Surviving in the chaos of war begins in the wilderness.

Chapter 79 Ambush

Logically, one should prioritize innate constitution. If innate constitution increases by 1, one gains 1 experience point per day. Rapidly improving one's cultivation level is the foundation of martial arts.

But with the Intermediate Military Sword and Shield Technique (hereinafter referred to as Intermediate Sword and Shield Technique), is this my first second-rate martial art? My strength will definitely see a huge improvement.

Furthermore, after mastering the basics of sword and shield techniques, you can obtain the 1-point entry reward within a few days. Spending a few more months to learn any basic martial art will yield another 1-point reward; it simply delays the process by a few months.

To be honest, it's really hard to choose. It's just that free attribute points are too difficult to obtain.

However, there is another surprise: in about one or two days, the basic Concealment Technique will be mastered.

Since that's the case, I might as well hunt for another day or two, and then we can end this hunting season. I'll make a more suitable decision after I get back...

A day later, Zhou Ye was filled with joy as he relentlessly attacked a gigantic earth dragon. He hadn't expected that staying an extra day would be the right decision; this earth dragon was actually a rare late-stage Qi Refining demon beast.

It must be said that earth dragons are quite difficult to deal with. Their scales and hides are extremely thick, providing exceptionally strong defense. And they can easily burrow underground and escape if one isn't careful.

But Zhou Ye, through his superior agility, constantly maneuvered and bled the earth dragon, causing it to grow weaker and weaker until it finally collapsed and died in despair...

However, just as Zhou Ye was preparing to reap his spoils, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, and alarm bells went off in his mind.

He suddenly rolled around several times and dodged to the side, and then heard a "thud" as an arrow pierced the ground where he had been standing.

Before Zhou Ye could react, a cold light suddenly appeared before his eyes, and a thin sword came hurtling towards his face. He hurriedly raised his sword and shield, and heard a dozen clanging sounds of swords and shields clashing. Zhou Ye narrowly dodged the swift attack.

Finally regaining his footing, Zhou Ye took a closer look. He didn't know when, but three people had appeared before him. Two of them possessed vigorous energy and blood; they had almost reached the peak of the Entering Strength realm and were poised to break through to the Ming Strength level at any moment. The third person was overflowing with energy and blood, undoubtedly a Ming Strength master.

Facing Zhou Ye, the three men even had the mood to joke: "Senior Brother Liu, your archery skills seem so-so? You didn't hit that kid?"

That Senior Brother Liu was the Ming Jin master. He chuckled as he sheathed his bow and arrow: "It's not very handy. If it weren't for hunting, who the hell would like using this thing? It's not as good as the sword in my hand. Besides, I was busy breaking through to Ming Jin. Enough talk, let's not hold back and take this kid down first. Be careful, this kid is only at the mid-stage of Entering Jin, but his movement technique seems quite good."

"No matter how good your movement technique is, can it compare to Senior Brother Huang's swift swordsmanship...?"

"Wait a minute," Zhou Ye said cautiously, taking a step back. "You can have this monster. I'll admit defeat."

Seeing that one of them was carrying a rapier and the other two had taken down their heavy swords, Zhou Ye had already roughly guessed the identities of the three. They should be disciples of the Falling Flower Martial Arts School in the inner city.

In the county town, the Falling Flower Martial Arts School was renowned for its Falling Flower Sword Technique, considered one of the most powerful martial arts schools. Their disciples were basically divided into two schools: one specializing in heavy swords, relying on brute force; the other in rapiers, relying on speed. Ultimately, they achieved a mastery of both, making heavy movements seem effortless or effortless, resulting in a fusion of the two styles, and the Falling Flower Sword Technique itself reached a high level of proficiency…

This doesn't resemble my own Fenglei Martial Arts School at all. "Fenglei" sounds like it's fast and powerful, but it's actually neither fast nor very powerful. Has it ended up being a hybrid that's neither fish nor fowl?

Add to that two experts at the peak of the Entry-Level Strength realm and one expert at the Ming-Level Strength realm, and it would be better to give up. If they weren't so close, Zhou Ye would have already fled.

He secretly took another half step back. Without hesitation, Zhou Ye added 2 free attribute points, upgrading to—Intermediate Military Sword and Shield Technique (Second-rate): Unskilled (0/10)

Then add another point to Constitution. Constitution +1 → +2. First, revive yourself to full health...

But just then, they heard Senior Brother Liu laugh loudly, "I've got my eye on that kid's shield; it must be something good. It's mine. And... that kid's trying to escape!"

Before he could finish speaking, the expert in Ming Jin suddenly leaped up and slammed his heavy sword down at Zhou Ye...

With a loud "boom".

Zhou Ye felt a tremendous force coming from the shield, as if the muscles in his entire arm were about to be torn apart. He was even knocked away, and a sweet taste rose in his throat, almost causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Zhou Ye's eyes widened in shock. Was this the true strength of a Ming Jin master? This power was at least at the level of Strength +12?

As if a signal had been given, the other two immediately began their flanking attack. Without hesitation, Zhou Ye threw three balls. Three loud "crack" sounds rang out. The three balls shattered one by one, immediately filling the air with a foul stench.

You know what, humans have instincts. If you suddenly smell a foul odor, you'll definitely want to avoid it. Who can guarantee that there's no poison in that stench?

Therefore, the three of them simultaneously took a step and quickly retreated. The fastest among them was Senior Brother Liu, who possessed the Ming Jin skill. As he backed away, he shouted loudly, "This kid's using poison? Be careful!"

However, this retreat caused their formation to break apart, demonstrating their individual agility.

Zhou Ye quickly assessed that Senior Brother Liu, who possessed the Ming Jin skill, should have an Agility of around +8. Senior Brother Huang, who was slightly slower, should have an Agility of +7.

The last one also used a greatsword, and he should have around Agility +4. So this person was immediately exposed.

It's important to understand that Zhou Ye's "survival" was simply a strategy to avoid danger as much as possible, not out of cowardice or fear of battle. Therefore, as soon as an opportunity arose, he immediately began to utilize his extensive combat experience.

He lunged forward and used his shield to block the heavy sword strike. After the exchange, Zhou Ye's confidence soared. The man's strength was only around +6 or +7, which was about the same as his own strength of +6.

For a fleeting moment, the man panicked. What he had expected to be a crushing victory had turned into a draw? He immediately shouted, "This kid's hiding his strength! He…"

Taking advantage of the man's panic, Zhou Ye unleashed a swift, precise, and steady horizontal slash, demonstrating his solid foundation in basic chopping skills.

Seizing a fleeting opening, the swordsman broke through, his blade slicing a large gash in the man's chest.

The man was terrified. He hurriedly tried to back away. Then he heard a "whoosh," felt a chill on his neck, and his head flew into the air…