Overlord of the Wilderness

High above the white clouds, under a clear blue sky, Zhaang Ye sped onward.

Having shaken off the four Great Hall Masters, Zhaang Ye pushed his speed to its limit and raced onward. Six days later, he flew out of the Land of Divine Abandonment and entered the Barbaric World. After flying for another three days within the Barbaric World, Zhaang Ye finally arrived at a perpetually snow-capped mountain that towered into the clouds.

The Fire Spirit flew out of the Little World and quickly scouted the area. It returned and said, ”There’s no one for thousands of miles. There are only three powerful Barbaric Beasts, and they’re all Lower-Rank. This is a good place to face your tribulation.”

Zhaang Ye nodded and instructed, ”The Celestial Tribulation should arrive in about nine days. I’m going to use this time to get into peak condition. While I’m cultivating, you need to keep a close watch on our surroundings. As for those three Barbaric Beasts, find a time to kill them so they don’t disturb us.”

The Fire Spirit agreed and flew off into the distance.

Zhaang Ye opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of Celestial River Righteous Qi. Like a sharp, golden arrow, the Righteous Qi shot out and slammed viciously into the cliff face.

CRACK! A sharp sound echoed from the cliff face. A cave, thirty feet wide and over five hundred feet deep, had been blasted into the perfectly smooth rock. The entrance to the cave was as smooth as a mirror, as if it had been polished for ages.

Zhaang Ye surveyed the cave, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. Since advancing to the True Dao Second Layer, his Celestial River Righteous Qi had grown much stronger, and his Control Power had become far more formidable. It was thanks to this greater power and control that he could carve out a cave so effortlessly.

After entering the cave, Zhaang Ye casually swiped his hand, carving a huge slab of rock into a smooth stone platform. He then flew onto it, took out a Barbaric Beast Core, and began to frantically absorb the Essence Qi within.

As he absorbed the energy, the Celestial River Righteous Qi within Zhaang Ye’s body grew more and more abundant. The surging Righteous Qi washed over his meridians again and again, tempering them, making them tougher and wider. At the same time, the Celestial River Righteous Qi also tempered his physical body, making it even more robust.

The Inner Core of a Barbaric Beast contains a vast amount of Essence Qi. Generally speaking, the core of a single Lower-Rank Barbaric Beast is equivalent to fifty thousand Essence Stones. Zhaang Ye focused completely on absorption, and before he knew it, nine days had passed.

On this day, Zhaang Ye suddenly felt a tremor of alarm in his heart. He opened his eyes and saw that it was pitch-black outside the cave. Ominous dark clouds hung low, pressing down heavily upon the mountain peak.

SWOOSH!

The Fire Spirit shot into the cave, its voice trembling slightly. ”It’s here! It’s here! The second Celestial Tribulation has arrived! It came so quickly!”

The Fire Spirit was a unique entity, and having lost most of its original power, it was terrified by the prospect of such a horrifying Celestial Tribulation. Seeing it in such a state, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but chuckle. ”Fire Spirit, calm down! We’re several times stronger than we were six months ago. We should have no problem handling this Celestial Tribulation.”

The Fire Spirit nodded emphatically. ”Master, are we going to face the Celestial Tribulation from inside this cave?”

Zhaang Ye nodded. ”Exactly. There’s a thousand-foot-thick layer of ice above this cave. Hopefully, that will weaken the lightning’s power somewhat.

Alright, the Celestial Tribulation is almost here. My body is quite resilient. I’ll take the first two waves myself. For the third wave, merge with my Long Whip, and we’ll strike together!”

The moment Zhaang Ye finished speaking, an abrupt silence fell over the world, and all of creation cowered in fear. Both Zhaang Ye and the Fire Spirit knew: the second Celestial Tribulation was about to strike.

CRACKLE!

A bolt of lightning thicker than a man’s thigh suddenly split the void. Before this terrifying strike, the thousand-foot-thick layer of ice was like a sheet of paper, instantly torn apart. The fearsome bolt shot straight for Zhaang Ye’s head!

”BREAK!”

Zhaang Ye was prepared. With a great roar, the Celestial River Righteous Qi he had gathered erupted like a mighty river, slamming directly into the bolt of lightning!

BOOM!

The Celestial River Righteous Qi clashed with the lightning, creating a fireball dozens of feet wide. The fireball then detonated, sending a blast of immense power surging in all directions. With an earth-shattering roar, half the mountain peak was blown flat!

PTHOO!

Zhaang Ye was blasted hundreds of feet away, his hair burned to ash as he spat a mouthful of blood. He was horrified. ’In the last six months, my power has at least tripled. And even with my current strength, I was wounded by the very first strike! This Celestial Tribulation is terrifying!’

Horrified, Zhaang Ye extended his hand, and the Punishment Whip appeared within his grasp.

The second wave of the Celestial Tribulation came with terrifying speed. Zhaang Ye had just summoned the Punishment Whip when he felt the void itself tremble. A moment later, another horrifying bolt of lightning descended from the dark clouds!

This bolt was as thick as a barrel, with arcs of electricity branching off like the claws of a ferocious dragon. In its presence, all life in the world could only prostrate itself in submission.

SWOOSH!

Zhaang Ye’s Punishment Whip swelled until it was as thick as a barrel, glowing with a brilliant golden light. With a mighty swing, Zhaang Ye unleashed the whip with terrifying momentum, smashing it viciously into the descending bolt.

BOOM!

This strike from Zhaang Ye contained all the power he could muster. The whip swept out like a majestic greatsword cleaving the heavens. Under its blow, the massive bolt of lightning was instantly shattered. With an enormous bang, it exploded into countless arm-thick Fire Snakes that filled the void.

PTHOO!

Even with the Punishment Whip, Zhaang Ye was blasted back thousands of feet by the tribulation’s strike. He coughed up blood, and more blood began to seep from every pore on his body. His clothes, moreover, had been disintegrated by the lightning’s power, leaving him stark naked and in an utterly wretched state.

’The third wave is almost here! Fire Spirit, merge with my whip, now!’ Zhaang Ye roared in his mind as he saw the third wave of the Celestial Tribulation about to descend.

”Right!”

The Fire Spirit replied, transforming into a long needle that fused tightly with Zhaang Ye’s Long Whip. The Punishment Whip instantly erupted in raging flames, radiating a terrifying aura.

Zhaang Ye and the Fire Spirit’s minds were linked. By merging with the Long Whip, the Fire Spirit could leverage the weapon’s power to unleash its own strength to its fullest potential. This was one of the strategies they had devised to counter the Celestial Tribulation.

CRACKLE!

The Fire Spirit had only just merged with the whip when the third wave of the Celestial Tribulation descended. This bolt of lightning was far thicker than a barrel. The moment it formed, a terrifying Suppression descended upon the land. The colossal snow peak beneath Zhaang Ye’s feet actually trembled under the force of this tribulation, and all living creatures for thousands of miles around flattened themselves against the ground, not daring to move.

How fast is lightning? It moves in an instant. The moment the bolt appeared, it was already over Zhaang Ye’s head!

Zhaang Ye had no time to think, no time to assess his injuries. He swung the Punishment Whip with all his might!

Zhaang Ye’s Celestial River Righteous Qi was an exceptionally domineering force on its own. The Fire Spirit, born of Phoenix Blood, cultivated both Ancient Phoenix Power and Flame Power. Augmented by these three forces, the Punishment Whip swelled to become even larger than a barrel, bursting with dazzling radiance. A faint golden light bathed the landscape for dozens of miles in a golden hue.

BOOM!

The whip and the lightning collided. Thunder boomed and Fire Snakes danced across the sky for dozens of miles. Amidst the colossal shockwave, the massive snow peak beneath Zhaang Ye’s feet roared and collapsed. Billions of tons of earth and ice cascaded downward, shaking the very land for hundreds of miles around!

Zhaang Ye was blasted hundreds of feet deep into the earth by the tribulation. Arcs of fiery energy danced across his body, his skin split open inch by inch, and his internal organs suffered grievous injuries.

Zhaang Ye was severely injured, but the Fire Spirit was in even worse shape. By merging with the whip, it had borne the brunt of the Celestial Tribulation’s force. The third wave had been so powerful that a single strike had nearly dissipated the spirit completely. To save its life, the Fire Spirit had no choice but to immediately retreat into Zhaang Ye’s Little World and use the Phoenix Power from the Phoenix Tree to stabilize itself.

His entire body screamed in agony, but Zhaang Ye ignored his wounds. He forced the remaining Celestial River Righteous Qi in his body to circulate as he struggled back to the surface, where he burst into laughter. ”Hahaha! Excellent! I’ve finally passed the second Celestial Tribulation! Oh, Heavens! Hurry up and grant me your Essence Qi!”

WHOOSH!

The moment he finished speaking, the dark clouds in the sky instantly vanished. Then, an incredibly dense and pure stream of Essence Qi descended from the void.

Zhaang Ye quickly sat down cross-legged and began to absorb it frantically. The Fire Spirit also rushed out of the Little World, seizing the opportunity to absorb the Essence Qi.

Threads of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi seeped into Zhaang Ye’s body, rapidly repairing his physique and meridians. In a short time, the vibrant Essence Qi not only completely healed his body and meridians but also made them even more robust and perfect.

With his body healed, Zhaang Ye began to refine the Essence Qi into his own power: Celestial River Righteous Qi.

This Essence Qi was the purest form of energy, containing no impurities. Zhaang Ye refined it effortlessly. The Celestial River Righteous Qi inside him grew denser and more abundant. As his power swelled, his body began to gleam with golden light, both inside and out, until he resembled a statue cast from ancient bronze.

A mere quarter-hour later, Zhaang Ye suddenly felt a jolt run through his meridians. His Cultivation, which had been at the Early Stage of the True Dao Second Layer, broke through—the flower above his head flared with light, and he entered the Mid-stage of the True Dao Second Layer! (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.)