Overlord of the Wilderness

After Zhaang Ye defeated Ba Changming, his total points reached eighteen, tying him for first place in the group with Red Cliff Celestial Ape, Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, and Baili Shuangshuang.

Having lost one match, Ba Changming’s score dropped to fifteen, placing him in second.

Ba Changming was a recognized powerhouse, so Zhaang Ye’s status skyrocketed after defeating him. In his next four matches, his opponents all conceded voluntarily. Zhaang Ye won without a fight, bringing his total victories to ten.

Just as Zhaang Ye returned to his seat, a sudden burst of frenzied roaring erupted.

”Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining!”

”Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, invincible!”

”Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, I’ve got ten Essence Stones riding on you! Don’t you dare let me down!”

Hearing the crowd’s roars, Zhaang Ye turned his gaze to the arena. He saw one of the seeded contestants, Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, ranked tenth in power, slowly walking onto the stage. The Innate True Qi within Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining was so immense that even Zhaang Ye couldn’t discern his level of Cultivation. However, Zhaang Ye was certain of one thing: this man’s power was not far behind that of a supreme expert like the Red Cliff Celestial Ape.

Just as Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining stepped onto the arena, a white shadow suddenly flew onto the stage. It was none other than the famous expert of the Younger Generation, Baili Shuangshuang.

”Baili Shuangshuang!”

”Baili Shuangshuang, use your Silk Binding Technique and defeat Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining!”

”Baili Shuangshuang, I’m rooting for you! Beat Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining and give us a surprise!”

Baili Shuangshuang’s popularity was impressive as well. The moment she appeared on the stage, she was met with a chorus of cheers. Some male spectators even stood up, stripped off their shirts, and waved them around, trying to catch her attention.

Zhaang Ye sized up Baili Shuangshuang, noticing that the Innate True Qi in her body had reached ninety-one percent purity. Her Cultivation was far more formidable than her younger brother, Baili Shuangyi’s. With her level of Cultivation, she could definitely rank in the top fifty among the five thousand-plus prodigies, making her a top-tier expert.

Zhaang Ye shook his head slightly, thinking, ’Baili Shuangshuang’s Cultivation is impressive, but she’s still a ways off from Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining. I wonder what kind of Ultimate Techniques he’ll use to defeat her.’

On the stage, as the referee yelled ”Begin!”, both Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining and Baili Shuangshuang attacked simultaneously.

BOOM!

One of Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining’s hands rose up and sliced through the air. With this motion, a dusky ray of light suddenly materialized in the void. It was like a solid sword, chopping fiercely toward Baili Shuangshuang.

Zhaang Ye’s eyes narrowed as he watched the attack. ’The power of this man, Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, is truly unfathomable,’ he thought. ’With a simple slice, his Innate True Qi instantly condensed into a solid Black Sword.’ The Black Sword was both fast and vicious; facing such a sharp attack, Baili Shuangshuang was powerless to dodge, even if she wanted to.

Baili Shuangshuang’s expression remained unchanged. Her Long Sword swung up, creating a long trail of Sword Gang that viciously slammed into the Black Sword.

CRASH!

The Black Sword was formed from condensed Innate True Qi. When Baili Shuangshuang’s Long Sword swept across it, the Black Sword instantly shattered into a burst of dark light that shot out in all directions. It was then that Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining displayed his tyrannical strength. As his Black Sword was dispersed, he didn’t even blink. With a light flip of his palm, another long Black Sword formed and slashed toward Baili Shuangshuang.

Baili Shuangshuang sneered. The Long Sword in her hand suddenly unfurled, descending like a waterfall to strike the Black Sword.

BOOM!

The Black Sword was shattered once more. But to everyone’s amazement, the dispersed Black Sword transformed into dozens of Small Swords, each over a foot long. Like a shower of rain, the Small Swords flew in a dense swarm toward Baili Shuangshuang!

”GASP!”

Seeing this transformation, the entire audience gasped in unison. This seemingly magical technique left the tens of thousands of spectators gaping, too shocked to even speak.

Zhaang Ye, too, was slightly startled. The audience couldn’t comprehend the technique, but he saw it with perfect clarity. Before the Innate True Qi had completely dissipated, Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining had suddenly used an exquisitely refined control method, combined with his immense Spiritual Power, to remotely manipulate the scattered Innate True Qi. He had made it reconsolidate into a swarm of swords to attack. ’This remote control of Innate True Qi is truly incredible,’ Zhaang Ye thought, secretly impressed.

Suddenly faced with such a terrifying attack, Baili Shuangshuang was startled. In her fright, Innate True Qi surged from her body as she frantically swung her Long Sword, creating layers of Sword Gang to desperately block the rain of Black Swords.

Just then, Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining displayed another incredible combat technique. With a light grasp in the air, the dozens of Small Swords converged, forming a single, long Black Sword. This new sword gently stabbed at Baili Shuangshuang’s Sword Gang, instantly piercing a hole through it.

SPURT!

Struck by the Innate True Qi within the Black Sword, Baili Shuangshuang was sent flying back over a hundred feet, her hair a total mess. She glanced at the perfectly composed Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, realizing the gap in their strength. She decisively conceded.

”ROAR!”

In that entire fight, Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining had used only one hand and hadn’t moved a single step, yet he had effortlessly defeated the formidable Baili Shuangshuang. His unfathomable power sent the audience into a frenzy. The faces of the other prodigies in Group Twenty-five paled at the sight. Even someone as powerful as Ba Changming couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

Within Group Twenty-five, only two people remained perfectly calm: Zhaang Ye and the Red Cliff Celestial Ape.

The match between Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining and Baili Shuangshuang concluded, and the eleventh round of the competition began. Just then, the Identity Recognition Jade Token in Zhaang Ye’s hand lit up. He glanced at it and froze for a second.

A line of small text was displayed on his Jade Token: ”Eleventh Match: Zhaang Ye vs. Baili Shuangshuang.”

Baili Shuangshuang learned who her next opponent was at the same time. A hint of glee appeared on her face as she pointed her Long Sword straight at Zhaang Ye and yelled, ”Zhaang Ye, get up here now!”

Zhaang Ye frowned and slowly made his way onto the arena stage.

With her Long Sword aimed at Zhaang Ye, her hair whipped about in the fierce wind. She stared daggers at him and said coldly, ”Zhaang Ye, I’m going to send you crawling back to the Land of Divine Abandonment. I’ll teach you that the Barbaric World is a dangerous place. If you know what’s good for you, jump off this stage right now to avoid complete humiliation!”

Baili Shuangshuang was still fuming after being so easily defeated by Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining. She had already decided to use Zhaang Ye as her punching bag. She would teach him a harsh lesson, vent her own frustrations, and avenge her brother, Baili Shuangyi, all at once.

Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. ”You seem very confident.”

Baili Shuangshuang sneered. ”Of course I am. Don’t think you’re so great just because you beat Ba Changming, Zhaang Ye. Today, I’m going to take you down myself and get revenge for my brother.”

Zhaang Ye said calmly, ”Your brother, Baili Shuangyi, was just as confident as you are now when he stepped onto the stage. In the end, I defeated him in a single move and lifted him up by the neck. Baili Shuangshuang, you’d best concede now. Otherwise, when I’m holding you up by your neck, you’ll be the one facing complete humiliation.”

Baili Shuangshuang was seething with rage. The moment the referee gave the signal to start, she immediately unleashed a fluid and entangling swordsmanship with her Long Sword. Terrifying streams of Sword Gang transformed into fine threads, invisible to the naked eye, that spread through the air like a great net descending upon Zhaang Ye.

This was the very technique she had painstakingly cultivated—the Silk Entanglement Sword Technique. The Silk Entanglement Sword Technique was an exceptionally formidable art. Each thread of Sword Gang was like an invisible blade, capable of silently dicing an opponent into mincemeat.

Baili Shuangshuang had already cultivated her Silk Entanglement Sword Technique to the Great Success Realm. Unfortunately, she had just faced Clouds Parting and the Sun Shining, whose uncanny methods defeated her before she could even fully deploy her swordsmanship. Having learned a painful lesson, she now launched a preemptive strike, attacking before the referee’s voice had even faded.

The Silk-Entwined Sword Gang, like a net or a fine drizzle, shot straight toward Zhaang Ye with unbelievable speed. Everyone below the stage stared intently, waiting to see how he would handle Baili Shuangshuang’s Silk Entanglement Sword Technique.

As everyone watched, a massive, golden Tornado suddenly appeared on the stage. Seeing this, a look of disdain crossed Baili Shuangshuang’s face. ”Zhaang Ye,” she said, ”the threads of my Silk-Entwined Sword Gang may be invisible, but each one is tough enough to scratch Profound Iron. You think your Tornado can blow them away? How naive. Huh...?”

Her voice had barely faded when her expression suddenly changed. She could clearly feel that every single thread of her Silk-Entwined Sword Gang had been sucked into the Tornado! It was like a monster that devoured everything; the moment her Silk-Entwined Sword Gang touched it, the threads vanished without a trace, like a stone dropped into the ocean.

Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. Taking advantage of Baili Shuangshuang’s shock, he gave a light push with his palm. The raging Tornado suddenly shot toward her.

Baili Shuangshuang sneered, and with a wave of her Long Sword, a sharp Sword Gang instantly split the Tornado in half. But just as she did, a dense swarm of smaller tornadoes appeared all around her. They spun madly, emitting waves of Devouring Power that made it impossible for her to move an inch!

”Ah!”

Entangled by the tornadoes, Baili Shuangshuang felt a great sense of danger. With a loud cry, Innate True Qi surged from her body, and a magnificent arc of Sword Gang shot out, dissipating all of the tornadoes at once.

Baili Shuangshuang had reacted quickly, but she was still a fraction too late. Just as her Sword Gang dispersed the tornadoes, a golden Sword Gang shot from Zhaang Ye’s palm and viciously struck her.

BOOM!

Her Protective Gang Qi shattered instantly. She was sent flying by the blow, crashing hard against the arena’s Protective Shield. Spitting mouthfuls of blood, she was a wretched sight.

Baili Shuangshuang pushed herself up from the ground, her expression utterly bleak. She managed to force out five words: ”This battle... I have lost.”(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)