Stranger Danger

Chapter 611: Going Against The Wind, Punching Like A Mountain

Legend had it that the You Dynasty had four major armies known as Blackwind, Rainstorm, Roaring Thunder and Lightning Bolt. Of the four, the Blackwind Army was the strongest and first in rank, which was why they were stationed at the borders to guard the gates to the empire.

One day, the Blackwind Army received the order to reinforce a certain region. They were passing through the Blackwind Desert when suddenly, they were struck by a once-in-a-century black windstorm. Such was its power that the sky was blotted out, and the sand was turned upside down. It was as if the apocalypse was upon them. As a result, the entire army was annihilated. Not a single soldier managed to survive that calamitous disaster.

Maybe it was because they resented the way they died, or maybe it was because the black wind or the Blackwind Desert itself was special, but the deceased Blackwind Army was somehow reborn as an Anomaly. Whenever the black wind blew in the Blackwind Desert, the Blackwind Army would awaken and march together with the elements. Any living being foolish or unfortunate enough to stand in its way would be destroyed.

Worse still, the Blackwind Army was unkillable and immortal. Even if someone vanquished it, it was only a matter of time before they resurrected once more.

“The neverending black wind shrouds the realm in darkness.” That was how the travelers described the Blackwind Desert and the Blackwind Army.

As a result of this, the Blackwind Desert was designated as a forbidden zone between Yan and Chu. Any and all merchants who happened to be passing through the area feared it like a Stranger and stayed far, far away from it.

So, why had Ye Qing come here? It was because he planned to pass through the Blackwind Desert, experience the so-called black windstorm, and check if it truly deserved its fame. It would also be a great opportunity to temper himself.

As for the notorious Blackwind Army, he didn’t get his hopes up. Despite the legend, the Blackwind Army didn’t always march every time there was a black windstorm, and even if it did, it was completely up to luck whether he would encounter them in this vast, seemingly boundless desert.

The reason he embarked on this journey was to improve his strength before he arrived at the Death Sea. If he only traversed the safe routes, then he wouldn’t be able to achieve the intended effect.

A person only knew who they really were when their life was on the line. Just the same, one could not unleash their hidden potential or temper themselves unless they were in a crisis.

Of course, he just wanted to temper himself, not commit suicide. The black windstorm and Blackwind Army were scary, but Ye Qing was fairly sure he was currently strong enough to survive anything they could throw at him.

Ye Qing’s first impression of the Blackwind Desert was that it was stunningly beautiful. Vast and boundless, it was filled with rolling sand dunes and a seemingly endless stretch of sand.

The sky was completely devoid of clouds, and it almost looked like it was one with the desert. The sun hanging high up in the sky seemed larger, rounder, and brighter than it was anywhere else. The combination of light and landscape painted a most grandiose and stunning sight. As he trekked through the desert, he felt as if he was a speck of sand navigating the endless expanse of space, small and lonely.

But of course, the novelty wore off quickly. After all, there was only sand and more sand in the Blackwind Desert. It was the same colors no matter which direction he looked.

Not only that, the feeling that he was stranded and alone gradually grew over time. The monotonous, unchanging landscape was a blight upon the body and the soul.

Speaking of which, the sand beneath his feet was soft and slack. It was difficult to borrow strength from it, which made it difficult and time-consuming to walk. Not only that, the lack of clouds in the sky and vegetation on the ground meant that the sun rays were blasting down on any and all objects directly.

For a person, this meant that they were losing water much faster than usual and suffering skin damage every second they were exposed to the sun. The desert tortured both the body and the spirit and made the act of existing alone a living nightmare for anyone who trekked it.

It was nothing to Ye Qing though. Not only that, he had the leisure to practice his fists as he walked. His feet were as steady as a mountain, his body was as nimble as an ape, and his fists were as fluid as a river.

Every time his foot touched the ground, the desert would shake a little. The sand might be soft and loose, but his footing was as steady as a rock.

Every time he stepped forward, his body would move as agilely as a dragon and as vigorously as a demonic ape.

Every time he thrust his fist forward, it would flow as smoothly as a river. There existed great power despite his small, slow movements.

In the past, Ye Qing only practiced inside a room or a confined space. Although such places afforded him a sliver of solitude and privacy, it also made his fists less free than they could’ve been.

But now that he had stepped out of Bei You and the safety of civilization, now that he was experiencing a different life and witnessing the grandness of mother nature, he realized that he was sorely lacking in many ways such as ken, horizon, skill and breadth of mind.

Now was a good time to change that.

As he continued to practice his fists in the desert—challenging the wind and sky with every swing of his arm—all he saw, heard, and felt was the wind and the clouds, and all he thought was punching without any reservation with the goal of surpassing the heavens themselves.

A caged bird who finally returned to nature, Ye Qing slowly but surely became one with the world around them. He gradually stepped out of his cage and nest and began punching freely and without thought. Form and technique? It did not matter. Intent and will? He would do whatever he wanted.

Sometimes, he punched like he was a mountain intending to crush the puny ants in its shadow into nothing. Sometimes, he flowed like an unstoppable river that surged ever forward. Sometimes, his fists were as soft and intangible as the wind. Sometimes, his form was so pure it resembled the clean, unblemished light of the moon. Sometimes, his movements were so flashy and forceful it was like he was the sun itself, shining ever so bright...

When one’s mind was not constrained by the invisible rules they drew for themselves, they would discover that the earth was vast, the sky was infinite, and their body responded exactly as their mind intended it to be.

Ye Qing moved faster and faster, his fist intent grew stronger and stronger, and his fist force grew more and more rounded and ideal. Although his form and technique were, contrastingly, diminishing by the minute, it still felt like this was what he meant to do; this was how he achieved perfect unity with the world.

And he did. At that moment, there existed a young man in the world, and a world in that young man’s fists.

Whooooosh!

Suddenly, a ghastly, high-pitched howl caught Ye Qing’s attention. When he looked, he saw that the horizon had turned black before he knew it, and a black wind accompanied by a sea of sand was blotting out the sky itself. It was rolling toward him like a tsunami of epic proportions.

This was definitely the infamous black windstorm of the Blackwind Desert.

At the beginning, it looked like the black windstorm was tens of kilometers away. However, it was right in front of Ye Qing in just the blink of an eye. He could hear the roar of the black wind and the wails of the yellow sand as clear as day. He could see the darkness consuming anything and everything like a gluttonous maw.

The other major problem with the black windstorm besides its terrifying dangers was its equally terrifying speed. By the time you saw or heard its approach, it was already too late. Only those who possessed exceptional movement arts or powerful Strange Artifacts might escape the black windstorm. Otherwise, they must weather it until the end.

With Ye Qing’s speed and stamina, it wouldn’t take him too much effort to escape the black windstorm. He didn’t do that, however. He continued to practice his fists as if a sandstorm hadn’t just suddenly descended on him. Though, right before the black windstorm would hit, Ye Qing waved for Giggle to duck into the Dragon Nursing Nest. This time, the little Stranger obliged.

The second the little Stranger was gone, the black windstorm engulfed Ye Qing whole. He was like a stone that had fallen into the great sea. His entrance failed to elicit even a single splash.

Humans were as puny as ants before a natural disaster like this—but if an ant could perceive the heavens, why couldn’t a human overcome it?

Ye Qing stood tall and proud in the sandstorm. The violent force of nature was almost strong enough to flip the ground upside down, and the sky was dyed black due to how much sand was coursing through it.

It failed to budge the young man even a little though. After standing still for a moment, Ye Qing assumed a stance and began walking against the wind. He began practicing his fists once more.

So what if the world was his enemy? He would overcome it all the same.

At first, Ye Qing punched and walked very, very slowly. Every time he thrust his fist forward, it was like he was pushing back against a thousand warriors. And every time he took a step, it was like he was carrying a massive mountain on his back.

Despite this, his fists were heavy and loud, and his footsteps were as steady as a rock. He progressed slowly and steadily like a military squad slowly making their way through enemy territory.

Gradually, as if Ye Qing had gotten accustomed to the black wind’s power and the sandstorm’s violent rhythm, he began to move and punch smoother.

When a punch was smooth, its force naturally rose. When a force rose, the intent grew lofty. And when the intent was higher than everything, everything could be dismantled with one punch.

Gradually, the black wind moved further and further away from Ye Qing until it formed some sort of vacuum. The black wind couldn’t push into the clearing, and even the sea of sand found it difficult to penetrate its defenses.

That was just the beginning. As Ye Qing’s fist force and fist intent grew stronger and stronger, so did the clearing.

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