Overlord of the Wilderness

The instant Ximen Lieyan was burned to death by the Fire Spirit, a jet-black shadow suffused with intense resentment flew out from his body. Zhaang Ye had been watching Ximen Lieyan’s every move. When he saw this black shadow, he immediately understood. ’This shadow must be the Curse Talisman the Ximen Family implanted in Ximen Lieyan’s body.’

”TCHSS!”

The Curse Talisman sensed the Fire Spirit’s life fluctuations. It spun rapidly around the Fire Spirit and, using a peculiar method, left a faint curse mark upon its body.

Neither Zhaang Ye nor the Fire Spirit paid the mark any mind. The Fire Spirit was, in the end, just a mass of raging flames, not a true living being. As long as the Fire Spirit’s Cultivation reached a certain level, erasing this mark wouldn’t be a difficult task. Besides, the Fire Spirit spent all its time in the Fire Spirit Realm. Even with the mark on it, no one would be able to find it.

”SWOOSH!”

While Zhaang Ye had been consecutively slaying two great experts, the Ancient Cave Mansion had become fully exposed. Zhaang Ye knew that the commotion from both the cave mansion’s appearance and the battle would soon attract a large number of experts. Without any hesitation, he executed his Body Technique, flitted across the several-hundred-zhang distance, and entered the Ancient Cave Mansion.

The Ancient Cave Mansion was extremely simple, consisting of a massive main hall and three other rooms: a Pill Room, an Artifact Room, and a Training Room. Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Sense first swept through the main hall, quickly locking onto a huge jade bed.

This enormous jade bed was carved from a strange type of Purple Jade and emanated a faint aura of water. Cultivating on it would not only nourish the body and make it stronger, but one could also use the bed’s aura to further comprehend the Water Realm.

The Fire Spirit had received the legacy of an Ancient Phoenix and was thus quite knowledgeable. Seeing the jade bed, it said, ”This jade bed is carved from Ten Thousand Year Water Jade. Master, you can take it and use it to comprehend the Water Realm later.”

Zhaang Ye nodded. After carefully surveying the surroundings and confirming there were no Prohibitions, he stretched out his hand and collected the bed carved from Ten Thousand Year Water Jade into the Fire Spirit Realm.

After storing the jade bed, Zhaang Ye pushed open the stone door to the Training Room.

The Training Room was sparse, containing only a weapon rack and a yellow mat woven from grass stalks. Zhaang Ye looked and saw only a single weapon hanging on the rack: a purple long saber, four chi and three cun long and four fingers wide.

A hint of joy appeared on Zhaang Ye’s face as he looked at the purple long saber. With a stretch of his palm, the purple long saber instantly flew through the air and landed in his hand.

Zhaang Ye gripped the long saber tightly. He saw the two small words ”Duan Lang” carved on its spine, and it was exceptionally heavy. Zhaang Ye secretly estimated that the purple long saber weighed at least several hundred thousand jin. A thin line of purple light faintly flowed along its edge, a clear sign of its extreme sharpness.

Zhaang Ye gave it a glance before storing the Duan Lang Saber in the Fire Spirit Realm. Just as he was about to leave the Training Room, the Fire Spirit spoke up, ”Master, this mat is also a good item. It’s woven from a type of Spirit Grass that has grown for tens of thousands of years. Cultivating on this mat can clear the mind and calm the spirit, making one less susceptible to interference from a Heart Demon.”

Zhaang Ye’s eyes lit up. ”Oh? It’s woven from a ten-thousand-year Spirit Grass? Then it must be a rare treasure. I can’t let something like this slip by.”

”SWOOSH!”

With a beckoning gesture, Zhaang Ye collected the Grass Mat into his space.

Leaving the Training Room, Zhaang Ye walked up to the door of the Alchemy Room and gave it a push. Zhaang Ye’s push contained the force of several hundred thousand jin, yet under this immense power, the door to the Alchemy Room didn’t even budge.

Zhaang Ye was slightly startled, but then he came to a realization. ’Huh, there’s actually an Array set up on this Alchemy Room door. Fire Spirit, let’s break this Prohibition together.’

”BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

The Fire Spirit and Zhaang Ye joined forces, fiercely bombarding the stone door. This Ancient Cave Mansion had existed for tens of thousands of years, so its original Prohibitions had mostly faded away, and the power of the Prohibition on the stone door was also greatly weakened. Under their combined assault, the stone door soon began to tremble, looking as if it was about to be broken open.

Just then, a long cry came from outside. Hearing this cry, Zhaang Ye cried out inwardly. ’This is bad.’ He knew that the commotion from the appearance of the Ancient Cave Mansion and the battle had finally attracted nearby experts.

”BOOM!”

Zhaang Ye landed one final strike and commanded, ”Fire Spirit, you continue breaking this door’s Prohibition. I’ll go outside and hold off all these experts.”

After saying this, Zhaang Ye’s figure flickered, and he abruptly appeared outside the Ancient Cave Mansion. He extended his Spiritual Sense, remotely monitoring all movement within a radius of several hundred li.

Zhaang Ye’s decision to rush out and intercept the numerous experts was a move born of necessity. The Ancient Cave Mansion was relatively small, with no space to hide. If Zhaang Ye had remained inside to continue searching for Treasure, he would likely have been trapped inside by the experts, becoming a rat in a cage, unable to escape even if he wanted to.

”Hahahaha! To think an Ancient Cave Mansion was hidden in such a small place! This Ancient Cave Mansion is mine! Hahahaha!”

Following the sound of hearty laughter, a gust of wind suddenly arrived from the distance. A hundred li from the Ancient Cave Mansion, it abruptly transformed into a slender young man. The slender young man spotted Zhaang Ye from afar and shouted, ”Old fossil, get out of my way! Otherwise, This Young Master will take action and smash you to pieces.”

Zhaang Ye silently repaired the injuries in his body, impassively sizing up the slender young man. The slender young man’s Cultivation was at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer, a level Zhaang Ye didn’t find impressive. However, this slender young man had faintly comprehended the Wind Realm, giving him the actual combat prowess of an Early Stage True Dao Fifth Layer expert.

’I wonder how many people have noticed this cave mansion. For now, I have to find a way to get rid of anyone who comes near it. Otherwise, if they gather together, I won’t be able to handle them at all.’

With this thought, Zhaang Ye let out a long laugh and said arrogantly, ”Brat, you dare act so insolent before me! Announce your name, and let this old man see what kind of creature you are!”

Zhaang Ye was speaking so arrogantly on purpose, aiming to provoke the slender young man’s anger and then seize the opportunity to kill him. Sure enough, as soon as Zhaang Ye’s voice fell, the slender young man’s expression changed, and he said coldly, ”Old fossil, listen well. I am Fengmanlou, a Second-Grade Young Master of the Purple Spirit Domain. Today, This Young Master will crush you to death with my bare hands.”

”SWOOSH!”

The moment Fengmanlou finished speaking, his figure abruptly vanished. In the next instant, he transformed into wisps of a gentle breeze that softly blew toward Zhaang Ye.

Seeing Fengmanlou transform into a breeze, a cold smirk touched the corner of Zhaang Ye’s mouth. His comprehension of the Wind Realm was already approaching the Minor Achievement Realm. Although Fengmanlou had turned into a breeze, coming and going without a trace, he couldn’t possibly deceive Zhaang Ye’s senses.

Just as the breeze was about to brush against him, Zhaang Ye suddenly let out a great shout, and a hand shot out to grab!

Zhaang Ye’s grab looked simple and ordinary. But this simple grab was executed with the most exquisite timing and angle. Fengmanlou, hidden within the breeze, only felt Zhaang Ye’s palm coming down like the sky itself, aiming squarely for his neck. Despite his Cultivation at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer, he couldn’t evade it!

”GACK!”

Fengmanlou struggled desperately, but Zhaang Ye’s hand was like steel. It broke through all obstacles and seized him squarely by the neck, making Fengmanlou cry out in a strangled voice.

’How is this possible? How? I’ve faintly comprehended the Wind Realm, I can transform into a breeze and move without a trace. How could my movements have been seen through?’

Fengmanlou muttered, his face full of disbelief.

After muttering to himself, Fengmanlou roared, ”Old fossil, let This Young Master go! I am a Second-Grade Young Master, ranked on the Third-Grade Young Master List of the Purple Spirit Domain! My status is noble! You can’t kill me, or you will become an enemy of my family!”

Zhaang Ye had read a great many miscellaneous books. He remembered that the Younger Generation experts of the Purple Spirit Domain were divided into three lists in total; for example, to even qualify for the Third-Grade Young Master List, one had to be under eighty-one years old and possess a Cultivation at or above the True Dao Third Layer.

Anyone who could make it onto the Third-Grade Young Master List was a Celestial Strong Person of the Younger Generation, each possessing formidable combat prowess and immense potential. These individuals were the future powerhouses of the Purple Spirit Domain, receiving the full support and training of their families and Sects.

For this Fengmanlou to have entered the Second-Grade Young Master List meant his strength and potential were quite outstanding. He could be considered a significant figure among the Younger Generation of the Purple Spirit Domain.

Fengmanlou revealed his identity with the intention of making Zhaang Ye show mercy. But what kind of person was Zhaang Ye? He completely ignored Fengmanlou’s words, stating expressionlessly, ”What’s a Second-Grade Young Master? This old man just killed a Second-Grade Young Master. Killing one more now is nothing.”

As he spoke, Zhaang Ye’s palm suddenly tightened.

”CRACK!”

Zhaang Ye’s hand was like an egg being crushed. In an instant, Fengmanlou’s neck was snapped, and Zhaang Ye crushed the life right out of him.

Zhaang Ye searched Fengmanlou’s body and quickly found a Spatial Storage Bag and a fan that looked like it was made of White Jade. Zhaang Ye casually stored the items away, then struck out with his palm from a distance, turning Fengmanlou’s corpse into a bloody mist.

Just as he finished killing Fengmanlou, several more long cries suddenly came from the distance. The cries were continuous, like a fierce wind blowing through the void; the clouds in the sky and the dust on the ground were blown far away by the sound alone. Clearly, these people arriving from afar were also True Dao Experts with profound Cultivation.

-(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.)