Overlord of the Wilderness

The middle-aged man in white issued a series of commands. In an instant, a vast, invisible net spanning millions of square miles was cast over the Daluo Kingdom, watching everything closely.

After issuing the commands, the middle-aged man in white arrived at the spot where the Golden Crowned Colorful Feather Beast had been killed. He surveyed the area meticulously, finally picking up a grain of sand from the ground and examining it with narrowed eyes.

A quarter-hour later, the middle-aged man in white was still examining it.

Three quarter-hours later, the middle-aged man in white was still examining it.

Five quarter-hours later, the middle-aged man in white was still examining it, as if that tiny grain of sand held an endless vista, a boundless treasure.

Seeing his master’s behavior, the Third Prince, Luo Juewu, couldn’t help but speak up. ”Second Master, that grain of sand is completely unremarkable. What’s so interesting about it?”

The middle-aged man in white ignored the Third Prince’s question. He silently closed his eyes for a moment before saying coolly, ”Third Prince, your Cultivation is still shallow. You cannot comprehend this grain of sand.”

After saying this, the middle-aged man in white pointed to the sand in his hand and said with a grave expression, ”This grain of sand may seem unremarkable, but a few days ago, it was imbued with that young man’s aura and power.

Judging from this grain of sand, the power in the single, casual slash that young man delivered was condensed to the absolute extreme. That’s why he was able to so easily cleave a Golden Crowned Colorful Feather Beast in two.

Judging from this grain of sand, this young man’s control over his power has reached an inconceivable level. The Sword Gang he unleashed sliced into the Golden Crowned Colorful Feather Beast, and after cleaving it in two, it silently dissipated into the void. This powerful Sword Gang split the beast in half, yet only this single grain of sand was affected. Not a single blade of grass or tree nearby was harmed. Such a feat is nothing short of miraculous.”

Luo Juewu couldn’t help but gasp at his master’s analysis. Every True Dao Expert possessed immense power, their every move containing boundless force. When they attacked, this great power was incredibly difficult to control completely, which was why battles between True Dao Experts were always so destructive.

Experts of the True Dao First and Second Layers could easily topple a mountain peak when they fought. The destructive power of experts at the True Dao Third and Fourth Layer was even more formidable. For Zhaang Ye to kill the Golden Crowned Colorful Feather Beast without affecting a single blade of grass or tree nearby... such a feat was simply unheard-of.

Luo Juewu said in shock, ”Power is hard to come by, but controlling it is even harder. This person’s control over his power has reached a godlike level! What Realm has his Cultivation reached?”

The middle-aged man in white mused, ”Judging from this grain of sand, the young man’s true Cultivation should be at the Mid-stage of the True Dao Second Layer.”

”The Mid-stage of the True Dao Second Layer? How is that possible?” Luo Juewu and the other True Dao Experts cried out in unison. Having felt Zhaang Ye’s aura, they knew his terrifying strength firsthand and simply could not believe his Cultivation was a mere Mid-stage of the True Dao Second Layer.

The middle-aged man in white said coolly, ”I haven’t finished. This young man’s Cultivation is only at the Mid-stage of the True Dao Second Layer, but the power he cultivates is terrifying. With this fearsome power, his actual combat prowess is comparable to an expert at the Third Layer Peak of the True Dao. If he has a powerful True Artifact in his possession, his combat power would be even higher.”

”What a formidable person! But, Second Master, for you to deduce so much from a single grain of sand... you’re even more formidable than that young man!”

The faces of Luo Juewu and the other True Dao Experts were filled with admiration. In their eyes, the image of the middle-aged man in white had become incomparably vast and towering.

The middle-aged man in white waved his hand, dismissing Luo Juewu and the others. He then cast his gaze toward the mountain valley and muttered, ”In this entire region of millions of square miles, the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi is densest in this valley. After flying for several days, it’s likely he landed in this valley to recover his True Qi. Follow me, and we will search the valley meticulously!”

WHOOSH!

The middle-aged man in white’s figure blurred as he descended into the valley and began his meticulous search.

As a True Dao Fourth Layer expert, the middle-aged man’s Spiritual Sense could perceive everything within a radius of over sixty miles. Within that range, not even a tiny ant could escape his detection.

After searching for a while, the middle-aged man suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise. His body transformed into a streak of white light, flying to the base of a cliff where he picked up a piece of rubble.

The fist-sized rock looked as if it had just broken off the cliff; it was very fresh. The middle-aged man examined it for a moment, a glint of delight appearing in his eyes. A cold smirk played on his lips. ’Judging by this rubble, that youngster must be hiding in this valley. This rock fragment was likely sent flying when he was carving out his immortal’s cave.’

At this thought, the middle-aged man was overjoyed. He extended his Spiritual Sense to its absolute limit, meticulously searching the entire valley, leaving no blade of grass or tree unexamined.

As the middle-aged man continued his search, he found more and more evidence. He discovered thousands of freshly broken rock fragments, and from them, he could sense Zhaang Ye’s aura.

But no matter how the middle-aged man searched, he could not find the source of the rubble, let alone the cave Zhaang Ye had carved. He spent half a month searching the three-hundred-mile-long valley back and forth several times, yet he still couldn’t find Zhaang Ye’s hiding place.

’This valley is strange! That youngster has likely set up some sort of Array to conceal his cave!’ a trace of anger flashing in the middle-aged man’s eyes.

His target was clearly hiding in this valley, yet after searching for over ten days, he had found no trace. Even though the middle-aged man’s Cultivation was profound and his heart was usually as placid as an ancient well, he couldn’t help the rage that now blazed within him. He wanted nothing more than to drag Zhaang Ye out, torture him brutally, and inflict upon him the most terrible torments in the world, leaving him unable to live and unable to die.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!

Two balls of extremely condensed Innate True Qi appeared in the middle-aged man’s hands. His face was ice-cold. He planned to strike, to forcefully obliterate the entire valley and compel Zhaang Ye to reveal himself.

The Innate True Qi formed two massive spheres, which whirred menacingly in his hands. The moment he threw these two balls of Innate True Qi, the immense power would detonate, blasting the valley flat. The shockwave would affect an area for hundreds of miles around.

The middle-aged man’s arm twitched as he prepared to throw the Innate True Qi Balls. But at the last second, he suddenly retracted them.

The middle-aged man muttered to himself, ’No rush, no rush. If I destroy the valley, I’ll definitely alert that youngster. His Body Technique is superior to mine. If he gets spooked, he’ll flee immediately, and I won’t be able to catch him.’

’The best approach now is to lie in wait. The moment he appears, I’ll launch a surprise attack, kill him in one blow, and get my hands on the Alien Life he possesses!’

With this in mind, the middle-aged man dispersed the Innate True Qi Balls in his hands. His figure then silently faded into nothingness, lying in wait like a venomous snake.

Inside his immortal’s cave, Zhaang Ye had no idea that someone was lying in wait for him outside. At this moment, he was seizing every second to madly absorb Essence Qi.

Aided by the Barbaric Beast Core, Zhaang Ye’s Cultivation was soaring at a frantic pace.

Three months into his seclusion, a loud BOOM resounded from within Zhaang Ye’s body, and a vast aura erupted from him. His Three Flowers flew out on their own. The second petal on the flower above his head had deepened in color, signifying that he had entered the Late-stage of the True Dao Second Layer, his strength taking another leap forward.

Six months into his seclusion, the Celestial River Righteous Qi in Zhaang Ye’s body had accumulated to a new height. The increasingly dense Celestial River Righteous Qi washed over his body, bursting open his acupoints before surging fiercely into his Three Flowers. As this power poured in, his Three Flowers once again flew out from the top of his head.

BOOM!

A vast presence rose once more. The color of the second petal had turned a crystalline cyan, like the sky after a fresh rain. Zhaang Ye casually plucked the Three Flowers and examined them in his hand, a hint of joy on his face. He knew he had successfully reached the Peak of the Second Layer of the True Dao. The next step was to break through to the True Dao Third Layer.

Advancing through minor realms was a matter of increasing one’s power, something that could be forcefully achieved with Essence Stones and Barbaric Beast Cores. However, advancing to a new major realm required an elevation of both power and comprehension. If one’s comprehension was insufficient, no amount of raw power could lead to a breakthrough. Conversely, if one’s comprehension was sufficient, the breakthrough would happen naturally once the conditions were met.

Zhaang Ye possessed the wondrous book, the *Tao Te Ching*, and had outstanding Comprehension to begin with. His level of insight and perception had long surpassed his peers. Even Elder Level experts might not be his match in terms of comprehension and discernment.

Zhaang Ye cast aside all distractions and spent half a month in silent contemplation. Finally, a smile touched his lips. In that half-month, he had successfully unraveled the mysteries of the True Dao Third Layer. In other words, his comprehension had already reached the True Dao Third Layer. All he needed to do now was accumulate enough power, and he would advance.

Taking out the Barbaric Beast Core, Zhaang Ye resumed his Cultivation.

After eleven months in seclusion, the Celestial River Righteous Qi within Zhaang Ye’s body once again grew incredibly dense. This extremely rich Celestial River Righteous Qi stretched his Meridians to the point of aching pain, making him feel as though his entire network of Meridians could explode at any moment.

Zhaang Ye knew in his heart that the time to break through to the True Dao Third Layer was ripe. As long as he could compress this immense power into his Three Flowers and form the third petal, he would succeed.

BOOM!

The Celestial River Righteous Qi in Zhaang Ye’s body surged madly into his Three Flowers. The third petal was rapidly taking shape!

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