Overlord of the Wilderness

The mine tunnel had already looked massive from the outside, but once inside, Zhaang Ye discovered it was even larger than he had imagined. By a rough estimate, the cavern was at least a thousand meters wide. A mine tunnel this enormous was nothing short of a miracle.

The cavern floor was uneven. Nearly a hundred youths entered the massive tunnel, like drops of water falling into the desert, vanishing without a trace. Inside the mine, only hollow echoes could be heard.

In the darkness, Zhaang Que’s eyes flashed with a faint blue light. ”This mine tunnel seems quite long,” he said. ”You two, follow me.”

Zhaang Ye and Zhaang Qing knew of Zhaang Que’s background and were aware that he was the most familiar with dark environments. They both nodded at once.

Zhaang Que lit a stick of Lighting Incense and led the way. Zhaang Ye and Zhaang Qing also lit their own Lighting Incense and followed closely behind. The three of them proceeded through the mine tunnel, one in front and two behind.

The ground in the mine was uneven, and it was pitch-black all around. An ordinary person would find it impossible to move quickly in such an environment. But Zhaang Que was practically a wolf in human form. He was exceptionally familiar with the dark, not only able to pick out the easiest paths but also maintain a constant direction.

After walking for a while, Zhaang Que gradually picked up the pace. A moment later, he simply executed a Body Technique, leading Zhaang Ye and Zhaang Qing on a swift dash through the dark mine.

At this speed, despite starting later, the three of them quickly overtook thirty or forty of the other youths and moved toward the front of the pack.

The trio had originally assumed that no matter how long the tunnel was, it would be only a few miles at most. But after sprinting for a while, they discovered the mine tunnel was surprisingly long. They had traveled for several miles, yet the path ahead remained pitch-black.

”Something’s not right.” Zhaang Que sniffed the air and said coldly, ”We’re still a long way from the exit. You two, extinguish your Lighting Incense to conserve it.”

Zhaang Ye extinguished his Lighting Incense and nodded. ”You’re right, something is off. If we were close to the exit, the air would be fresher. But the air we’re breathing now is unusually stuffy. It’s clear we’re still very, very far from the exit.”

Zhaang Que and Zhaang Qing were both surprised to hear that Zhaang Ye could judge the distance based on the air quality. Zhaang Que quickly said, ”Zhaang Ye is right. Let’s keep moving.”

The three of them resumed their rapid pace. Zhaang Ye’s Lighting Incense was out, and the area illuminated by Zhaang Que’s was too small to see the ground clearly. But he came up with a solution: he kept a dozen small stone fragments cupped in his hand. Whenever he couldn’t see the ground, he would flick a stone ahead and use the sound of its impact to judge the terrain.

This method proved very useful, earning a word of praise even from Zhaang Que.

The three focused on moving forward, and in spurts, they overtook another twenty or thirty people. At this point, there were only about thirty or so youths ahead of them. However, Zhaang Que, Zhaang Ye, and Zhaang Qing knew the tunnel was still very long, so they weren’t in a rush. All three maintained a steady, energy-conserving pace, neither too fast nor too slow.

After an unknown amount of time, the Lighting Incense in Zhaang Que’s hand suddenly went out, plunging the cave into absolute darkness.

Zhaang Que said in a low voice, ”This stick of Lighting Incense can burn for two hours. Since it’s out, that proves we’ve been walking in this cave for a full two hours. Zhaang Qing, give me your Lighting Incense. We’ll keep moving.”

Zhaang Qing nodded and handed his Lighting Incense to Zhaang Que. Zhaang Que took it, lit it, and continued on their way through the darkness.

After traveling another mile or so, the three of them suddenly heard someone in the darkness roaring and crying their heart out. Zhaang Ye, with his memories from a past life, had a deep understanding of human psychology. He spoke up, ”Their Lighting Incense must have run out, and they still can’t find the exit. Being trapped in this boundless, dark mine for so long, the psychological pressure has caused them to have a mental breakdown.”

Zhaang Qing was horrified. ”Darkness really can be the most terrifying thing sometimes. No normal person can endure being in the dark for so long. We have less than two sticks of Lighting Incense left. I hope we can find the exit before they burn out. Otherwise, I’m afraid we’ll end up going crazy like those people just now.”

Zhaang Que was silent for a moment before saying coldly, ”If I had known this mine was so long and so dark, we should have just snatched all the other people’s Lighting Incense when we first entered.”

...

”AHH—Oh, Mommy, why is it so dark in here...”

”AAAAAAHHH—! It’s over, it’s over, I’m a dead man, I’m dead! What the hell is this place? Why is it so long...”

”Kill, kill, kill! I’m not afraid of the dark, no matter how dark it gets, I’m not afraid! Not afraid, not afraid!”

”Heavens, my Lighting Incense is gone! Whoever gets me out of here, I’ll reward you handsomely! Someone! There’s a reward!”

”AAAAAAAAAAAH, can someone talk to me? I’m about to die, AAAAAAAHH—”

The trio traveled for several more miles, encountering a few more people who had been driven mad by the boundless darkness. When these people saw the Lighting Incense in Zhaang Que’s hand, they all lunged for it like madmen. But Zhaang Que’s group was powerful and accustomed to moving in the night. Before their attackers could even get close, the three had already left them far behind.

HUMMM! Someone crept up quickly in the darkness, intending to snatch the Lighting Incense from Zhaang Que’s hand. But before he could reach Zhaang Que, Zhaang Ye had already acted. The Purple Copper Thick-Backed Saber on his back flashed out in a sudden slash. A sudden breeze swept through the mine tunnel. The person, not expecting Zhaang Ye to be so powerful, was caught off guard and sent tumbling away with a strange cry.

Zhaang Ye sheathed his saber and said calmly, ”That attacker’s footwork was excellent. It seemed to be Zhaang Yang. We should hurry. I’m afraid we’ll run into more attacks otherwise.”

Zhaang Que and Zhaang Qing both nodded and picked up their pace.

After an unknown period, the Lighting Incense in Zhaang Que’s hand went out again. Zhaang Ye handed his over, and the three continued forward. By now, there were no more lights ahead of them. It was clear that, despite their later start, they had finally reached the very front.

As they walked on, the three felt an increasing sense of eeriness. The surroundings became quiet, terrifyingly so. It was so silent they couldn’t even hear their own footsteps. They had to speak loudly, or they wouldn’t be able to hear each other even when standing close.

They had been traveling at high speed for four hours without food or drink. Even though all three had cultivation at the Martial Arts Third Layer, they were dog-tired. Extreme physical fatigue combined with walking in this dreadful silence caused even Zhaang Que, who was so familiar with the dark and accustomed to solitude, to turn pale. As for Zhaang Qing, he chattered nonstop to hide his nervousness and release his stress.

Zhaang Ye coughed loudly, then said in a booming voice, ”There’s something strange about the rocks in this tunnel. They seem to absorb all sound. If someone with a weak will were to walk alone in this silent environment, their mind could easily waver. They might even start hallucinating, experience extreme mood swings, and descend into a state of madness.”

Hearing Zhaang Ye’s explanation, Zhaang Que and Zhaang Qing relaxed considerably.

”Zhaang Ye, you know so much. We’re lucky you’re with us this time,” Zhaang Qing said, shaken. ”I never would have imagined that darkness and silence could also kill.”

Zhaang Ye said, ”Humans have an innate fear of darkness and silence. If you ask a person with perfect eyesight to walk with their eyes closed, they’ll feel insecure and won’t be able to resist opening them. Similarly, if a person suddenly loses their hearing, they’ll feel extremely disoriented. Combine those two factors, and then place them in a boundless environment with no clear path and constant danger... it’s enough to drive a person with a weak will insane.”

Listening to Zhaang Ye’s explanation, both Zhaang Que and Zhaang Qing began to see him as profoundly enigmatic. Zhaang Qing gave a wry smile. ”Zhaang Ye, you’re so well-versed in human psychology, I imagine you’d be just as terrifying as a killer. It’s a good thing we’re not your enemies.”

Zhaang Ye smiled and changed the subject. ”I believe we’re in the lead now. Let’s push ourselves a little harder and try to get as far as we can before this last Lighting Incense burns out.”

Zhaang Que and Zhaang Qing agreed, and the three of them sped up, rushing forward.

They walked, and walked.

The three grew more and more exhausted. Without realizing it, their bodies had been scratched and cut by various rocks along the way. But they were now completely numb to the pain, their only desire to collapse on the ground and fall into a deep sleep.

The Lighting Incense in Zhaang Que’s hand burned shorter and shorter. Just as it was about to go out, he suddenly cried out in pleasant surprise.

Zhaang Ye and Zhaang Qing looked far into the distance and saw a sliver of light filtering in from up ahead.

”Haha, we’re almost at the exit!” Zhaang Qing shouted with joy.

Seeing the light, Zhaang Ye also breathed a sigh of relief. ’This mine tunnel is just too bizarre. If the Lighting Incense had run out, and we had to walk for a few more hours in this dark, silent environment, I’m afraid even I would have gone insane.’

The sight of light revitalized their spirits. They unconsciously quickened their pace, reaching the tunnel’s entrance in just over a quarter of an hour.

Outside the entrance stood two people: the square-faced youth and the sallow-faced youth. Seeing the three of them emerge from the tunnel at the same time, the two men looked a bit incredulous. After a moment of shock, one of them said, ”You are the first group to pass the test, and you passed within six hours! Congratulations, you are now Outer Disciples of the Cyan Mulberry Zhaang Family!”