Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye’s unexpected victory caused an immediate uproar. Many couldn’t believe their own eyes, and some even suspected he had used a dirty trick to get the better of Zhaang Shui.

Listening to their chatter, Zhaang Ye’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he gave a cold sneer. ’These people only know I took the Jade Red Grass to advance to the Martial Arts Third Layer. They have no idea how much I’ve suffered, how hard I’ve worked, or how many times I’ve pushed my body to its absolute limit just to reach this stage.’

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s calm and composed demeanor, the Grand Elder, Zhaang Chengdi, couldn’t help but nod in approval. He announced, ”Zhaang Ye wins!”

Zhaang Ye nodded to the Grand Elder, then leaped down from the Martial Arts Arena and stood to the side to watch the next matches.

The next few matches were all duels between youths at the Martial Arts Second Layer. Although Zhaang Ye had little interest in such contests, he still watched each one carefully.

Watching others fight was a good way to gain experience and improve his own combat skills.

Just then, a tall youth in martial attire walked over. He had a peculiar way of moving; each step took him through the least crowded areas, and within moments, he was standing beside Zhaang Ye.

Zhaang Ye glanced at him and said, ”An excellent Body Technique. You’re already approaching the Great Success Realm. With a little more cultivation, you’ll master it completely.”

The youth in martial attire said proudly, ”Your Body Technique isn’t bad either. Given a little more time, you should be able to reach the Great Success Stage as well. By the way, I am Zhaang Qing. In the entire Zhaang Family of Three Rivers Town, only you, Zhaang Yun, and Zhaang Que are my true rivals.”

’Zhaang Qing?’ Zhaang Ye immediately wracked his brain for information on the youth.

Due to his own aptitude issues, Zhaang Ye had rarely attended the Elders’ lectures in the Martial Hall, but he had certainly heard of Zhaang Qing. At sixteen, Zhaang Qing was considered one of the most talented youths in the Zhaang Family of Three Rivers Town. He had reached the Martial Arts Third Layer at the age of fourteen and was once seen as a strong contender for the position of Patriarch. Unfortunately, two years had passed, and he was still stuck at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Third Layer, allowing others like Zhaang Shu, Zhaang Fang, and even Zhaang Ye himself to catch up.

Even so, Zhaang Qing remained one of the most powerful combatants of the younger generation. Over the past two years, he had frequently left the family to train, even venturing to the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range. He had fought against his peers and battled Fierce Beasts, making him a truly battle-hardened warrior. Zhaang Ye dared not underestimate his strength.

As Zhaang Ye was rapidly recalling Zhaang Qing’s profile, he heard the other youth let out a sinister laugh. ”Zhaang Ye, we’re the same type of person. I can smell blood on you, I can smell killing intent. It’s clear you’re no stranger to killing. Both of our hands are stained with blood. If we were to face each other on the Martial Arts Arena, it would be very interesting. Don’t you think?”

Without waiting for a reply, Zhaang Qing turned and walked away.

’This guy’s crazy. A complete lunatic,’ Zhaang Ye cursed inwardly, but his heart grew more wary of Zhaang Qing.

Zhaang Qing was powerful, had rich combat experience, and was utterly lawless. In a fight against someone like that, one careless mistake could easily cost him his life.

In his mind, Zhaang Ye had already marked Zhaang Qing as a formidable rival.

At that moment, a sudden silence fell over the training grounds.

Zhaang Ye turned his gaze to the Martial Arts Arena. A youth of about sixteen or seventeen stood there. He had only one arm, his face was covered in scars, and his gaze was so sharp it felt tangible. Anyone he looked at couldn’t help but lower their head, not daring to meet his eyes.

Just by standing on the platform, the fierce aura radiating from the one-armed youth cast a Suppression over the entire arena. No one dared to speak loudly or even laugh.

”That Zhaang Que has such a powerful aura! I wonder how he cultivated it,” someone next to Zhaang Ye whispered in amazement.

Someone else nodded. ”I agree. Anyone who fights him needs to be careful. That look in his eyes... it’s just like a wolf’s. One glare from him would make anyone with a weak will jump out of their skin.”

Just then, someone nearby lowered his voice. ”Do you guys know why that Zhaang Que is so terrifying?”

The people nearby were immediately interested. One of them called out, ”Spit it out, you son of a bitch, Zhaang the Seventh!”

The man called Zhaang the Seventh chuckled slyly. ”Zhaang Que was born in the wild. The scent of blood from his birth attracted a Saber-toothed Tiger. It was an exceptionally ferocious beast, and in moments, it had devoured both of Zhaang Que’s parents. Just as the tiger was eating one of the infant’s arms, a pack of wolves arrived. There were a great many of them, and they swarmed the tiger, tearing it to shreds and eating it.

”But strangely, the pack of incredibly ferocious wolves didn’t eat the newborn Zhaang Que. Instead of eating him, they carried him back to their den and fed him wolf’s milk. That Zhaang Que sure is tough. He had an arm eaten at birth and fell into a wolf’s den, but somehow, he didn’t die.

”After Zhaang Que lived with the wolves in their den for two months, he was finally found by our family members. They drove off the wolf pack and brought him back. But Zhaang Que seems to share a special fate with wolves. After living in the family for a few years, he went right back to living with the wolves in the wild, leading a half-wolf, half-human life.

”Having spent so much time with wolves, Zhaang Que learned to hunt from a young age. By his teens, he had learned eighty to ninety percent of what the wolves knew. He’s practically a wolf himself—eats raw meat, drinks fresh blood... everyone who sees him is afraid...”

Hearing Zhaang Que’s story, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but be startled. He thought, ’Extreme environments always forge extreme people. Even though Zhaang Que is only at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Third Layer, his combat prowess is probably even greater than Zhaang Qing’s!’

After hearing Zhaang the Seventh’s story, someone asked, ”With strength that terrifying, could he be the next Patriarch?”

”How could that be possible!” Zhaang the Seventh retorted. ”The Elders would never let someone like Zhaang Que become Patriarch, no matter how strong he is. Otherwise, what if the mood strikes him and he just grabs someone to gnaw their flesh and drink their blood? Who could stand that?!”

Everyone nearby drew in a sharp breath.

Just then, Zhaang Que’s opponent finally walked onto the Martial Arts Arena. He was a boy of fourteen or fifteen at the Peak of the Martial Arts Second Layer. His skin was dark, a clear testament to the bitter effort he had put into his Martial Dao cultivation.

Zhaang Que’s cold gaze swept over him.

The youth was far weaker than Zhaang Que in terms of strength, and the gap in their presence was even greater. The moment Zhaang Que looked at him, the boy trembled slightly. Left with no choice, he sheathed the sword in his hand and said, ”I am not your opponent. I forfeit this match.”

’Forcing his opponent to forfeit with a single glare... This Zhaang Que’s strength is truly unfathomable!’ Zhaang Ye immediately added Zhaang Que to his list of formidable rivals.