Yanga stood at the edge of the city wall, watching as a distant dust cloud crept steadily closer. His heart raced with anticipation, eager to face a formidable opponent head-on.
He was certain this massive dust storm would push him to his limits, giving him the perfect chance to sharpen his skills to the fullest.
This was the first wave of the stampede, and Yanga knew more would follow. He pushed that thought aside, focusing only on what mattered in the moment.
He needed to assess his readiness and keep his attention locked on the fighting ahead. The fighting that was to come might be dangerous, but it was a chance to push himself toward the foundation establishment stage.
Yanga couldn't let it slip away, so he stood poised, sword in hand, watching as the dusk cloud approached.
Soon, the dust cloud came close enough for Yanga to tell apart the wild beasts rushing at the city wall. There were all kinds of creatures: canines, monkeys, snakes, foxes, every sort of beast imaginable, all charging forward.
As the beast horde came closer Yanga saw the other members of the Vanguard readying themselves to leap from the wall and confront the oncoming horde.
The mission was far too important to entrust to those without significant strength, which was why everyone in the Vanguard, except Yanga, had reached the foundation establishment stage.
All the other members of the Vanguard were at the foundation establishment stage, except Yanga, and there was a good reason Yanga was allowed in this group.
Even though the boundless Saint physique was known as the bankruptcy physique, it also had another legend: a legend for his strength. It is said that everyone with the same physique is born with an innate ability to fight far above their level.
Using that fact, and the fact that Yanga was under the care of old man Hancock, the elder in charge of the defenses of the village, didn't argue when Yanga asked to be in the front guard and simply allowed him to be.
It wasn't as straightforward as it looked Yanga had to prove himself worthy of being the Vanguard. Failing would mean not just losing face for himself, but also for Old Man Hancock, something Yanga was determined to avoid.
While they weren't especially close, the old man had given him shelter and a chance to find his footing. The least Yanga could do was protect his honor, not tarnish it.
Finally, as the dust cloud drew near, Yanga stepped forward and plunged from the city wall. Dropping 2 kilometers was nothing for him, thanks to his incredible strength.
Yanga was not the only one to jump off the city wall. The other members of the Vanguard did the same.
Somehow, when Yanga's feet touched the ground, he felt something strange build up among the members of the Vanguard. It was the competitive spirit of everyone in the Vanguard.
The Vanguard was a dangerous assignment, and its members were cultivators who prided themselves on their strength. They all wanted to prove their strength, and that's how with one look, it became a competition among the best of the best to see who was the best of the best.
Yanga wasn't about to let anyone show him up. If this was going to be a competition, he intended to come out on top. When the Vanguard team landed, a brief pause fell over them.
Each member exchanged glances, a competitive spark lighting their eyes, before they all charged forward, racing straight toward the beast horde.
Yanga was the slowest among the Vanguard, having the lowest cultivation in the group.
Once he began his charge, using the void-skipping technique, he quickly caught up with the others. Though he could easily match or even surpass their speed, he chose not to, unwilling to reveal his full strength at the start of the fight. Instead, he kept pace alongside the rest of the Vanguard.
As the Vanguard charged straight at them, the beast horde erupted in a chorus of roars, quickening their pace to be the first to sink their teeth in their prey.
They ran wild, but that didn't faze Yanga or the rest of the Vanguard team. They pressed forward without hesitation, ready to collide with the raging beasts.
As Yanga closed in on the beast horde, he channeled an immense surge of spirit Qi into the desert flower.
The katana began to glow with a menacing light, ready to cut down anything in its way. Soon, an image of a single drop falling onto barren land shimmered around him, marking the moment he clashed with the horde.
Onlookers might have expected a massive impact, but there was none. As soon as Yanga was within striking range, he pushed his speed to the limit and began slicing a path straight through the beast horde.
Drop Falls on the Desert is the first form of the Desolate Sword Technique. After Yanga advanced to the spirit gathering stage, he could wield the technique with greater efficiency and speed, no longer needing to gather spirit Qi beforehand.
As Yanga sliced his way through the beast horde, executing Drop Falls on the Desert, the first form of the Desolate Sword, its true power was unleashed. No wild beast could withstand him.
With every swing of his blade, a beast fell, and at times, he cut down entire groups with a single strike.
Yanga moved through the beast horde with incredible speed, like the wind itself no, more like an unstoppable force.
No creature could block his path as he slashed relentlessly at every beast within reach. But he wasn't alone in the fight. The members of Vanguard, all foundation establishment activators, were also carving their way through the beast horde.
They weren't quite as swift or precise as Yanga, but their steady advance was effective, and together their efforts began to break the momentum of the beast charge.
By the time the others who slipped past the Vanguard team reached the wall, their momentum was gone, leaving them easy targets for the soldiers stationed above.
A rain of arrows poured down on them, cutting their numbers so drastically that only a few managed to reach the wall but nothing lasts forever.
As Yanga and the Vanguard team fought their way through the beast horde, the stronger ones took notice. One especially fierce beast charged straight at Yanga, trampling everything in its path, and soon the rest of its companions followed suit.
Yanga saw it coming and didn't hesitate he rushed forward to meet it head-on.
The beast was enormous, the biggest Yanga had ever laid eyes on. Towering over three meters tall, it had four arms and fur as black as the night. It was a giant gorilla, one Yanga recognized from the books he'd read in Old Man Hancock's library.
The spirit beast, known as the four-armed gorilla, stood apart from other wild beasts, being the cultivation equivalent of a human at the foundation establishment stage.
Yanga realized the upcoming battle would be a tough challenge, and there was a chance he might not win but that didn't bother him. This was exactly the kind of test he craved.
With his blood boiling, he charged at the four-armed gorilla, cutting down any other wild beasts that dared cross his path.
Yanga had never encountered a four-armed gorilla before. It was huge, with bulging muscles covering its entire frame, and each of its four arms was gripping a massive club.
The most surprising part was that the clubs seemed to be made of stone, looking incredibly heavy more than enough to deliver some serious damage.
The four-armed gorilla and Yanga charged forward. The other white beast caught sight of this, and soon a clear path opened between Yanga and the four-armed ape.
This was perfect for Yanga, giving him the chance to channel as much spirit Qi as possible into the desert flower. When they finally clashed, Yanga countered the gorilla's attack with a single drop of the Desert.
Yanga and the four-armed gorilla clashed, their impact triggering a massive explosion that sent towering clouds of dust billowing through the air. Amid the swirling haze, the two figures traded blows at almost blinding speed.