Overlord of the Wilderness

A red-robed elder in his sixties landed in the small courtyard. He was clad in a crimson robe, his face was flushed bright red, and even his eyeballs were a fiery red.

The red-robed elder was like a blazing furnace. The moment he landed, the entire courtyard became scorching hot. Zhaang Ye, who bore the brunt of it, felt as if he’d been plunged into a crucible; his hair and clothes nearly burst into flame.

’This old fellow has a powerful Cultivation Technique!’ Zhaang Ye thought. He abruptly unleashed a Tornado that spun ceaselessly around him.

As soon as the heat radiating from the red-robed elder touched the Tornado, it was instantly swept aside.

”Hmm?”

A hint of surprise flickered in the red-robed elder’s eyes at Zhaang Ye’s display. He possessed the strength of a Martial Arts Eighth Layer Middle Stage expert and cultivated a Fire Attribute Cultivation Technique. He had planned on using his aura to slowly torture Zhaang Ye, but he never expected the young man to be able to summon a Tornado and dissipate the scorching pressure.

Although he sensed something was off about Zhaang Ye, the red-robed elder didn’t pay it much mind. As a grandmaster of the Martial Arts Eighth Layer, he believed taking down an Early-stage Martial Arts Seventh Layer cultivator like Zhaang Ye would be simplicity itself.

”Hmph!”

With a soft snort, the True Qi within the red-robed elder erupted. As it flared, the very air began to combust with a sharp CRACKLE, turning the entire courtyard into a veritable volcano.

”WHOOSH!”

An endless tide of heat, as if sentient, surged toward Zhaang Ye. It threatened to roast him into dried meat, to burn him alive.

Burn him alive?

Yes, set him aflame. The red-robed elder’s signature Cultivation Technique could incinerate a person from the inside out, forcing them to die only after enduring excruciating pain. Zhaang Ye’s defiance had greatly displeased the elder. He wanted to set Zhaang Ye ablaze, to make him burn for three days and nights, to let him die only after suffering to the absolute limit.

The instant the red-robed elder unleashed his heat, Zhaang Ye recognized his opponent’s formidable power. But Zhaang Ye was a veteran of countless battles; he had even slain Mei Yuntian, a Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer expert, with a single strike. This elder’s Cultivation was merely at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Middle Stage. Now that Zhaang Ye’s own power had grown substantially, there was no reason for him to be afraid.

”WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—”

Tornados materialized out of thin air one after another, forming a barrier before Zhaang Ye. These Tornados were secretly imbued with Devouring Power, and each one consumed a bit of the elder’s heat. This constant stream of Tornados impossibly managed to block the fiery assault, leaving the elder unable to harm Zhaang Ye in the slightest!

”Er—”

Seeing this display, Zhang Bushuai, who had just regained consciousness, was dumbfounded. The red-robed elder was a Steward from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall, responsible for their interests in Python City, and possessed a Martial Arts Eighth Layer Middle Stage Cultivation. That such a mighty figure was unable to overwhelm Zhaang Ye with his aura alone—Zhang Bushuai could hardly believe his eyes.

’This kid is clearly only at the Early-stage Martial Arts Seventh Layer, so how can his True Qi be so pure? How can he possibly resist the aura of an Eighth-level expert?’ Zhang Bushuai couldn’t make sense of it. He stared wide-eyed at Zhaang Ye, as if the young man were some monster that had just crawled out of the ground.

Bendong Building, who had been sent flying out of the courtyard after Zhaang Ye had given him a vicious swat on the rear, was also stunned by the scene. He had wanted to go back and fight Zhaang Ye to the death, but after witnessing such a powerful display, a chill ran down his spine. He didn’t dare entertain that thought any longer.

’This man is definitely a genius nurtured by some major power! He reached the Early-stage Martial Arts Seventh Layer at such a young age and doesn’t fear the aura of an Eighth-level expert in the slightest. Even the top ten young masters in the Da Ling Kingdom are probably no better! The humiliation I suffered this time... I won’t be able to get revenge on my own!’ Bendong Building gnashed his teeth as he watched the calm and composed Zhaang Ye.

A hint of wonder also appeared in the red-robed elder’s eyes. He faintly realized that Zhaang Ye was likely a young prodigy groomed by a powerful faction.

But since Zhaang Ye hadn’t revealed his background, the red-robed elder wasn’t about to show any restraint, even if he suspected the young man’s identity was extraordinary. The elder’s eyes narrowed. He took a sudden step, and a crimson palm shot toward Zhaang Ye.

Unable to suppress Zhaang Ye with his aura alone, the red-robed elder had decided to attack directly.

The red-robed elder’s Cultivation had reached the Martial Arts Eighth Layer, and even a simple palm strike from him contained profound mysteries. The heat it generated was particularly fearsome; if a Martial Arts Seventh Layer expert were so much as grazed by his Palm Power, they would be instantly incinerated.

As a veteran of countless battles, Zhaang Ye naturally understood the terror of this palm strike. As the elder’s palm descended, the Heavy Saber in his hand transformed into a profound black light, shooting forward like lightning to meet it.

”BANG!”

The Heavy Saber struck the red-robed elder’s palm squarely. The immense force of the impact sent Zhaang Ye stumbling back more than ten steps.

The elder, having taken the blow from Zhaang Ye’s saber, felt his palm go numb and was forced back two steps himself. Once he steadied his footing, a look of utter shock appeared in his eyes.

The elder’s palm strike had contained countless subtle variations. But Zhaang Ye seemed to have seen through them all, his saber striking true and neutralizing all potential follow-up attacks. What shocked the elder even more was the incredible purity and density of Zhaang Ye’s True Qi. Even his own vast and powerful True Qi could not completely dissipate it.

’This boy’s True Qi is so pure and dense... he must have cultivated the Qi Refining Technique to the Great Success Realm! What terrifying willpower!’ The elder was highly experienced, and this realization struck him in an instant. The fact that Zhaang Ye’s True Qi was so refined could only mean he had reached the Great Success Realm of the Qi Refining Technique, a conclusion that left the elder secretly astonished.

The Cultivation Secret Manual for the Qi Refining Technique was something that nearly every major faction possessed. But those who could truly cultivate it to the Great Success Realm were few and far between. Typically, only older Martial Artists who had hit a bottleneck and were desperately seeking a breakthrough possessed the sheer will and perseverance required to do so.

Zhaang Ye was not yet twenty, an age when one’s Cultivation should be advancing by leaps and bounds. For someone so young to have already mastered the Qi Refining Technique to the Great Success Realm was deeply shocking to the elder.

”SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!”

Frustrated that his attacks were having no effect, the elder’s shock turned to anger. He strode forward more than twenty feet and unleashed three consecutive palm strikes at Zhaang Ye.

As he unleashed the three strikes, the courtyard was instantly engulfed in raging flames, bathing everything in a crimson light. Dry wood, scorched by the elder’s Palm Power, burst into flames. The intense heat became unbearable for both Zhang Bushuai and Bendong Building, forcing them to retreat far beyond the courtyard walls.

’Kill him! Kill him!’ Zhang Bushuai and Bendong Building watched from a distance, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Both had suffered greatly at Zhaang Ye’s hands and resented him intensely. Seeing the might of the elder’s attack, they stared with wide eyes, eagerly waiting to see Zhaang Ye burned to a crisp.

”WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—”

Zhaang Ye’s expression remained unchanged. Man and Heavy Saber merged into one, transforming into a Tornado. The moment the elder’s Palm Power touched the cyclone, it was instantly deflected. The boundless heat bombarded the courtyard, kicking up clouds of dust and smoke and leveling the perimeter wall more than a hundred feet away. Yet Zhaang Ye, standing at the very center of the inferno, remained perfectly calm and composed. No matter how fierce the elder’s Palm Power became, it was completely unable to touch him.

”Hiss!”

Zhang Bushuai and Bendong Building both gasped as they watched Zhaang Ye become a living Tornado. They couldn’t believe that Zhaang Ye could neutralize the red-robed elder’s attacks with such ease. His Saber Technique and true strength were utterly beyond their expectations!

The red-robed elder’s expression changed as well. He abruptly retreated, fixed his gaze on Zhaang Ye, and demanded in a grave voice, ”Boy, who are you? State your identity!”

The path of the Martial Dao is arduous, with no room for luck. Reaching the Martial Arts Seventh Layer by the age of thirty was the mark of a once-in-a-millennium genius. Yet Zhaang Ye, who looked to be less than twenty, not only possessed an Early-stage Martial Arts Seventh Layer Cultivation but also displayed a terrifyingly high level of Saber Technique and strength. He had to be a prodigy that a great power had invested all its resources into nurturing.

And within a radius of millions of miles, the only powers capable of cultivating a genius like Zhaang Ye were the True Halls.

The Land of Divine Abandonment spanned millions of miles and was home to thirteen True Halls, each with a status equal to the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. If Zhaang Ye was a disciple from one of these other halls, then for him, an elder, to attack a member of the Younger Generation was a grave taboo. The consequences were something that not even he could afford to bear.

It was precisely this concern that led the red-robed elder to cease his attack and inquire about Zhaang Ye’s identity.

Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. He took out a Jade Token and flashed it at the red-robed elder before stating coolly, ”Zhaang Ye. Eighth disciple of the Fourth Hall Master of the Wei Kingdom True Hall.”

Ever since descending from the mountain, Zhaang Ye had never once revealed his identity. In his view, the purpose of his journey was to gain experience, not to intimidate people with the True Hall’s name. On the Desolate Continent, where strength is supreme, constantly flaunting one’s status would only earn contempt. Besides, training under such a prestigious banner was not conducive to one’s own cultivation and growth.

But now, faced with the red-robed elder’s inquiry, Zhaang Ye had finally revealed his identity.

”The Wei Kingdom True Hall!” The red-robed elder’s face fell. He gave Zhaang Ye a long, hard look, then said grimly, ”Since you are a junior from a True Hall, I will not strike again, lest people say I am an old man bullying the young. However, while I may not act, there will be plenty of experts from the Younger Generation who will come to challenge you!”

Zhaang Ye just smiled. ”My hands have been itching lately. I welcome all challengers.”

The red-robed elder snorted in anger, stomping his foot so hard it left a crater in the ground. Then, with a flick of his sleeve, he vanished from the courtyard. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets or monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)