Overlord of the Wilderness

Seeing that Zhaang Ye was unharmed, Zhaang Tianlong’s fighting spirit subsided significantly. He considered that the competition was still ongoing and now wasn’t the time for a fight to the death. He gave the Luo Family Elder a deep look and said, ”Elder Luo, as for you attacking a junior during the ranking competition, I will request adjudication. You’d best watch your step!”

Hearing Zhaang Tianlong mention ”request adjudication,” the Luo Family Elder’s expression changed dramatically. The faces of the Lee Family and Zhou Family Elders also shifted slightly.

The Zhou Family Elder gave a dry cough and said, ”Elder Zhaang, surely there’s no need for an adjudication. Elder Luo only acted impulsively after seeing Luo Changjie’s leg get broken. Besides, Zhaang Ye is fine. How about we have Elder Luo offer some compensation and just let this matter go?”

At the Zhou Family Elder’s words, the Luo Family Elder’s expression relaxed slightly. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he was extremely unwilling to face *that* person.

The Zhou Family Elder had stepped in to smooth things over, giving the Luo Family Elder an excuse and offering both sides a way to back down gracefully. But Zhaang Tianlong wasn’t buying it. He sneered, said nothing more, and leaped down from the Martial Arts Arena.

Seeing that Zhaang Tianlong had completely ignored his attempt to save face, the Luo Family Elder’s face turned deathly pale and extremely ugly. Even the Zhou Family Elder looked displeased.

Zhaang Ye watched from a distance and could clearly see a trace of terror mixed in with the Luo Family Elder’s ugly expression. He couldn’t help but wonder, ’With the Luo Family Elder’s status and strength, why would he be so terrified at the mere mention of an adjudication?’

”AHHH—” The Luo Family Elder let out a long cry, glaring resentfully at Zhaang Tianlong. His lips moved slightly, but no one knew what he was saying. Zhaang Tianlong chuckled to himself. The Luo Family Elder was using a marvelous Sound Transmission Secret Skill; only he and Zhaang Tianlong could hear the words being spoken. He was undoubtedly trying to negotiate terms.

The Luo Family Elder spoke for a while, and although no one knew what terms they agreed upon, Zhaang Tianlong finally gave a slight nod. Seeing this, the Luo Family Elder’s complexion improved considerably. Looking relieved, he returned to his seat.

Next, Zhaang Tianlong nodded slightly to the Elders of the Zhou and Lee Families, signaling for the competition to continue.

The clash between the Elders had little effect on the young experts. Youth is a time of passion, and with lavish prizes and great fame on the line, not a single one was willing to give up easily. The moment they stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena, they unleashed their ultimate techniques, determined to strike down their opponents.

The youths who had battled their way into the top ten were all masters in their own right, each possessing unique skills. Watching them fight on the Martial Arts Arena was a huge eye-opener for Zhaang Ye, and he benefited greatly from the experience.

Among them, Zhaang Yijian’s performance particularly caught Zhaang Ye’s eye.

Zhaang Yijian’s opponent was the Lee Family’s True Disciple, Lee Changfeng. Lee Changfeng was ranked seventh among the top ten young masters of Cyan Mulberry City, possessed a Cultivation at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer, and excelled in Body Techniques and fast Swordsmanship.

But in front of Zhaang Yijian, Lee Changfeng was completely unable to utilize his exceptionally fast Body Technique and swift sword. Zhaang Yijian unleashed a marvelous style of Swordsmanship that appeared incredibly slow—even more so when compared to Lee Changfeng’s. Yet, this sluggish-looking Swordsmanship possessed immense power. In just four strikes, Zhaang Yijian broke through Lee Changfeng’s fast sword, forcing him to admit defeat.

’I never imagined that slowness could overcome speed. The path of the Martial Dao is truly filled with endless mysteries.’ Zhaang Ye replayed Zhaang Yijian’s Swordsmanship in his mind again and again, increasingly feeling that the slow style contained infinite profundities.

Seeing Zhaang Ye’s pensive expression, Zhaang Tianlong smiled and said, ”Zhaang Yijian’s Swordsmanship is an exceptionally wondrous Combat Skill. When you begin to practice this Combat Skill, it has a total of eighty-one moves, and the sword strikes are very slow.

But as one’s comprehension of the Combat Skill deepens and one’s Cultivation advances, those eighty-one moves are gradually simplified, becoming seventy-two, then sixty-three, fifty-four, forty-five, thirty-six, twenty-seven, and finally eighteen, then nine. The speed of the sword strikes also gets progressively faster.

When this Combat Skill is cultivated to its limit, it can be condensed into a single move. The speed and power of this final move are incredible, transcending the realm of a Mid-Level Combat Skill to become a true Advanced Combat Skill. Zhaang Yijian has currently cultivated his Swordsmanship to the eighteen-move stage, but even so, he is already unmatched among his peers...”

Listening to Zhaang Tianlong’s explanation, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but sigh, ”What marvelous Swordsmanship!”

With Zhaang Yijian’s victory over Lee Changfeng, the top five of the Four Races’ young masters ranking competition had been decided. They were Zhaang Yijian, Luo Yongsheng, Lee Lie, Zhou Yuhe River, and Zhaang Ye. The relatively weaker contestants—Luo Changjie, Lee Changfeng, Zhou Chen Mountain, Luo Zheng, and Lee Zhong—were all eliminated.

Among these five, the Zhaang Family had surged from behind, with both Zhaang Yijian and Zhaang Ye now in the top five. Each of the other major families in Cyan Mulberry City had one representative remaining.

With the list of five finalized, the next stage would be a series of one-on-one battles to determine the final rankings. Unlike the previous rounds where matchups were set, these five would now compete in a round-robin tournament with rankings decided by points. Each of the five contestants would fight four matches. A win would earn two points, a draw would earn one point, and a loss would earn none.

After ten matches between the five contestants, the final rankings would be determined by their total points. The one with the most points would be first place, the next highest second, and so on. The contestant with the lowest score would, of course, be last.

...

On a mountain that soared into the sky, a sea of clouds gathered and dispersed, its transformations ever-changing. At the mountain’s peak, upon a rock that jutted far out, a Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His eyes were slightly open but held no color or emotion. He was like a stone statue, silently gazing at the sea of clouds below the summit.

The man stood at the very edge of the rock. Below his feet was a bottomless Abyss, and he was in constant danger of falling. But strangely, the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes simply stood there casually. No matter how fiercely the mountain winds blew, his figure remained as still as a rock, completely unmoving.

”Hee hee.” Suddenly, a light laugh echoed from the distant horizon.

Following the clear, bright laugh, a graceful and ethereal figure in purple suddenly appeared amidst the shifting sea of clouds. The figure skimmed across the surface of the clouds at an incredible speed, leaving a faint trail in its wake, much like the ripples left by a swift fish on the water’s surface.

The purple figure approached with extreme speed, crossing several miles in the blink of an eye. She then drifted gently, like a falling leaf, and landed beside the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes, revealing herself to be a woman also dressed in purple.

The woman in purple had an exquisite figure and a face of otherworldly beauty. Her long hair was skillfully coiled into an elegant double-bun style, giving her an appearance that seemed entirely removed from the mortal world.

When the woman in purple landed beside him, a flicker of life finally entered the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes’s eyes. ”Junior Sister,” he said, ”Master sent you out to temper yourself in the mortal world, guard the peace of your region, and discover and recommend talented youths from your province. We are in dire need of people. What are you doing here?”

The woman in purple giggled. ”I came especially to see you, Senior Brother. And, well, I heard the Gathering Flower Fruits in Cyan Mulberry City are about to ripen, so I thought I’d drop by and snack on a couple.”

A glint appeared in the man’s eyes. He shook his head and said, ”Nonsense. If Master finds out, we’ll both be punished. You should return to your assigned province.”

The woman laughed brightly. ”Senior Brother, don’t try to shoo me away. You should worry about your own task and hurry up and find ten talented youths. Hee hee, I’ll have you know, my province is brimming with talent. I already found ten youths with first-class talent and Comprehension over a month ago, completing my mission. You, on the other hand, are in a sorry state. I heard you’ve been searching for three or four years and still haven’t found ten. Time is almost up, Senior Brother. You aren’t planning to just grab a few random people to meet the quota, are you?”

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes frowned. ”Nonsense! As if I would grab random people to fill the quota. I’m still searching, am I not? I’ve heard there are some talented youths in Cyan Mulberry City, which isn’t far from here. I was just planning to go there for a look.”

The woman chuckled and shook her head. ”Senior Brother, I think you’ve grown muddled with desperation. Cyan Mulberry City is just a small town; the person with the highest Cultivation there is only at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer. In such a small place, I doubt you’d even find a fourteen-year-old who has reached the Martial Arts Fourth Layer. What kind of geniuses could possibly be there? Hee hee, how about this? I’ll lend you two of my geniuses to fill your quota. In return, you have to accompany me on a trip to the Barbaric Beast Mountain Range in ten years. How about it?”

The Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes’s gaze flickered for a moment, but he quickly shook his head. ”That won’t be necessary. I still have five cities left to visit. I’m sure I can find two or three geniuses among them. Enough. There may be a matter in Cyan Mulberry City that requires my adjudication. I won’t waste any more words on you. Go do whatever you want!”

With that, the Middle-aged Man in Purple Clothes stirred. He leaped from the top of the rock, plunging down into the bottomless Abyss, landing squarely on the sea of clouds. Without pausing, he strode across the clouds and flew off into the distance.

The woman in purple watched him go, muttering to herself, ”Senior Brother’s Cultivation is becoming more and more profound. It’s a shame he still can’t break through to the True Dao Realm. Such a pity.”

After muttering to herself, the woman giggled and called out, ”Senior Brother, wait for me! I’m going to Cyan Mulberry City to have a look, too! Hee hee, I can’t wait to see the look of disappointment on your face when you come back empty-handed!”

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)