Overlord of the Wilderness

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Having made their decision, the four of them swiftly left the small hill.

This was a basic forest survival tactic. After killing a Fierce Beast, one had to quickly process the remains and leave the area. Otherwise, the scent of blood would attract large numbers of other foraging Fierce Beasts, and by then, escape would be impossible.

That day, the four traveled over a hundred miles to a rocky mountain. They rested for the night in a cave, which also gave Zhaang Yitong and Zhaang Wu a chance to treat their injuries.

The next day, the four continued their journey. They followed the edge of the Ant Robbing Plain, heading straight for the nearest ferry crossing.

The Boundary River was extremely wide. To make it easier for their disciples to enter the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range for hunting and training, the major powers of Cyan Mulberry City had established ferry crossings around the city.

Setting up these ferry crossings not only provided convenience for their own disciples but also allowed them to collect tolls from Loose Cultivators. There were millions of Loose Cultivators near Cyan Mulberry City, and with so many needing to cross the river, they had no choice but to pay up at the crossings. This generated a massive income.

According to Zhaang Zisong’s estimate, the Zhaang Family’s ferry crossing was over 1,200 miles from their current location. At their pace, they could cover that distance in four days if everything went smoothly. After crossing the river, they would still be over 3,000 miles from Cyan Mulberry City. However, once across, they wouldn’t have to worry about Fierce Beast attacks, so the rest of the journey wouldn’t take very long.

Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Wu, and Zhaang Yitong were all Inner Sect Disciples. Traveling with them, Zhaang Ye naturally seized the opportunity to ask questions about Cyan Mulberry City. Given his obvious strength, and the fact that he had saved the lives of Zhaang Wu and Zhaang Yitong, the trio didn’t look down on Zhaang Ye for being an Outer Disciple. They patiently answered every one of his questions.

The four of them traveled cautiously through the dense forest for two days. On the third day, as they were drinking water by a small lake, a sudden gust of wind rustled the leaves, and a young man covered in blood suddenly staggered out from the trees.

When Zhaang Ye saw the blood-soaked young man, he grew wary and placed his hand on the hilt of his Thick-Backed Saber. Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Wu, and Zhaang Yitong, however, breathed a sigh of relief and called out in unison, ”Ninth Senior Brother!”

’Hearing Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Ye’s mind stirred. ’Ninth Senior Brother... In the Inner Sect, the ten most powerful disciples are addressed by their rank. For instance, the strongest is First Senior Brother, and the second strongest is Second Senior Brother. Since Zhaang Zisong called him Ninth Senior Brother, he must be ranked ninth among all the Inner Sect Disciples.’

Zhaang Ye sized up the young man. He looked to be about twenty-six or twenty-seven, powerfully built with broad shoulders and a thick waist. His square face carried a frosty air. The man’s clothes were torn to ribbons, revealing gruesome gashes, and his entire body was stained with blood—a horrifying sight.

Noticing the wounds, Zhaang Ye let out a soft sound of surprise, his expression shifting. ’Those look like wounds from the pincers of Robber Ants,’ he thought. ’Did Ninth Senior Brother go to the Ant Robbing Plain, too?’

Just as Zhaang Ye was speculating, Zhaang Zisong and the others noticed Ninth Senior Brother’s injuries. Their expressions changed, and Zhaang Zisong hurried forward. ”Ninth Senior Brother,” he said as he approached, ”weren’t you looking for materials to craft a Long Whip? What are you doing here? And what about all these injuries?”

The Ninth Senior Brother didn’t answer right away. He frantically gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, then ripped off a broad water plant to wrap one of his wounds. As he tied it, he spoke in a rush, ”Quick, we have to get out of here! The Luo Family has gone mad! They suspected a nest of Robber Ants killed some of their disciples, so to get revenge, they actually provoked a powerful colony. A massive swarm of Robber Ants has poured out and is heading this way! We have to leave immediately, or it’ll be too late!”

”HISS!”

At the mention of Robber Ants, the faces of Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Yitong, and Zhaang Wu went pale. Zhaang Zisong started to ask another question, but he was cut off by a strange, shuffling sound from far away.

Everyone spun around to look. A black tide was surging out of the dense forest. The dark wave rolled forward, impossibly fast, engulfing everything in its path—rocks, grass, and trees. A few Fierce Beasts that failed to escape in time were swarmed by the blackness, and in the blink of an eye, were reduced to nothing but white bones...

As the black tide surged toward the lake, the faces of Ninth Senior Brother, Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Yitong, and Zhaang Wu turned sheet-white. They immediately turned and fled for their lives.

——Waves in the middle of a forest? Impossible! That black tide was clearly a swarm of millions upon millions of Robber Ants, advancing at terrifying speed!

The sudden arrival of the Robber Ants startled hordes of Fierce Beasts. They scattered in every direction, toppling trees and kicking up clouds of dust and dirt, creating a scene of utter chaos. In the confusion, Zhaang Ye realized that Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Yitong, and Zhaang Wu had vanished. The only person still running ahead of him was the Ninth Senior Brother.

”SKREE!”

Zhaang Ye heard a short, sharp screech, followed immediately by the sound of something slicing through the air behind him.

Zhaang Ye and the Mammoth had spent over half a month killing Robber Ants on the Ant Robbing Plain, so he was very familiar with them. Hearing that screech, he knew without even looking that Flying Robber Ants were chasing him.

Most Robber Ants are wingless, but a special few grow a pair of wings, allowing them to fly for short distances. These Flying Robber Ants are typically smaller and not particularly strong, making them relatively easy to handle.

Feeling a Robber Ant fly up from behind, Zhaang Ye slashed out with his Thick-Backed Saber without even looking. With a soft ”TING!”, the ant, which weighed more than ten pounds, was sent flying by his blade.

”SKREE! SKREE! SKREE!”

Before Zhaang Ye could even catch his breath, several more Robber Ants swarmed him from behind. Left with no choice, he struck out repeatedly, slaying each one.

Although he killed the Robber Ants, Zhaang Ye distinctly heard a ripping sound from his backpack. He reached back and felt a small gash where a Robber Ant had sliced through the Fierce Beast Hide.

After slaying the few Flying Robber Ants, Zhaang Ye encountered no more. Having experienced a beast stampede before, he calmly merged into a herd of Low-level Fierce Beasts. He ran with them for miles on end, finally escaping the pursuing ants.

Not long after Zhaang Ye came to a stop, he heard the rustle of clothes carried by the wind. He looked up just as a figure flashed by, and the Ninth Senior Brother appeared to his left.

Zhaang Ye was about to speak, but he saw the Ninth Senior Brother staring at his backpack with a strange glint in his eyes. The man chuckled darkly, ”Excellent, excellent, excellent. I’ve been looking for materials to make a Long Whip, and to think you’d have the whiskers of a Long-bearded White-footed Beast. Heaven is truly on my side.”

Zhaang Ye sensed that something was wrong with the Ninth Senior Brother’s tone, and his heart sank. Before he could say anything, the man spoke again. ”Hand it over, kid!”

As he spoke, one of his huge hands shot out, grabbing for Zhaang Ye’s backpack.

Worthy of his rank as ninth in the Inner Sect, the man’s simple grab unleashed a powerful gale. The seemingly chaotic winds subtly locked down all of Zhaang Ye’s possible escape routes.

Zhaang Ye snorted. The Thick-Backed Saber in his hand flashed, and he sliced the gale into pieces, instantly relieving the pressure on his body. Having broken through the wind, Zhaang Ye moved just as the Ninth Senior Brother’s hand was about to reach him, flashing more than ten feet away.

Zhaang Ye gripped his Thick-Backed Saber tightly, staring at the Ninth Senior Brother. ”What do you think you’re doing?” he asked slowly.

The Ninth Senior Brother laughed loudly. ”Do you really need me to spell it out? I’ve taken a fancy to the whiskers on your back. Now just hand them over!”