Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye pushed open the door and walked out of his small wooden cabin, noticing a small wooden slip on the door. He realized it was from Zhaang Qing and Zhaang Que. They had come to visit him during his closed-door cultivation. Seeing he was in seclusion, they decided not to disturb him and left the wooden slip behind.

The wooden slip explained that they had already collected his elixirs for him. If he needed them, he could go find them. Zhaang Ye no longer cared about a single Qi Gathering Pill; he was more interested in the date on the slip. After reading it, he realized his seclusion had actually lasted a full eighteen days.

’Time really flies! I’ve made progress, so Pan Shi, Zhaang Yuhu, Zhaang Dahong, and Zhaang Yang must have improved as well. Heh. I need to hurry and master the Reverse Flow Slash to the Great Success realm, and then get the Dragon Elephant Skill to the 3rd Layer!’

Zhaang Ye went to look for Zhaang Qing and Zhaang Que, only to find that they were also in closed-door cultivation.

Shaking his head, Zhaang Ye strode outside.

To cultivate the Dragon Elephant Skill to the 3rd Layer, he needed to prepare a large batch of elixirs. He had Qi Gathering Pills, but he couldn’t continue his cultivation with those alone. He also needed to purchase a supply of Body Tempering Pills, Body Refining Pills, Calm Spirit Pills, Qi Blood Pills, Strong Tendon Pills, and Iron Bone Pills.

Zhaang Ye went to the same Elixir Pharmacy as before and bought thirty of each pill he needed. The cheapest of these elixirs cost two hundred gold each, while the more expensive Calm Spirit Pills and Iron Bone Pills cost four hundred gold each. This purchase cost Zhaang Ye over seventy thousand gold.

Zhaang Ye had obtained nearly 200,000 gold from the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range. But in less than a month since arriving at the Cyan Mulberry Zhaang Family, he had already spent over 180,000. Now, he only had a little over 20,000 left.

Zhaang Ye wasn’t too bothered by the cost. ’For the sake of cultivation, any price is worth paying.’

...

Generally, Outer Disciples lived in small wooden cabins. However, there were exceptions. Some powerful Outer Disciples who had completed numerous family tasks were rewarded with their own private courtyards.

Such disciples were extremely rare. Of the nearly two thousand disciples in the Zhaang Family’s Outer Sect, only a dozen or so had their own courtyards.

In a modest courtyard within the Zhaang Mansion, Pan Shi’s eyes snapped open. A light flashed within them, seeming to illuminate the entire room.

He gently clenched his fist, and a series of sharp cracks, like popping beans, immediately echoed from his knuckles. Pan Shi glanced at his fist, where the faint mark of a saber slash was still visible.

’What a formidable blade!’ Pan Shi rose to his feet, muttering to himself, ’I’ve now found the way to break through to the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer. Zhaang Ye, I wonder if you’ve made any progress? Heh!’

Pan Shi pushed the door open and stepped out, only to see someone standing quietly outside. He knew the man well. It was Zhu Nulang, who was ranked fourth among the nearly two thousand disciples of the Outer Sect.

Zhu Nulang was famous for his Fist Technique. All two thousand Outer Disciples knew his ”Furious Wave Fist” was unmatched in its ferocity. What they didn’t know was that his cultivation was equally formidable. He had long since reached the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer. Even against Zhaang Yujing, the top-ranked disciple in the Outer Sect, he could hold his own.

Seeing Pan Shi emerge, Zhu Nulang nodded at him. ”You’re finally out. You’ve been in seclusion for nearly twenty days. Did you find a way to break through?”

When Zhu Nulang mentioned this, a hint of joy appeared on Pan Shi’s face. He nodded and said, ”Two months! Just give me two months, and I can definitely break through to the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer!”

Zhu Nulang breathed a sigh of relief. ”Good, that’s good! Once you break through to the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer, your strength will increase dramatically. It’ll make our family tasks much easier.”

Pan Shi hesitated. ”Brother Zhu, have we run into trouble with a family task?”

Zhu Nulang nodded. ”We recently accepted a mission to kill a Low-level Fierce Beast, an Iron-Armored Long-Horned Ox. The creature’s entire body is incredibly tough, and its long horns and four hooves are extremely dangerous. During the twenty-odd days you were in seclusion, we made two attempts and failed both times. What’s more, we lost one person and three were seriously injured. The deadline for the mission is drawing near. If we don’t kill it soon, not only will we be humiliated, but we’ll also lose the family’s reward...”

Pan Shi said in surprise, ”Brother Zhu, you’re at the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer, and the Furious Wave Fist is an incredibly powerful Fist Technique. With your strength, how can you not be able to kill a single Fierce Beast?”

Zhu Nulang shook his head. ”This Iron-Armored Long-Horned Ox is incredibly powerful, even more so than an expert at the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer. I estimate its strength is approaching the Martial Arts Fourth Layer Early Stage! Furthermore, its hide is exceptionally tough. I can shatter a table-sized boulder with one punch, but when my fist lands on this Ox, it’s only pained for a moment before it recovers. It’s impossible to kill. As for ordinary sabers and swords, they snap the instant they make contact. The damn thing is practically invincible...”

After venting his frustration, Zhu Nulang looked up at Pan Shi. ”Right now, I’m pinning my hopes on you. Once you cultivate to the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer, your Defense Technique is sure to improve as well. When that happens, you can get in close and suppress the ox’s horns while the rest of us attack its weak points—the eyes, the nose—with everything we’ve got. That’s the only way we’ll have a sliver of hope.”

Pan Shi pondered for a moment. ”That plan might work,” he said. ”But even then, there’s no guarantee we can kill it.”

Zhu Nulang smiled bitterly. ”You’re right. We are a bit lacking in strength. But among our Independent Practitioner Faction, Xiang Lanju, Lu Yuzhi, and Huaa Baida are all out gaining experience, and even I can’t find them. I have no choice but to take this risk...”

Pan Shi thought for a moment, then a glint appeared in his eyes. He said slowly, ”It doesn’t matter that Xiang Lanju, Lu Yuzhi, and Huaa Baida are gone. If we can get one particular person to join us, we can definitely kill that Iron-Armored Long-Horned Ox.”

Zhu Nulang faltered. ”Who?”

Pan Shi said in a deep voice, ”Zhaang Ye.”

”Zhaang Ye?” Zhu Nulang was taken aback. ”I’ve been keeping an eye on him. He only has the strength of the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage. How can he help us?”

Zhu Nulang was at the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer and possessed a formidable Fist Technique like the Furious Wave Fist. He didn’t even think much of ordinary experts at the Late-stage Martial Arts Third Layer. Naturally, he wouldn’t give a second thought to Zhaang Ye, who was merely at the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage. No matter how much of a stir Zhaang Ye caused, Zhu Nulang wouldn’t pay him much mind.

Pan Shi said gravely, ”Brother Zhu, you must not underestimate Zhaang Ye. His cultivation may be at the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage, but his combat strength is greater than that of someone at the Late-stage Martial Arts Third Layer. Look...” He held out his fist.

Zhu Nulang glanced at it and froze. He could clearly see a saber mark etched into Pan Shi’s fist.

Zhu Nulang was shocked. ”Was that saber mark left by Zhaang Ye? No, that can’t be right. Your Defense Technique, Jin Yuzhu, has already reached the Minor Achievement Realm. Your entire body is as hard as stone, and your fists are like iron. His cultivation is lower than yours; his Attack Power can’t be that high. How could he possibly leave a mark on your fist?”

Pan Shi gave a wry smile. ”Believe it or not, that mark was left by Zhaang Ye. Though his cultivation is only at the Martial Arts Third Layer Middle Stage, his Saber Technique is exceptionally tyrannical and sharp. Even with my Jin Yuzhu at the Minor Achievement realm, I couldn’t block his blade...”

”He’s that strong?” Zhu Nulang found it hard to believe.

”He’s even more incredible than that,” Pan Shi said, his expression turning solemn. ”When we fought, he used only one move, over and over again. Each time he used it, his Saber Technique improved. This mark on my fist was from his final slash. I have a feeling... his true combat strength is even greater than mine!”

”What!” Zhu Nulang was stunned. ”He fought you from beginning to end, using only one move?”

Pan Shi nodded with a bitter smile.

Zhu Nulang let out a long breath. After a moment, he said, ”It seems Zhaang Ye’s combat strength might actually be greater than yours. Even if he isn’t at the Peak of the Martial Arts Third Layer, he can’t be far from it.”

Pan Shi nodded in agreement.

Zhu Nulang pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. ”If he’s really that strong, then I’ll have to pay much closer attention to him. Right, he bought a batch of elixirs a few days ago and has been going back and forth between the Library Pavilion and his cabin. It seems he’s planning to train hard in seclusion. We’ll wait until he’s finished his training, then we’ll pay him a visit.”

With the decision made, a curious smile appeared on Zhu Nulang’s face. ”This Zhaang Ye is a saber user, and so is Huaa Baida. Heh, when Huaa Baida gets back from his expedition, he’ll definitely seek Zhaang Ye out for a fight. That’ll be quite a show to watch...”

(A new day has begun. Thank you to the brothers who voted. Please keep the Recommendation Tickets coming.)