Overlord of the Wilderness

On this snow-white Beast Hide were three large words: ”Gathering Flower Fruit.” Beneath them was a line of smaller text: ”When Nine-leaf Seven-branch Three-flower Grass is used in conjunction with a Gathering Flower Fruit, it can raise the talent of anyone below Sixth Grade by one grade. It has no effect on those with Sixth-Grade Talent or higher.”

’Damn it. I can’t believe this Nine-leaf Seven-branch Three-flower Grass needs to be paired with a Gathering Flower Fruit to achieve its greatest effect. This is going to be a problem...’ Zhaang Ye stared at the Beast Hide, feeling a wave of frustration.

Zhaang Ye had a fair bit of money on him now, but the problem was that the Gathering Flower Fruit wasn’t something money could buy. There was only one way to obtain it: participate in the Gathering Flower Fruit competition. The competition’s death rate was terrifyingly high. Confident as he was, Zhaang Ye didn’t dare enter such a contest lightly.

After thinking for a moment, Zhaang Ye took another blank Beast Hide and wrote on it: ”Besides a Gathering Flower Fruit, what other medicine can be paired with Nine-leaf Seven-branch Three-flower Grass to maximize its effects? What would the result be?”

Once he was done writing, Zhaang Ye stuffed the Beast Hide into the small hole.

A moment later, the old voice once again echoed from within the wall: ”The answer to this question will cost you three hundred taels of Gold.”

Zhaang Ye cursed the old man again in his heart. After rummaging around for a long time, he finally found three one-hundred-tael Golden Tickets and shoved them inside.

A moment later, a Beast Hide floated out. Zhaang Ye picked it up and saw four large words written on it: ”Blue Root Golden Thread Grass.” Beneath this line was a supplement: ”When paired with Nine-leaf Seven-branch Three-flower Grass, Blue Root Golden Thread Grass can also improve one’s talent. Its efficacy is about thirty percent of the combination with the Gathering Flower Fruit.”

’So using Blue Root Golden Thread Grass with the Nine-leaf Seven-branch Three-flower Grass only has thirty percent of the effect of using the Gathering Flower Fruit. In other words, it won’t even be able to raise my talent by half a grade...’ Zhaang Ye looked at the Beast Hide and couldn’t help but shake his head.

After leaving the Enlightenment Tower, Zhaang Ye walked and pondered. He was debating whether he should risk participating in the Gathering Flower Fruit competition to obtain the fruit.

’A Gathering Flower Fruit is a great treasure, but no matter how great it is, you have to be alive to enjoy it.’

’The Gathering Flower Fruit competition is exceptionally brutal. Of the thousand-plus participants, only a dozen or so manage to come out alive with a fruit. The mere thought of such a bloody battle is enough to make my skin crawl. I can only imagine how hard it would be to actually get one.’

’But if I let this chance slip by, the next opportunity to get a Gathering Flower Fruit won’t be for another three years.’ The thought made Zhaang Ye feel unwilling to give up.

After a moment of deliberation, Zhaang Ye finally reached a conclusion. ’I should only attempt what my abilities allow. There are still six months until the Gathering Flower Fruit competition. If, in that time, I can cultivate the Dragon Elephant Skill to the 5th Layer and also break through to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, then I’ll participate. Otherwise, if I can’t make a breakthrough, I’ll have to give up this chance and just cultivate honestly.’

With his course of action decided, Zhaang Ye knew exactly what he had to do. He went straight to an Elixir Pharmacy and had the Shopkeeper bring out a bottle of each of the elixirs he needed for his cultivation: Body Tempering Pills, Body Refining Pills, Calm Spirit Pills, Qi Blood Pills, Strong Tendon Pills, Iron Bone Pills, and Vital Organ Pills.

Seeing that all the elixirs Zhaang Ye requested were Mid-Level Elixirs, the Shopkeeper couldn’t help but ask, ”Young man, are you sure about this? These are all mid-level items. The cheapest, the Calm Spirit Pill, costs several hundred taels of Gold per pill. And the most expensive, the Vital Organ Pill and Strong Tendon Pill, go for twenty-five hundred Gold each. Can you really afford this?”

Zhaang Ye knew the Shopkeeper was questioning his ability to pay because he was just an Outer Disciple. He didn’t waste words, simply waving his hand and saying, ”Just tally up the price.”

The Shopkeeper was intimately familiar with his prices. He gave the elixirs a quick scan and said, ”A bottle of eighteen Mid-level Body Tempering Pills is thirty-six thousand taels. A bottle of eighteen Mid-level Body Refining Pills is twenty-seven thousand taels. A bottle of eighteen Mid-level Calm Spirit Pills is eighteen thousand taels. A bottle of eighteen Qi Blood Pills is twenty-seven thousand taels. A bottle of twenty Strong Tendon Pills is fifty thousand taels. A bottle of eighteen Iron Bone Pills is thirty-six thousand taels. A bottle of eighteen Vital Organ Pills is forty-five thousand taels.”

After listing the price for each bottle, the Shopkeeper quickly announced the total: ”Eight bottles of Mid-Level Elixirs. That will be a total of two hundred thirty-nine thousand taels of Gold.”

Even though Zhaang Ye knew Mid-Level Elixirs were expensive, he couldn’t help but sharply inhale. Purchasing these eight bottles would instantly shrink his entire fortune by a third.

Zhaang Ye paid the Gold, stowed the elixirs, and walked out.

Cultivation required not only elixirs but also a quiet and spacious place to practice. After a moment’s thought, Zhaang Ye headed straight for a large hall in the center of the Zhaang Family compound.

On the Wooden Token above the main entrance, two large words were carved: ”Steward Hall.” As its name suggested, the Steward Hall was where the Zhaang Family’s stewards managed clan affairs. If Zhaang Ye wanted to find a better place to cultivate, he had to go through them.

When Zhaang Ye first joined the Cyan Mulberry Zhaang Family, he had carefully read the scroll of family rules, so he knew what to do upon entering the Steward Hall. He glanced around before walking up to a steward and saying, ”I need to rent a private courtyard for my cultivation. Could you please arrange it for me?”

Without looking up, the steward said, ”If an Outer Disciple wants to rent a private courtyard, they need to have a cultivation at the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer at minimum. Have you reached the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer?”

Zhaang Ye nodded. ”I am already at the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer. I meet the requirements.”

The steward looked up. He glanced at Zhaang Ye, and his eyes flashed with surprise. Staring at the young man, he said, ”Hm! I remember you. You’re Zhaang Ye, right? Strange. Your talent isn’t good, so how did you cultivate to the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer so quickly?”

Zhaang Ye smiled. ”I just got lucky with my breakthrough.”

The steward shook his head. ”There is no luck on the Cultivation Dao. Your aura is deep and stable, showing no signs of being unconsolidated. Clearly, you’ve been at the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer for some time. You’re only fourteen this year, aren’t you? Heh, for someone with only Eighth-Grade Talent to reach the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer at fourteen... that’s truly incredible...”

Just then, a voice called from outside, ”What did you see, Wang, that has you muttering nonstop?”

Steward Wang chuckled. ”Old Bai, come in and take a look. I guarantee you’ll be surprised too.”

”Heh, making a big deal out of nothing. It’s just your weak disposition, Old Wang, getting surprised by every little thing. I’m the type who wouldn’t flinch if a mountain collapsed in front of me.” As he spoke, another steward strode into the hall.

When this Steward Bai saw Zhaang Ye, he froze for a moment. Then, a look of astonishment appeared in his eyes. ”I remember you. You’re Zhaang Ye, right? I remember you have excellent Comprehension; you subdued that Black Armor Fang Beast with a single Iron Bridge Stopping River Formation. Your Comprehension might be good, but I recall your talent being extremely poor. I can’t believe that with your talent, you managed to reach the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer in just a few short months.”

Steward Wang laughed. ”Old Bai, you really looked down on Zhaang Ye back then, didn’t you? Surprising, isn’t it? He’s already advanced to the Peak of Martial Arts Third Layer. Meanwhile, Zhaang Yuhu, Zhaang Dahong, and Zhaang Yang, who all started at the same time and received the family’s full support, still haven’t reached the Third Layer Peak!”

Seeing their reactions, Zhaang Ye knew that if he didn’t speak up, the stewards’ interest in him would only intensify. He cleared his throat and said, ”Stewards, by a stroke of luck, I once bathed in the Essence Blood of a Mid-level Fierce Beast. That’s why my cultivation speed is a little faster than others...”

”The Essence Blood of a Mid-level Fierce Beast!” Both stewards’ eyes lit up. Steward Wang smiled and said, ”You’re a lucky kid. The Essence Blood of a Mid-level Fierce Beast greatly accelerates cultivation speed without any side effects. No wonder you’re progressing so quickly after bathing in it.”

Zhaang Ye exchanged a few more words with the two stewards and then repeated his request, asking Steward Wang to handle the rental procedure.

The rental procedure for the courtyard was simple. He just had to select a courtyard, register, and finally, pay the annual rental fee of three thousand taels of Gold. With that, the matter was settled.

After Zhaang Ye left, Steward Bai suddenly spoke up. ”Something’s not right! When Zhaang Ye first joined, his cultivation was only at the Early Stage of Martial Arts Third Layer. Even if he bathed in the Essence Blood of a Mid-level Fierce Beast, it’s impossible to skip the Middle and Late Stages to reach the Peak in such a short amount of time. This Zhaang Ye... it seems he’s hiding some secrets.”

Steward Wang waved his hand dismissively. ”Who doesn’t have a secret or two? We shouldn’t pry. Personally, I hope we see a few more young people like him. It will only make our Zhaang Family stronger.”

Steward Bai nodded, his eyes flickering, his thoughts impossible to read.