Overlord of the Wilderness

Wei Jiuchong nodded. ”It’s good for you to know more. It’ll give you a goal to strive for.” He then listed the names of the twenty young experts one by one.

After finishing the list of twenty names, Wei Jiuchong continued, ”Among these twenty young experts, four are the most powerful. They are Yang Guyuan of the Great Peace True Hall, Helian BiBi of the Great Marsh True Hall, Ling Kongyun of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall, and Chu Yuxiang of the Great Rong Kingdom. All four of them have a Cultivation at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage. They are geniuses among geniuses, and the ones most likely to be able to leave the Land of Divine Abandonment.”

’Ling Kongyun...’ Zhaang Ye was secretly shocked when he heard Wei Jiuchong’s introduction. Back when he was in the Python Marsh, Zhaang Ye had killed two experts from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. Before dying, one of them had mentioned Ling Kongyun’s name, vowing that Ling Kongyun would avenge him. The memory was deeply etched in Zhaang Ye’s mind.

Wei Jiuchong then elaborated on the four great experts of the Younger Generation. ”Among the four, the one with the most tyrannical combat strength is likely Yang Guyuan. The Cultivation Technique he practices is exceptionally domineering. When facing an enemy, he settles the fight in the blink of an eye, sweeping through his peers unrivaled.

The most skilled with a sword is Helian BiBi of the Great Marsh True Hall. When they wield their Long Sword, their Sword Qi stretches a hundred zhang, sharp and fierce. No one has ever lasted more than three moves against them.

The most inscrutable is Ling Kongyun of the Da Ling Kingdom. He is skilled in the Inference Technique. When fighting him, he can find his opponent’s flaws before they even make a move. His methods in battle are endless, so even the other genius experts of his generation are reluctant to fight him.

As for Chu Yuxiang of the Great Rong Kingdom, his greatest skill is Archery. His Archery has reached an unbelievable level; he can fire nine arrows in the blink of an eye. It’s incredibly formidable. What’s even more formidable is that he can shoot an arrow into the ground and then control it to emerge and pierce the sole of his opponent’s foot. It’s an exceptionally bizarre technique...”

After briefly introducing the four young experts, Wei Jiuchong said to Zhaang Ye, ”Younger Brother Zhaang, these four have extremely high Cultivation, even stronger combat strength, and very strange temperaments. If you ever run into them, it would be best to give them a wide berth to avoid provoking them.

Besides those four, the other young experts also have their own unique skills. Although their strength isn’t quite on par with Yang Guyuan and the others, the gap isn’t huge. You need to be careful if you encounter them, too.”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly. His current strength was far from comparable to these people. It was naturally unwise to get into conflict with them, so yielding to them for now was nothing.

’These people managed to cultivate to the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage before the age of forty. They truly are geniuses among geniuses. But I won’t be any worse than them! I will reach the Martial Arts Ninth Layer before I’m twenty-five, and then I’ll meet these so-called geniuses!’ Zhaang Ye secretly made this resolution.

Zhaang Ye returned with Wei Jiuchong to the Wei Kingdom True Hall’s residence, where he settled into a quiet, secluded courtyard. He spent his days there, amidst the flowers and moonlight, deeply contemplating Spiritual Power.

After several days of contemplation, the Mei Family and Jiang Family finally delivered the Essence Stones and Elixirs. Looking at the mountain-like pile of Essence Stones and Elixirs, Zhaang Ye sighed softly and thought, ’This is so much stuff, it’s really hard to manage! If only I had one of those legendary Storage Pouches. I could fit any amount of Elixirs, and I could have asked the Jiang Family for even more Essence Stones and Elixirs back then.’

After that brief lament, Zhaang Ye wasted no more time. He immediately entered a state of seclusion, focusing all his efforts on comprehending the mysteries of Spiritual Power.

Zhaang Ye’s cultivation plan was divided into three steps. The first step was to comprehend the mysteries of Spiritual Power and gain a preliminary grasp of this profound and esoteric force, Mental Power. Spiritual Power is all-pervasive. Once he possessed it, Zhaang Ye could enter a state of Introspection and clearly understand the condition of his own body.

The second step of the plan was to raise his Cultivation as much as possible. After being tempered by the Dragon Elephant Power, Zhaang Ye’s body—from his skin to his internal organs and Meridians—was tougher than that of an ordinary Martial Arts Seventh Layer expert. A tougher body could contain more True Qi, allowing for a rapid increase in Cultivation.

With his powerful body and the mountain-like pile of Essence Stones and Elixirs, Zhaang Ye estimated he could cultivate to the Martial Arts Eighth Layer. As for how far he could actually go, he would only know after trying.

The third step of Zhaang Ye’s cultivation was to take his Saber Technique to the next level. Although the moves of his self-created Saber Technique: Mountain-Breaking Slash were already perfected, its Realm was still lacking in many ways. What Zhaang Ye needed to do was make his Saber Technique more spiritually akin to a real Space Storm, allowing him to more perfectly unleash its power.

「Python City. Inside the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall’s residence.」

Ling Wuliang was seated upright in a grand hall. Below him, a man in black who looked like a Steward stood respectfully, reporting the latest intelligence to him.

After listening for a while, Ling Wuliang waved his hand and said, ”That little fellow, Zhaang Ye, has he been up to anything recently?”

The man in black replied, ”Five days ago, Zhaang Ye and Wei Jiuchong approached the Mei Family and Jiang Family separately. Then, three and five days ago, the Mei and Jiang Families secretly delivered a batch of items to Zhaang Ye. We speculate that this batch was mostly Essence Stones and Elixirs, because after receiving the items, Zhaang Ye entered a state of seclusion.”

Ling Wuliang grunted in acknowledgment but didn’t take the matter to heart. The Cultivation Dao required one to advance step by step. Even a once-in-a-millennium genius had to proceed one step at a time in their Cultivation. Zhaang Ye’s talent and Comprehension might be outstanding, but his Cultivation was a full two major realms below his own. With such a massive gap, it was impossible for him to catch up in just half a year, even if he cultivated day and night without rest. Therefore, Ling Wuliang wasn’t worried about Zhaang Ye at all.

Waving the man in black away, Ling Wuliang suddenly felt the space around him stagnate slightly, as if some foreign object had entered the hall.

”Who’s there?” Ling Wuliang’s heart skipped a beat as he let out a low shout.

”It is us.” Just as Ling Wuliang’s voice faded, two identical-looking middle-aged men walked out. Their faces were wooden, and their pupils held a deathly gray hue. Their bodies exuded a thick aura of death. Even though Ling Wuliang’s Cultivation had reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, he still felt a wave of discomfort upon sensing this aura.

”The Divine Strategy Double Eagles? Aren’t you supposed to be by the Young Master’s side? What are you doing here?” Ling Wuliang recognized them at a glance and asked in surprise.

The Divine Strategy Double Eagles were two formidable figures painstakingly groomed by ”Shen Ji Zi” Ling Kongyun of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall. The two had been cultivated using a Secret Technique. Each one possessed the strength of the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, and when they fought together, they were comparable to a great expert at the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer.

The Divine Strategy Double Eagles loved to kill. They were extremely cruel in their methods, yet utterly loyal to Shen Ji Zi. The number of experts who had died at their hands over the years was unknown.

Their strength was tyrannical, but they usually stayed by Shen Ji Zi Ling Kongyun’s side. That was why Ling Wuliang found their sudden appearance somewhat strange.

At Ling Wuliang’s question, the Divine Strategy Right Eagle of the pair spoke in a hoarse voice, ”According to the Master’s and the Great Hall Master’s calculations, the Python Marsh contains a great secret. This secret is set to reveal itself in five months. The Master sent us here to join forces with you and do whatever it takes to unearth the secret deep within the Python Marsh.”

Ling Wuliang nodded and asked, ”Does Shen Ji Zi have any other instructions?”

Although Ling Wuliang was Shen Ji Zi Ling Kongyun’s martial uncle, on the Barbaric Land, strength was what earned respect. Ling Kongyun’s power had already surpassed Ling Wuliang’s, so Ling Wuliang felt too embarrassed to address him as martial nephew, opting to use his title instead.

The Divine Strategy Left Eagle said in a deep voice, ”According to the Great Hall Master’s and the Master’s calculations, a Little World likely exists at the center of the Python Marsh. This Little World is on the verge of collapse. Our mission is to quickly get to the center of the Python Marsh, find a way to enter this Little World, and take as much as we can from inside before it collapses.”

”A Little World deep in the Python Marsh!” Ling Wuliang couldn’t help but gasp. As a Martial Arts Ninth Layer expert, he naturally knew what a Little World signified. These Little Worlds, remnants from Ancient Times, often contained weapons, Secret Manuals, and Elixirs from the Ancient Times. Obtaining even a small fraction of these treasures would be an endless benefit!

Ling Wuliang said grimly, ”For something so important, why didn’t Shen Ji Zi come himself? The depths of the Python Marsh are fraught with danger, not to mention there’s a Thousand-foot Python. If Shen Ji Zi were to act, our chances of success would be much greater.”

The Divine Strategy Right Eagle said, ”It is inconvenient for the Master to leave his mountain for the time being. That is why he could only send us.”

Ling Wuliang nodded slightly. He then thought of another problem. ”If there really is a Little World deep in the Python Marsh, its appearance will surely cause a huge commotion, right? At that time, I’m afraid all the experts in Python City will rush into the depths of the marsh...”

The Divine Strategy Right Eagle said slowly, ”The Master has already considered this problem. He has sent someone to draw a new, simple map. We can follow this map to enter the center of the Python Marsh ahead of time. When the Little World reveals itself, we will be the first ones inside. No one will be faster than us.”

After clarifying the situation, the Divine Strategy Right Eagle added, ”The only thing worth worrying about now is the mysterious expert who killed Lingruo Sea. This person possesses both Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power. This Little World is very likely related to the Dragon Race, so if it appears, it’s highly probable this mysterious person will sense it. Therefore, if we see anyone possessing these two powers, we must strike and kill them immediately.”

Ling Wuliang nodded slowly and said in a low voice, ”I will do my best to watch for this person.”(To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to vote with Recommendation Tickets or a monthly pass on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation!)