Overlord of the Wilderness

With his Dragon Elephant Skill Cultivation at the Sixth Layer, Zhaang Ye’s next task was to seal the four temporarily excess strands of Ancient Dragon Power in his body to avoid detection.

Just as Zhaang Ye was focused on sealing his Ancient Dragon Power, a massive dark cloud suddenly materialized in the sky above Python City. The cloud was dense and static, looking less like a light, ethereal wisp and more like a colossal, impossibly heavy boulder. This terrifyingly heavy mass seemed poised to crash down at any moment and smash the entire city to smithereens.

The people of Python City were struck with terror at the sight of the dark cloud overhead. Even the expressions of Martial Arts Eighth Layer experts changed drastically upon sensing it.

”That... That’s a Flood Dragon!” a well-informed Martial Arts Eighth Layer expert cried out in horror, feeling the immense Suppression emanating from the dark cloud.

”What? The dark cloud is a Flood Dragon?” Hearing the expert’s cry, the normally bustling Python City fell eerily silent. Everyone’s face turned deathly pale.

A Flood Dragon was on par with a True Dao Expert. In a place so close to water like Python City, even a True Dao Expert would struggle to match its power. How could the people of Python City not be terrified when a being that could effortlessly slaughter a city and destroy a kingdom had suddenly appeared?

WHOOSH... In an instant, everyone in Python City vanished from the streets. The entire city became deserted, as if not a single soul remained.

In an exquisite courtyard within Python City, a woman in blue with hair that cascaded to the ground stood quietly in the center. Her light cyan hair fluttered in the wind, and an aura like clouds and water emanated from her, filling the small courtyard with a gentle breeze and refreshing Water Qi.

The long-haired woman in blue silently studied the dark cloud in the sky with a pensive expression. A masked woman stood by her side.

The masked woman stared at the dark cloud, her eyes filled with shock. ”Miss, why would this Thousand-foot Python come to Python City? Judging by its murderous aura, it looks like it plans to level the entire city...”

The long-haired woman sighed softly. ”Not long ago, a Hundred-foot Python appeared in the Python Marsh. This python possessed the bloodline of an Ancient Giant Dragon, so it was hunted by numerous experts the moment it appeared. It now seems that Hundred Foot Python was likely the offspring of this Thousand-foot Python.”

”This Thousand-foot Python is aggressive and filled with murderous intent. It’s obviously here to level Python City and avenge its offspring...”

The masked woman said in horror, ”Miss, are you saying this Thousand-foot Python intends to slaughter the entire city?”

The long-haired woman nodded slightly. ”Judging by its aura, that is its intent. It is summoning Water Qi right now. Its power will increase dramatically with the aid of the water.”

The masked woman said in alarm, ”Miss, what should we do? Let’s get out of here, quickly! This Thousand-foot Python is just too powerful. I’m afraid even you are no match for it, Miss!”

A faint smile appeared on the long-haired woman’s lips. ”There’s no need to panic. Python City still has its experts. It’s about time for them to make a move...”

Before the long-haired woman had finished speaking, two beams of yellow light suddenly shot out from within Python City. They were incredibly fast, like genuine rays of light, streaking straight toward the dark cloud.

BOOM—BOOM—

The two yellow beams collided squarely with the dark cloud. The resulting sound was like countless giant hammers smashing down on the buildings of Python City. Some old, dilapidated houses, rocked by the vibrations, immediately collapsed with a CRASH. A few Fierce Beasts within the city began to run about in a frenzy.

「In the sky.」

Struck by the yellow light, the dark cloud trembled slightly and seemed about to disperse. The two yellow beams, however, were knocked back a great distance by the impact, narrowly missing a hundred-zhang-tall tree.

The two beams of yellow light revealed their true forms: two elderly men in yellow robes. Their auras were ethereal and unfathomable, as if they could merge with the void at any moment. Although the dark cloud’s Suppression blanketed the area, it was unable to overwhelm their presence.

One of the yellow-robed elders had long eyebrows; the other was bald.

The pair instantly became the center of attention in Python City. All eyes were fixed on them.

The masked woman also got a clear look at them. Covering her mouth in surprise, she exclaimed, ”Miss, Miss! That bald man... isn’t he that creepy old geezer who proposed to you thirty years ago? What’s he doing here?”

The long-haired woman smiled faintly. ”He is the Second City Lord of Python City. Of course he would be here.”

The masked woman went ”Oh,” then spat indelicately. ”Look at the state of him, and he still dared to propose to you! I really don’t know what was going through his head! It’s a classic case of an ugly toad lusting after a swan’s flesh! Why doesn’t he find a mirror and take a good look at that face of his!”

After her tirade, the masked woman continued, ”Miss, more and more men have proposed to you over the past ten or twenty years! Like that guy from the Mei Family—he looks like he’s in his forties or fifties, yet he still shamelessly tries to get close to you. And that fellow from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall has his eyes on you, too. He just sent a kid named Lingruo Sea to deliver a gift. Miss, they’re all just after your looks...”

The long-haired woman smiled faintly. ”It’s not my beauty they desire, but my Cultivation Technique. The technique I practice has a certain beneficial effect for them, so these people who are struggling to break through their bottlenecks have turned their attention to me.”

The masked woman said indignantly, ”They all deserve to die! Miss, if they dare to bother you again, just kill them all!”

Seeing her companion’s indignation, the long-haired woman gave a wry smile. ”This is how it is on the Desolate Continent—the weak are prey for the strong. They make these outrageous demands because they see me as weak.”

”It’s just like that Hundred-foot Python, which was hunted the moment it appeared. Conversely, if that python saw a human, it would have devoured them without a second thought. There’s no right or wrong in it. So, there’s no need for you to be angry.”

The masked woman shook her head. ”You’re just too good-natured, way too good-natured! Miss, you need to have more of a temper! If you carry on like this, everyone will think they can walk all over you!”

The long-haired woman smiled and was about to speak when another deafening RUMBLE echoed from the sky. While the two women had been talking, the two yellow-robed elders had clashed with the dark cloud again.

The dark cloud was, in fact, the Thousand-foot Python. Under its control, the ethereal Water Qi morphed into various deadly weapons, launching a barrage of incredible attacks. The two yellow-robed elders were formidable, but they were completely suppressed before the Thousand-foot Python, unable to bring their powerful skills to bear.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The sound from the collisions between the Thousand-foot Python and the elders made the very ground shake. Even more terrifying, the clash of energies caused bolts of lightning to erupt from within the dark cloud. These arm-thick bolts snaked outwards like a demon extending its claws, threatening to tear the massive Python City to shreds at any moment.

The dark cloud slowly descended upon Python City. The pressure was so immense it felt as if the city itself was about to be crushed.

”Miss, what should we do?” the masked woman couldn’t help but ask, witnessing the terrifying sight.

The long-haired woman smiled faintly. ”It’s nothing to worry about.”

After a moment, she added thoughtfully, ”This Thousand-foot Python is truly worthy of being a descendant of an Ancient Giant Dragon. The Ancient Dragon Power within its body is simply tyrannical. Aided by the might of Water Qi, even two Half-step True Dao experts can’t stand against it...”

Seeing her mistress’s extraordinary calm, the masked woman relaxed as well. She smiled and said, ”Miss, the Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique you practice is all about comprehending the power of water. This Flood Dragon also draws most of its strength from water. If you could obtain its power, your Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique would soon reach Great Success.”

A flicker of light passed through the long-haired woman’s eyes, but she quickly shook her head. ”It’s not that simple. A Flood Dragon’s strength is comparable to a True Dao Expert’s. Even a True Dao Expert couldn’t obtain its Essence Blood. For me to try, with my current strength, would be suicide...”

The masked woman’s face fell with disappointment. ”Oh. Still, it would be wonderful if you could obtain the Flood Dragon’s power to study. Once you cultivate the Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique to Great Success, you won’t have to deal with those flies and toads anymore...”

RUMBLE—RUMBLE—RUMBLE—

In the time it took for the two women to speak, the dark cloud descended several dozen more zhang, bringing it just over two hundred zhang above Python City. The terrifying Suppression radiating from the massive cloud made the entire city tremble.

Just then, a voice boomed down from the sky. ”I am Cha Dafang, the Great City Lord of Python City. Fairy Xu Li, I know you are down there. This Thousand-foot Python intends to destroy our city. I implore you, Fairy, to lend us your aid in this crisis and save the millions of lives in Python City.”

The masked woman said in alarm, ”Miss, don’t listen to him! We should just escape on our own. It’s not like there are many good people in Python City anyway.”

The long-haired woman gently shook her head. ”My Cultivation of the Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique has hit a bottleneck, and I’ve been unable to progress. This Thousand-foot Python is a master of Water Control. This is a perfect opportunity for me to observe its Water Control Technique and hopefully gain some new insights into my own Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique.”

As she spoke, her cyan hair lifted as if weightless, though there was no wind. A Red Silk ribbon tied in her hair floated down to rest on her right hand, and a dense, watery aura instantly filled the courtyard.

SWISH!

The long-haired woman’s figure transformed into a streak of blue light, shooting straight toward the dark cloud in the sky.