Overlord of the Wilderness

In the days that followed, Zhaang Ye and the Fourth Hall Master teamed up time and again, frenziedly slaughtering Barbaric Beasts. To gather enough Inner Cores to break through to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer, the Fourth Hall Master unleashed his full power. He would attract the Barbaric Beasts’ attention head-on with his Purple Gold True Sword, creating an opening for Zhaang Ye to strike.

Zhaang Ye did not disappoint the Fourth Hall Master. Relying on his elusive Body Technique, he would stealthily approach a Barbaric Beast before launching a sudden attack. Their teamwork grew increasingly seamless. Even though the Barbaric Beasts they faced became stronger, their flawless coordination allowed them to slay an ever-increasing number of them and harvest more and more Inner Cores.

The western sector, which the Fourth Hall Master was responsible for, had originally contained only fifty or sixty Barbaric Beasts. However, drawn by the scent of blood, beasts from thousands of miles away swarmed the area. The Fourth Hall Master and Zhaang Ye spent nearly every day locked in brutal combat. They killed so many Barbaric Beasts they grew weary of the slaughter, and their hands ached from collecting the endless supply of Inner Cores.

While the two were frantically killing Barbaric Beasts, thousands of miles away, a white-bearded old man stood quietly on a small hill, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

This white-bearded old man was none other than Ling Dahuang, the Great Hall Master of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall.

Ling Dahuang surveyed the distant landscape and muttered, ”Strange, very strange. In past years, this place was teeming with Barbaric Beasts, but now I haven’t seen a single one all day. Where on earth have they all gone?”

After a moment of contemplation, Ling Dahuang took out nine Copper Coins. With a wave of his hand, the coins flew into the air, carving profoundly mysterious trajectories through the void.

A quarter of an hour later, the Copper Coins finally came to a stop. Ling Dahuang stared at the coins, a look of astonishment on his face, and muttered, ”Judging from the hexagram, this matter seems to be related to two True Dao Experts. Could it be that all these Barbaric Beasts were slain by these two? How is that possible? Who on earth are they?”

Gazing at the Copper Coins suspended in the air, Ling Dahuang’s expression became one of utter bewilderment.

In the Land of Divine Abandonment, there were thirteen True Halls and fifty-two Hall Masters. Most of the Hall Masters had a cultivation at the mid-stage of the True Dao Third Layer. The one with the highest cultivation, Yangx Poshan, the Great Hall Master of the Great Peace True Hall, was only at the peak of the True Dao Third Layer. Ling Dahuang simply could not fathom who could possess such terrifying combat strength as to slaughter Barbaric Beasts on such a massive scale.

Ling Dahuang’s Inference Technique was unparalleled in his time, and the more he encountered such mysteries, the more his interest was piqued. After a moment’s thought, he continued his divination, determined to get to the bottom of the matter.

SPIT! SPIT! SPIT!

The subjects of Ling Dahuang’s inference were two True Dao Experts, making the divination extremely difficult. After just a few moments of calculation, Ling Dahuang violently spat out three mouthfuls of Essence Blood, his face turning deathly pale.

As the three mouthfuls of Essence Blood sprayed onto the Copper Coins, Ling Dahuang vaguely sensed that one of the True Dao Experts was someone with whom he had a tangled history. In other words, this True Dao Expert was an enemy of his.

Ling Dahuang had dominated for several hundred years, and with his terrifying Inference Technique, he had already eliminated all of his enemies. Sensing that this person was an enemy, Ling Dahuang was startled. Then, gritting his teeth, he spat out another three mouthfuls of Essence Blood.

Aided by these three mouthfuls of Essence Blood, Ling Dahuang finally locked onto a general location and vaguely discerned one of the individuals’ identities. He muttered, ”The person in this direction is the Fourth Hall Master of the Wei Kingdom True Hall. But who is with him? This person’s fate is illusory and ethereal… To think that even with my Inference Technique, I cannot determine his identity. Who could he possibly be?”

Ling Dahuang’s fists clenched, a ruthless look in his eyes. He opened his mouth and spat out three more large mouthfuls of Essence Blood. The Essence Blood atomized into a bloody mist, sprinkling onto the Copper Coins like raindrops.

After spitting out these three large mouthfuls of Essence Blood, Ling Dahuang’s aura weakened considerably, and his face grew even paler. A Cultivator’s Essence Blood is finite; with every mouthful spat out, their cultivation weakens. Having spat out nine mouthfuls of Essence Blood, Ling Dahuang would lose at least five years of his lifespan, and he didn’t have many years left to live.

After spitting out nine consecutive mouthfuls of Essence Blood, Ling Dahuang finally managed to faintly capture a trace of an aura. Sensing this trace, Ling Dahuang’s body trembled, and a look of disbelief appeared on his face. ”This trace of aura… it’s Zhaang Ye’s! When did Zhaang Ye advance to the True Dao? How is this possible? How is this possible?!”

After his initial astonishment, a look of deep resentment flashed through Ling Dahuang’s eyes. In the Little World, Zhaang Ye had slain his most beloved disciple, Ling Kongyun—a deep-seated hatred he had never forgotten. Having divined that Zhaang Ye had appeared in the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range, a surging killing intent erupted from Ling Dahuang. He said grimly, ”Zhaang Ye! This time, you’re dead! My lifespan is nearly at its end; I don’t have many years left. This time, I’ll risk what’s left of my life to kill you and avenge my disciple!”

Ling Dahuang’s figure shifted as he was about to depart. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something, and a sinister look appeared on his face. ”In the Little World, Zhaang Ye not only killed my disciple, but he also slew several other young experts.

”Fu Songcheng, son of Great Hall Master Fu Yuguang of the Moon Country True Hall; Helian Bi Bi, disciple of Great Hall Master Helian Changtian of the Great Marsh True Hall; and Chu Yuxiang, disciple of Great Hall Master Chu Fangyuan of the Great Rong Country True Hall—they all died at Zhaang Ye’s hands. I might as well inform these three Hall Masters of Zhaang Ye’s appearance. Then we can find the right opportunity to join forces and eliminate this whelp!”

With a flicker of his body, Ling Dahuang vanished without a trace.

...

Zhaang Ye had no idea that he was already being targeted. At this moment, he was standing amidst a field of torn and shattered Barbaric Beast corpses, fighting frantically.

Combat could rapidly increase one’s strength. Through this trial of iron and blood, the combat prowess of both the Fourth Hall Master and Zhaang Ye had increased immensely. After three months, the Fourth Hall Master was faintly touching the threshold of the late-stage True Dao Third Layer, while the Celestial River Righteous Qi inside Zhaang Ye’s body was surging, on the verge of condensing a second flower petal and allowing him to enter the True Dao Second Layer.

「Five months later.」

With a loud BOOM!, a green flower suddenly appeared above Zhaang Ye’s head. On this green flower, two glistening green petals bloomed, and a vast aura blasted out in all directions.

”Hahaha, excellent, excellent! I’ve finally entered the True Dao Second Layer!”

Zhaang Ye shot to his feet and couldn’t help but let out a hearty laugh. After entering the True Dao Second Layer, both Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Sense and combat power had greatly increased. Feeling the Celestial River Righteous Qi roaring within his body, Zhaang Ye finally felt a measure of confidence about the upcoming second Celestial Tribulation.

CRACKLE!

As Zhaang Ye was laughing heartily, a vast aura suddenly shot up into the sky from a nearby hill. Sensing this aura, a pleased look appeared on Zhaang Ye’s face. He raised his voice and said, ”Congratulations, Master, on advancing to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer.”

It turned out that after several months of slaughter, the Fourth Hall Master’s comprehension had deepened. With the help of the Barbaric Beast Cores, he had finally advanced to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer, his combat power increasing significantly.

The Fourth Hall Master felt incredibly gratified. He let out a long laugh and said, ”Hahaha, I’ve cultivated bitterly my whole life. I never expected to be able to advance to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer when my lifespan was almost at an end. Unbelievable, truly unbelievable!”

Zhaang Ye flashed over. He saw the Fourth Hall Master standing against the howling wind, his aura much more condensed. What surprised Zhaang Ye even more was that the Fourth Hall Master’s aura had become much more vibrant, no longer as stagnant and deathly as before.

Sensing the change in his master’s aura, Zhaang Ye was moved and said with a smile, ”Master, having advanced to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer, it seems your lifespan has been extended by at least five years. With five more years, you can definitely cultivate to the peak of the True Dao Third Layer, and maybe even reach the True Dao Fourth Layer.”

When a Martial Artist advances to the True Dao, their lifespan increases dramatically. An expert who has just reached the True Dao First Layer has a lifespan of about three hundred years, while an expert at the True Dao Second Layer has a lifespan of about three hundred and twenty years. In other words, with each layer one’s cultivation rises, their lifespan increases by twenty years. An expert at the True Dao Ninth Layer can live for more than four hundred and eighty years.

The Fourth Hall Master was already over three hundred and fifty years old, his lifespan nearly exhausted. Now that his cultivation had advanced to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer, his lifespan would be extended by another five years.

Hearing Zhaang Ye mention his lifespan, a joyful look appeared on the Fourth Hall Master’s face. He said, ”Over these past few months, I have collected quite a few Barbaric Beast Cores. With these, there’s a good chance I can advance to the peak of the True Dao Third Layer. If my luck is good, I might even be able to break through to the True Dao Fourth Layer, hahaha!”

After his excitement subsided, the Fourth Hall Master’s attention returned to Zhaang Ye. He sized him up for a moment, his eyes filled with astonishment. He sighed, ”Good lad, you’ve actually advanced to the True Dao Second Layer! Zhaang Ye, you’re not even thirty, yet you’ve reached the True Dao Second Layer. Even among the cloud of geniuses in a Sect, you’d be considered a top-tier, peerless talent!”

When the Fourth Hall Master was in his thirties, he had still been a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, unable to even touch the threshold of the True Dao. Zhaang Ye, on the other hand, had cultivated to the True Dao Second Layer before he was even thirty, leaving the Fourth Hall Master sighing in admiration.

Zhaang Ye smiled and said, ”Master, after five months of extermination, I’m afraid there are no Barbaric Beasts left for thousands of miles. I’ve advanced to the True Dao Second Layer, so this training expedition can be considered a complete success. I plan to leave the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range today.”

Zhaang Ye had been fighting and killing in the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range for a full five months. In half a month, the second Celestial Tribulation would arrive. Therefore, Zhaang Ye had to find a safe place to adjust his condition to its peak and face this second Celestial Tribulation with all his strength.

The second Celestial Tribulation was far more powerful than the first. Even though Zhaang Ye had advanced to the True Dao Second Layer and his strength had greatly increased, he did not have complete confidence in passing it. Therefore, Zhaang Ye had to make preparations early, not only by adjusting his state to its best but also by discussing with the Fire Spirit how they would join forces to face the second Celestial Tribulation.

The Fourth Hall Master knew Zhaang Ye had his own matters to attend to, so he didn’t try to hold him back. He waved his hand and said, ”The Barbaric Beasts for thousands of miles around have been pretty much cleared out, so go if you need to. You head out first. In half a month, I have to return to the True Hall myself.”

Zhaang Ye performed a salute, then unleashed his Body Technique and flew toward the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range.

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