Overlord of the Wilderness

Once they landed, Zhaang Ye finally had time to get a good look at Xuli Qiqi. The thin layer of mist on the face of the woman half-slumped in his arms had vanished at some point.

Zhaang Ye glanced at Xuli Qiqi a few times and found himself slightly taken aback. Her skin was as smooth as jade; she was a truly rare beauty. But Zhaang Ye had lived two lives and had seen his fair share of stunning women. As beautiful as Xuli Qiqi was, she merely left him feeling a momentary sense of awe.

What struck Zhaang Ye as odd was an indescribable quality to her features. This aura was difficult to put into words; if one had to try, it was like water and clouds. Under its strange influence, Xuli Qiqi seemed to grow more beautiful the longer he looked. Even with all of Zhaang Ye’s experience and self-control, his blood actually began to pump a little faster.

Tearing his eyes away, Zhaang Ye suddenly remembered something. When he first arrived in Python City, someone had mentioned Xuli Qiqi, saying she possessed an Inner Charm Appearance—the longer you look at her, the more beautiful and alluring she becomes.

Zhaang Ye was astonished. ’The Wilderness is truly a place of endless wonders,’ he thought. ’I can’t believe a trait like an Inner Charm Appearance actually exists.’

After pulling Xuli Qiqi to the top of a large rock, a wave of worry washed over Zhaang Ye. She was heavily injured, her True Qi had completely dissipated, and she was only semi-conscious. Zhaang Ye was a decent fighter, but when it came to Healing, he was clueless. Faced with her injuries, he had no idea where to even begin.

’Should I just leave her here and go?’ But Zhaang Ye couldn’t bring himself to do it. This woman had warned him to flee earlier. For that reason alone, he couldn’t abandon her.

After a moment of deliberation, Zhaang Ye circulated his True Qi and began transferring it into Xuli Qiqi’s body.

True Qi could be used for Healing. Zhaang Ye intended to use his to clear her Meridians, which would allow her own True Qi to start circulating again. Once a Martial Artist’s True Qi could circulate on its own, their body could begin to heal itself.

His True Qi entered Xuli Qiqi’s body like a stone sinking into the ocean. Zhaang Ye shook his head slightly. He knew the gap in power between his True Qi and hers was simply too vast; he was powerless to clear her Meridians.

”Ngh...”

Perhaps stimulated by Zhaang Ye’s True Qi, Xuli Qiqi actually regained consciousness. She opened her eyes and saw Zhaang Ye’s hand gripping her wrist tightly. A strange look flashed across her face.

Seeing she was awake, Zhaang Ye was about to ask if she had any Healing Elixirs on her. But before he could speak, he felt a peculiar energy suddenly emerge from within her body. It flowed like water—exceptionally pure and profoundly mysterious.

This water-like energy seemed to hold an immense attraction for the Ancient Dragon Power within Zhaang Ye. He felt his Ancient Dragon Power stir, then, drawn by some unseen resonance, it began to flow toward Xuli Qiqi and pour directly into her Meridians!

’Huh? What’s going on?’ Zhaang Ye was inwardly shocked. The Ancient Dragon Power was one of his trump cards. For it to actively flow into someone else’s Meridians—this was outrageous!

The thought had barely formed when Zhaang Ye tried to retract his Ancient Dragon Power. But at that very moment, it made contact with the water-like energy in Xuli Qiqi’s body. The instant they touched, an exquisitely sublime sensation flooded Zhaang Ye’s mind.

”Nnnngh—”

Zhaang Ye was at a loss for words to describe this feeling. If he had to, it was remarkably similar to the pleasure of a man and woman making love. Except this was a hundred, even a thousand, times more intense. He felt every fingertip tremble ecstatically, every pore tingled with a strange sensation, and his blood began to race several times faster!

”Ngh?”

Xuli Qiqi seemed to be experiencing the same sensation. A delicate pink blush crept over her face, which had been pale from blood loss. Her once limpid gaze grew dewy, taking on an indescribable allure.

A rosy flush also appeared on her flawless skin, and she trembled slightly. Clearly, the sensation was no less intense for her than it was for him.

’Damn, what is this?!’ Zhaang Ye suppressed the exquisite sensation with all his might, about to retract his Ancient Dragon Power. But just then, another profound feeling welled up in his mind, sending a tremor through his entire body.

’This...’ Experiencing this profound sensation, Zhaang Ye felt a mix of shock and delight. It turned out that what was flooding his mind was Xuli Qiqi’s comprehension of water. The Ancient Dragon Power he had sent into her had somehow brought back her insights, and in an instant, Zhaang Ye’s own understanding deepened immensely.

To Zhaang Ye’s even greater surprise, hidden within this comprehension were the secrets of Spiritual Power. Spiritual Power was the most profound of all energies, yet through their shared resonance, Zhaang Ye was able to glimpse a sliver of its mysteries.

At the same time, Xuli Qiqi subconsciously tried to pull away from Zhaang Ye’s Ancient Dragon Power and escape the exquisitely intense sensation. But then she discovered that the energy from Zhaang Ye contained various principles of the Water Control Dao. The moment she connected with the Ancient Dragon Power, questions about the Martial Dao that she had struggled with for ages were suddenly answered!

’This...’ Xuli Qiqi’s heart trembled. She forced herself to endure the sublime sensation and thought, ’This power... it’s filled with a primal aura, full of majesty, incredibly nimble, and it contains the Water Control Technique. It must be Dragon Power! And it’s very likely the purest kind there is!’

Realizing the energy coming from Zhaang Ye was Ancient Dragon Power, Xuli Qiqi immediately focused all her attention on it, striving to comprehend its mysteries.

An unknown amount of time passed. Suddenly, both Zhaang Ye and Xuli Qiqi jolted, snapping out of their state of shared comprehension. They opened their eyes at the same time, only to freeze.

They realized that, while lost in their trance, they had unconsciously embraced. One of Zhaang Ye’s arms was wrapped tightly around Xuli Qiqi’s slender waist, while one of her arms was draped around his neck. They were pressed tightly against each other.

Neither Zhaang Ye nor Xuli Qiqi was an ordinary person. After a brief, stunned moment, they calmly let go. Through their shared resonance, they had come to know each other on a profound level. This connection of the mind was far more subtle and intimate than any physical touch, so while the embrace had startled them, it didn’t truly surprise them.

The moment they broke contact, both Zhaang Ye and Xuli Qiqi felt a pang of emptiness. They looked at each other, a peculiar expression in their eyes.

With her Meridians cleared by the Ancient Dragon Power, Xuli Qiqi’s injuries had improved significantly, and she could now move as usual. She reached up to smooth a stray strand of hair, her limpid gaze fixed on Zhaang Ye. ”That power just now... it was Dragon Power, wasn’t it? Where did you get it?”

Zhaang Ye saw no reason to hide it. ”You must have heard about the Hundred-foot Python that appeared a while back, right?” he said. ”I obtained the Dragon Power from it.”

Having answered, Zhaang Ye asked his own question. ”What Cultivation Technique do you practice? Why did my Ancient Dragon Power suddenly flow into your body?”

Xuli Qiqi’s attainments in the Martial Dao were far more profound than Zhaang Ye’s. She only had to ponder the situation for a moment to arrive at an answer. ”The Cultivation Technique I practice is called the Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique,” she explained. ”As its name suggests, it cultivates the power of water. When the technique reaches the Great Success Realm, one develops a strand of Water Attribute Innate True Qi. With this Innate True Qi, one can break through to the True Dao Realm and become a Daoist Master.”

”The Ancient Dragon Clan also cultivated the power of water. My Innate True Qi has a Water Attribute and is far purer than your own True Qi, so it has a natural attraction to Dragon Power. At the same time, your Spiritual Power isn’t strong enough for you to completely control your Ancient Dragon Power, so it was drawn into my Meridians...”

”The principle is the same as a cow seeing grass, or a wolf seeing meat...”

Zhaang Ye possessed outstanding Comprehension, so he understood as soon as Xuli Qiqi finished her explanation. But with that understanding came a newfound resolve: he had to reach the Martial Arts Ninth Layer as quickly as possible, gain his own Spiritual Power, and take full control of the Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power within him.

During his resonance with Xuli Qiqi, Zhaang Ye had not only glimpsed the secrets of the Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique but also a sliver of the mysteries of Spiritual Power. He was confident that if he continued his Cultivation, he might be able to develop his own Spiritual Power even before reaching the Martial Arts Ninth Layer.

Xuli Qiqi spoke again. ”Thank you for your help. I’m severely injured and must find a place to begin my Healing as soon as possible. When you have time, come find me on Xuli Mountain. I will thank you properly then.” As she spoke, her body floated up lightly, a faint cloud of mist gathering beneath her feet to hold her aloft in mid-air.

From her completely composed appearance, it was clear that not only had her injuries significantly improved, but her mastery of the Water Control Technique had also advanced, allowing her to stand effortlessly in mid-air.

She gave Zhaang Ye one last, complex look. Then her figure transformed into a streak of blue light, vanishing into the distant sky.

Watching her receding figure, Zhaang Ye felt a surprising reluctance to see her go. He shook the feeling off and turned his gaze to Mei Yuntian’s corpse, a hint of excitement in his eyes. ’This Mei Yuntian must have been an important figure in the Mei Family. He’s bound to have some good treasures on him. I’d better give him a thorough search.’(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.)