Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye traveled at top speed. The Dragon Elephant Power in his body surged, and he moved faster and faster. As he approached the speed of sound, the Water Qi in the air condensed into minuscule droplets, forming a dense mist around him.

BANG!

Pushing the Dragon Elephant Power in his body to its limit, Zhaang Ye instantly broke through the immense resistance. His speed finally reached that of sound, allowing him to travel hundreds of feet in the blink of an eye.

The speed of sound was a barrier. After breaking through it, Zhaang Ye’s Body Technique accelerated once more. His previously unhurried-looking figure transformed into a streak of cyan light, skimming rapidly across the surface of the marsh.

ROAR!

”AHHH—”

Zhaang Ye was focused on nothing but leaving this perilous land, but there were many Martial Artists who were drawn by the cry of the Hundred-foot Python. Confident in their formidable strength, these people didn’t flee after hearing the Giant Python’s roar. Instead, they actively sought it out, hoping to slay it and make a fortune. As a result, they were swallowed whole in a single encounter, and their dying screams could be heard for miles.

Zhaang Ye ran for over a thousand miles without stopping, finally landing in a patch of dense grass. By this point, the Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power inside him were faintly resonating with each other; he had to find a place to refine them immediately.

WHOOSH!

A Tornado formed around Zhaang Ye. As it appeared, his body sank rapidly beneath the marsh. In just the blink of an eye, Zhaang Ye had sunk below the marsh’s surface.

Once beneath the marsh, Zhaang Ye immediately circulated his Dragon Elephant Skill, focusing all his strength on refining the Hundred-foot Python’s blood and flesh-crest.

The Ancient Elephant Power within Zhaang Ye was domineering and absolute. It was like a tyrannical monarch that sought to devour all foreign energies. Zhaang Ye used this trait to slowly refine the impurities from the Hundred-foot Python’s blood and flesh, extracting its essence. The process was incredibly slow, but Zhaang Ye had time. Unhurried, he circulated his Cultivation Technique and continued the gradual refinement.

「Nine days later.」

Zhaang Ye finally finished refining the blood and flesh of the Hundred-foot Python. An exceptionally pure wisp of power now resided in his body. Though tiny, it possessed an indescribable majesty that even the Ancient Elephant Power could not devour. If the Ancient Elephant Power was a great mountain, then this wisp of power was a nimble mountain spring—even a massive peak could not stamp it out.

This spring-like power was the very Ancient Dragon Power Zhaang Ye had dreamed of obtaining.

Although the Hundred-foot Python carried the bloodline of an Ancient Giant Dragon, it had been diluted over countless generations. Even a True Dao Expert would be unable to refine Ancient Dragon Power from the python’s blood and flesh.

Zhaang Ye, however, possessed the Ancient Elephant Power. He had used it to devour the impurities mixed with the draconic essence, thereby obtaining this sliver of true Ancient Dragon Power. One could say that the wisp of Ancient Dragon Power Zhaang Ye now possessed was the genuine article. Even the Dragon Power inside a Flood Dragon couldn’t compare to it!

Zhaang Ye was secretly overjoyed at having successfully refined a sliver of Ancient Dragon Power. He spent the following days quietly comprehending its mysteries.

The Ancient Elephant Power held many mysteries, and the Ancient Dragon Power was no different.

「Another nine days passed.」

Zhaang Ye’s body suddenly moved, and he shot up from beneath the ground like a great dragon.

WHOOSH!

Zhaang Ye reached out with one hand. At his gesture, the marsh water instantly gathered before him and began to take on various shapes.

One moment it formed a mountain peak, the next a great tree, then the shape of a person. Zhaang Ye could even mold the water into massive Fierce Beasts that looked incredibly vivid and lifelike.

After toying with the water for a moment, Zhaang Ye slowly took a few steps out onto its surface. He wasn’t using the Cloud Stepping Technique, but as he stepped onto the water, he did not sink. The normally yielding water seemed to have gained a new resilience, firmly supporting his weight!

”Excellent, excellent!” Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but laugh. ”This Ancient Dragon Power is truly marvelous! I’ve only comprehended a tiny fraction of its secrets, and I can already control water with such ease!”

All kinds of powerful races lived in the Ancient Wilderness, each possessing incredible abilities. The Ancient Elephant Power within Zhaang Ye, for example, was domineering and absolute, devouring any True Qi that entered his body. The Ancient Dragon Power he had worked so hard to refine, on the other hand, had its own wondrous applications.

Ancient Dragon Power had three primary applications: Water Control, Transformation, and Suppression. The ancient giant dragons were masters of Water Control; summoning clouds and making it rain was a simple task for them. The more powerful dragons could churn the rivers and seas, their might immeasurable. The strongest among them could command all the water under the heavens, making them supreme rulers even in the Ancient Wilderness, a land teeming with experts.

The applications of Ancient Dragon Power were endless. In nine days, Zhaang Ye had only scratched the surface. Even so, he had comprehended a sliver of the Ancient Dragon Race’s secret of Water Control, allowing him to easily manipulate the water in the marsh.

’I’ve grasped a bit of the Water Control Technique from the Ancient Dragon Power. I wonder if I can use its Transformation Technique?’ Zhaang Ye muttered to himself as the Ancient Dragon Power in his body began to slowly circulate.

Besides controlling water, Ancient Giant Dragons were also skilled in Transformation. They could grow or shrink, lengthen or shorten, appear or vanish, ascend or dive. While comprehending the Ancient Dragon Power, Zhaang Ye had perceived a hint of the Transformation Technique it contained, and he couldn’t resist giving it a try.

As he circulated the technique, Zhaang Ye’s face and height began to slowly change. He transformed from a youth of sixteen or seventeen into a man in his thirties. His features were now sharp and defined, his every movement steady and mature, and his gaze was deep and unfathomable. It was as if he were a completely different person.

With a slight wave of his hand, Zhaang Ye made the marsh water rise up and form a large Water Mirror before him. He gazed at his reflection and was inwardly delighted. ’The way I look now, I doubt even Lingruo Sea would recognize me. With an ability like this, things will be much more convenient from now on!’

After testing the marvelous applications of the Ancient Dragon Power, Zhaang Ye mused to himself, ’The Power of the Elephant is domineering and absolute, mighty as a mountain, supremely heavy and vast. Dragon Power, on the other hand, is nimble and versatile, like clouds and water, smoke and mist.’

’Now that I have the purest Ancient Elephant Power and Ancient Dragon Power in my body, the next step is to fuse these two Ancient Powers, form a completely new Dragon Elephant Power, and advance to the 6th Layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill!’ With this thought, his body suddenly sank, and he returned beneath the marsh to enter a state of Cultivation.

「Another nine days passed.」

On this day, Zhaang Ye finally succeeded in fusing the Ancient Elephant Power and Ancient Dragon Power within him, creating a wondrous new power. The moment it formed, this power began to circulate endlessly throughout Zhaang Ye’s body, tempering his physique.

TING TING TING TING—

A continuous ringing echoed from Zhaang Ye’s bones. The sound was crisp and pleasant, as if dozens of pieces of metal were colliding inside his body.

The first and 2nd Layers of the Dragon Elephant Skill trained the skin, the third and 4th Layers trained the flesh. The 5th Layer trained the bones, and the 6th Layer trained the sinews. Zhaang Ye had already reached the Late Fifth Layer; once he finished tempering his bones, he could break through to the 6th Layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill.

TING!

On the forty-ninth ring, the sound abruptly ceased. The Dragon Elephant Power that had been faintly flowing over the surface of Zhaang Ye’s body also stopped circulating.

WHOOSH!

Zhaang Ye’s body rose to the surface like a snake, a flicker of regret in his eyes.

With the addition of Ancient Dragon Power, Zhaang Ye was now only a hair’s breadth from the 6th Layer of the Dragon Elephant Skill. The problem was, the Ancient Dragon Power within him was far too weak. This single wisp was not enough to balance the Ancient Elephant Power, and so he could not break through.

’I have six wisps of Ancient Elephant Power, but only one of Ancient Dragon Power. To balance these two Ancient Powers, I’ll need to find five more wisps of Ancient Dragon Power.’ Zhaang Ye mused for a moment, then circulated the Ancient Dragon Power within him to transform back into the mature-looking man.

Afterward, Zhaang Ye hunted a small beast and used its blood and Beast Hide to disguise his purple Longbow and Heavy Saber. Once he confirmed that his appearance was completely different from his original self, Zhaang Ye smiled in satisfaction and quickly departed.

Although combining the Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power hadn’t allowed him to break through to the 6th Layer, Zhaang Ye’s strength had still increased considerably. The Dragon Elephant Power within him now circulated ceaselessly, and his bones had undergone further tempering. Zhaang Ye was now confident he could face even an expert at the Martial Arts Seventh Layer Late Stage in a head-on clash.

With his increased strength, Zhaang Ye’s speed naturally improved. He could now easily break the sound barrier, something that previously required immense effort. The moment he moved, he reached the speed of sound.

After traveling for several hundred miles, Zhaang Ye noticed that the number of Martial Artists in the Python Marsh had increased. They were all hurrying in the same direction, as if drawn by something up ahead.

Zhaang Ye paused, then casually grabbed a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Sixth Layer and asked, ”Brother, what’s happening up ahead? Why is every Martial Artist heading this way?”

The Martial Artist was annoyed at being grabbed so suddenly, but Zhaang Ye’s current appearance was profound and inscrutable. His every gesture exuded a suppressive aura, and the man didn’t dare to offend him. Hearing Zhaang Ye’s question, the Martial Artist answered honestly, ”A Hundred-foot Python has appeared in the Python Marsh. They say it has the bloodline of the Ancient Dragon Clan, so everyone’s rushing over to kill it...” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)