Chapter 101: Moon Over the River
Chapter 101: Moon Over the River
“Wait a moment, I’d like to take another look!”
Li Yi’s voice was calm and gentle as it sounded without hurry.
When Zhang Yu heard this, his brow furrowed and his face showed an angry expression. He wished he could point at Li Yi’s nose and curse him out loud.
This was revenge!
In his view, this was definitely because Li Yi was dissatisfied with being snubbed earlier and was now deliberately jumping out to cause trouble.
“Li Yi, mind your own business,” Zhou Xun said with a gloomy face and a sarcastic tone. “Some matters are not for you to interfere with. Don’t embarrass yourself…”
“Li Yi, stop causing trouble. Apologize at once!” Without asking for any explanation, Luo Liang harshly rebuked. “Know your place!”
“Causing trouble?” Having been targeted repeatedly, even a clay figurine would develop a temper. Li Yi coldly swept his gaze around and said lightly, “The reason I want to see is for the sake of this piece of Armed Equipment… Why are you all trying so hard to stop me?”
“Li Yi, stop being unreasonable! With your level of skill, what could you possibly see?” Zhang Yu sneered a few times, then turned to Zhang Mingshi with an ingratiating smile. “Young Master Zhang, please forgive this rude behavior. This boy is not a disciple of Master Wu Yi. He doesn’t have much ability, but his temper…”
Before he could finish, he saw Zhang Mingshi stand up tall, a look of surprise on his face. “Li Yi? So it’s you? You’re also an Armament Master?”
“I can only say, it’s a small world after all!” Li Yi laughed freely, neither subservient nor arrogant.
“You… know each other?” Zhang Yu had prepared a bellyful of bad things to say. Now, he was caught in a dilemma, feeling extremely uncomfortable.
“More than just know each other!” Zhang Mingshi gave a crisp laugh. The battle in the Land of Light and Shadow had left him deeply impressed with Li Yi’s skills and methods. “Why isn’t the Land of Light and Shadow open anymore?”
“Wang Sheng left. Alone, I couldn’t manage it by myself,” Li Yi said with a smile, explaining briefly.
The others, seeing how familiar the two seemed, were all wide-eyed and speechless. Luo Liang wanted to say something but hesitated for a long time without managing to speak.
“How do you plan to take the measurements?” Zhang Mingshi asked, already preparing to take off his clothes.
“No need to remove your clothes. Just standing is fine…”
His eyes flickered slightly. In an instant, Li Yi’s eyes shone brightly. The light of dawn swirled within his pupils, a divine radiance glowing like two rising suns!
Dawnlight Eyes!
“Huh? This is… an eye technique?” Zhang Mingshi suddenly felt a chill all over his body, as if standing naked in an icy, snowy land. His expression couldn’t help but change.
Circling around Zhang Mingshi, Li Yi walked in loop after loop. The dawn light in his eyes was dazzlingly bright, profound and elusive, seeming to pierce through his body, revealing every tiny detail.
“This eye technique of yours can actually break through my protective Battle Aura. It’s a high-grade eye technique, definitely not ordinary!” Zhang Mingshi’s eyes gleamed with interest as he said, “Which eye technique is it?”
“Young Master Zhang,” Li Yi didn’t answer but asked instead, “Could you let me see your Battle Aura?”
“Battle Aura?” Zhang Mingshi’s pupils dilated, his face full of astonishment and disbelief. “You can tailor it specifically? That’s impossible!”
Anyone with a little common sense knew that the phrase “tailor specifically” was the true chasm separating apprentices from Armament Masters.
Apprentices could only follow the blueprint, making standard, uniform Armed Equipment that was mediocre and unremarkable.
But a genuine Armament Master could tailor and craft according to attributes like bloodline, bone structure, soul, Battle Aura, and even talents. For the same Dao Transformation Armament, a specifically tailored one would be at least fifty to seventy percent stronger, sometimes several times more effective!
This was the reason there were so few Armament Masters, only twelve in number.
“Tailor specifically? Of course I can’t do that!” Li Yi shook his head, stroked his chin, his eyes flickering dreamily. Clearly, he was thinking hard. “However, it’s possible to add a certain attribute inclination into the Dao Transformation Armament… This way, it can harmonize better with your bloodline and Battle Aura, complementing each other.”
“You can do that?” Zhang Mingshi leaned forward, his tone half-believing, half-doubting.
“Li Yi, don’t talk nonsense!” Luo Liang couldn’t hold back and coldly stopped him. “Anyone can theorize on paper! Making Armed Equipment isn’t that easy!”
From Li Yi’s words, he had already picked up the implication—it was modifying a standard blueprint!
Bastard! How could someone like him dare to touch that level of achievement?
It was well known that the pinnacle Armament Masters of any era, before stepping onto the two heavenly ladders of “tailor specifically” and “create original armaments,” first displayed their talent by modifying standard blueprints!
What skills did Li Yi have to dare make such wild boasts?
Luo Liang glared at him fiercely, feeling indignant in his heart.
“Even if I fail,” Li Yi pretended not to hear and didn’t speak in absolute terms, smiling, “It’s no loss for you, isn’t it?”
“In that case, go ahead!”
As Zhang Mingshi gave a faint smile, he raised his index finger. On his fingertip, a swirl of flowing water gathered, taking the shape of a crescent moon, sparkling with ripples.
A wisp of coldness shimmered brilliantly. It seemed tiny, yet carried a vast, overwhelming presence, like rain and mist, making the surrounding air heavy and damp. The imposing aura was majestic, and the pressure suddenly increased!
“Impressive!” Li Yi’s pupils instantly contracted, and he inwardly praised.
Water-attribute Battle Aura, unlike the somewhat useless water-element spells, was a rather superior attribute among many.
Water’s nature was supremely soft; water’s force was supremely fierce, seeping everywhere, ingeniously changeable. In how it operated, fast like rapids rushing through danger, slow like unruffled water waves, huge like muddy waves clearing the sky, small like spring water twirling around a finger—flexible and free, yet also vast and boundless.
“This technique is called Moon River Battle Aura. It’s the Battle Aura passed down in my Zhang Family.” Zhang Mingshi moved his finger in a dance. This wisp of crescent water leaped up and down on his fingertip, the sound of swift currents tinkling clearly.
Li Yi stared at him intently, the gleam in his eyes growing even brighter.
“You’re too far away. Why not watch from up close…”
A hint of mischief arose in Zhang Mingshi. He moved his finger forward, and the crescent water shot out.
The water-formed crescent seemed small and its speed leisurely, but it seemed to contain the force of a thousand pounds. As it glided through the air, it actually let out a piercing shriek, shocking to the soul!
“Let’s see how you handle this.” Not just on a whim, Zhang Mingshi also had the intention of testing him, thinking inwardly, “This wisp of crescent water seems tiny, but it’s flexible enough to wrap around a finger, and harder than fine steel! If you try defending with something like an Ink Earth Wall or the Air Shield Technique, you might suffer a hidden loss.”
“No need. This is enough.”
Li Yi gave a faint smile and also raised his index finger, but not to cast a spell. Instead, he lightly flicked his finger.
Snap!
In the flick of a finger, the crescent water shattered and dispersed!
“Huh?” Zhang Mingshi was stunned, speechless.
A Mage, using just his finger, shattered his crescent water?
“What art… is this?” he couldn’t help but ask.
“Just a little unremarkable trick, nothing much.” Li Yi remained expressionless and simply brushed past it.
That earlier finger flick seemed simple, but actually contained the subtle principles of Siren Splits the Tide. When his index finger flicked, the back of his finger vibrated nearly a hundred times. Using vibrational force, something without thickness entered a space with thickness, destroying the water sphere.
Of course, Li Yi could handle it with ease also because Zhang Mingshi was merely testing and hadn’t used his full strength.
“So, have you seen enough?” Zhang Mingshi was also tactful and didn’t press further.
“Almost, but still a bit off.” Li Yi moved a little closer and circled around again.
“What is it?” Zhang Mingshi was puzzled.
“There’s still a little bit…”
Suddenly pausing mid-sentence, Li Yi’s eyes turned sharp. Behind his form, the phantom of a giant beast roared into existence!
This creature was covered in black scales, resembling a Black Dragon, an ancient crocodile, and a Dragon Turtle all at once. Its ferocious, arrogant, violent, and savage aura felt almost tangible, filling the air!
“Hmm?”
In an instant, Zhang Mingshi’s body trembled violently. First, there was a trace of faint fear. Then, inexplicably, a surge of anger arose.
“Hah!”
Almost subconsciously, he gave a low shout. Behind him, a towering and majestic giant phantom condensed into form, roaring back in response!
Its shape looked like a turtle with a bird’s head and a serpent’s tail, unmistakably the ancient desolate giant beast—the Whirl Turtle!
Two Soul Manifestations, phantom illusions confronting each other, gazing from a distance like two towering, magnificent peaks, their presence weighing down with immense force!
“That’s enough!”
Li Yi took a step back, withdrawing his aura. In an instant, both auras dissipated simultaneously.
Only then did Zhang Mingshi’s attendants behind him snap out of it, as if waking from a dream. They all grasped their weapons, ready to pounce.
They weren’t clear what had happened, only feeling as if there had been rolling thunder in the Void, colliding back and forth, startling and breathtaking.
“My apologies,” Li Yi stepped back several paces and said respectfully. “‘The River Moon’ Zhang Family lives up to its reputation!”
“All of you, step back!” Zhang Mingshi waved a hand, his face full of surprise. “What about your bloodline? Why do I sense a faint Dragon’s Aura?”
“Really? It must be an illusion.” Li Yi spread his hands.
“I have high hopes for you!” After giving Li Yi a deep look, Zhang Mingshi turned his head and said with a faint smile, “Zhang Yu, you’ve found a pretty good helper.”
“Of course, of course.” By this point, Zhang Yu could only be subservient.
After Zhang Mingshi and his group left, Yan He grabbed Li Yi and wouldn’t let go, asking all sorts of questions. The other three had gloomy expressions.
This time, they had wanted to get closer to the Zhang Family, working hard to leave a good impression. But because Li Yi suddenly appeared and stole the show, they were completely outshone.
The three exchanged glances, all feeling disheartened and uninterested.
“Don’t worry, there will be plenty of chances to deal with him slowly…” Luo Liang said through gritted teeth.