Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye was a True Disciple of the Fourth Hall Master. This status granted him free access to the first two floors of the Library Pavilion for three months.

The collection of Martial Arts Secret Manuals in the Library Pavilion was as vast as an ocean. Although the manuals Zhaang Ye could access on the first and second floors were all Mid-Level Techniques, he still benefited immensely.

After obtaining the *Tao Te Ching*—a wondrous book that pointed directly to the mysteries of heaven and earth—and recovering the memories of his past life, Zhaang Ye had developed his own understanding of the Martial Dao. He could now view any given Martial Arts Secret Manual from a different perspective. The more he read, the more his horizons broadened and the more ideas flooded his mind.

Three months later, Zhaang Ye placed a Martial Arts Secret Manual back on its shelf and sighed softly.

Zhaang Ye had originally planned to use his understanding of the Martial Dao to qualify as a lecturer after browsing the Martial Arts Secret Manuals. He could then teach in the Daoist Hall to earn Essence Stones. However, the more manuals he read, the more he became aware of his own shortcomings, so he decisively abandoned the idea.

’Earning money can be put aside for now. I’ve been cultivating in the True Hall for over two years, and I don’t think I’ll have a breakthrough anytime soon if I continue like this. Rather than train arduously here, I should leave the True Hall to gain some real-world experience. I’ll see if I can obtain Dragon Power and cultivate the Dragon Elephant Skill to the 6th Layer.’ Having made his decision, Zhaang Ye no longer hesitated and strode outside.

Upon reaching a marketplace, Zhaang Ye paused in thought for a moment. He took out his Golden Tickets, first purchasing a batch of Elixirs, then exchanging over three million taels’ worth for thirty Essence Stones.

Zhaang Ye intended to give these thirty-odd Essence Stones to the Pseudo Spirit Tree. Since he was leaving to train and would have no time to care for it, the stones would allow the Pseudo Spirit Tree to recover quickly.

After giving the Essence Stones to the Lightning Golden Monkey, Zhaang Ye arrived before the seventh valley and called out, ”Seventh Senior Sister, please come out. Your junior brother has something to ask of you.”

Zhaang Ye’s voice had barely faded when a purple shadow flashed out from the valley. It was none other than his Seventh Senior Sister, Fang Caiying.

Zhaang Ye bowed to Fang Caiying and said, ”Seventh Senior Sister, I have been cultivating in the True Hall for two years. I now plan to go to Python Marsh to train and seek a new breakthrough. Could you please inform our master for me?”

Python Marsh was a vast swamp in the southern part of the Wei Kingdom. It was situated at the border of several nations and was home to a large number of pythons. As soon as Zhaang Ye learned of its existence in the Library Pavilion, he chose it as his training ground.

”You’re going to Python Marsh to train?” Fang Caiying said, slightly taken aback. ”Junior Brother, do you have any idea how dangerous Python Marsh is? It’s home to countless Giant Pythons. A powerful one can swallow a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert whole. It’s far too treacherous to be an ideal training ground.”

Zhaang Ye was, of course, aware of the dangers in Python Marsh. However, within a radius of a million li, it was the only place with a large population of pythons. Thus, no matter how dangerous it was, Zhaang Ye would not back down.

Zhaang Ye said slowly, ”I know the place is dangerous. But I need to go there to train.”

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s unwavering resolve, Fang Caiying shook her head slightly. ”Before Master entered seclusion, he asked me to look after you. If you just run off like this, I won’t be able to answer to him. How about this: if you can withstand one strike from me, I’ll let you go train. What do you say?”

Zhaang Ye gave a bitter smile. ”Senior Sister Fang, you’re a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert. You could crush me with a single finger. Even if I trained for another ten years, I couldn’t possibly withstand one of your strikes!”

Fang Caiying smiled faintly. ”No need to look so glum. This time, I will suppress my Cultivation to the mid-stage of the Martial Arts Sixth Layer, and I will only strike once. If you can withstand my attack, then even if you insist on leaving to train, I’ll have an explanation for Master. If you can’t, then you’d best stay in the valley and cultivate obediently.”

In her heart, Fang Caiying didn’t want Zhaang Ye to go out and train. She knew their master placed great importance on him. If any harm came to Zhaang Ye during his training, she would surely be severely punished by their master.

However, it was perfectly normal for a True Hall Disciple to venture out for training. Faced with Zhaang Ye’s request, Fang Caiying couldn’t directly refuse him, which is why she proposed the test of a single strike.

As a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert, Fang Caiying had an extremely profound understanding of the Martial Dao. Even with her Cultivation suppressed to the mid-stage of the Martial Arts Sixth Layer, she was confident she could defeat a Martial Arts Seventh-Layer Expert. Although Zhaang Ye’s current strength was decent, in her eyes, he was only comparable to an expert at the peak of the Martial Arts Sixth Layer. She believed a single strike would be enough to defeat him and crush his thoughts of leaving to train.

’Cultivation suppressed to the mid-stage of the Martial Arts Sixth Layer!’ Zhaang Ye’s expression flickered for a moment before returning to normal.

Zhaang Ye knew full well that Fang Caiying was a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert. Even with her Cultivation suppressed to the mid-stage of the Martial Arts Sixth Layer, her strike would be anything but ordinary.

However, having cultivated the Dragon Elephant Skill to the late stage of the Fifth Layer, Zhaang Ye’s self-confidence had grown considerably. He drew the Heavy Saber from his back, looked Fang Caiying straight in the eye, and said, ”Please, Senior Sister, I am ready for your instruction!”

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s confident demeanor, a faint smile touched Fang Caiying’s lips. ”Be careful,” she said. ”Here I come.”

As she spoke, she took a light step forward. She raised a hand as delicate as a spring onion and gently pointed a finger toward Zhaang Ye.

From the step, to the raising of her hand, to the pointing of her finger, Fang Caiying’s every move was as fluid and natural as flowing water. In an instant, she crossed several zhang of space, her finger drifting leisurely toward Zhaang Ye.

The gesture seemed to hold no power, no threat. It was like a lazy young maiden, just awoken, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear—tender and alluring.

In reality, however, the moment Fang Caiying pointed, the space around Zhaang Ye locked into place. He was like a fish in a bowl, unable to flee, unable to dodge, left to watch helplessly as her finger approached.

Not a trace of Qi Force leaked from Fang Caiying’s finger, nor did it make a sound as it cut through the air. And yet, the hint of deathly aura it carried instantly enveloped Zhaang Ye, making the hair on his body stand on end!

’As expected of a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert! To lock down the surrounding space so subtly! In a true life-or-death battle, I’d be dead for sure if I came up against a technique like this!’ Even though Zhaang Ye knew how formidable Fang Caiying was, his heart still skipped a beat.

Locking the space so discreetly was just a minor trick for Fang Caiying. Her true killing intent was concentrated in that single pointing finger. The technique was incredibly profound, making it impossible to discern the attack’s trajectory. Furthermore, the True Qi imbued in her finger was so potent that ripples, visible to the naked eye, appeared in the air where it passed!

If that finger were to touch him, Zhaang Ye’s entire body would instantly be torn into dozens of pieces!

SWOOSH!

A glint of wisdom flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. The months he had spent in the Library Pavilion had deepened his understanding of the Martial Dao immensely. Facing Fang Caiying’s finger, he instantly analyzed her attack’s trajectory. Without an ounce of pity, he swung his Heavy Saber, aiming it straight at her fair, delicate finger!

RUMBLE—

Zhaang Ye’s Heavy Saber carved a profound arc, striking squarely against the tip of Fang Caiying’s finger. With a deafening boom, Zhaang Ye felt a current of incomparably pure True Qi surge up his blade. Alarmed, he immediately spun his body at high speed, using the force of her Finger Power to instantly fling himself more than ten zhang away.

Even though he had used a Force-Dissipating Technique in time, the qi and blood in his body were still thrown into turmoil, and he suffered a minor internal injury.

’She injured me with just a simple point of her finger. This Fang Caiying is truly formidable! If I hadn’t been able to see through her Finger Technique just now, I would have been in deep trouble!’ Zhaang Ye was secretly horrified.

”Hm?”

A look of astonishment appeared in Fang Caiying’s eyes. Her last move was called ”Wishful Pointing,” an Advanced Combat Skill. This ”Wishful Strike” was endlessly versatile. She had been confident that no matter how skilled Zhaang Ye’s Saber Technique was, she could still land the blow and force him into a retreat.

But to her surprise, in that brief instant, Zhaang Ye had actually seen through her attack’s trajectory and boldly used his saber to shatter her Finger Technique.

Fang Caiying looked at Zhaang Ye, greatly surprised. ”Even a Martial Arts Seventh-Layer Expert might not have been able to withstand that finger strike. For you to take it with only a minor injury is truly beyond my expectations.

”Very well. Since you withstood my strike, I will not stop you. I will report your trip to our master. However, Junior Brother, be careful. Python Marsh is beyond the borders of our Wei Kingdom. If you go there to train, not even the True Hall can protect you.

”Furthermore, Python Marsh is a lawless place where all sorts of adventurers go. You must be extremely careful. If necessary, you can reveal your identity as a True Disciple of the True Hall. It might offer you some assistance.”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly, thanked Fang Caiying, and strode away.

On a snow-covered peak of Zhen Dian Mountain, Jiang Ailiang sat cross-legged on a frigid stone. The Ice Qi from the air gathered around him like a fog, forming a thick layer of ice over his body.

The ice grew ever thicker, completely encasing Jiang Ailiang. Not even the bright sun could melt it in the slightest. A curious little bird landed on the ice from afar. Before it could even find its footing, a layer of bone-white frost spread over its body, freezing it to death on the spot.

BOOM!

Jiang Ailiang’s body suddenly stirred. With a great crack, the ice layer covering him shattered into a sky full of crystalline shards that scattered in all directions.

”Hahahaha!”

A smile spread across Jiang Ailiang’s sinister face as he muttered to himself, ”Two whole years, and my Linghan Ice Sealing Technique is finally about to reach the Great Success Realm! In just one more year, I’ll be able to convert the Ice Qi in my body into Profound Ice Qi and bring the Cultivation Technique to Great Success. By then, not even Situ Houtu will be a match for me!

”Zhaang Ye, when the time comes, I’ll freeze you into a block of ice! And that woman, Feng Tongming, just you wait for me to come and torment you! Hahahaha—”

Jiang Ailiang’s words trailed off into a booming, maniacal laugh.

After a few moments of laughter, Jiang Ailiang suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise, his gaze drifting far below the mountain peak.

Far below the peak, a cyan figure was making its way slowly toward the foot of Zhen Dian Mountain. The Body Technique displayed by this figure had clearly reached the Great Success Realm; he moved like a cyan cloud, leisurely and unhurried.

’The Cloud Stepping Technique? Is that Zhaang Ye?’ A flash of hatred crossed Jiang Ailiang’s eyes, quickly replaced by confusion. ’Why is Zhaang Ye descending the mountain at this hour? What is he up to?’

After taking two steps across the snow, a savage grin spread across Jiang Ailiang’s face. He murmured, ”’This kid and I already have a score to settle. If he had just stayed obediently in the True Hall, I couldn’t have touched him. But now that he’s left... he’s just asking to die. Hehe, I’ll notify my family. The moment he leaves the True Hall’s territory, they are to intercept and kill him!’”(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)