Overlord of the Wilderness

Thank you to all my readers for your support—your subscriptions, donations, monthly passes, and Recommendation Tickets. The number of Recommendation Tickets is looking pretty sad. I’m in tears, rolling on the floor and begging for them.

——————————————————

After walking out of the Guiding Hall, Zhaang Ye casually dripped a drop of fresh blood onto the Identity Recognition Jade Token.

The blood vanished the moment it touched the Jade Token, and a stream of information entered Zhaang Ye’s mind.

Identity Recognition Jade Token Holder: Zhaang Ye

Status: Apprentice Under Examination

Current Residence: Cave #2124, Black Stone Rock, Newcomer Peak

Wealth: None

Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but look astonished as he sensed this information. He had never imagined that such a wondrous object could exist in this Barbaric World, capable of not only recording all sorts of information but also tracking one’s Wealth Value.

After his brief moment of surprise, Zhaang Ye put away the Jade Token and started walking toward Newcomer Peak.

The Green Cloud Mountain Range stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles, covered with a forest of peculiar peaks and sheer cliffs that soared to incredible heights. Ravines crisscrossed the mountains, great rivers surged, and the riverbanks were covered in lush, vibrant grass. All manner of strange flowers and exotic plants were scattered about, and the fresh scent of blossoms filled the air wherever he walked.

The gravity in the Green Cloud Mountain Range was a full fifty times stronger than in the Land of Divine Abandonment. Even with Zhaang Ye’s formidable strength, he couldn’t fly in this environment and could only walk step by step, slowly adapting to the terrifying pressure. The journey from the Guiding Hall to Newcomer Peak was only about a hundred miles, but it still took Zhaang Ye a full two days to complete.

Newcomer Peak, as its name suggested, was the peak where newly initiated disciples were housed. After entering Newcomer Peak, Zhaang Ye quickly found his new residence—a simple, rustic cave.

In front of the cave was a small pond. It was only a few feet across, and its water was crystal clear, suffused with a dense Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. Apparently, the water in this pond was a rare Spiritual Spring.

Zhaang Ye glanced around and saw that near his Cave #2124, there were more than a dozen other caves of various sizes. Young people were constantly coming and going from these caves. Clearly, their status was the same as Zhaang Ye’s; they were all apprentices under examination.

Arriving in front of Cave #2124, Zhaang Ye took out his Identity Recognition Jade Token and pressed it against the stone door of the cave. The stone doors were inscribed with layers of Protective Arrays, and the tokens served as their keys.

The moment he pressed the Identity Recognition Jade Token against it, a faint white light flashed, and the stone door rumbled open. Zhaang Ye entered the cave and took a look around. He found that although the cave was simple, it had all the basic necessities. Moreover, the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was quite dense, making it a good place for Cultivation.

’This place may be simple, but it’s quiet. The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi here is so dense. I must use these next three months to raise my strength as much as possible. If the opportunity arises, I will raise my Cultivation to the Half-step True Dao realm.’ Zhaang Ye quickly made his plan. He then picked up a stone basin, intending to fetch some Spiritual Spring water to wash up.

Zhaang Ye had just stepped out of his cave when a huge, fat man walked toward him. The man was so fat he looked greasy, and his belly was like a mountain of flesh. As he walked, his fat jiggled and bounced, looking as if a piece might fall off at any moment.

Although the man was built like a mountain of flesh, Zhaang Ye didn’t dare to underestimate him. His keen Spiritual Power faintly sensed that this fat man’s massive body contained an extremely terrifying power—a power that was violent and fierce. Once unleashed, it would be nothing to scoff at.

Zhaang Ye shifted his feet, about to step aside for the fat man, but the man suddenly stopped and said to Zhaang Ye with a broad smile, ”Haha, another new brother has moved in! You look full of vigor and might, a truly impressive talent. Where are you from, brother?”

A smile touched the corners of Zhaang Ye’s lips as he replied, ”I am from the Land of Divine Abandonment.”

”What!”

The fat man cried out in shock and sized Zhaang Ye up carefully. ”Incredible, truly incredible. To think that a godforsaken place like the Land of Divine Abandonment could produce a genius like you. Brother, to have been able to reach the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer in the Land of Divine Abandonment... that’s just amazing, truly amazing!”

Zhaang Ye chuckled. ”I’m still far from your level. If I’m not mistaken, your Cultivation has already reached the Half-step True Dao realm. You’re much more powerful than I am.”

A flash of surprise crossed the fat man’s eyes. He waved his hand dismissively. ”We can’t be compared, not at all. Compared to you, Younger Brother, I’m the one who’s lacking. The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi here is more than ten times denser than in the Land of Divine Abandonment. If you had been born and raised here, your Cultivation would have reached the Half-step True Dao realm long ago.”

After chatting with the fat man for a bit, Zhaang Ye finally learned his name—Tu Feiyuan. Upon hearing it, Zhaang Ye almost burst out laughing.

Tu Feiyuan patted his own belly with a fat hand and said helplessly, ”Go ahead and laugh, Younger Brother Zhaang. Since my old man gave me this name, I can’t even count how many people have made fun of me.”

Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Tu Feiyuan noticed the large stone basin in Zhaang Ye’s hands and lowered his voice. ”Younger Brother Zhaang, are you planning to fetch a basin of Spiritual Spring water with that?”

Zhaang Ye nodded. ”I sat bored on the Guiding Flying Vessel for over a month, and then I walked all the way here from the Guiding Hall. I’m covered in dust. Since there’s a Spiritual Spring right here, I thought I’d get a basin of its water to wash up.”

Tu Feiyuan whispered, ”Younger Brother, you’d better not take any water from that Spiritual Spring.”

Zhaang Ye was taken aback. ”Why? Isn’t this Spiritual Spring for our use?”

Tu Feiyuan nodded. ”It is for our use. But the amount of Spiritual Spring Water is limited—only ten basins a day, which isn’t nearly enough for so many disciples. A few powerful disciples have already claimed the Spiritual Spring. If you go out to get water, they’ll teach you a lesson.”

A glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. ”The water from this Spiritual Spring is a public resource, yet they’ve claimed it for themselves? What’s the background of these people?”

Tu Feiyuan said glumly, ”Their background is quite formidable. They are disciples of the Jiang Family of Chaotic Cloud Ice Mountain. They specialize in Profound Ice Qi, and when they team up, no one can do anything about them. Just two days ago, an expert at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer was frozen solid into an icicle by them. He’s still recovering and hasn’t gotten better yet.”

’Chaotic Cloud Ice Mountain, the Jiang Family?’ Zhaang Ye suddenly recalled Jiang Dijian and Jiang Pingchuan, whom he had killed. He mused internally, ’Those two were also from the Jiang Family. I just don’t know if they were from the Jiang Family of the Chaotic Cloud Icefield.’

Tu Feiyuan then advised, ”Those Jiang Family disciples have already put the word out: anyone who dares to use the Spiritual Spring Water will have their legs broken. Younger Brother Zhaang, I think you should just use regular water to avoid trouble.”

Before Zhaang Ye could reply, he heard a loud burst of laughter. Zhaang Ye looked up and saw a pale-faced youth wearing a sword striding over from not far away. As he walked, he said arrogantly, ”Hahaha! Tu Feiyuan, you fatso, you know your place after all. You know how powerful our Jiang Family of the Chaotic Cloud Icefield is. That’s right, this Spiritual Spring belongs to our Jiang Family. Anyone who gets any ideas about it will have their legs broken.”

Zhaang Ye’s eyes flickered. This pale-faced youth’s Cultivation was only at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer, yet his words were unbelievably domineering and arrogant.

The pale youth walked up to Zhaang Ye, glanced at him, and sneered, ”Brat, I can tell you’re new here. You’d better take that stone basin and obediently head back to your cave. Don’t get any ideas about this Spiritual Spring. Otherwise, I’ll freeze you into an icicle, then break both your legs and make sure you never walk again for the rest of your life.”

Zhaang Ye frowned. This pale youth was not only extremely domineering, but he was also openly threatening him, which made Zhaang Ye feel very displeased.

Seeing Zhaang Ye frown, Tu Feiyuan immediately knew this was bad. He blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to signal Zhaang Ye to leave quickly and return to his cave.

The pale youth had been watching Zhaang Ye closely. When he saw the frown, a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes. He sneered, ”What? You’re not happy with me? Brat, let me tell you something: now I’m not happy with you. I order you to get on the ground right now and crawl back into your cave. Get to it.”

Zhaang Ye’s dark eyes were perfectly calm. He used the Sound Transmission Technique to speak to Tu Feiyuan, ”Brother Tu, are we apprentices under examination allowed to fight?”

Tu Feiyuan was slightly stunned. He replied with the Sound Transmission Technique, ”We can fight, but we can’t kill anyone, or we’ll be punished by the Sect. I say, Younger Brother, what are you planning to do? You should just go back to your cave. You can’t afford to provoke the Jiang Family.”

Hearing Tu Feiyuan’s transmission, Zhaang Ye was immediately put at ease. His gaze suddenly fell upon the pale youth as he said flatly, ”Crawling back to the cave is easy enough. But it won’t be me crawling. It will be you.”

The pale youth flew into a rage. A cold smile appeared on his lips as he said menacingly, ”Make me, Jiang Song, crawl back to my cave? Heh heh, brat, you’ve successfully provoked me. I’ve now decided I’m going to break both of your legs.”

A thick Profound Ice Qi surged from the pale youth, Jiang Song, as he was about to lunge at Zhaang Ye. But before he could make a move, a dazzling golden light suddenly flashed before his eyes. In the next instant, he felt an endless Tornado suddenly bind his body, leaving him completely unable to move!

It turned out Zhaang Ye had struck first. Using his palm as a blade, he had casually unleashed the Mountain-Breaking Slash. The Mountain-Breaking Slash was a Combat Skill he had comprehended from a Space Storm. The moment Zhaang Ye attacked, powerful tornadoes appeared out of thin air. Caught off guard, Jiang Song was instantly bound by the tornadoes, unable to move even a single finger.

”Huh?”

Zhaang Ye’s sudden attack, which instantly subdued Jiang Song, greatly shocked Tu Feiyuan. And just as Tu Feiyuan was reeling in shock, something even more astonishing happened.

Zhaang Ye’s hand shot out, grabbed Jiang Song by the neck, lifted him up, and viciously slammed him into the ground.

”CRACK!”

As Jiang Song was slammed down by Zhaang Ye, the sound of breaking bones and tendons came from his thighs. Zhaang Ye had brutally broken both of Jiang Song’s legs!

”AHHH!”

Jiang Song stared at his own thighs in disbelief, letting out a high-pitched scream. ”Ah, my legs are broken! My legs are broken! Brat, you’re dead!”

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)