Overlord of the Wilderness

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The young men who had just entered the training ground were none other than Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Yitong, and Zhaang Wu, whom Zhaang Ye had met in the outskirts of the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range. The one who had just spoken was Zhaang Wu.

Zhaang Ye didn’t answer Zhaang Wu. He turned to Zhu Nulang and said, ”Senior Brother Zhu, how about we end our spar here?”

Zhu Nulang was no fool. By now, he understood that Zhaang Ye’s actual combat strength far surpassed his Cultivation. He had already lost a great deal of face. If the fight continued, he would inevitably be forced off the Martial Arts Arena by Zhaang Ye, losing even more. Under these circumstances, Zhu Nulang could only nod in agreement.

Zhaang Ye sheathed his Thick-Backed Saber, gave Zhu Nulang a cupped-fist salute, and leaped off the Martial Arts Arena, leaving a deeply ashamed Zhu Nulang behind.

Zhaang Ye was well aware that this battle had caused Zhu Nulang a great loss of face. ’Though he shows nothing on the surface, he’ll definitely hold a grudge against me. But I’m not too concerned. In this world, strength is what matters most. My own strength far surpasses Zhu Nulang’s, so I’m not afraid of any trouble he might try to stir up.

Besides, he started this fight, so I didn’t need to give him any face. If he dares to try anything, I won’t hold back.’

Zhaang Ye strode over to Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Yitong, and Zhaang Wu, laughing as he asked, ”How many days have you all been back?”

Zhaang Zisong smiled and said, ”After we got separated, we spent a day looking for you but couldn’t find you, so we came straight back to the clan. It’s been three days now. Just now, I heard that an Outer Disciple had broken through to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer. We thought it might have been you, so we rushed over...”

Zhaang Yitong had been staring at Zhaang Ye’s palm. Before Zhaang Zisong could finish, he immediately asked, ”Junior Brother Zhaang, your palm has completely returned to its original color. Have you cultivated the Dragon Elephant Skill to the Late Fourth Layer?”

Zhaang Ye nodded, then glanced at Zhaang Yitong in surprise. ’Why is he so focused on the Dragon Elephant Skill?’ he wondered.

Zhaang Yitong gave a bitter smile. ”I also practiced the Dragon Elephant Skill for a while, but I eventually ran out of Gold to buy Elixirs and had to give it up. Since I’ve practiced it before, I pay more attention to it. I hope Junior Brother Zhaang doesn’t mind me being nosy.”

After saying this, Zhaang Yitong exclaimed in amazement, ”I can’t believe Junior Brother Zhaang has actually cultivated the Dragon Elephant Skill to the Late Fourth Layer! At this stage, the skin and flesh have been fully tempered. Your strength increases by more than tenfold, and even a casual punch carries immense power. With your current strength, Junior Brother Zhaang, even I would be no match for you.”

Zhaang Wu also looked on with envy. ”Junior Brother Zhaang, your cultivation speed is truly astonishing. If it were me, even if I ate Elixirs like candy every day, I wouldn’t be able to cultivate the Dragon Elephant Skill to the Late Fourth Layer in just a few months. Putting everything else aside, your cultivation speed alone is enough to earn my respect.”

The four of them chatting and laughing together left the Outer Disciples on the training ground completely dumbfounded. Inner Sect Disciples were all individuals of outstanding talent and formidable strength who had always looked down on Outer Disciples. Under normal circumstances, they would barely acknowledge them. Yet here was Zhaang Ye, an Outer Disciple, not only standing with Inner Sect Disciples but chatting and laughing with them as equals. In fact, among the four of them, all the conversation seemed to revolve around Zhaang Ye, with him as the subtle center of the group.

Having just lost a great deal of face, Zhu Nulang had been planning to use his status as an Inner Sect Disciple to cause trouble for Zhaang Ye. But looking at the situation now, he realized that idea was impossible to carry out.

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhu Nulang jumped off the Martial Arts Arena, walked over to Zhaang Zisong and the others, and bowed to the three of them. ”Zhu Nulang greets you, Senior Brothers,” he said.

Zhaang Zisong and Zhaang Yitong nodded. Zhaang Wu, however, chuckled as he looked at Zhu Nulang. ”You must be Junior Brother Zhu, right? Heh, you’re quite bold, daring to challenge Zhaang Ye.”

Zhu Nulang was bewildered; he didn’t understand what Zhaang Wu meant by that.

Zhaang Wu and the others didn’t offer any explanation. The three of them quickly left the Martial Arts Arena with Zhaang Ye, leaving behind the extremely humiliated Zhu Nulang and a crowd of dumbstruck Outer Disciples.

Zhaang Zisong, Zhaang Yitong, and Zhaang Wu had come looking for Zhaang Ye purely to take him out for drinks. Since Zhaang Ye also happened to have some questions for them, he didn’t refuse. The four of them went directly to the clan’s restaurant, ordered a table full of food and wine, and began to talk as they drank.

After a few drinks, Zhaang Ye steered the conversation to the ”Gathering Flower Fruit Competition.” He said, ”Senior Brothers, I’ve heard that our Cyan Mulberry City has a giant mulberry tree. On this tree grows a fruit called the Gathering Flower Fruit, which provides immense benefits. Can you tell me about this Gathering Flower Fruit?”

Zhaang Wu smiled and said, ”Cyan Mulberry City... ’First came the Cyan Mulberry, then came the city.’ In other words, a giant Cyan Mulberry Tree originally grew here. Later, several clans couldn’t settle their disputes over it, so they simply built a city around the tree. And that is Cyan Mulberry City. A Cyan Mulberry Tree that could cause several clans to fight over it is, of course, no ordinary thing.

”Every three years, the Cyan Mulberry Tree bears a batch of fruit. These fruits are divided into three grades: Top-grade, Middle-grade, and Low-grade. The Top-grade and Middle-grade Gathering Flower Fruits can be used in Alchemy to purify and enhance the effects of elixirs. High-quality Gathering Flower Fruits can be used to refine High Grade Qi Gathering Pills, which increase the chances of reaching the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. And top-quality Gathering Flower Fruits can be used to refine top-grade Qi Gathering Pills, which increase the chances of breaking through to the True Dao.

”Even the Low-grade fruits are extremely useful for Martial Artists below the Martial Arts Sixth Layer. Eating one can greatly cleanse the impurities from one’s body, allowing for faster Cultivation in the future. If a Martial Artist is on the verge of a breakthrough—for example, at the peak of the Martial Arts Fourth Layer—eating this fruit could very well trigger a breakthrough to the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Heaven...”

”It can cause a direct breakthrough!” Zhaang Ye was startled. ”This Gathering Flower Fruit is truly miraculous!”

Zhaang Zisong laughed. ”Of course it’s miraculous! This Cyan Mulberry Tree is no ordinary tree. I’ve heard it’s on the verge of becoming a Spirit Tree. Spirit Trees can absorb the Heaven and Earth Qi. The fruit that grows on a tree like that is naturally going to be extraordinary.”

Zhaang Ye asked, ”What’s a Spirit Tree?”

Zhaang Zisong smiled and explained, ”A Spirit Tree is a tree that can absorb Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. Spirit Trees are divided into nine grades, with First Grade being the most powerful and Ninth Grade being the lowest. However, even the fruit from the lowest Ninth-Grade Spirit Tree has all sorts of uses. But while Spirit Trees are recorded in ancient texts, they are rarely seen in reality. Our clan’s patriarch wanted to obtain a fruit from a Ninth-Grade Spirit Tree for refining Elixirs a while back, but despite a great deal of effort, he was ultimately unable to get one.”

At this point, Zhaang Zisong added in a low voice, ”I’ve heard that the most powerful First-Grade Spirit Trees are actually living beings. They have their own intelligence, can speak, move, and think, and can even take on a human form and walk around.”

”That...” Zhaang Ye was left speechless.

After a long moment, Zhaang Ye came back to his senses and turned his thoughts back to the Cyan Mulberry Tree. ”This Cyan Mulberry Tree in our Cyan Mulberry City, how many fruits does it bear each time?”

Zhaang Wu laughed. ”The number of fruits the Cyan Mulberry Tree bears is not fixed. It’s always a multiple of nine. For example, sometimes it bears five-times-nine, for a total of forty-five fruits, and sometimes it’s four-times-nine, for thirty-six. Generally, the tree alternates between a large harvest and a small one. The most it ever produced was fifty-four, and in the year with the fewest, I heard it only bore two-times-nine, eighteen. The competition for them was exceptionally brutal.”

At this point, a flicker of fear crossed Zhaang Wu’s face. ”Zhaang Ye, do you know why the Cyan Mulberry Tree yields a large harvest one time and a small one the next? The reason is simple. When there are fewer fruits, the competition for them becomes more intense, and more people die. And when more people die, the Cyan Mulberry Tree receives more nourishment, so naturally, it will bear more fruit next time...”

”Wait,” Zhaang Ye interrupted. ”Are you saying that this Cyan Mulberry Tree needs to be nourished by human flesh and blood?”

Zhaang Wu nodded. ”This Cyan Mulberry Tree isn’t a Spirit Tree. It relies mainly on its roots. After a Martial Artist dies, their entire body’s Essence Qi and flesh are absorbed by the Cyan Mulberry Tree’s roots and converted into nutrients for the fruit. Every Gathering Flower Fruit competition is a killing contest. The victors take the fruit. The losers can only nourish the Cyan Mulberry Tree with their own flesh and blood...”

”HUFF!” Zhaang Ye sucked in a sharp breath. After a moment, he remembered something. ”When I entered the city, I saw a lot of Loose Cultivators in Cyan Mulberry City. Can those Loose Cultivators also participate in this Gathering Flower Fruit competition?”

Zhaang Wu gave a dark chuckle. ”Of course they can participate. This Cyan Mulberry Tree is enormous; it needs more flesh and blood to nourish it. Since these people have traveled thousands of miles to deliver their flesh and Essence Qi, why would we refuse them?”