Urban Seduction: Housewives Club Chapter 2052 - 381: Power and Speed 2

Wang Yalan remarked, "That's not quite right. The Warriors Alliance's existence prevents us from wiping out the Jinling Zhang family entirely. Still, the Tianhai Zhang family wouldn't risk making any moves against us, would they? Had the Warriors Alliance not been there, they might have unleashed experts we couldn't fend off a long time ago."

"Indeed, in that scenario, our three great families would face real peril," Wang Yaning agreed with a nod.

"What are you all discussing?" Zhu Liyue popped up nearby all of a sudden, heading their way as she posed the question.

At that moment, Wang Yalan and the rest figured out the reason behind Wang Yue's sudden shift in topic. He must have spotted Zhu Liyue drawing near ahead of time.

Thank goodness his cultivation was advanced enough to sense it before Zhu Liyue caught wind of their talk. If outsiders overheard something as scandalous as siblings growing overly intimate, it could spell big trouble.

"Not a thing, just chatting about Jinling's ongoing circumstances," Wang Yue explained. "With the Jinling Zhang family backed by the Tianhai Zhang family, things look pretty grim for our three great families."

"No need to fret over it," Zhu Liyue assured with a grin. "The Tianhai Zhang family won't dispatch overly mighty experts. As for regular ones, I'm confident your side can deal with them."

"Is that so? Sister Yue, what makes you so certain?" Wang Yue inquired.

Zhu Liyue answered, "The Warriors Alliance is the key. Over the past few years, I've traveled to various spots and seen the Warriors Alliance's formidable power firsthand. Under their watchful eye, forget the Tianhai Zhang family—even the truly dominant clans in the capital wouldn't venture to act without caution."

"But doesn't the Warriors Alliance fall under the sway of those dominant clans? Then why wouldn't they still hold back?" Wang Yue pressed further.

Zhu Liyue gave a faint smile. "Precisely for that reason, they hesitate to move recklessly. Those dominant clans aren't a unified front; some harbor intense grudges against one another. They're all on the lookout to exploit each other's slip-ups."

Wang Yue let out a sigh. "We shouldn't rely entirely on that factor. To those dominant clans, Jinling's three great families are utterly trivial. Perhaps a minor trade-off among them one day could spell our doom. That's why we need to bolster our own strength above all."

Zhu Liyue felt taken aback. She hadn't anticipated such sharp awareness from Wang Yue at his tender age. In her mind, she couldn't help admiring: He truly lives up to being the palace master's nephew!

"You're spot on. Strengthening ourselves comes first," Zhu Liyue agreed with a smile. "How about we spar a bit to check your prowess?"

"Sister Zhu, which aspect of my brother's strength are you aiming to test?" Wang Yaru cut in unexpectedly.

Zhu Liyue caught on that her phrasing might lead to misconceptions and hastened to clarify, "Naturally, his combat abilities and techniques. So, young Wang Yue, dare you exchange a few bouts with me?"

Wang Yue saw through Zhu Liyue's intent to offer him pointers through this mock fight.

Though his cultivation surpassed Zhu Liyue's, in martial techniques and battle savvy, he likely fell short of her—possibly by a wide margin.

After all, Zhu Liyue probably hadn't surged ahead in progress like he had.

Thus, he nodded and replied, "Sure, I'd welcome Sister Yue's instruction."

"To prevent any unintended injuries, we'll both hold our cultivation back to the Body Tempering Realm's pinnacle," Zhu Liyue proposed.

She had already discerned Wang Xiner's actual cultivation, and given that Wang Yue was her twin, his strength was no doubt considerable too. A full-force clash would expose her facade of being at the Qi Refining Realm.

Wang Yue consented, and soon the pair moved to a spacious spot beside the rockery, assumed combat stances, and started trading blows.

Unlike Zhu Liyue, who merely restrained her cultivation, Wang Yue faced greater difficulty. He had to not only curb his power but also mask his real level to appear around the mid-Tianyuan Realm to her perception.

Luckily, his cultivation far exceeded hers. With precise restraint, he avoided any telltale signs.

For martial techniques, Wang Yue stuck to the Wang family's ancestral arts, avoiding any surprises.

The duo traded over a dozen exchanges before halting.

"Your techniques show solid mastery, yet you lack real fight experience. You ought to train more going forward," Zhu Liyue advised.

She then continued, "Still, I suspect your actual cultivation goes past the Qi Refining Realm. But recall our last encounter—you were merely at the fourth layer of Qi Refining then. How did you advance so swiftly?"

"I ventured into a secret realm alongside my aunt once and got trapped there. I found a cultivation method inside, and after cultivating it, I hit the Tianyuan Realm," Wang Yue answered, blending truth with fabrication.

"What sort of cultivation method holds such immense power? To leap from Qi Refining to Tianyuan Realm in so little time," Zhu Liyue marveled.

No such potent method exists even within the Xuan Nu Palace.

Was it perhaps some deviant art that trades foundational stability for quick breakthroughs?

"It is potent, but that method only works up to the Tianyuan Realm. At its peak, the effects fade away," Wang Yue responded offhandedly.

Upon hearing Wang Yue's account, Zhu Liyue relaxed and smiled, saying, "That's impressive enough. Should everyone use this method, it wouldn't be long before the three great families boast peak Tianyuan Realm experts, solidifying their hold on Jinling."

"Exactly, which is why we're pushing our cultivation so diligently now," Wang Yue affirmed with a nod. "Sister Yue, would you like to give it a go? I can pass it on to you."

"Appreciate it, but no thanks. My current method is excellent already, and it doesn't mix with others." A technique limited to fast progress up to peak Tianyuan Realm held scant interest for Zhu Liyue, who had attained the Gui Zhen Realm.

Yet, she remained touched nonetheless. Cultivation methods were typically guarded secrets, but Wang Yue freely offered to share, showing he viewed her as family.

Stirred by his gesture, Zhu Liyue resolved to offer him further advice. She noted, "I've seen that your cultivation runs deep, and your true energy shines purer than most warriors', doesn't it?"

"Yes, that method includes purifying true energy," Wang Yue confirmed with a nod.

"That's a huge edge. Have you pondered ways to leverage this superior true energy?" Zhu Liyue queried.

"Absolutely, by amplifying my techniques' might," Wang Yue said. "Purer true energy flows quicker through the body and proves simpler to direct. Channeling it into martial arts boosts the true energy released per strike."

"Logical enough," Zhu Liyue acknowledged first, then elaborated, "However, it feels a bit narrow. Even the mightiest technique falls flat if it fails to land. Have you explored applying this edge elsewhere?"

Wang Yue's thoughts raced. Zhu Liyue had pinpointed his shortfall perfectly. His signature "Level 8 Great Fury Wind" packed enough punch to overwhelm even De Fan Realm fifth- or sixth-layer foes.

But he knew relying on it alone wouldn't guarantee victory over such adversaries, thanks to the lengthy wind-up.

Though he'd shaved the prep down to under 0.1 seconds, that remained ample time for De Fan Realm masters to react.

So he promptly asked, "How else might it be applied?"

"In speed," Zhu Liyue stated.

"True energy fortifies the body against damage from extreme velocity. What caps strike speed is true energy's circulation rate inside. Instead of pumping purer true energy for greater force, try dialing back the output per strike to accelerate them."

Wang Yue felt a jolt. True, he'd fixated on powering up strikes, overlooking how purer true energy could hasten them too.

Centuries back, a proverb went: "In all martial paths under heaven, speed alone proves unbreakable."

Though overstated, the idea rang true.

Be it common folk or cultivators, bodies react on instinct. Under assault, survival reflexes cause rigidity.

Hence, with sufficient speed and decent force, one could mimic a game's "endless chain attack."

Furthermore, Wang Yue's true energy purity exceeded ordinary warriors' by not double or triple, but over fortyfold. Fully harnessed, it could multiply strike speeds tenfold or beyond.

This was merely now; with ongoing refinement, the fabled "Instant Hell Kill"—thousands of blows in a flash—might become reality.

Pursuing this insight, Wang Yue grew ever more persuaded of its vast promise.

Naturally, he wouldn't abandon boosting strike power. After all, "the strongest strike means nothing if it whiffs."

Yet if the force lacked punch, piercing defenses swiftly still left one red-faced.

Thus, balancing both facets was crucial.

"Sister Yue, thanks for the eye-opener. I see the path ahead clearly now," Wang Yue expressed gratefully. Zhu Liyue's words had snapped him from a haze.

Zhu Liyue smiled warmly. "No big deal. I merely suggested a direction. The real work of cultivation rests with you."