Chapter Seventy-Six: The Clash

Ma Yi stood at a distance, watching the Sea Tribe general. The general hadn't made any dramatic moves—he just lifted his coral staff and waved it at Erha. At that gesture, a watery fist rose and then crashed down. The whole scene felt as if the world had suddenly shifted from technology to magic.

Erha was channeling shockwaves onto the watery fist, the power building with each moment. The Sea Tribe general wouldn't simply wait for Erha to amass his full strength. The watery fist crashed down fiercely, and as it collided with Erha, another enormous wave surged up from the sea, forming a second watery fist in the air.

"General, there's no need for us to become enemies." Ma Yi stood calmly, watching the Sea Tribe general. If the general truly refused reason, Ma Yi knew he'd have to step in—he couldn't just stand by while his own man suffered at the hands of an outsider.

"Hmph, if you won't discipline your subordinate, then I'll do it for you. Servants should know their place and not forget their status. Also, that pearl must be given to me." The Sea Tribe general looked at Ma Yi with disdain as he spoke.

Erha felt deeply stifled. It wasn't that he was truly weaker than the general; as a corpse king, close combat was his specialty. But ranged combat was another matter, especially here by the sea, the Sea Tribe's home ground. Ma Yi had told him not to transform, and Erha still wasn't quite used to his human body. Though his height now matched a normal person's, he still seemed small compared to the three-meter-tall general, and even tinier next to those massive watery fists.

"I'd like to know the reason. After all, your sister gave me this pearl as a gesture of goodwill, and I accepted it in friendship. If it needs to be returned, surely she should ask for it herself." Ma Yi no longer bothered to hide his displeasure. If the general had something to say, he ought to speak plainly, not act so arrogantly from on high—it was insufferable.

"This pearl has been nurtured within my sister since birth. To her, it is so precious it could affect her very life. In our Beling Tribe, only adult women can give their pearls to a warrior who has distinguished himself in battle, or to a chosen member of the tribe as a mate." The general spoke coolly. "My sister is young and doesn't understand this, and I don't know why she suddenly gave her pearl to a stranger like you. But as her brother, I must take it back. You are not worthy of being one of our people."

"I don't know why your sister gave me this gift, but your words are most offensive to me. I barely know her—a single meeting at best—and you, I have no reason to respect at all. Why should I hand the pearl to you? You claim it affects her life. What if you harbor ill intentions? Should I just play into your hands?" Ma Yi looked at the general with calm indifference, taking a single step forward. In that instant, a terrifying aura exploded from him, sending even the iron pillar beside him stumbling backward, his legs carving deep ruts in the sand before he managed to steady himself.

"Hmm? Arrogant fool," the Sea Tribe general snarled, his brows knotted in anger. Behind him, wave after massive wave rose, each coalescing into gigantic watery fists.

"Erha, fall back. I'll handle this," Ma Yi said coolly, facing the oncoming storm of watery fists as he addressed the still-guarded Erha.

"Yes, Boss. So humiliating," Erha muttered, feeling utterly suppressed. He had no real advantage here against a tribe that commanded the sea and excelled at ranged attacks. He'd simply been caught off guard, too confident in his own abilities, and underestimated the strength of these otherworldly beings.

"Interesting," the general said, observing Ma Yi's overwhelming aura with a calm expression. In his eyes, Ma Yi's strength barely matched his own—nothing to worry about.

"Thousandfold Wave Strike!" the general bellowed, unleashing a barrage of watery fists that rained down like meteors. Though the general was not among the absolute elite, this Thousandfold Wave Strike could still launch dozens of consecutive attacks. Only the legendary masters could truly perfect the move, but even so, each blow was stronger than the last.

"Slash—Sever the Void." Ma Yi extended his hand, forming a blade with his palm. With a serene swipe, a subtle blade of energy shot forth, splitting every watery fist in its path cleanly in two. The sundered fists hung in midair for a moment before dissolving into a rain of water.

"The real show is yet to come." Without any visible movement from the general, the water curtains reformed, transforming into countless water spears—tenfold more than there had been fists.

"Starfall." Ma Yi swept his hand again, unleashing a barrage of cross-shaped slashes that cut through the sky, shattering water spears into mist. A few spears slipped through and struck the ground before Ma Yi, drawing a scornful glance from the general—until he saw what happened next.

The general blinked, disbelief on his face. The water spears, just ten centimeters from Ma Yi, all unraveled into vapor as if they had hit some impossibly strong barrier.

"You still have tricks, but you're no match for my Thousandfold Wave Strike." The general smirked. He had trained the move until every drop of water could become an attack. Not only could it strike in multitudes and shift forms, but each drop absorbed the power of any attack it received, multiplying its might. He might not match his father, but he could turn the rain of water into hundreds of thousands, even millions, of deadly drops—each growing stronger with every strike.

"Is that all you've got?" Ma Yi eyed the general coldly. His composure from before was now replaced by a hint of gravity.

"Don't get cocky. Keep attacking—I want to see which of us lasts longer." The general sneered. While Ma Yi had to expend great energy, the general was at ease, confident he could simply wear his opponent down.

Ma Yi considered the general's words. Was the idea to let him attack until exhaustion? Strange thoughts flickered through his mind, and suddenly he realized something was wrong with the water curtain.

Slash after slash, Ma Yi broke apart the ever-changing weapons formed by the water. Yet with every blow, the force of the water's counterattack grew stronger. Though it seemed as though none landed, the impact was undeniably increasing.

"Absorbing my attacks to strike back at me?" Ma Yi finally understood the general's strategy. No wonder the man seemed so assured, urging him to keep attacking. Ma Yi gave a scornful laugh, then vanished from within the range of the watery barrage. He hadn't expected the Thousandfold Wave Strike to have such a property—absorbing and converting attacks into kinetic energy.

As soon as Ma Yi disappeared, a loud thud sounded, leaving a deep depression in the ground.

"Huh? Where did he go?" The general was stunned—how had Ma Yi vanished so suddenly?

"Are you looking for me?" Ma Yi's voice came from behind the general. The general whirled around, but Ma Yi was nowhere to be seen. The voice sounded again from behind, and the general spun once more.

All around, the Sea Tribe looked on in terror. The general's adversary seemed to flicker from one side to another, always behind him, as if he were toying with him. Each time the general searched, Ma Yi's hand had already hovered at his throat more than once.

"Where is he?" the general roared in frustration.

"General, he's behind you!" a Sea Tribe member of some rank called out anxiously. Yet no matter how the general spun, he could not catch sight of the human, leaving the onlookers deeply unsettled.

"If this were a real fight, you would already be dead," Ma Yi murmured, tapping the general's throat. The words drifted lazily into the general's ears.

The sharp pain at his throat made the general's hackles rise. With such bizarre skill, not even ten generals could stand against this man—perhaps only his own father or a handful of great generals could hope to match him.

"If you have the guts, fight me face to face! Hiding in the shadows—what sort of master are you?" The general, his dignity in tatters, now resorted to desperate tactics.

"My speed is my strength, so of course I'll use it to target your weakness. Would I be foolish enough to just stand there and let you hit me?" Ma Yi replied with disdain. It was obvious this general owed his rank to family connections; for such a simple truth to escape him spoke volumes of his foolishness.

"You..." The general, defeated, gave up searching and stood still. "Fine. I admit defeat. Next time we meet, I will wipe away this humiliation."

"Idiot. You call your defeat my insult? I don't get it," Ma Yi said, stepping past him. All the Sea Tribe stared in shock as he walked freely through the air. Ma Yi could have made an even more impressive display, flying faster and more naturally—so fast the Sea Tribe wouldn't even see him. But facing a people whose future intentions were unknown, he preferred to keep his true strength hidden. Still, a little intimidation was necessary.

"Wow, he can walk in the air just like the great generals and the chieftain!" Ma Yi heard some Sea Tribe members muttering in their own tongue. He realized anew that there would always be someone stronger in this vast world. He had struggled so long to achieve his current power, but among these ancient clans with millennia of heritage, there were still many who could rival him—or perhaps surpass him.