Overlord of the Wilderness

”What in the world is going on?”

”That’s weird. Xuli Long is clearly weaker than Liao Zhichen, so how did he win?”

”That final move from Xuli Long was timed perfectly. How did he know Liao Zhichen was adjusting his breathing at that exact moment?”

Xuli Long’s upset victory over Liao Zhichen sent a buzz through the tournament grounds, and all eyes fell upon him. These hesitant, disbelieving gazes were incredibly satisfying to Xuli Long, and he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

The referee took a deep look at Xuli Long and announced, ”Match one, Xuli Long of the Wei Kingdom is victorious!”

Fang Caiying, Wei Jingtian, and Feng Tongming had been watching the fight intently. Seeing Xuli Long send Liao Zhichen flying, none of the three could believe their eyes. Only after hearing the referee’s announcement did they finally accept that Xuli Long had indeed won.

”HISS—” After sucking in a sharp breath, Fang Caiying, Wei Jingtian, and Feng Tongming all turned to Zhaang Ye, their faces filled with disbelief. They knew full well that the biggest reason Xuli Long had been able to win this fight was Zhaang Ye’s guidance. It was precisely because of Zhaang Ye’s advice that Xuli Long hadn’t lost his composure, had managed to endure Liao Zhichen’s Flaming Blade, and had ultimately launched a counterattack to claim victory.

’This Zhaang Ye... he saw right through Liao Zhichen with just a single glance. A skill like that can only be described as unfathomable!’ Fang Caiying, Wei Jingtian, and Feng Tongming glanced at the cross-legged, meditating Zhaang Ye, and the same thought simultaneously crossed their minds: he was completely unfathomable.

”HUFF!” Xuli Long leaped down from the ring. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded toward Zhaang Ye and said, ”Thank you for your guidance just now.”

While Fang Caiying, Wei Jingtian, and Feng Tongming found Zhaang Ye unfathomable, Xuli Long felt both shock and awe toward him. Zhaang Ye had used the Sound Transmission Technique to command him when to strike, and the timing of the opportunity had been abnormally precise—he had attacked at the exact moment Liao Zhichen was adjusting his breathing. This terrifying ability filled Xuli Long with shock and awe, which is why he had humbled himself to thank Zhaang Ye.

Hearing Xuli Long’s thanks, Zhaang Ye gave a slight nod.

After the first match ended, the battles continued. During the fourth match, a young man with fiery red hair appeared in the ring. His gaze was as sharp as a goshawk’s, and anyone who met his eyes subconsciously looked away.

”That’s Yann Wutian of the Great Chang Kingdom. He reached the Middle Stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer six months ago. The Bone Sword in his hand is indestructible, and its power surpasses even a Pseudo-True Artifact. He’s a terrifying opponent!” Wei Jingtian had clearly researched the other contestants before they left, as he immediately relayed the information the moment Yann Wutian took the stage.

Just then, Yann Wutian’s opponent also leaped into the ring. He was a youth from the Celestial Forest Kingdom named Lin Zhongfeng, with a cultivation at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. His weapon was a Hundred-Refined Long Spear.

Yann Wutian glanced indifferently at Lin Zhongfeng and held up five fingers. ”Lin Zhongfeng, is it? Five moves. If you can withstand five of my moves, I will admit defeat immediately. I won’t go back on my word.”

Lin Zhongfeng’s expression changed slightly. Just as he was about to say something, a Bone Sword suddenly appeared in Yann Wutian’s hand.

”SWISH!”

Yann Wutian flicked his wrist, and the Bone Sword in his hand instantly transformed into a mountain of white bones. On this mountain formed of bone, sinister winds howled, and ghostly apparitions seemed to circle above, making it an incredibly unsettling sight. In addition to the strange noises, this mountain of bone also emanated a thick deathly aura. The flowers and grass near the ring were touched by this aura and immediately began to wither at a visible rate.

”BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”

The mountain of bone, transformed from the Bone Sword, crashed down upon Lin Zhongfeng like a giant boulder. Lin Zhongfeng took four consecutive blows, spitting out a mouthful of blood with each one. When Yann Wutian’s fifth strike came, he was sent flying by the sheer force of the bone mountain.

”HISS!”

Yann Wutian had sent a master at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer flying with just five attacks, causing the young masters below the ring to suck in a sharp breath. Yann Wutian’s display had been far too dominant. Even for these proud young masters, the sight made their scalps tingle.

Of course, some were not intimidated by Yann Wutian. In the sixth match, a bare-chested young man strode into the ring and declared in a deep voice, ”I am Ou Qingxin of the Celestial Forest Kingdom! Whoever is in the sixth match, get up here now!”

Wei Jingtian said, ”Ou Qingxin is the number one expert of the Celestial Forest Kingdom’s younger generation. He has cultivated his Little Celestial Star Fist technique to the realm of Mastery, and its power surpasses even Top-Grade Combat Skills. Besides his formidable strength, his defense is also exceptionally tough. Ordinary attacks are useless against him. He can take a blade or spear to the body and act as if nothing happened.”

Ou Qingxin’s opponent was a young expert from the Moon Country named Fu Changchuan.

The moment the match began, Ou Qingxin launched an unusually fierce attack. His method of attack was quite simple: just a single punch thrown.

”RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!”

Ou Qingxin’s fists were like meteors, carrying endless power and striking from unpredictable angles. Although Fu Changchuan was also highly skilled, he was thrown into disarray by this simple yet profound fist technique. After taking three consecutive punches, he was finally knocked unconscious by Ou Qingxin’s fourth.

”HAHAHA!” Having knocked out his opponent with four punches, Ou Qingxin roared with laughter and turned to Yann Wutian. ”Yann Wutian, it took you five strikes to finish your opponent, but I only needed four punches to end the fight. Haha, I guess I’m a cut above you! HAHAHAHA!”

After taunting Yann Wutian, Ou Qingxin turned his gaze to Zhaang Ye. During the earlier clash of auras, Zhaang Ye had revealed an incredibly powerful Sword Intent, which had greatly piqued Ou Qingxin’s interest. He stared at Zhaang Ye and said with a smirk, ”Zhaang Ye, I finished the fight in four punches. I wonder how many strikes it’ll take you?”

All eyes turned to Zhaang Ye, but his expression was perfectly calm, revealing none of his thoughts. Ou Qingxin assumed Zhaang Ye was afraid, so he let out another loud laugh and strode triumphantly off the ring.

The seventh match began, and it was Wei Jingtian’s turn.

Wei Jingtian’s opponent was a young master named Du Xiaochang, at the Early Stage of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Judging from their auras, his strength wasn’t far from Wei Jingtian’s. Wei Jingtian didn’t immediately leap into the ring. He sized up his opponent from a distance, then glanced at Zhaang Ye, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something.

Zhaang Ye’s guidance of just a few sentences had allowed Xuli Long to achieve victory. Now, Wei Jingtian hoped Zhaang Ye might offer him a word or two of advice as well, to increase his own chances of winning.

As if sensing Wei Jingtian’s thoughts, Zhaang Ye’s eyes opened, and he spoke slowly, ”Du Xiaochang’s aura is sinister, subtle, and strange. His Combat Skills obviously follow the same path. Once you’re in the ring, immediately use your Heaven-Shocking Three Swords and win with the speed of a thunderclap.”

Wei Jingtian’s lips twitched. Although his Heaven-Shocking Three Swords was extremely powerful, each use consumed twenty to thirty percent of his True Qi. At his current cultivation level, he could only use it four times. If Zhaang Ye’s judgment was wrong, he would lose due to exhausting his True Qi.

Despite his doubts, Wei Jingtian decided to follow Zhaang Ye’s guidance. Once in the ring, the moment the referee shouted ”Begin!”, he gave his Long Sword a shake without a second thought. A dazzling Sword Aura instantly materialized out of thin air, carrying an irresistible momentum as it shot toward Du Xiaochang.

Du Xiaochang never expected Wei Jingtian to unleash such a fierce Sword Technique the moment he entered the ring. Startled, he suddenly produced a twenty-foot-long whip, which blurred into a flurry of shadows to block Wei Jingtian’s attack.

”CRACKLE-POP!”

Du Xiaochang actually managed to block Wei Jingtian’s ”Heaven-shocking First Sword.” But although he successfully parried the swordsmanship, he was forced back two steps, and a small section of his Long Whip was sliced off by Wei Jingtian’s Long Sword. He was put at a clear disadvantage after just one move.

”SWISH!”

Ignoring the heavy consumption of his True Qi, Wei Jingtian immediately followed up with the second sword of the Heaven-Shocking Three Swords.

The Heaven-Shocking Three Swords that Wei Jingtian cultivated grew progressively more powerful with each technique. When the second sword was unleashed, the entire ring filled with biting Sword Qi. Du Xiaochang found it impossible to even dodge and, with no other choice, had to use his Whip Technique again to clash head-on with Wei Jingtian’s incredibly fierce swordsmanship.

”CRACK—CRACK—”

The Long Whip and Long Sword clashed hundreds of times in an instant before suddenly separating, revealing Du Xiaochang’s battered figure. Although he had blocked Wei Jingtian’s second sword, he had paid a heavy price. His clothes were shredded by the Sword Qi, and bloody gashes had appeared on his arms and other parts of his body.

Wei Jingtian took a long breath, steeled himself, and once again drove the last of his True Qi to unleash the Heaven-Shocking Sword Technique a third time.

Seeing Wei Jingtian unleash the Heaven-Shocking Sword Technique yet again, Du Xiaochang sighed in frustration. The Cultivation Technique he practiced was strange and unpredictable; if he’d had a chance to use it, Wei Jingtian would never have been able to gain such an upper hand. Unfortunately, Wei Jingtian had gone all-out with his swordsmanship from the very start, and no matter how many strange tricks he had, they were useless in the face of such a straightforward, overpoweringly fierce sword style. Now, his Long Whip was damaged, his momentum was completely shattered, and continuing to fight would only lead to an ugly defeat.

After a quick mental calculation, Du Xiaochang shouted, ”Alright, I concede this match!”

Wei Jingtian nodded slightly and leaped down from the ring. Walking over to Zhaang Ye’s side, he sighed and said, ”Many thanks for your guidance, Junior Brother Zhaang. Without it, I wasn’t certain of victory in this match, let alone winning so cleanly.”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly, as if it were a matter of course.

From over a hundred yards away, Fu Songcheng had been watching Zhaang Ye the whole time. When he heard Wei Jingtian’s words, Fu Songcheng’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression became one of shock and uncertainty. ’From what Wei Jingtian said, his swift victory was thanks to Zhaang Ye’s guidance. And right, Xuli Long also seemed to thank Zhaang Ye earlier... Could it be that both of their victories were orchestrated by Zhaang Ye? If that’s true, this Zhaang Ye is far too terrifying!’

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