Overlord of the Wilderness

The Instructor Elder’s lecture focused precisely on the content that had been removed from the secret manual. Zhaang Ye and the other two knew that this was the key to cultivating the Cloud Stepping Technique, so they closed their eyes and listened with their full attention.

Before advancing to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, Zhu Nulang had already cultivated an incomplete Mid-Level Body Technique. With this foundation, he immediately grasped twenty percent of the Instructor Elder’s lecture on the spot. The other eighty percent, he committed firmly to memory.

Before reaching the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, Zhaang Tianming had mainly focused on swordsmanship and hadn’t cultivated any Mid-Level Body Technique. However, he had outstanding natural talent and good comprehension. While firmly memorizing the Instructor Elder’s lecture, he also grasped a little over twenty percent on the spot. When he heard the more profound parts, his head even started to bob along with the explanation.

While Zhu Nulang and Zhaang Tianming had gained some insight, Zhaang Ye’s understanding was far greater. The cultivation of the Cloud Stepping Technique primarily hinged on four key principles: qi-lifting, body-lightening, Borrowing Power, and Unloading Power. Zhaang Ye had long ago cultivated the Startled Swan Step to the Great Success Realm. After that, he had also come into contact with the Zhou Family’s secret manual, *Lingbo Triple Extremes*, and the Luo Family’s secret manual, the *Little Luo Step Method*. He was quite well-researched on the qi-lifting and body-lightening methods of Mid-Level Body Techniques.

Furthermore, back in the Mammoth Cemetery, while frantically hacking at that Light Curtain, Zhaang Ye had gained a preliminary understanding of some Force-Dissipating Techniques. With all these factors combined, Zhaang Ye comprehended forty to fifty percent of the Instructor Elder’s lecture right there and then.

”Alright. That is all for the explanation. You may now ask any questions you have. Remember, each person may only ask one question.” After explaining the Cultivation Technique for the Cloud Stepping Technique twice, the Instructor Elder said this and immediately returned to his state of seated meditation with his eyes closed.

Zhu Nulang was full of questions. Hearing that he could ask one, he immediately jumped in with a question about how to circulate True Qi.

After the Instructor Elder answered Zhu Nulang’s question, Zhaang Tianming also posed his own. ”Is there any shortcut to mastering the Cloud Stepping Technique?”

The Instructor Elder spoke slowly, ”To cultivate the Cloud Stepping Technique to the Great Success Realm, you must be able to channel your True Qi to your fingertips, toes, shoulders, knees, back, head, and even your buttocks. This will allow you to borrow and unload power using any part of your body. There are three ways to achieve this. First, cultivate your True Qi until it is incomparably pure and you can control it at will. Second, consume Elixirs to undergo a Washing of the Marrow, which will clear all the Meridians in your body so that True Qi can flow anywhere. Third, practice Body Refining Techniques, which will allow you to use the explosive power of your muscles and bones to borrow and unload power.

”Of these three methods, the first is the most stable. The second is the fastest, but while it is fast, the amount of gold spent on Elixirs for cultivation will be in the millions of taels. As for the third method, it may seem easy, but it is actually the most difficult. This is because Martial Artists who cultivate True Qi rarely practice Body Refining Techniques. Trying to cultivate both at the same time often means you will not master either.”

”Millions of taels of gold!” Zhaang Tianming couldn’t help but jump in shock when he heard the cost of cultivating with Elixirs. He wanted to ask more, but the Instructor Elder was already ignoring him.

Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment before speaking. ”From what I know, Rotating Power can easily be used to borrow and unload power. If one could make the True Qi inside the body rotate, Borrowing Power and Unloading Power would become even easier. Elder, may I ask how one can make the True Qi in the Meridians rotate? Or, how can one make True Qi rotate upon its detachment from the body?”

’Make True Qi rotate? What a ridiculous fantasy.’ With the Instructor Elder present, Zhaang Tianming didn’t dare say it out loud, but his eyes were filled with scorn.

Zhu Nulang also had a look of disapproval. In his view, one only needed to cultivate honestly. Someone like Zhaang Ye, who was trying to apply such strange ideas to True Qi, was showing signs of succumbing to cultivation deviation.

Hearing Zhaang Ye’s question, the Instructor Elder’s dull, yellowed eyes suddenly shot out a startling light. He stared at Zhaang Ye for a long while before finally speaking slowly, ”Zhaang Ye, your Cultivation is only at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer. This question is beyond your current scope of ability. You should ask a different one.”

Zhaang Ye shook his head slightly. ”This is the only question I want to ask.”

The Instructor Elder pondered for a moment. ”How to make True Qi rotate within the Meridians involves a great many things. You could only learn its secrets by finding a corresponding Martial Arts Technique. However, such a unique Martial Arts Technique would be, at the very least, a High-Level one. Even if you were to have a once-in-ten-thousand-years opportunity and obtain such a Cultivation Technique, you would be unable to practice it with your current Cultivation.

”Making True Qi rotate after it has left your body is relatively easier. As long as your True Qi is sufficiently powerful and pure, you can use certain skills to control the detached True Qi. However, this method consumes a great deal of True Qi. And even if you make it rotate, your strength won’t see a significant increase, unless... you have another way of utilizing Rotating Power...”

Zhaang Ye listened in silence, then bowed to the Instructor Elder before sitting down.

”Alright, the lecture is now over. Remember, you must not leak a single word of what I have explained today, and you absolutely must not privately teach the Cloud Stepping Technique to others. Otherwise, the family will charge you with the crime of betraying the family and will use its full power to hunt you down and kill you. Do you understand?” As the Instructor Elder spoke these last few sentences, his killing intent was overwhelming.

”Understood!” Zhaang Ye, Zhaang Tianming, and Zhu Nulang responded in unison.

The Instructor Elder nodded slightly. The three of them only heard a slight whisper of wind in the instruction hall. When they looked again, the Instructor Elder’s figure had already vanished, his whereabouts unknown.

”Heh, I should get going too.” Zhu Nulang stretched, stood up, and took a step toward the hall’s exit. His step was quite profound. It looked like a small step, but in a single stride, he covered a distance of several zhang, appearing quite stylish and at ease.

This wondrous step was a footwork technique from the Cloud Stepping Technique. Zhu Nulang’s comprehension was good, and coupled with his experience cultivating a Mid-Level Body Technique, his understanding of the Cloud Stepping Technique had reached a little over twenty percent. That was why he could execute such a marvelous step.

”Hmph!” Seeing Zhu Nulang show off his body technique, Zhaang Tianming snorted with disdain. He also stood up and took a similar step forward. Zhaang Tianming’s comprehension was even greater than Zhu Nulang’s. The Cloud Stepping Technique he executed was in no way inferior; in fact, it was even more stylish, more effortless, and covered a greater distance.

Zhu Nulang and Zhaang Tianming reached the entrance of the hall and stopped at the same time. After exchanging a glance, Zhu Nulang suddenly laughed out loud and said to Zhaang Ye, ”Zhaang Ye, how much did you comprehend? Why don’t you show us and broaden our horizons?”

Zhaang Ye gave a slight smile and said, ”Since you want to see, then I’ll be happy to broaden your horizons.” His tone was completely devoid of politeness or humility.

Zhu Nulang and Zhaang Tianming both sneered. They refused to believe that Zhaang Ye could have comprehended more than they had.

But before their sneers could fade, they froze on their faces—

Zhaang Ye, still sitting cross-legged on the floor, simply flicked his sleeve, brushing it against the ground. Using the force from that single flick, his entire body instantly seemed to float up like a cloud. He transformed into a wisp of green cloud, gliding just above the ground. In the blink of an eye, he had drifted to the doorway. With a WHOOSH, he floated past the two of them, his posture ten times more stylish, ten times more effortless, and ten times faster than their steps had been.

”Th-this...” Zhu Nulang only came to his senses a long while after Zhaang Ye’s figure had vanished. He said in astonishment, ”From start to finish, Zhaang Ye’s feet never touched the ground. Could it be... that during that lecture, he actually grasped the methods of Borrowing Power and Unloading Power from the Cloud Stepping Technique? How is that possible?”

Zhaang Tianming said nothing, walking out in a daze. Zhaang Ye’s performance just now had far exceeded his imagination, dealing him a heavy blow. At this moment, he no longer had any interest in displaying the Cloud Stepping Technique, or even in speaking.

(A big thank you to readers Heise Jimo, Huang Miao, and Xihuan Mini for the tips! Man, Huang Miao even threw in seventeen update tickets—that’s just savage, totally savage... Too bad I can’t meet the bonus Chapter goal... *sob*... Hmm, not time to cry just yet. I also have to thank all the readers who voted with their Recommendation Tickets. Thank you all. Okay, now I can cry. WAAAAH...)