Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye’s three ”Floating Clouds Leisurely” moves not only effortlessly neutralized Lee Lie’s bizarre strike, but also allowed him to launch a swift counterattack. His final explanation, ”Quick Blade Chest Slash,” made Lee Lie’s palms break out in a cold sweat and brought a sudden realization to the disciples watching from below the Martial Arts Arena. Even the four judges on the arena were visibly moved after hearing Zhaang Ye’s method for breaking the technique.

The Steward from the Lee Family was aghast. ’This Zhaang Ye... his Martial Dao Comprehension is incredible!’ he thought. ’That strike from Lee Lie was an incomplete move from an Ancient Saber Manual, and this was the first time he ever used it. I can’t believe this kid figured out how to break it just by looking at it once. With Zhaang Ye’s potential, if he’s given a bit more time to cultivate, he’ll definitely become another Zhaang Yijian. The entire Younger Generation will be suppressed by him, unable to even hold their heads high. He might even gain the attention of that person in Cyan Mulberry City and soar to the heavens...’

At this thought, a hint of killing intent crept into the Lee Family Steward’s eyes. At that moment, the Stewards from the Luo and Zhou Families clearly had the same idea, a cold glint appearing in both their gazes. As the three of them stared at Zhaang Ye, they suddenly noticed a middle-aged man in black had appeared beside him—it was the Zhaang Family’s Fifth Elder, Zhaang Tianlong.

Zhaang Tianlong’s Cultivation was profound. The moment the Stewards from the Lee, Luo, and Zhou Families glanced over, he sensed their gazes. He turned, shot a look at the three Stewards, and gave a cold smile. His gaze was so sharp it seemed to pierce right through them, and his smile was frigid and held a hint of brutality. It made the three Stewards’ hearts pound, and their faces instantly turned deathly pale.

After making the three Stewards turn pale with a single glance, Zhaang Tianlong looked at Zhaang Ye, a strange light in his eyes, and said, ”Your Comprehension of the Martial Dao is not bad. Very good, very good.”

Having said this one cryptic remark, Zhaang Tianlong turned and left.

Zhaang Ye shook his head, intending to check on the other matches, but then he discovered they had also ended. Only four people from the Zhaang Family had emerged from the group stage to enter the top twenty: Zhaang Yijian, Zhaang Ye, Zhaang Ying, and Zhaang Yizhi. Zhaang Yang and Dong Wanqiu had both been defeated in the last round of battles, losing their chance to advance to the top twenty.

After the second round of competition, the number of people from each family who had advanced to the top twenty was announced. The Lee Family had six disciples who advanced to the top twenty. The Luo and Zhou Families each had five. In comparison, the Zhaang Family’s four qualifiers seemed rather pathetic.

Having performed poorly in the competition, the Zhaang Family disciples all looked dejected. Their gazes shifted evasively when they looked at Zhaang Tianlong. However, Fifth Elder Zhaang Tianlong seemed to be in a good mood. He didn’t say much, just waved his hand and announced, ”Today’s two rounds are over. As is tradition, we’ll return to Cyan Mulberry City tonight. Tomorrow, the four of you—Zhaang Yijian, Zhaang Ye, Zhaang Ying, and Zhaang Yizhi—will come back to Huiwu Mountain for the third round to determine the top ten. Let’s go. We’re heading back to Cyan Mulberry City for now.”

「That night.」

Zhaang Ye sat cross-legged on a stone in his small courtyard, silently replaying the day’s battles in his mind. The moon reached the center of the sky, its clear light bathing the ground. Suddenly, a figure appeared noiselessly in the courtyard.

Startled, Zhaang Ye drew his Thick-Backed Saber. Only after getting a clear look at the visitor did he breathe a sigh of relief. The person who had appeared so silently in his courtyard was none other than Fifth Elder Zhaang Tianlong.

Zhaang Ye was a little puzzled. He stepped forward, bowed, and said, ”May I ask what brings you here, Fifth Elder?”

Zhaang Tianlong didn’t answer. He flew down and landed next to Zhaang Ye, and without a word, extended a finger and began to carve into the stone. Although the stone Zhaang Ye had been sitting on wasn’t as hard as the Memorial Stone, it was still remarkably tough. Yet under Zhaang Tianlong’s finger, this solid rock was like a block of clay. His finger glided across the hard surface, relaxed and natural, without the slightest hint of strain.

After carving for a while, Zhaang Tianlong turned his gaze to Zhaang Ye and said, ”Zhaang Ye, I have carved a Combat Skill onto this stone. Examine it carefully and see if you can break it. Remember, I want you to see through the mysteries contained within the Combat Skill and break it, not just block it with brute force.”

Though puzzled, Zhaang Ye didn’t ask any questions and simply looked down at the stone by the light of the moon.

Under the moonlight, the Combat Skill Zhaang Tianlong had carved on the stone was clearly visible. Zhaang Ye took one look and was immediately captivated.

What Zhaang Tianlong had carved on the stone were just three human figures and several dozen lines of mnemonic rhymes. Each of the three figures held a Long Sword, angled obliquely and thrusting backward at a peculiar angle. The three figures perfectly depicted the process from raising the sword to making the strike, and they looked incredibly vivid.

The three figures, combined with the dozens of mnemonic rhymes below them, formed a marvelous Combat Skill. Zhaang Ye found himself lost in it without realizing. His eyes were glued to the three figures, his hands slowly beginning to trace the movements.

Seeing Zhaang Ye so completely absorbed, Zhaang Tianlong nodded slightly, a gratified expression on his face. He muttered to himself, ”This is a rather profound Mid-Level Combat Skill. For someone at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer, it’s a bit advanced. I hope he can break it within two Hours.”

As Zhaang Tianlong muttered this, just as he was about to find a spot to sit cross-legged and wait, he suddenly saw Zhaang Ye stop tracing the movements, his eyes regaining their clarity.

Seeing this change in Zhaang Ye, Zhaang Tianlong frowned. ’The Combat Skill I carved, although only a Mid-Level Combat Skill, contains all sorts of profound Transformations. Even with the mnemonic rhymes and the images, these Transformations are not easily perceived, let alone broken. Zhaang Ye only looked at it for less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn before he stopped his movements. Could it be that he doesn’t understand this Combat Skill at all?’

Zhaang Tianlong said in a deep voice, ”Zhaang Ye, do you understand this Combat Skill?”

Zhaang Ye nodded and said in amazement, ”Fifth Elder, this Combat Skill is quite wondrous. What is its origin?”

Zhaang Tianlong didn’t answer and asked again, ”Then have you broken the Combat Skill?”

Zhaang Ye chuckled and said, ”This Combat Skill is wondrous, but breaking it isn’t too difficult...”

”Hmm?” Hearing Zhaang Ye claim he had already broken the Combat Skill, a look of astonishment appeared in Zhaang Tianlong’s eyes. ’Even Zhaang Yijian, a master of Swordsmanship, took over an Hour to break this Combat Skill I carved. Zhaang Ye’s Cultivation is inferior to Zhaang Yijian’s, and he doesn’t even use a sword. Just being able to see through the Transformations of this Combat Skill in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn is already incredible. How could he possibly break it in such a short time?’

Zhaang Tianlong said no more. He suddenly formed a sword with his fingers and, without a sound, thrust at Zhaang Ye. He was using the very same Combat Skill carved on the stone!

Zhaang Tianlong’s thrust contained a profound mystery. Countless pockets of air shattered under its force, emitting all sorts of strange noises. Then, through the wondrous application of the Combat Skill, these shattered fragments of Qi Force formed a wall around Zhaang Ye, making it impossible for him to dodge. It was truly marvelous.

Although Zhaang Tianlong used his fingers as a sword, its power was no weaker than that of a Long Sword. Zhaang Ye had no time to think. His body twisted with extreme subtlety, neutralizing a small portion of the ambient Qi Force with a Power-Borrowing Technique. At the same time, he formed a Palm Blade with one hand and chopped down.

This chop seemed casual, yet it perfectly interrupted the subsequent Transformations of Zhaang Tianlong’s Combat Skill. With that single chop, Zhaang Ye instantly broke Zhaang Tianlong’s move, forcing him to withdraw his sword-fingers.

”Good, good!” With his Combat Skill broken by Zhaang Ye, a look of delight appeared in Zhaang Tianlong’s eyes. He said, ”You broke that very well. Do you know, even Zhaang Yijian took a full Hour to break that Combat Skill. The fact that you could break it in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn proves that your Comprehension is far superior to Zhaang Yijian’s.”

Zhaang Ye paused for a moment before finally being unable to contain his curiosity. He asked, ”Fifth Elder, you came here in the middle of the night to carve a Combat Skill for me to break. What is all this about?”

Zhaang Tianlong chuckled and said, ”You don’t need to know for now. In any case, it’s not a bad thing. Alright, now continue and break this next Combat Skill for me.” As he spoke, he carved another Mid-Level Combat Skill onto the stone.

This Combat Skill was a Palm Technique. Zhaang Ye examined it closely and discovered that when this Palm Technique was executed, both palms, driven by True Qi, could repeatedly stack their power, unleashing immense might with each strike. Combined with the various Transformations within the Palm Technique, it could not only be used to attack an opponent but could also, through its clever application, form a True Qi Wall in front of the user to block enemy attacks.

Once again, Zhaang Ye took only the time it takes an incense stick to burn to break the Combat Skill. Zhaang Tianlong tested him, and a look of absolute shock appeared in his eyes. Zhaang Ye’s performance was far beyond his wildest expectations.

Seeing Zhaang Ye break two Combat Skills in a row, Zhaang Tianlong then presented five more in succession for Zhaang Ye to break. Without exception, Zhaang Ye was able to break each and every one within the time it took an incense stick to burn.

”Very good, very good.” The joyful surprise in Zhaang Tianlong’s eyes grew more intense. He said, ”Zhaang Ye, your ability to break all these Combat Skills proves that your Comprehension of the Martial Dao is far beyond that of an ordinary person. You’re even more outstanding than I imagined.”

Zhaang Tianlong clapped Zhaang Ye on the shoulder and instructed, ”In tomorrow’s competition, your opponents will be elites among the True Disciples of the various families, perhaps even one of the top ten masters of the Younger Generation. I want you to go all out and defeat them one by one! If you have the ability, it would be best to defeat them within two or three moves! Do you understand?”

Zhaang Ye was confused and opened his mouth to ask, but Zhaang Tianlong waved his arm, his expression turning somewhat grave as he said, ”Don’t overthink it. Remember, this is an opportunity for you, and it’s also an opportunity for our Zhaang Family. You just need to perform your best.” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)