Overlord of the Wilderness

Python Marsh was located south of Zhen Dian Mountain, over 1,300,000 li away.

Zhaang Ye’s Cloud Stepping Technique had long since reached the Great Success Realm. He could cover over twenty thousand li in a single day, his speed surpassing the wind. In just over ten days, Zhaang Ye had already crossed two prefectures, traveling more than two hundred thousand li.

On this day, Zhaang Ye arrived at a vast grassland.

On this endless grassland, lush green grass and flowers were everywhere, and every gust of wind carried the breath of life. All sorts of beasts came and went in the waist-high grass, and now and then, a giant goshawk would soar across the deep blue sky. Gazing upon this primordial scenery, Zhaang Ye felt his spirit soar, and a faint sense of enlightenment blossomed deep in his heart.

After crossing the grassland, Zhaang Ye came to a small town.

This small town was called Jiuqu Town and didn’t have a large permanent population. But because it was situated on the edge of the grassland, Trade Teams and adventurers often passed through, making it seem unusually bustling. The town’s taverns and inns were also exceptionally prosperous.

Upon arriving in Jiuqu Town, Zhaang Ye bought a few things. Then he rented a room at the largest inn in town, planning to get a good night’s rest before continuing his journey the next day.

Zhaang Ye had only been in Jiuqu Town for a short time, but he had already caught the attention of a shifty-looking middle-aged man.

This shifty-looking middle-aged man watched Zhaang Ye’s receding figure and muttered, ”Sixteen or seventeen years old, green clothes, uses a black saber as a weapon. Could this kid be the target the family wants us to look out for? I’m rich, I’m rich, I’ve struck it rich this time...”

This shifty middle-aged man was a Steward of the Jiang Family. He had received a notice from his family to keep an eye out for a young man of sixteen or seventeen. If he found this youth and reported his whereabouts to the family, he would receive a handsome reward.

Since receiving the family’s notice five days ago, the shifty middle-aged man had been constantly on the lookout. Now, his hard work had finally paid off; he had finally found the family’s target.

’Kid, now that I’ve spotted you, you’re definitely not getting out of my sight! That family reward is as good as mine!’ A flicker of excitement showed in the shifty middle-aged man’s eyes as he stealthily disappeared into the crowd.

After spending the night in Jiuqu Town, Zhaang Ye set off again the next day.

He had been traveling for just over an Hour when Zhaang Ye felt something was wrong. He had the faint sensation of being watched, but when he carefully looked around, he saw nothing.

Zhaang Ye’s Soul Power was formidable; he could sense even the slightest trace of killing intent. When he was fully focused, he could even detect a single gaze falling upon him. Now that he had the feeling of being followed, he was certain he was being tailed!

Zhaang Ye was instantly on high alert. He quietly picked up his pace, and as he passed through a patch of trees, he suddenly concealed his aura and hid behind a tree that was as thick as a person’s embrace.

The trunk of this particular tree was bluish-green, and with Zhaang Ye hidden behind it, he was impossible to spot without looking very closely.

Just as Zhaang Ye got into position, he heard a faint sound of something cutting through the air in the distance. It was the characteristic sound a Martial Artist made when using a Body Technique to break through the air.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Two figures approached from afar, swept past the tree Zhaang Ye was hiding behind, and disappeared into the distance.

Zhaang Ye squinted, watching them disappear. ’Both of them have the strength of the Early-stage Sixth Layer of Martial Arts,’ he thought. ’Their Body Techniques are almost as good as mine; no wonder I couldn’t detect them. But where are they from, and why are they following me?’

Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment and was about to continue on his way when he suddenly heard the sound of rushing wind up ahead again. The two men had actually turned back and come to a stop about twenty zhang away from him.

Of the two, the older one was the shifty-looking middle-aged man. The younger one was a youth dressed entirely in black with a gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

The two men stood still in the woods and searched their surroundings. A hint of confusion appeared on the young man’s face as he said in a low voice, ”Strange, how did that kid suddenly disappear?”

The middle-aged man said gravely, ”He can’t have gone far. Let’s search this forest. All we need to do is keep an eye on him until Second Steward and Fifth Elder arrive.”

The young man nodded slightly and said, ”Second Steward is a master of Body Techniques. He set out overnight as soon as he got the message, so he should be here soon. He has the strength of the Mid-stage Seventh Layer of Martial Arts, so killing this kid won’t be difficult. And Fifth Elder is even stronger, at the Mid-stage Eighth Layer of Martial Arts. He could crush this kid with a single finger.”

The middle-aged man said grimly, ”Enough nonsense. Let’s start looking.”

Hiding behind the tree, Zhaang Ye felt a powerful killing intent surge within him as he heard their words. He didn’t know who they were, but regardless of their background, if they meant him harm, they couldn’t blame him for being ruthless!

Zhaang Ye would never spare those who wanted to kill him!

SWISH!

Zhaang Ye suddenly took a single step, crossing over twenty zhang of space, and slashed his Heavy Saber toward the two men from afar.

These two were roughly at the Early-stage Sixth Layer of Martial Arts. Zhaang Ye no longer considered such opponents a threat. If he wanted to kill them, he would simply strike, without needing to overthink it.

FWOOM!

As Zhaang Ye’s Heavy Saber slashed out, a terrifying Tornado materialized from the void and descended upon the two men.

”Ah!”

The two men were experts in their own right. The moment Zhaang Ye’s Tornado appeared, they had already reacted. With a great roar, they didn’t retreat but instead advanced, lunging toward Zhaang Ye.

The strength Zhaang Ye revealed on the surface was only that of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer. Although the two men knew he practiced Body Refining Techniques, they didn’t think he could be that powerful. Thus, upon seeing Zhaang Ye, they both chose to attack simultaneously.

RUMBLE!

Just as the two men began to move, the Tornado fully formed and pressed down with lightning speed, directly blocking their path!

’What is this?’ Both men were shocked to see the suddenly appearing Tornado and reflexively threw out a palm strike.

Martial Artists at the Martial Arts Sixth Layer were masters of controlling Qi Force. As they struck out with their palms, two Air Walls instantly materialized and pressed down on the Tornado.

BOOM! BOOM!

Under the pressure from the two men, the Tornado instantly vanished.

But being hindered by the Tornado, the two men slowed for a split second. In that moment, a black saber light suddenly filled their vision!

The speed of this black saber light was simply indescribable. It was as if Zhaang Ye had merely flicked his hand, and a black ray of light shot out, tearing through several zhang of empty space to slash down with the speed of lightning!

”Ahhh—”

The middle-aged man and the youth let out a simultaneous roar of terror. The True Qi in their bodies surged out like a flood, forming two Air Walls around them in an attempt to block the black saber light.

PFFT-PFFT-PFFT-PFFT-PFFT—

Their Air Walls had been erected in a hurry and stood no chance against Zhaang Ye’s incomparably sharp strike. With a series of pops like stir-frying beans, Zhaang Ye’s Heavy Saber instantly shattered the layers of Air Walls. As the two men watched in despair, the black saber light flashed across their bodies like lightning.

THWACK! THWACK!

Their bodies were abruptly severed in two. The terrifying saber light had instantly shattered their heart meridians, and they died on the spot without even having time to scream. Before death, their eyes were wide with utter disbelief.

For someone with the Cultivation of the Martial Arts Fifth Layer to kill two experts of the Martial Arts Sixth Layer with a single strike—if word got out, no one would believe it. No wonder the two men couldn’t believe it, even in death.

CLANG!

After slicing the two men in half, Zhaang Ye smoothly returned his Heavy Saber to its sheath on his back, where it settled with a clear ring.

After sheathing his Heavy Saber, Zhaang Ye quickly searched the two bodies, finding two Martial Arts Secret Manuals and several bottles of Elixirs. These Elixirs were all Middle Grade, which Zhaang Ye could use for his Cultivation.

Besides these two items, Zhaang Ye also found over a million taels worth of Golden Tickets. These Golden Tickets were usable throughout the Wei Kingdom. With them, Zhaang Ye’s finances were now much more comfortable.

After stowing everything away, Zhaang Ye tossed the two corpses into a thicket and quickly left the scene.

The two men had mentioned a Second Steward and a Fifth Elder. One was at the Mid-stage Seventh Layer of Martial Arts, and the other was at the Mid-stage Eighth Layer of Martial Arts. Zhaang Ye couldn’t afford to provoke either of them. If he didn’t leave immediately, he would be in deep trouble.

Just over an Hour after Zhaang Ye had left, a black shadow suddenly tore through the void and came to a halt above the forest. It was a black-robed man in his sixties. His eyes were blood-red, and his entire body radiated a terrifying killing intent.

Wherever he went, the birds in flight were struck by his killing intent and fell from the sky. Down below, the small animals in the forest, sensing this aura, were so terrified they soiled themselves, lying prostrate on the ground, not daring to move an inch.

The black-robed elder let out a long cry that sent birds and beasts fleeing for dozens of li in every direction.

”Strange. Why can’t I contact Old Five and Old Six? That little punk named Zhaang has also vanished. Where the hell did he go?” The elder, receiving no response to his call, showed a trace of confusion in his blood-red eyes.

After a moment of thought, the black-robed elder flicked his sleeve, a savage look on his face. ”Never mind. I’ll find out once I’ve searched the surrounding several hundred li! Heh heh, I’ve lived this long and have yet to kill a disciple of the True Hall. This time, I’ll have to kill one and see what it’s like!”

As he spoke, the black-robed elder’s figure vanished like a dark cloud. (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.)