Chapter 41: Insight into Martial Techniques

One after another, stick insects, leeches, bloodsuckers were sliced cleanly in two, powerless as they tumbled from the walls into the waters below, allowing the nearby Evolvers to feel a sudden release of pressure.

Old Lu and Old Xu exchanged glances, both faces etched with surprise. Though Ma Yi’s slashing strikes seemed small and subtle, their power surpassed their own by at least double. Moreover, as Ma Yi grew more adept, the force behind each strike continued to rise—already beyond what they, as fourth-level Evolvers, could hope to achieve. Ma Yi must be at least a fifth or even sixth-level Evolver.

Having mastered the art of the slash, Ma Yi leapt and sprinted along the battlements, his long blade sending arcs of slashing energy to all sides. Alone, he effortlessly held a twenty-meter stretch of wall, not letting a single insect ascend. Even the creatures clustered at the base of the wall were split by slashes that plunged into the water, their bodies devoured by their own kind.

With time to spare, Ma Yi practiced his technique, sending slashes into the distance. When unhindered by any object, these slashes could travel fifty meters before slowly dissipating.

“So the legendary sword energy spoken of in ancient times was likely a technique such as this,” Ma Yi mused as he trained, recalling the swordsmen and heroes he once saw in television dramas.

“Is this a form of ancient martial arts? Perhaps the frail bodies of modern humans made such techniques impossible, and so they faded from memory. But as humanity evolves, as our bodies grow stronger, these ancient techniques reemerge. The fourth level of evolution might be the bare minimum required to wield such skills.” Ma Yi’s mind churned with thought, but his hands never ceased. Whether in legend or myth, he believed, there was always a kernel of truth—a feat that seemed fantastical only because no one living had witnessed it. How could a lone warrior charge into an army of hundreds of thousands and emerge unscathed, if not for an extraordinary physique and peerless martial skill?

Continuing his research, Ma Yi dashed along the wall, battling tirelessly. The slashing energy radiating from his body grew ever more refined and powerful. While others flagged, Ma Yi seemed inexhaustible; under his defense, most of those at the front wall could rest, with only a handful still fighting. Everyone watched him as if he were a monster.

This was that legendary hero of old, who could guard a pass alone, holding back ten thousand foes.

Old Xu watched in silence, lost in his own thoughts.

Under Ma Yi’s relentless counterattack, the insects’ assault faltered, the whole swarm stiffening for a moment. Though the rain still poured, the enemy seemed to pause.

“They’re gathering their strength for a full-scale assault. Stay alert, everyone.” Ma Yi fought on as he observed the enemy, ready to adapt his tactics at the slightest sign of change.

“Everyone prepare yourselves,” Captain Gu called out as he hurried along the battlements, warning the defenders.

The battle erupted once more, fiercer than ever. This time, not only did the insects outside the city press the attack, but even the smaller ones that had breached the walls surged upward from within.

The fighting was even more intense than before, but fortune favored them: Ma Yi was a killing machine in human form. Wherever he passed, the stretch of wall within several meters was swept clean, as if erased from existence.

The rain gradually eased. After seven long hours, it still had not stopped, but its once-torrential onslaught had softened.

Inside the inner city, the water had risen to the rooftops—nearly two meters deep.

Sensing the rain’s abatement, the aquatic insects slowed their assault on the walls, their earlier ferocity waning.

“The insects seem to be ceasing their attack!” Old Lu exclaimed in relief. After seven hours of grueling defense, the Evolvers were on the verge of collapse, ordinary people were numb with exhaustion, and even he—wielding his weapon for over an hour—could no longer manage a single slash. Only Ma Yi, this monster, could continue fighting ceaselessly, each slash as effortless as breathing.

Ma Yi continued to experiment with new techniques. Unlike Old Lu and Old Xu, whose wrists were swollen, he showed no sign of fatigue, only growing more energetic. His understanding of the slash had reached a new level.

“How do you last so long, Ma Yi?” Old Xu looked at Ma Yi’s compact, sturdy frame with undisguised envy.

“I remember back when I used to train, I could work out for nearly a whole day. This is just a few hours.” Indeed, Ma Yi’s old training sessions often lasted the entire day, but he was a zombie—his physique exceeded any human’s by several orders of magnitude.

“Sigh, I suppose we’ve grown complacent. After only an hour or two of fighting, our bodies are already giving out,” Old Lu thought back to his days in the army—elite warriors, special forces, always in constant training save for sleep and essential needs. Ten years to hone a single sword, and without that unwavering perseverance, true strength could never be attained.

Old Lu resolved that, after this ordeal, it was time to drill the City Guard anew. Only with daily discipline could they build the power needed in battle.

“That’s the leader of the insects!” Ma Yi, standing atop the battlements, spotted a massive leech several meters long swimming three hundred meters away. After losing so many of its minions, the leader seemed hesitant, fearing it would lose its entire swarm and still fail to take the city.

All Ma Yi could do was watch from the battlements. His slashes now reached about eighty meters, but the water was deep, and he had never fought in such conditions. If he entered the water, he would be at a disadvantage. He recalled techniques to walk on air, but those remained out of reach for now. He missed his old, towering body—five or six meters tall, he could have waded into the water without trouble. His physique was formidable, and he doubted the insects could breach his defenses. But lately, for reasons unknown, he had lost the ability to transform. Besides, if he changed form now, it would only alarm those around him, and he couldn’t be bothered to explain.

At last, the aquatic insects retreated. Unlike those outside, some smaller insects remained abandoned inside the inner city, but the water was too deep to deal with them.

Everyone sprawled along the wall to rest, while an enormous iron pot simmered with white rice porridge. Some of the food had been stored in warehouses atop the wall—backup provisions. Clearly, whoever designed the wall had been thoughtful. The inner city’s warehouses would have suffered heavy losses, perhaps even complete ruin, but the three leaders of the base were unconcerned. At worst, they would distribute the damaged grain to the ordinary people who had distinguished themselves in the defense. Even soaked, it was still food—though it wouldn’t keep for long, so it would have to be consumed quickly.

As he drank his porridge, Ma Yi’s mind still whirled with ideas for new techniques inspired by the slash. Li Li sat beside him, her clothes stained with blood from the battle—some from the insects, some from Evolvers. Ma Yi had protected her throughout, so aside from being tired, she was unharmed.

This time, all combatants were allowed to eat their fill of porridge, much to the delight of the ordinary people who had fought so desperately. Those who had not participated received less, for after all, if you contributed nothing, you were lucky to eat at all—how could you expect to be treated like those who had risked everything?

The tally was in: over the course of seven hours, 3,714 Evolvers were lost, and nearly 8,000 ordinary people. Of the civilians, fewer than 3,000 died in battle—the majority were devoured by aquatic insects while fleeing.

The Changfeng Base had lost a third of its population in one blow. The faces of the three leaders were grim; their long neglect of drainage had cost them dearly in this storm.

Ma Yi, too, was deeply affected by the human losses. Among zombies, he was a force to be reckoned with, able to intimidate most of his kind. But he was not yet strong enough to awe the other evolving species. This battle made him even more conscious of the need to hone his strength.

While others rested, Ma Yi remained on the wall, tirelessly refining his newfound abilities.

Li Li watched him, entranced. The once-childish face now radiated resolve, his eyes deep and profound—when she gazed into them, she felt as if she were glimpsing the vastness of the cosmos.

Each time Ma Yi developed a new insight, he would go to the edge of the wall to demonstrate. The three leaders had grown used to his eccentricities. Strength like his was not innate—his obsession with martial skills was beyond anything a fourth-level Evolver could match.

“Is that the Buddha's Palm?” Li Li stood by Ma Yi’s side, watching as he gently thrust his palm forward. In the rain, a clear imprint of a palm flew from his hand, crossing a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. The imprint grew as it traveled, covering hundreds of square meters before slapping down onto the water’s surface, sending the floodwaters exploding outward and leaving a deep handprint that lingered for several seconds. What human could accomplish such a feat?

In Li Li’s eyes, Ma Yi had become a figure of legend—a god in her midst, and she gazed at the little man before her with worshipful awe.

“It’s nothing so grand, just a simple technique. When you reach a higher level of evolution, perhaps you’ll be able to do it, too,” Ma Yi replied with a smile. The palm strike was less powerful than his slash, but its area of effect was much larger.

It took three full days for the floodwaters in the city to recede. The inner city was thick with silt, and outside the walls the mud was even worse—up to a meter deep. Though the sky had brightened, a fine drizzle still fell, and five hundred meters beyond the walls of Changfeng Base, the land remained a vast, watery expanse.

Standing once more atop the wall, Ma Yi held an ordinary long blade. With each swing, the blade shattered into useless scrap. Picking up the fragments, he saw that a simple slash had worn away nearly three millimeters of the blade’s edge. Air may seem insubstantial, but under certain conditions, it could possess astonishing force.

“So, the material of the weapon changes the power of the slash. Inferior weapons can’t withstand the force, which is why legendary swords and the arms of great generals were always extraordinary. Even if you could unleash a slash with a common weapon, it would never match the might of a true blade.” For three days, Ma Yi had studied this—his own body was stronger than most blades because its material was even more formidable.