching Princess Changyang patiently explain everything to Yang Zhen, the coldness on his face deepened. "Does a jumping clown deserve a saint-grade cultivation method? When the time comes, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will be exposed for what they are. I hope you can hold out. Oh, but I forgot-with a face as thick as yours, how could you fail to hold out?"
Everyone nodded. Though Zhang Zongjin's words were unpleasant, every word was true. The Dao Comprehension Stele was not something an ordinary person could gain insight from.
Yang Zhen pointed at Zhang Zongjin's face in surprise. "Oh? Whatever you're called, Number One Scoundrel Under Heaven, are you mocking us as Tom, Dick, and Harry?"
Zhang Zongjin's expression changed abruptly, and he was just about to explain when Yang Zhen continued, "Brothers, I'm not trying to stir up trouble, but this 'Number One Scoundrel Under Heaven' is far too full of himself. He actually said everyone here except him is just Tom, Dick, and Harry. Too arrogant. We can't afford to offend him, we really can't."
"I... when did I ever say that?"
"You did! You just said it!"
"I didn't!" Cold sweat was already running down Zhang Zongjin's face. However arrogant he was, he wouldn't dare call everyone else Tom, Dick, and Harry. That would offend nearly everyone present.
In the crowd, Fang Shenhe looked at Zhang Zongjin in disappointment. "Is that really Zhang Zongjin? Why has he become like an idiot after meeting Yang Zhen?"
(End of chapter)