Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye returned to his small courtyard. Thinking about how he had just flaunted his Cloud Stepping Technique, he couldn’t help but chuckle and shake his head. ’My temperament still isn’t steady enough,’ he mused. ’But those two were hostile toward me. It’s not a bad thing to show a little strength to intimidate them.’

As his thoughts returned to the Cloud Stepping Technique, a hint of delight appeared on Zhaang Ye’s face.

The Cloud Stepping Technique was a Body Technique that was perfectly suited for Zhaang Ye. Relying on his Comprehension, he had already grasped sixty percent of its mysteries in a short time. He was confident it wouldn’t take him long to master the remaining forty percent.

Moreover, the Instructor Elder had mentioned that one could use the explosive power of muscles and bones to implement Borrowing Power and Unloading Power, which would rapidly advance one’s Cultivation of the Cloud Stepping Technique. This left Zhaang Ye overjoyed.

Although Zhaang Ye’s Cultivation was only at the Fourth Layer, his Body Refining Technique, the Dragon Elephant Skill, had already reached the 5th Layer. His physical body was far more outstanding than his Cultivation level.

Zhaang Ye only needed to fully comprehend the Cloud Stepping Technique. Then, by relying on his Dragon Elephant Skill to execute the techniques of Borrowing Power and Unloading Power, he could bring his Cloud Stepping Technique to the Great Success Realm!

The process wouldn’t take long. Zhaang Ye estimated that if everything went smoothly, he would only need two months.

’The mysteries of the Martial Dao are all connected; to understand one is to understand them all. The more one studies, the more one knows, and the greater the advantage one has in Cultivation. Those who just bury their heads in bitter training, no matter how skilled they become, will only ever be experts. They can never become a Grandmaster.’ A faint smile touched Zhaang Ye’s lips as he felt a secret gratitude for that mysterious and unfathomable book, the *Tao Te Ching*.

It was precisely because of this scripture, which pointed directly to the Great Dao, that Zhaang Ye could view the world with such detachment. It was what allowed him to rely on his own Comprehension to explore the mysteries of the Martial Dao, to walk ahead of the other youths of his generation, and to leave them further and further behind.

Night fell, and two moons hung high in the sky.

Moonlight cast a clear glow over the small courtyard. The gently swaying bamboo leaves and the fresh scent of bamboo created an indescribably tranquil and pleasant atmosphere. At this moment, Zhaang Ye was half-reclined in the courtyard, gazing thoughtfully at a colorful cloud in the sky as he silently contemplated the mysteries of the Cloud Stepping Technique.

The sun and moon cross the heavens; the rivers and streams traverse the earth.

Flowers bloom and wilt; clouds gather and disperse.

These things seemed ordinary, but they held great principles within them. The Cloud Stepping Technique Zhaang Ye was contemplating was a Body Technique created based on the flowing clouds in the high heavens. It captured the Realm of clouds ”coming and going without attachment.” Zhaang Ye now took the clouds as his teacher, silently observing their gathering and scattering across the sky. Unconsciously, he reached a new level of understanding.

RUSTLE.

The sound of a bamboo leaf falling to the ground came from several dozen feet away.

The sound was minuscule, but Zhaang Ye’s heart jolted when he heard it. A thought flashed through his mind like lightning: ’That’s not right. That wasn’t the sound of a bamboo leaf falling! Bamboo leaves are light and thin. After they land, they usually roll or slide for a short distance. This sound, while it initially seemed like a falling leaf, was actually short and muffled if you listened closely. That faint sound was made by an expert landing!’

As this analysis flashed through Zhaang Ye’s mind, his body remained silent. He suddenly gave a light roll on the ground and floated away like a wisp of cloud.

This floating movement was precisely the Borrowing Power method from the Cloud Stepping Technique. His posture was elegant and unhurried, yet his speed was astonishingly fast, making it seem as if he had vanished on the spot.

HISS— The instant Zhaang Ye floated away, a sharp wave of True Qi slashed through the spot where he had been lying, carving a deep gash into the hard ground.

”Hm?”

The newcomer let out a soft sound of surprise, seemingly shocked that Zhaang Ye had detected his presence. After that soft exclamation, a strange sound of something slicing through the air shot straight toward Zhaang Ye.

An inexplicable sense of danger came from behind him. It felt as if a venomous snake was silently stalking him, ready to take his life at any moment.

Zhaang Ye understood what this feeling meant: the opponent was silently pursuing him from behind. For them to keep up with him while he was using the Cloud Stepping Technique meant they were an absolute expert. If he couldn’t change the situation, he would die at their hands without even seeing their shadow.

Though Zhaang Ye was young, he was already a veteran of a hundred battles. Despite the danger, he wasn’t the least bit flustered. He suddenly rolled twice on the ground, and the Thick-Backed Saber on his back appeared silently in his hand. He then unleashed a lightning-fast slash behind him.

For this slash, Zhaang Ye used one hundred and twenty percent of his True Qi, executing the Combat Skill Reverse Flow Slash. The moment the saber left his hand, it erupted in a brilliant white light that even dimmed the moonlight in the sky.

PING!

Almost as soon as Zhaang Ye’s saber slashed out, it struck a bamboo branch the size of a thumb. This slender branch contained an immense power; when Zhaang Ye’s Thick-Backed Saber struck it, the impact sent a slight numbness through his wrist. However, Zhaang Ye’s physical strength was extraordinary. Feeling his Saber Force blocked, he pressed down, and the Thick-Backed Saber instantly sliced the bamboo branch in two.

”Hah!”

The one wielding the bamboo branch was a man dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and a black mask. Seeing the bamboo branch in his hand snapped by Zhaang Ye, the man couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment.

Zhaang Ye had just managed to turn the tables. He couldn’t be bothered with the opponent’s reaction. With a flourish of his Thick-Backed Saber, he unleashed another Reverse Flow Slash at the black-clad figure.

It was another Reverse Flow Slash, again powered by one hundred and twenty percent of his True Qi. But this time, Zhaang Ye was attacking head-on, so he incorporated Rotating Power into the slash. The strike actually stirred up tiny tornadoes.

The black-clad man hadn’t expected Zhaang Ye’s Saber Force to be so ferocious. Even with his power, he didn’t dare block it empty-handed. His figure flickered, and by a hair’s breadth, he dodged Zhaang Ye’s slash.

Seeing the man dodge, Zhaang Ye rejoiced inwardly. His Reverse Flow Slash wasn’t afraid of being dodged. No matter how fast his opponent’s Body Technique was, it couldn’t be faster than the Thick-Backed Saber in his hand.

Unfurling his Saber Force again, Zhaang Ye instantly delivered a dozen more slashes. Each one carried that bizarre Rotating Power, and each one was filled with rampant Saber Qi, making them seem unstoppable. But the black-clad man’s strength far exceeded Zhaang Ye’s expectations. He executed a wondrous Body Technique, weaving and dodging miraculously within the light of Zhaang Ye’s saber. Even with a Saber Technique as fast as lightning, Zhaang Ye couldn’t land a single hit!

’Damn it, that’s a Mid-Level Body Technique cultivated to the Great Success Realm! My Body Technique is inferior to his; I really can’t hit him!’ Zhaang Ye was horrified. ’This person is so powerful. To defeat him, I’ll have to use the Dragon Elephant Skill and force him into a life-or-death struggle. Otherwise, I don’t stand a chance!’

While Zhaang Ye was reeling in shock, the black-clad man’s exposed eyes were also filled with amazement. He had come tonight to test Zhaang Ye’s strength, originally thinking that Zhaang Ye was at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer Late Stage at most. He never expected that not only was Zhaang Ye’s Saber Technique incredibly sharp, but each slash also carried immense, vigorous power, forcing him to dodge with his Body Technique instead of blocking head-on.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH— Zhaang Ye continuously slashed out, silently calculating the black-clad man’s evasion patterns. After another dozen or so strikes, Zhaang Ye had started to get a feel for his opponent’s Body Technique. Just as he was about to take a risk, unleash his Dragon Elephant Skill, and kill this terrifyingly powerful man, he saw the man flick his wrist. The remaining half of the bamboo branch in his hand suddenly shattered into dozens of pieces that shot toward Zhaang Ye.

Zhaang Ye’s Saber Force shifted slightly, shredding all the bamboo splinters to pieces. By this time, the black-clad man had already flown far away, disappearing like a ghost into the depths of the bamboo forest.

’What a powerful guy!’ Zhaang Ye thought, frustrated after the bizarre fight. ’Damn it, what kind of security is the Zhaang Family running? How could they not know that an expert like this has snuck in?’

***********

The black-clad man sped out of the bamboo forest and ripped off his mask, revealing his true face. If Zhaang Ye had been there, he would have immediately recognized this terrifyingly powerful man as Steward Bai.

Without stopping, Steward Bai headed toward the back mountain and soon arrived in front of a cave.

Just as Steward Bai reached the cave entrance, a voice from inside asked, ”How did it go? Did you test his true strength?”

”I did. His true strength should be at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer.” A trace of disbelief still lingered on Steward Bai’s face as he recounted the events. ”His Saber Technique has been cultivated to the Great Success Realm and is exceptionally sharp. Moreover, his blade carries a vigorous power. Even with my strength at the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Middle Stage, I didn’t dare to clash with him head-on. If I hadn’t experienced it myself, I would never believe he’s only fourteen years old.”

”Martial Arts Fifth Layer! This little fellow has had quite a fortuitous encounter,” the person in the cave sighed. ”Among the Inner Sect Disciples, the one ranked ninth has been missing for a while, hasn’t he?”

Steward Bai nodded and said, ”The Four Races’ Young Experts Ranking Tournament is coming up soon. Since there’s still no news of him, he’s most likely dead. Your meaning is?”

The person in the cave said, ”For the Four Races’ Young Experts Ranking Tournament, each family must send twenty people. Our Zhaang Family has seven True Disciples, plus the top thirteen Inner Sect Disciples by strength, which makes exactly twenty. Now that the ninth-ranked Inner Sect Disciple is dead, let Zhaang Ye take his place. Hehe, Zhaang Ye is a bit young. Sending him into the fray might have the effect of a surprise weapon.”

A look of realization dawned on Steward Bai. ”This subordinate understands. I will arrange it at once...”

(Thank you to the following readers for the tips: lmxy, You Ai Tian Xia, Feng@Chuanren, Night’s End - Sea, and Tiantang Niaomao. Thank you to Kunlun Beggar King for the update ticket. Thank you to all the readers who recommended and added this book to their collection. Thank you all!)