Chapter Four: The Black Tiger Blade Technique (Part One)

Yang Family Manor was vast, and Yang Yuanzhen had even set aside a spacious area within its grounds to build a training field for martial practice. On ordinary days, many disciples from martial academies and the family would come here to hone their skills.

Within the training field, two dueling arenas had been constructed, each as large as three basketball courts. At this moment, over a hundred people had gathered around the arena where Yang Ze and Yang Deyi were standing. Most of these spectators were the manor’s guards, responsible for the estate’s safety and thus required to train regularly. Only a small portion were members of the Yang family.

Yet more people were hurrying over from other parts of the manor; news of a duel like this naturally drew crowds, including some from Yang Yuanzhen’s own generation, who had come to watch the spectacle.

Before Yang Ze and Yang Deyi could make their move, a stir rippled through the crowd. A young man dressed in white stepped forward. His pale features and scholarly air set him apart from the mass of martial practitioners, lending him an almost delicate appearance.

Yet his arrival caused the crowd to part, making space for him, and the way people looked at him was filled with respect.

“Even the eldest young master has come. If he witnesses how I teach you a lesson, I’ll really have made a name for myself,” Yang Deyi said, growing more excited at the sight of the newcomer.

“So Yang Hai has shown up,” Yang Ze thought to himself. “Fine. I’ll deal with your dog first, and three months from now, I’ll settle things with you properly.” He kept his thoughts to himself.

“Yang Ze, are you going to make a move or not? Or are you hoping to embarrass yourself in front of an even larger crowd?” Yang Deyi sneered.

“If you’re so impatient, then I’ll strike now!” No sooner had Yang Ze spoken than he launched himself forward.

With a powerful push from his right foot, Yang Ze shot out, his right fist clenched tightly, veins bulging to show he was holding nothing back.

Yang Ze’s sudden attack caught not only Yang Deyi off guard, but the spectators as well. No one expected him to act so abruptly—his approach was brutally straightforward.

No wonder he was the second young master who had never fought in a real duel; his moves defied convention.

“Always so reckless,” someone muttered. “Rushing in like that, he’ll expose all his weaknesses before he gets close. If Yang Deyi seizes even one opening, Yang Ze will lose for sure. But really, with all his years of training and still unable to reach the Qi-Gathering Realm, Yang Deyi hardly needs to exploit any flaws—he can defeat him head-on.”

Clad in white, Yang Hai watched coldly from the sidelines, his analysis clear.

As he spoke, Yang Deyi made his decision. He clenched his right fist and swung at Yang Ze.

Confident in his superior mastery of the Sea Heart Technique and his greater strength, Yang Deyi wanted nothing more than to defeat Yang Ze in a direct confrontation.

All this took longer to tell than to happen; within seconds, their fists collided. In that instant, Yang Deyi’s expression changed dramatically.

The force from Yang Ze’s punch was far greater than his own, sending his internal energy into chaos. His stance faltered, and he was about to be thrown backward.

But Yang Ze withdrew his fist, spun, and lashed out with his left leg in a sweeping kick that struck Yang Deyi full on. Yang Deyi was flung across the arena, rolling several times before coming to a stop.

Yang Ze wasn’t finished—he moved to pursue his advantage.

But before he could strike again, a shadow blocked his path. A palm shot out at him. Yang Ze instantly sensed that this force was beyond what he could counter and retreated, halting his attack.

“Elder brother, your man intervened. Does that mean Yang Deyi has lost?” Yang Ze said coolly. The one who had stopped him was Yang Hai’s servant, a formidable martial artist at least at the mid-stage Qi-Gathering Realm.

“I didn’t expect your Sea Heart Technique to break through to the second level. Today, Yang Deyi was careless, so let’s call it his loss. But if you think reaching the second level of the Sea Heart Technique puts you on my level, you’re sorely mistaken. Let’s go,” Yang Hai said, casting a glance at Yang Ze before leading his group away. In his eyes, even if Yang Ze had entered the Qi-Gathering Realm, he posed no real threat.

Once Yang Hai departed, Yang Ze left as well. He was certain his father had witnessed everything—he would likely be summoned soon.

After they had both left, the crowd around the arena began to disperse.

At the gate of his private residence, Yang Ze saw Yang Yuanzhen waiting for him. His father’s first question was when Yang Ze had broken through in the Sea Heart Technique.

Yang Ze had already prepared his answer: he said it was yesterday’s guidance that had inspired his breakthrough. Yang Yuanzhen didn’t doubt him—his explanation was flawless, and his father couldn’t be bothered to probe further. With a few casual words, Yang Yuanzhen left.

Yang Ze entered his quarters, sensing his father’s attitude was clear—even with today’s breakthrough, he would not be shown special favor. The quota for the contest in three months’ time was almost certainly out of his reach.

Still, he had resolved to act today. Yang Deyi’s bullying had gone too far; if he didn’t teach him a lesson, Yang Ze couldn’t let it go.

His victory owed something to luck. Yang Deyi’s carelessness had given him an opening—otherwise, given Yang Deyi’s greater combat experience, defeating him would have been no easy feat.

“Defeating Yang Deyi means little. The real test is in three months. With or without a spot, I must defeat Yang Hai. If not, I’ll be forced to live in the Yang family with my tail between my legs forever.”

Yang Ze muttered this to himself. He knew that to defeat Yang Hai, he needed to achieve three things.

First, his progress in the Sea Heart Technique could not lag behind Yang Hai’s.

Second, he had to improve his real combat skills; otherwise, even with strength, he couldn’t make full use of it.

Third, he must master the Black Tiger Saber Technique. Yang Hai had already begun to practice it—if Yang Ze didn’t keep up, he would fall far behind.

Closing his door, Yang Ze began to study the Black Tiger Saber Technique.

Aside from cultivation methods, there were martial arts—techniques focused on practical combat. The Black Tiger Saber Technique was one such art.

The Yang family’s standing in Yuyang City was not just due to the Sea Heart Technique, but also two martial arts, one of which was the Black Tiger Saber Technique.

The Black Tiger Saber Technique consisted of three moves—three distinct saber forms.

All three were offensive, with no room for evasion or defense. Every motion was an attack, unleashing the saber’s ferocity.

The first form: Tiger Strike.

The second: Tiger Roar.

The third: The Tiger Descends the Mountain!

The names sounded formidable, but in essence, they were three saber techniques performed with different trajectories and methods.

When executed in sequence, these three moves could be devastating, easily overwhelming opponents of the same level who lacked martial arts training.

Ordinary as it was, the Black Tiger Saber Technique also had its stages of mastery.

There were three realms: Initiate, Proficient, and Mastery.

To reach true mastery meant being able to unleash all three forms in seamless succession, effortlessly and at will.

Achieving mastery was no simple feat; any martial art was difficult to perfect. As far as Yang Ze knew, fewer than ten members of the Yang family had ever reached this level with the Black Tiger Saber Technique.

Still, for a basic martial art like this, reaching the Initiate stage was relatively easy.

Yang Hai, for instance, had trained in it for a year or two and had at least entered the Initiate stage.

Reaching proficiency was another matter. Yang Hai was not exactly a prodigy, and even so, it would take considerable time and effort to refine the technique to that level.

Turning the small manual in his hands, Yang Ze began to carefully study the Black Tiger Saber Technique.

It emphasized form before intention—first learning the movements, then internalizing the style. Only when the two were combined could one be considered to have entered the Initiate stage.

From there, advancing to proficiency was a matter of practice and familiarity; true mastery required understanding the technique’s core principles.

After finishing the manual, Yang Ze found his head aching. The Black Tiger Saber Technique seemed simple enough—he grasped the gist of it after one reading—but when he tried to practice, he immediately felt its difficulty.

Following the first diagram in the manual, after less than half a quarter-hour, soreness spread through his body.

Still, he didn’t give up, persisting with his training until nightfall.

After dinner, Yang Ze locked both the main gate and his bedroom door, secluding himself in his room.

Before entering the mysterious space of the black stone, he always took these precautions to avoid being discovered.

He had never intended to rely solely on his own efforts to master the Black Tiger Saber Technique in three months. After today’s attempt, he realized that, given his own talent, he might not even reach the Initiate stage after three months of hard work. He had no choice but to rely on the mysterious space.

Why not use a cheat when you have one? Only a fool would refuse.

Focusing his mind on the black stone, Yang Ze saw infinite black light radiate from it. In the next instant, his consciousness entered the mysterious space once again.

Within moments, the gray figure appeared before him.

This time, the gray figure stood directly opposite Yang Ze. As he watched, a gray light gathered around the figure’s right hand, forming a tiger-headed saber.

The figure gripped the saber and began to move. A set of saber techniques flowed from his hands—it was the Black Tiger Saber Technique.