Overlord of the Wilderness

The slash Zhaang Ye unleashed was his very own creation: the Mountain-Breaking Slash.

After witnessing that world-shaking battle from the Blade Tip and coming into contact with that wisp of heaven-piercing Sword Intent, Zhaang Ye’s Mountain-Breaking Slash now faintly embodied thirty percent of a true Realm. Although this was only a slight improvement to its Realm, its might was several times greater than before. When unleashed, the Mountain-Breaking Slash looked identical to a genuine Space Storm at first glance!

Its appearance was the same, and its power was just as terrifying! The moment this pale gray storm materialized, Xuli Long felt an utterly terrifying Devouring Power frantically tugging at him, trying to drag him into its vortex. Xuli Long knew what this meant. ’If I really get pulled into this horrifying storm, I’ll be at a complete disadvantage. My life might even be on the line!’

”AH—”

Xuli Long roared, and with a shake of his arms, he unleashed the Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand with all his might.

Having been cultivated to the stage of Great Success, the power of the Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand was world-shaking. As Xuli Long abruptly thrust out his arms, a purple dragon and a white tiger materialized before him. The might of the dragon and tiger was immense. The air above the platform was blasted away by their presence, creating a series of booming cracks like muffled thunder that shook the entire stage. Below, the True Hall Disciples were so overwhelmed by the terrifying pressure that they couldn’t keep their eyes open, and the thunderous booms nearly deafened them!

A confident smile touched Xuli Long’s lips as he gazed at the dragon and tiger formed from his True Qi. ’This purple dragon and white tiger are the culmination of a lifetime spent cultivating my True Qi; they contain countless offensive maneuvers. I’m confident I could even defeat an expert at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage with them. Zhaang Ye’s gray storm might have a hint of a Space Storm’s power, but my Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand is not necessarily any weaker!’

At Xuli Long’s command, the dragon and tiger let out a roar and a howl respectively, charging toward Zhaang Ye’s gray storm!

A cold sneer touched Zhaang Ye’s lips when he saw that Xuli Long intended to meet him head-on. With a gentle push of his hand, the gray storm surged forward to meet the purple dragon and white tiger!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Xuli Long had intended to use the power of his dragon and tiger to instantly shatter Zhaang Ye’s gray storm. But as the beasts reached the storm, he was horrified to discover that the gray vortex was like a monstrous beast, ceaselessly devouring his purple dragon and white tiger!

CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

Before Xuli Long’s incredulous gaze, the dragon and tiger vanished into Zhaang Ye’s gray storm in the blink of an eye. The immensely powerful purple dragon and white tiger had been devoured before Zhaang Ye’s storm, disappearing without the slightest struggle!

After devouring the dragon and tiger, the gray storm suddenly froze in place.

’This is bad!’ A sense of foreboding suddenly washed over Xuli Long. The True Qi in his body erupted as he shot backward like a bolt of lightning. But he had only retreated about ten feet when the gray storm suddenly detonated!

”BOOM!”

With that massive explosion, the entire tournament stage shattered into countless fragments. A boundless Qi Force blasted out in all directions, instantly sending a swathe of the True Hall Disciples below flying. As for Xuli Long, who was at the center of it all, he was unable to completely evade the blast despite having been prepared. He was violently thrown back several dozen feet, coughing up three large mouthfuls of blood!

’My god...’ The True Hall Disciples below the stage were all completely stunned. They could never have imagined that Zhaang Ye could injure Xuli Long with just a casually summoned storm! The strength Zhaang Ye had just demonstrated was far beyond anything they could have conceived!

Second Elder’s long eyebrows twitched. He sized up Zhaang Ye, his old eyes glinting, his gaze clearly holding a trace of astonishment.

Far from the stage, the Fourth Hall Master’s jaw hung open, a hint of delighted surprise in his eyes. The Second Hall Master and Third Hall Master had both instinctively stopped what they were doing, looks of astonishment spreading across their faces.

On what was left of the stage, Zhaang Ye stood in his green robes, hands clasped behind his back. After so casually injuring Xuli Long, a Ninth-Layer expert, Zhaang Ye’s somewhat slender figure now seemed like a great mountain pressing down on everyone’s hearts. When he had first challenged both men, everyone thought he was insane. But now, not a single person dared to doubt him. He absolutely had the right to make such a challenge! He was just too powerful!

Zhaang Ye glanced coolly at Xuli Long and said slowly, ”Xuli Long, you’re nothing special.”

Hearing Zhaang Ye’s faintly mocking words, Xuli Long’s face instantly flushed a dark, ugly red, like someone who’d been constipated for ten days. He had just declared Zhaang Ye unworthy of facing them both at once, and moments later, he was beaten so badly he coughed up blood. It was a tremendous irony.

Zhaang Ye’s gaze shifted to Wei Jingtian. ”Wei Jingtian, if you team up with Xuli Long, you might stand a chance against me. Otherwise, you aren’t even qualified to put up a desperate fight.”

Wei Jingtian was the foremost expert of the younger generation in the Wei Kingdom; there was no telling how many masters he had defeated or how many Fierce Beasts he had slain with his long sword. Yet now, Zhaang Ye was claiming he wasn’t even qualified to put up a desperate struggle. This sheer dominance, this overbearing power, made some of the True Hall Disciples tremble with excitement!

’This Zhaang Ye... he’s so powerful, so domineering!’ everyone thought, turning their gazes toward Wei Jingtian. They wanted to see how he would respond.

Wei Jingtian’s expression flickered rapidly before he finally rose to his feet. ”Zhaang Ye, I never imagined you possessed such astonishing ability. I admit I underestimated you! Since you have issued the challenge, I will join Xuli Long and we will experience your skills firsthand!”

As he spoke, Wei Jingtian’s figure flashed, and he suddenly appeared on the stage. The long sword in his hand radiated a cold light, and the wisps of Sword Qi leaking from it carved gashes into the stage floor. Meanwhile, Xuli Long had suppressed his injuries. With a lightning-fast motion, he tossed an Elixir into his mouth. As the Elixir took effect, his entire presence became sharper, and in the blink of an eye, his aura flared, increasing by thirty to forty percent!

Wei Jingtian and Xuli Long took up a pincer formation, locking onto Zhaang Ye from a distance. They could both see the determination in each other’s eyes. ’We must defeat Zhaang Ye! We must crush his arrogance! We must use our fiercest techniques to put him in his place!’

RUMBLE! Wei Jingtian and Xuli Long attacked in unison. Wei Jingtian’s attack was direct: his long sword moved, and countless powerful streams of Sword Qi crisscrossed the stage. Amidst the Sword Qi, a dazzlingly brilliant phantom traced a mysterious arc as it thrust toward Zhaang Ye.

At the exact moment Wei Jingtian struck, Xuli Long swept his arms in a circle, once again unleashing the Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand. A thirty-foot-long, fully corporeal purple dragon and a thirty-foot-tall, equally solid-looking white tiger suddenly materialized in the air, striking at Zhaang Ye from the left and right!

Aided by the Power of Elixir, Xuli Long’s strength had increased by a full thirty percent. His power was now comparable to that of a Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage master, and the Dragon and Tiger Celestial Hand he now unleashed was twice as powerful as his previous attack! Even an expert at the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer would have to exert their full strength to break through it!

As the two young masters, Wei Jingtian and Xuli Long, attacked with their full power, the Wind Rises and Clouds Move. Every inch of the void above the stage filled with chilling Sword Qi, every cubic foot of space saturated with the Dragon and Tiger Celestial Force. Caught in the center, Zhaang Ye’s long hair was blasted upward by the Sword Qi and Powerful Qi. His green robes whipped about violently, as though he could be shredded by the infinite energies at any moment!

WHOOM!

At that moment, Zhaang Ye made his move. With just a slight shift of his body, Wei Jingtian suddenly felt two terrifying gray storms erupt before him! These dreadful vortexes contained countless shredding forces, which consumed his Sword Qi, began to consume his long sword, and threatened to consume him as well!

Having witnessed Xuli Long’s fate, Wei Jingtian was keenly aware of how dangerous these gray storms were. His expression changed in an instant. With a great shout, he wrenched his long sword back and simultaneously used a Body Technique to evade the two terrifying vortexes. Although Wei Jingtian’s formidable strength allowed him to dodge Zhaang Ye’s gray storms, the synergy of his joint attack with Xuli Long had been shattered!

The True Qi and Dragon Elephant Power within Zhaang Ye’s body began to churn wildly. Even the True Hall Disciples below the stage could clearly hear the thunderous, surging sound of their circulation. Driven by this power, Zhaang Ye’s figure seemed to swell, growing a third taller in an instant as he abruptly lashed out with a chopping palm!

BOOM!

This chop carried the might of a Great God from Ancient Times splitting heaven and earth; it was so powerful it left onlookers breathless. With a single strike, Zhaang Ye shattered the purple dragon pouncing toward him. As the dragon dissipated, Zhaang Ye’s body transformed into a streak of green light, shooting straight for Xuli Long. He hadn’t even arrived, yet he had already sent a punch flying through the air!

Zhaang Ye’s punch carried an immense aura, as if it could swallow heaven and earth. It was like an emperor gazing down upon his domain, as brilliant as the midday sun. Even with Xuli Long’s cultivation, he felt that this punch was impossible to dodge, impossible to evade. In that instant, the shadow of death enveloped him, making him feel as if his entire body had been plunged into Profound Ice!

”AHH!” Left with no other choice, Xuli Long could only grit his teeth, summon every last bit of True Qi in his body, and raise his arms to meet Zhaang Ye’s earth-shattering punch head-on!

BOOM! CRACK! CRACK!

The moment Xuli Long’s arms met Zhaang Ye’s fist, he felt an irresistible force come crashing down. A sickening cracking sound immediately echoed from his arms, followed by more cracks from within his body. There was even the sound of muscles tearing. Below the stage, the faces of the wide-eyed True Hall Disciples turned deathly pale as they heard these horrifying sounds!

The bones in Xuli Long’s arms shattered, fractures ran through his entire skeleton, and his muscles were torn to shreds. The vital energy and blood within him roiled violently, and his eyes rolled back in their sockets as he passed out on the spot!

One punch!

With just one punch, he had taken down a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert. What kind of strength was this!

All the True Hall Disciples were frozen like statues. All the Stewards sucked in a sharp breath. Wei Jingtian’s face contorted in horror, and he subconsciously retreated several steps, putting a great distance between himself and Zhaang Ye!

(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.)