I Can Replicate Martial Arts

In the distance, the Tianshan Mountain Range stretched between heaven and earth. A glance into the horizon revealed a thousand snow-capped peaks and ten thousand cloud-filled ravines, its length immeasurable, spanning countless miles.

Zhao Rui soared through the air, crossing over the winding mountains and passing through the thick mist. In an instant, he disappeared among the overlapping peaks.

Following the Tianshan Mountain Range west, traveling toward the setting sun, he would cross the border and arrive in the territory of the Great Shang.

He had never ventured deep into Great Shang territory to investigate before. The reason was simple: he hadn’t been strong enough.

He really didn’t know much about the Central Asian lands occupied by the Great Shang.

In his mind, it still had the look and feel of the old Central Asia.

Now, as he flew over the land himself, from the border all the way to the central regions, countless peculiar buildings came into view.

The buildings featured soaring, brightly colored roofs. They were magnificent, with carved beams and painted rafters, the very height of extravagance.

The styles were varied and bizarre. Some were pavilion-like houses with enormous windows on all four sides.

Others resembled pagodas, towering into the clouds. They were adorned with flying, upturned eaves and ornamental beasts devouring the roof ridges. Viewed from above, the overlapping layers looked like the blooming heart of a flower.

There were even enormous, mountain-sized altars, inscribed with the runes of various Exotic Beasts. Around their perimeters stood many statues of other Exotic Beasts, their heads bowed toward the center of the altar.

If not for the high-altitude view, any ordinary person would have thought they had stumbled upon an ancient, sacred site.

As Zhao Rui traveled, he saw such buildings everywhere.

Some of these were original structures from Central Asia, while others had been built by the people of the Great Shang after the occupation.

The entire Central Asian region was vast and contained many nations. Now, under the unified rule of the Great Shang, it had the distinct feel of a cultural hodgepodge.

It did, however, add a great deal of exotic charm.

Zhao Rui sped onward, mostly giving the sights a passing glance. As his figure flashed through the sky, he left trails of condensed vapor in his wake.

After flying like this for a quarter of an hour, a massive, bustling metropolis suddenly appeared before his eyes.

This giant city was quite peculiar. Its left side was a modern metropolis, while its right side consisted of buildings in the ancient style of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Several wide roads connected the two sections, and they were extremely busy with a constant flow of traffic.

Zhao Rui was slightly surprised by the sight.

He had originally assumed that after the Great Shang took over, they would have flattened everything and erased all traces of modernization.

But it seemed this new ruler was not only bold but also possessed an open and all-embracing mindset.

They had actually preserved all the amenities of a modern city.

Zhao Rui landed silently on the ground, concealed his presence, and began to move between the towering high-rises and ancient palaces.

Once he got closer, he discovered that most of the people on the streets were from the Great Shang. Some wore traditional garments, while others were in modern clothes.

The effect was strange, yet somehow harmonious.

Zhao Rui wandered casually through the city’s alleyways. With his clothes and appearance, not only did he not stand out, he actually fit right in.

As he continued his leisurely stroll, Zhao Rui stepped into a few shops along the street and was surprised to find that the employees greeting customers were mostly Stan people or Europeans.

Meanwhile, in the back of the shops, one or several people of the Great Shang sat with their legs crossed, leisurely sipping cold drinks and chatting cheerfully.

’It seems the preserved exterior can’t change the fact that this place is now dominated by the people of the Great Shang.’

After browsing a few more places, Zhao Rui headed toward the other side of the city, the area with the Great Shang’s Gui Xu style of architecture.

He had only taken a few steps when he saw a Flying Beast land on the road, flapping its wings.

The cars on the road hastily moved aside, and the pedestrians actually knelt down, facing the Exotic Beast.

Zhao Rui was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the street, an embarrassed look on his face.

’You all knelt a little too quickly.’

"How insolent! How dare you not kneel before the Witch Venerable!"

On the Exotic Beast’s back, two lightly-clad handmaidens saw Zhao Rui standing there so brazenly. They leaned forward and berated him in sharp tones.

"Ah, so it’s the Witch Venerable. I’ve heard so much about you."

Zhao Rui smiled. ’Since I’ve been spotted, I might as well see what this Witch Venerable looks like. Maybe I’ll just capture her directly and save myself the trouble of wandering around.’

"Huh?"

The moment he spoke, a soft cry of surprise came from atop the Exotic Beast. The jeweled silk curtains of the magnificent octagonal pavilion on its back were suddenly thrown open, and a graceful figure hurriedly peeked out.

"It’s you?"

The figure had a refined, otherworldly beautiful face. Her Wizard’s attire accentuated her exceptionally graceful figure.

"Mo Ling’Er?"

Zhao Rui was stunned as well. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing here?"

The two of them spoke in unison, then stared at each other, stunned.

Then, Mo Ling’Er suddenly snapped, "Everyone, disperse!"

With that, she flew out, shot past Zhao Rui, and sent a telepathic message: "Follow me!"

In the blink of an eye, she was already a hundred meters away.

Zhao Rui smirked, then used his Shifting Form and Shadow technique. His figure flickered and became a blur as he followed her.

A quarter of an hour later, Mo Ling’Er came to a stop halfway up a small hill. The mountain breeze rustled through her hair, releasing the fragrance of jasmine.

’He couldn’t tell if it was some high-tech concoction or the scent of real jasmine, but the fragrance was exceptionally pleasant.’

Zhao Rui rubbed his nose and praised, "You smell much better than you did back in Gui Xu!"

"Hmph. You’ve got some nerve, coming to our Great Shang. Do you have a death wish?!"

Mo Ling’Er shot him a glare and said with a frown.

"Is the Great Shang that scary?"

Zhao Rui chuckled and continued, "A visitor is a guest. Surely the Great Shang isn’t that unreasonable."

"Stop being so glib. What are you doing here?" Mo Ling’Er asked, her curiosity slightly piqued.