In the beginning, Qian Ye occasionally made mistakes, even slicing objects in his hand into two. The sword, Dongyue, was too heavy and too sharp; it could damage the black wood just by lying flat. But soon, Qian Ye’s mistakes became fewer. On the previous night, the mysterious entity could still detect slight deviations in the blade, but tonight, after nearly a thousand flawless cuts, the blade was perfect.
At this point, the mysterious being in the sea realized that Qian Ye’s mind had completely settled, and now, the real confrontation would begin.
As dawn approached, Qian Ye looked at the vase in his hand, satisfied. These nights of carving by the sea had been a process of honing his swordsmanship and will. At this stage, at least in terms of swordsmanship, Qian Ye felt he had no more room for improvement.
He took the vase inside and placed it on a stand. Then, he fetched two frozen beasts from the ice house and threw them into the truck’s back. There was still some space in the truck, so he grabbed two sculptures made from the beasts’ teeth, placed them in a suitcase, and also threw them in the back.
These sculptures were casual works of Qian Ye, each with minor flaws. There was limited space in the house, and he couldn’t display all the crafts.
The truck rumbled along, taking over two hours to reach the town. This was slower than if Qian Ye had carried the goods himself. However, the slow, leisurely journey provided a novel experience, gradually relaxing his tense nerves.
The atmosphere in the town was different; several townspeople were cleaning the streets and clearing garbage.
Qian Ye stopped a villager and asked, “What’s going on? Is something about to happen?”
“Word is, a big shot is coming down, and we need to make the town look presentable to avoid upsetting him.”
“Oh, I see. What kind of big shot?”
The man shrugged, “How would I know? But they say he’s pretty high up.”
In the Neutral Zone, a big shot usually meant someone with extraordinary combat power. In this land without laws, such figures often held the power of life and death over the weak.
Finding no further information, Qian Ye didn’t give the so-called big shot much thought. He traded his goods for fuel and mechanical parts, then got back into the antique truck and returned home.
The day passed peacefully. After dinner, Zhu Ji and Ye Tong went to bed early, while the old man was modifying a lathe. The tranquil life here seemed to suit him well, as inspiration kept flowing. He claimed that Qian Ye would soon be able to use a bullet of incredible power.
Qian Ye took this news in stride. He cared more that the old man had something to pursue and do. As for the origin bullets, no matter how powerful, they couldn’t surpass the Origin Gun. But since the old man insisted, Qian Ye did his best to provide the necessary conditions.
Night fell, and once again, the world grew silent. Qian Ye picked up a piece of wood and walked outside. This time, instead of stopping at the flat ground by the gate, he headed straight to the beach.
Under the night sky, the sea was deep and vast, with waves surging endlessly, creating a sense of suffocation. Countless secrets lay hidden in the depths of the ocean.
Qian Ye didn’t know why he had come to the beach, as if something was calling to him. But with his current strength, few entities could influence him without his knowledge.
Qian Ye searched carefully, but the feeling had already faded. He didn’t mind, choosing a flat rock to sit on and started carving by the sea.
The midnight sea, with its rolling waves, splashed against the rocks, sometimes spraying white foam. Qian Ye was used to the sound of the waves; even if someone shouted in his ear, it wouldn’t affect him in the slightest.
He split the wood into several pieces and started carving one, placing the others aside.
The night seemed to pass as usual, quietly.
A wave crashed against the shore, making an unusually loud sound. Qian Ye seemed startled, and the blade of Dongyue slightly deviated, destroying most of the carving.
Qian Ye frowned, set aside the ruined carving, and picked up another piece of wood to start anew.
The sound of the waves grew louder, as if the entire East Sea was restless. Another misstep, and the carving was cut in half.
Frowning, Qian Ye picked up another piece. Soon, Dongyue slipped, removing a large chunk of wood, ruining the carving.
Qian Ye’s pupils glowed blue. He saw clearly that a strand of void original force had appeared, pushing the blade off course. Recognizing the pattern, Qian Ye glanced into the deep sea, sensing that this might be another form of confrontation.
He picked up another piece of wood and continued. Sure enough, another strand of void original force appeared, pulling Dongyue sideways. Seeing it, Qian Ye adjusted his wrist, neutralizing the force, and the blade sliced through smoothly.
The mysterious entity in the sea wasn’t satisfied and sent another strand of void original force, followed by a third, causing Dongyue to rise and slash a large opening in the carving.
Qian Ye’s brows rose, and he tossed the ruined carving aside, picking up a new piece of wood. This time, the entity launched multiple strands of void original force, fast and unpredictable. Qian Ye, prepared, deftly countered each one.
However, a strand of void original force appeared behind him, resonating with Dongyue, causing the blade to tremble and shatter the carving. Qian Ye lost again.
This time, Qian Ye didn’t rush to start anew. He pondered, recalling the resonance, and only then picked up another piece of wood.
The night passed quickly, and dawn arrived. The sea calmed, and the entity had retreated. By Qian Ye’s feet, the pile of discarded wood was like a small mountain. He had fetched wood several times, all now turned to waste. Throughout the night, Qian Ye had lost countless times.
At midnight, Qian Ye’s swordsmanship was at its peak, every move flawless. Yet, the void original force came in complex patterns, making it nearly impossible to counter solely with swordsmanship.
Although aware that the entity was overpowering, Qian Ye persisted, using only his physical strength and pure swordsmanship. His swordsmanship was already at a high level, and progress was difficult. But this was an opportunity to hone his skills, so Qian Ye remained focused, dueling with the entity.
Near dawn, the entity left, and Qian Ye realized he had lasted slightly longer than at midnight. Though only a few seconds, it was a tangible improvement against a master whose swordsmanship was superior.
Though unsure of the entity’s intentions, the gains were real. Qian Ye cleaned up the wood and returned. These wasted carvings were excellent fuel, not to be wasted.
The next night, after Ye Tong and Zhu Ji went to sleep, Qian Ye felt the mysterious call again. He picked up Dongyue, shouldered the wood, and returned to the beach.
The first round was similar to the previous night, ending in defeat. But Qian Ye wasn’t disheartened and was about to start the second when he sensed something amiss and turned around.
The night landscape looked normal, but Qian Ye’s keen eyes saw the Black Forest moving, extending forward and stopping. Some trees moved, and new saplings sprouted. In a day and night, these saplings would become full-grown trees.
Qian Ye sensed that the forest’s expansion was due to his loss.
The idea came naturally, though unproven, his intuition told him it was true.
Looking back at the sea, Qian Ye felt a weight. The entity in the sea was no longer content with ordinary duels and was raising the stakes. If Qian Ye lost, his newly built home would be swallowed by the Black Forest.
While he could cut down the forest, Qian Ye knew that if he did, the entity would intervene. From its mastery of void original force, Qian Ye deduced it was at least a Grand Duke-level power.
Qian Ye steadied himself, picked up a piece of wood, and began the second round. Under pressure, he performed differently, lasting longer than ever before, almost completing the carving before losing.
Perhaps acknowledging Qian Ye, the Black Forest advanced only slightly, adding a row of saplings.
But if this continued, in a night, the Black Forest would occupy half the open land. In three days, Qian Ye would have to move across the river or live in the sea. Neither the East Sea nor the Black Forest was suitable for habitation.
Qian Ye looked at the sea, sat upright, and picked up a piece of wood. As he made the first cut, a faint roar of the sea sounded, even drowning out the waves of the East Sea!
Several strands of void original force appeared but were immediately crushed by an invisible force, unable to affect Dongyue.
Only now did Qian Ye fully respond, using the power of the sea vortex.
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