Overlord of the Wilderness

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The long whip in Zhaang Ye’s hand was the very same, stunningly beautiful True Artifact of the Elephant Race. After exchanging a few blows with the Peach Blossom Young Master, Zhaang Ye realized, ’This man’s cultivation is simply unfathomable. Even if I team up with Xuli Qiqi, we probably can’t beat him. Only by using a True Artifact can I hope to obliterate him.’

BOOM!

Zhaang Ye’s body surged with abundant Ancient Elephant Power. Driven by this power, the long whip left a long, rainbow-colored trail as it swept toward the Peach Blossom Young Master, carrying an aura of destruction.

”An Ancient True Artifact—”

As he watched the long whip Zhaang Ye swung toward him, the Peach Blossom Young Master’s face instantly turned deathly pale. His eyes widened, his expression a mask of utter disbelief.

’How could Zhaang Ye possibly have an Ancient True Artifact?’

’How is he able to use an Ancient True Artifact?’

The Peach Blossom Young Master’s mind reeled with confusion, but he had no time to ponder it further. Zhaang Ye’s long whip had already locked onto him and was hurtling toward him!

A crazed light flickered in the Peach Blossom Young Master’s eyes. He brandished his Ten Thousand Year Peach Wood Sword, and with a flick of his wrist, the jet-black sword transformed into a peach tree. The tree stood about three feet tall, its branches lush and leafy. It possessed an incredibly ancient aura, as if it were one with heaven and earth, indestructible!

One Tree to Hold the Heavens!

This was the Peach Blossom Young Master’s most formidable defensive technique.

The Taohua Sect was a unique sect; all of its combat skills were related to peach trees. Although the Peach Blossom Young Master was a lecher, his innate talent was exceptional. In just over a hundred years, he had already reached the threshold of the True Dao. Moreover, he had cultivated the sect’s combat skills to the Minor Achievement Realm, and this ”One Tree to Hold the Heavens” was one of his ultimate techniques.

BOOM!

The Peach Blossom Young Master had just executed ”One Tree to Hold the Heavens” when Zhaang Ye’s long whip arrived. The dazzling whip fiercely wrapped around the peach tree, and an incomparably tyrannical power surged forth, shattering the tree. Unable to withstand such immense force, the Peach Blossom Young Master was sent flying a hundred zhang, his body embedding itself in the trunk of a massive, ancient tree.

”PFFT—”

The Peach Blossom Young Master truly lived up to his reputation as a great expert approaching the True Dao. After taking a direct hit from the True Artifact, he was somehow still alive. He fiercely spat out several mouthfuls of blood and, with a slight twist of his body, shattered the great tree into pieces before shooting into the sky.

As he fled, the Peach Blossom Young Master snarled, ”Ah! Zhaang Ye, you’re ruthless! Just you wait! I, the Peach Blossom Young Master, will return in one month and tear you limb from limb!”

Zhaang Ye sneered. ”You don’t have a month. You’re dying here today!” With that, he unleashed his Tornado Body Technique at full power and gave chase.

Xuli Qiqi did not give chase. She took a deep breath and suddenly formed a hand seal. Then, she lightly struck the surface of the Celestial Pool and cried out, ”Mountain Protection Array, activate!”

Xuli Mountain had once been the cultivation grounds of an expert from ancient times, and the mountain was covered in various arrays. This Mountain Protection Array was the most powerful offensive array among them. However, operating it required a great number of Essence Stones, so Xuli Qiqi normally wouldn’t activate it.

Now, seeing the Peach Blossom Young Master trying to escape, Xuli Qiqi could no longer be concerned with the cost in Essence Stones. She instantly activated the Mountain Protection Array to trap him on Xuli Mountain.

The moment the Mountain Protection Array activated, the sound of a howling wind filled the sky. Along with the wind, limitless Water Qi rose like steam, forming a dense, impenetrable barrier. The Peach Blossom Young Master was caught within it, and his speed instantly dropped!

Zhaang Ye, however, possessed Ancient Dragon Power. In this environment of roiling Water Qi, his speed was not only unaffected but was actually even faster than usual. The Peach Blossom Young Master had just been caught in the barrier when Zhaang Ye arrived with a thunderous roar. With a flick of his wrist, he lashed out with the long whip again!

After taking one lash from Zhaang Ye, the Peach Blossom Young Master’s meridians were already shattered in countless places, and his body felt like it was about to fall apart. Seeing Zhaang Ye preparing a second strike, terrified out of his wits, he frantically brandished his Ten Thousand Year Peach Wood Sword. Innate True Qi poured from his body as he yelled, ”Wait! Do you have any idea who I am?!”

Zhaang Ye sneered, completely ignoring the Peach Blossom Young Master’s cry as he brought the long whip down with vicious force.

BOOM!

Faced with such absolute power, the Peach Blossom Young Master could only offer a sliver of resistance before the long whip obliterated his body into fragments. His Life Power was freakishly tenacious; even with his body destroyed, his head somehow survived. He glared at Zhaang Ye and said venomously, ”Zhaang Ye, you’re a dead man...”

Zhaang Ye couldn’t be bothered to hear any more. With a wave of his hand, a formidable surge of power shot out and blasted the Peach Blossom Young Master’s head to smithereens.

Just then, Xuli Qiqi arrived, cutting through the air. Seeing that Zhaang Ye had killed the Peach Blossom Young Master, she inwardly sighed in relief. The Peach Blossom Young Master’s power was immense; allowing such an enemy to escape would have meant endless trouble in the future.

The two of them found the Peach Blossom Young Master’s belongings and took inventory.

The Peach Blossom Young Master had been carrying a Space Bag. The bag’s internal space was about two chi wide and contained quite a few items. Zhaang Ye glanced through it, taking out a copy of the *Peach Blossom Secret Manual* and a few bottles of elixirs, leaving the rest for Xuli Qiqi.

After stowing the items away, Zhaang Ye said slowly, ”Qiqi, I just glanced through the *Peach Blossom Secret Manual*. It details various Innate Combat Skills. It’s clear this Peach Blossom Young Master’s background was far from simple. Since he found his way to Xuli Mountain, this place probably isn’t safe anymore.”

Xuli Qiqi nodded. ”I know. But I’ve already decided to leave Xuli Mountain. No matter how powerful the faction behind the Peach Blossom Young Master is, they won’t be able to find me.”

Zhaang Ye was taken aback. ”Leave Xuli Mountain?”

Xuli Qiqi explained, ”The True Qi in my body is gradually turning into Innate True Qi. I’ve already converted eighty-five percent of it, so I estimate I can attempt a breakthrough to the True Dao within five years.

”The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in the Land of Divine Abandonment is sparse, making it an unsuitable place to attempt a breakthrough to the True Dao. So, I plan to leave Xuli Mountain and attempt my breakthrough outside the Land of Divine Abandonment. If I find a suitable sect, I’d like to join it in hopes of finding a stable environment for my cultivation.”

Zhaang Ye understood.

Both Zhaang Ye and Xuli Qiqi had gained new insights from the battle with the Peach Blossom Young Master. They returned to the underwater grotto to continue discussing what they had learned.

...

「Da Ling Kingdom True Hall」

Great Hall Master Ling Dahuang stared at the message he’d received, his face a mask of astonishment. ”What? The Peach Blossom Young Master was killed? How is that possible?”

The Second Hall Master of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall, who had been overseeing the matter, said grimly, ”There’s no mistake. It’s unbelievable. To think someone with the Peach Blossom Young Master’s cultivation was killed by Zhaang Ye and Xuli Qiqi.”

Ling Dahuang pondered for a moment. ”The Peach Blossom Young Master was the Vice Sect Leader of the Taohua Sect. Ninety-five percent of his True Qi had become Innate, putting him just a hair’s breadth from the True Dao. With his level of cultivation, even ten Zhaang Yes combined would be no match for him. How could he have been killed? It’s utterly bizarre.”

The Second Hall Master suggested, ”Xuli Mountain was the cultivation ground of an expert from ancient times; it has countless arrays. Is it possible the Peach Blossom Young Master triggered one of them, which allowed those two to kill him?”

Ling Dahuang’s eyes brightened. ”That’s very possible! Let me perform a divination to see.”

Ling Dahuang took out nine copper coins and began the divination. A long while later, a look of understanding crossed his face, and he laughed heartily. ”Judging from the hexagram, the Peach Blossom Young Master was obliterated by something incredibly powerful. It seems he most likely died at the hands of Xuli Mountain’s great Mountain Protection Array.”

Although divination was a lesser dao, it contained infinite profundities. Even a genius like Ling Dahuang couldn’t fully grasp the mysteries of the Calculation Dao, so he was unable to divine the exact details of the Peach Blossom Young Master’s death. He could only speculate on the battle based on the hexagram and infer the information he needed from its reading.

Ling Dahuang paced a few steps. ”From the looks of the hexagram, Zhaang Ye was likely severely injured in this battle. Our chance for revenge has arrived.”

A pleased expression appeared on the Second Hall Master’s face. ”If Zhaang Ye is severely injured, then with Yu’Er’s combat strength, we can certainly kill him and avenge our fallen disciples. Heh, I will go make the arrangements right away.”

Ling Dahuang held up a hand. ”Yu’Er alone isn’t enough. There are many people who want Zhaang Ye dead right now. Go inform the Great Marsh True Hall and the Great Rong Country True Hall. The Great Marsh True Hall’s disciple, Helian Bi Bi, and the Great Rong Country True Hall’s, Chu Yuxiang, both died by his hand. They hate him to the bone. If we tell them Zhaang Ye is injured, they will absolutely send experts to ambush him.”

The Second Hall Master’s eyes lit up. ”An excellent idea! The chief disciple of Great Rong Kingdom, Chu Gaotian, is a Half-Step True Dao Expert and quite formidable in combat. The same goes for Great Marsh Kingdom’s chief disciple, Helian Mumu. If those two make a move, Zhaang Ye is as good as dead.”

Ling Dahuang gave a sinister smile. ”Yang Guyuan of the Great Peace True Hall was a shoo-in for first place, but Zhaang Ye forcibly snatched it away, humiliating their sect. You should inform them as well. If the Great Peace True Hall can’t swallow that insult, they’ll send their own experts.”

The Second Hall Master couldn’t help but laugh aloud at Ling Dahuang’s plan. ”Great Hall Master, you are truly brilliant! With so many experts making a move, there’s no way Zhaang Ye can survive!” (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to come to Qidian.com and vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)