Overlord of the Wilderness

The Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand truly lived up to its name as a Top-Grade Combat Skill. When Xuli Long unleashed this Dragon Tiger Strike, the very sky seemed to pale. The dragon and tiger were still more than a hundred feet from Zhaang Ye, yet an endless killing intent washed over him. Faced with such potent bloodlust, he felt as if he’d been plunged into a freezing cellar.

’What a formidable Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand! I never thought Xuli Long could execute such a powerful technique. I really underestimated him.’ Zhaang Ye’s heart tightened.

This Dragon Tiger Strike was unleashed through the air, majestic and domineering. The approaching dragon and tiger contained all sorts of subtle Attack Techniques. The methods were so profound that even with Zhaang Ye’s Comprehension and sharp eye, he couldn’t see through them completely in that instant. Under these circumstances, the most logical response would be to unleash his Dragon Elephant Power and meet force with force, shattering the dragon and tiger.

The problem was, there were numerous Martial Artists watching, many of them Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts who possessed Spiritual Power. If Zhaang Ye used his Dragon Elephant Power, it would no longer be a secret, and the resulting consequences would be hard to predict.

’Dragon Elephant Power... should I use it or not?’

Zhaang Ye made his decision in an instant. He didn’t use the Dragon Elephant Power within him. Instead, he channeled all the True Qi in his body into his left hand. ’I’ll have to bet on this glove!’ he thought. ’This glove can’t even be cut by a Heavy Saber. I hope it can withstand the impact of True Qi!’

Zhaang Ye had already put the glove on his left hand when he left Python City. Now, facing Xuli Long’s tyrannical attack, a thought suddenly struck him. He planned to use this glove, combined with his own immense strength, to forcefully break Xuli Long’s attack.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!

True Qi surged through Zhaang Ye’s left hand, which flared with brilliant light, seeming to grow much thicker out of thin air. His Spiritual Power locked onto the approaching dragon and tiger. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as his left hand suddenly made a move that stunned everyone—he squeezed!

CRACKLE! POP!

Zhaang Ye’s left hand shot out, plunging through the dense layers of Qi Force and seizing the dragon by its neck. Dragons are known for their unpredictable Transformations. Although this one was formed from True Qi, it still possessed endless capacity for change. But in front of Zhaang Ye, this ever-shifting True Qi Dragon couldn’t transform at all; it was caught in his grip in an instant.

BOOM!

With a fierce squeeze from Zhaang Ye, the True Qi Dragon let out a massive roar, as if a bolt of heavenly lightning had exploded in his hand. Amid the deafening sound, the immensely powerful True Qi Dragon was forcefully crushed, dissipating into a gale that blasted out in all directions.

”Ah!” The onlooking Martial Artists were utterly shocked to see Zhaang Ye crush a True Qi Dragon with his bare hand. Even Xuli Long’s face was a mask of disbelief, his eyes wide in astonishment.

The onlookers were stunned, but Zhaang Ye had no time to stand around in a daze. After crushing the True Qi Dragon, he still had to deal with the approaching True Qi Tiger. Zhaang Ye’s method for dealing with it was simple: a light slap with his left hand!

BOOM!

Zhaang Ye’s slap landed squarely on the True Qi Tiger. While Xuli Long’s True Qi Dragon was known for its unpredictability, the True Qi Tiger was a vessel of immense power, a strike containing the full force of his True Qi. Yet this tiger, infused with all of Xuli Long’s power, was sent flying by Zhaang Ye’s light slap, soaring thousands of feet into the sky before exploding.

With a squeeze and a slap, Zhaang Ye had countered Xuli Long’s Dragon Tiger Strike. The watching Martial Artists were so shocked by his methods that they were left speechless. Xuli Long was also stunned by Zhaang Ye’s technique and failed to launch another attack.

After a long moment, the crowd of Martial Artists finally snapped back to their senses.

”Heavens! Am I seeing things?” a Martial Artist groaned.

”He crushed a dragon and a tiger with his bare hands and wasn’t even injured! How is that possible? How?!”

”His Body Refining Technique is terrifying! I can’t believe he just casually countered a Top-Grade Combat Skill!”

”Who is this guy? Has another young expert emerged from the Thirteen Countries of the Land of Divine Abandonment?”

”Heh, I recognize that young man! His name is Zhaang Ye. A while back, he challenged the young experts of Python City and defeated more than ten of them in a row, making a big name for himself. Oh, and Li Zhongtian, who was ranked ninth in the Da Ling Kingdom, was crippled by this same Zhaang Ye. His strength is truly extraordinary!”

The dragon and tiger Xuli Long had just unleashed were, in essence, two extremely condensed balls of True Qi. This kind of True Qi was sharper than any blade and more dangerous than a lightning strike. Even a great expert at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer would never dare to plunge their hand into such a True Qi Ball. Yet Zhaang Ye had done just that, reaching in, forcefully crushing one and slapping the other away without suffering the slightest injury. Such a display was simply staggering!

”It seems I misjudged you. You must be Zhaang Ye, the eighth disciple Under the Four Hall Masters of the True Hall?” By now, Xuli Long had overheard the crowd’s discussion and learned Zhaang Ye’s name. He stared at Zhaang Ye intently and said slowly, ”Zhaang Ye, the Wei Kingdom’s rookie selection tournament is in ten months. I’ll settle the score with you then!”

The Dragon Tiger Strike was Xuli Long’s ace in the hole. Unleashed with a Pseudo-True Artifact, even a Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer expert would have to put up a serious fight to counter it. Since even the Dragon Tiger Strike couldn’t defeat Zhaang Ye, Xuli Long realized that Zhaang Ye’s strength was likely greater than his own. If they continued fighting, he would probably lose. Thus, he threw out a face-saving remark.

Zhaang Ye smiled faintly and replied, ”In ten months, then. I await your instruction.”

Xuli Long’s face darkened. He snorted, then his body shot into the air, heading toward the summit of Ping Mountain.

Seeing Xuli Long leave, the crowd quickly dispersed, discussing Zhaang Ye’s technique as they went. Although the fight had been brief, Zhaang Ye’s performance had startled even the powerhouses of the older generation. Some experts were already comparing him to the twenty greatest talents of the Younger Generation.

Each of the twenty young experts of the Land of Divine Abandonment had forged their reputation through combat. For Zhaang Ye to be mentioned in the same breath as them after just one short battle meant he had truly made a name for himself.

After the Martial Artists left, Zhaang Ye also began making his way slowly toward the summit of Ping Mountain. As he flew, he replayed the fight in his mind, a wave of excitement washing over him.

Recently, Zhaang Ye had killed quite a few Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts. However, he had always taken advantage of their carelessness, relying on the power of his Long Whip to finish them off. Opponents like Ling Wuliang, the Divine Strategy Double Eagles, and Lu Junjie had been caught off guard and killed by a single lash of his whip, never getting the chance to display their true combat strength. The only one he had killed through sheer strength, Mei Yuntian, had already been grievously injured and couldn’t even use ten percent of his power. Otherwise, even a hundred Zhaang Yes wouldn’t have been enough for Mei Yuntian to kill.

This battle with Xuli Long was a true reflection of his actual power. He hadn’t used his Long Whip or his Dragon Elephant Power, relying purely on his own skill and the glove to counter Xuli Long’s Combat Skill. This gave Zhaang Ye a much deeper understanding of his own strength, and he couldn’t help but feel excited.

Killing opponents with his Long Whip was satisfying, but ultimately, that power wasn’t his own. Competing against talented experts from all over, relying only on his own strength—that brought a greater sense of accomplishment.

The summit of Ping Mountain was an extremely wide, open platform. It spanned thousands of yards and was as flat as a mirror. When Zhaang Ye arrived, he found the vast summit already densely packed with people. Some Martial Artists, completely concealed in jet-black robes, had their wares displayed in front of them, waiting for customers. Many more Martial Artists ambled about, browsing for things they needed.

Zhaang Ye noticed that you could find just about anything at this Ping Mountain Black Market. All sorts of Elixirs, weapons, and medicines were laid out on the ground in a dazzling display. Besides these items, people were also selling mining rights to lodes of all sizes, various Pseudo Spirit Beasts, and Fierce Beast Materials. To Zhaang Ye’s greatest surprise, there were even servants for sale. These servants all had Cultivation levels from the Martial Arts Sixth Layer to the Seventh Layer and stood with vacant gazes, waiting for customers to choose them.

Zhaang Ye strolled around the summit, browsing casually for a while before heading toward a cave at the center of the plateau.

This cave was the VIP hall of the Ping Mountain Black Market. The items displayed inside were all rare treasures, and only Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts were qualified to enter.

Zhaang Ye was not a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert, but he held a VIP invitation, so he was also qualified to enter. The expert checking invitations outside the hall was slightly surprised to see Zhaang Ye holding one. However, after verifying the invitation, he didn’t ask any questions. He simply handed Zhaang Ye a jet-black robe and said, ”This robe is made of special materials that can block a Martial Artist’s Spiritual Power. Once you put it on, you won’t have to worry about anyone recognizing you, and you can trade for what you need with peace of mind.”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly, draped the robe over himself, and strode into the VIP hall.

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)