Overlord of the Wilderness

After exchanging blows with Du Hong for so long, Zhaang Ye had used the other’s Cloud-Breaking Scattering Hand to refine his own Martial Dao, feeling he had gained much from the experience. Suddenly, he had a breakthrough on a difficult martial concept and immediately began his counterattack.

BOOM!

Zhaang Ye unleashed a slash.

The slash was like a thunderclap on a clear day, a bolt of lightning from the heavens. It instantly crossed dozens of feet, carrying an indescribable might as it shot fiercely toward Du Hong!

Zhaang Ye’s attack looked similar to his Mountain-Breaking Slash, but it was simpler, more direct. This slash had no variations, no flourishes. All it had was the speed of lightning and the ferocity of a thunderbolt!

As Zhaang Ye’s opponent, Du Hong’s expression changed abruptly. He faintly sensed that Zhaang Ye’s slash contained a trace of the same realm as the Cloud-Breaking Scattering Hand. ’Right now, Zhaang Ye is like an Ancient Giant, wielding a terrifying great saber to cleave apart the heavens and earth. If I’m even the slightest bit careless, I’ll be split in two by this horrifying strike!’

ROAR!

Du Hong had no time to think. With a great roar, he threw a punch with all his strength, aiming straight for Zhaang Ye’s palm. Du Hong knew this was a life-or-death moment. His full-powered attack unleashed limitless force that swept forth irresistibly, accompanied by a deafening, thunderous boom!

BOOM!

The world seemed to freeze for an instant. The ferociously violent explosion shook the solid stage, cracking it all over. A terrifyingly Powerful Qi, so dense it seemed tangible, swept outward. Even people hundreds of yards away were thrown into the air by its incredible force!

The terrifying Qi Force shredded Du Hong’s clothes inch by inch. He immediately spat several mouthfuls of blood, his entire body flying off the stage like a kite struck by a massive hammer.

He continued to spit blood as he flew. Du Hong was in a truly pathetic state; his body occasionally emitted soft cracking sounds—the sound of his bones breaking! From just a single strike, Du Hong had sustained grievous injuries. He wouldn’t be recovering anytime soon.

But as Du Hong was sent flying from the stage, Zhaang Ye’s feet remained rooted to the spot, as if nailed to the ground. A moment later, spiderweb-like cracks suddenly appeared beneath his feet, the palm-sized fissures emitting a terrifying, grinding CRACKLE.

GASP!

Everyone stared at Zhaang Ye, who stood tall and alone on the stage, and gasped. Du Hong was the number one expert of the Great Bell Kingdom’s Younger Generation. He not only had a Cultivation of the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, but also possessed the profound and limitless Cloud-Breaking Scattering Hand. In their minds, even if Zhaang Ye managed to defeat Du Hong, it would be a pyrrhic victory at best. No one had imagined Zhaang Ye would send Du Hong flying with a single strike while he himself didn’t budge an inch!

This was an overwhelming victory!

In other words, Zhaang Ye’s strength was far greater than Du Hong’s!

”So powerful! A master as strong as Du Hong was sent flying off the stage by a single chop, his bones shattered. This Zhaang Ye is so dominant, so terrifying!”

”Exactly! His Saber Technique is just too savage. Did you see? He never even drew the saber from his back. He defeated Du Hong just by using his hand as a blade. If he’d drawn his actual saber, I doubt even Du Hong could have lasted more than a few moves!”

”That guy’s name is Zhaang Ye, right? He’s made a name for himself with this single fight. Now, among the Younger Generation of the Six Eastern Countries, there’s probably no one who can stand against him except for Chu Yuxiang!”

”The Wei Kingdom is such a minor nation; they’ve never produced any true geniuses. To think such a formidable character would suddenly emerge from there... it’s just unbelievable!”

The crowd below the stage fixed their eyes on Zhaang Ye, their voices a low buzz of discussion. The image of his solitary figure in green robes was now deeply etched into their minds.

Ou Qingxin, the top expert of the Celestial Forest Kingdom’s Younger Generation, sized up Zhaang Ye on the stage, his expression changing as he took a sharp, inward breath. ’This guy is just too damn strong!’ Ou Qingxin specialized in the Little Celestial Star Fist and had originally planned to challenge Zhaang Ye. But after witnessing such raw power, his will to fight vanished completely.

’I know for a fact Du Hong’s strength is on par with mine, maybe even a little bit better,’ Ou Qingxin thought. ’Now that he’s been so utterly crushed by Zhaang Ye, there’s no way I dare go up there and challenge him!’

Yann Wutian, the top expert of the Great Chang Kingdom’s Younger Generation, felt much the same as Ou Qingxin. Though his Bone Sword was incredibly sharp and lightning-fast, after witnessing Zhaang Ye’s astounding display, his confidence vanished. He certainly wouldn’t dare step onto the stage to challenge him now.

At this point, only Chu Yuxiang was still filled with the will to fight. Zhaang Ye’s performance had greatly exceeded his expectations, but Chu Yuxiang specialized in long-range attacks. ’As long as I strike first,’ he reasoned, ’even with his monstrous strength, he won’t be able to pose a threat to me. On the other hand, the eighteen arrows on my back are deceptively lethal. I just need one opening. It doesn’t matter how terrifying his power is or how strong his Combat Skills are; he’ll still lose.’

At the judges’ table, the referees were also momentarily stunned by Zhaang Ye’s overwhelming display. However, their Cultivation and experience were far greater than that of ordinary Martial Artists, so they were only dazed for an instant before recovering their composure.

The chief referee slowly walked to the center of the stage and announced, ”This match goes to Zhaang Ye!”

A great cheer erupted from the crowd below the stage.

All who pursued Cultivation revered the strong. Zhaang Ye’s dominant performance perfectly fit the image of a true expert, instantly earning him the awe and admiration of the masses.

The chief referee held up a hand to quiet the crowd, then turned to Zhaang Ye. ”By defeating Du Hong, you are now the champion of this stage. As per the rules, you may now challenge any young expert by name. Tell us who you wish to fight, and they shall come to the stage!”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping across the area below the stage.

When Zhaang Ye’s blade-like gaze swept over them, the expressions of nearly all the young experts changed. Zhaang Ye’s combat prowess was immense, and his attacks were both domineering and incisive. To fight him meant that a single mistake could get you beaten to death. Even with a referee watching, you would be lucky to escape without grievous injuries.

Almost none of the young experts wanted to face Zhaang Ye. Even powerhouses like Yann Wutian and Ou Qingxin were unwilling to fight him. This wasn’t cowardice; it was pragmatism. They were self-aware enough to know their chances of victory were slim, and so, deep down, they truly did not want to fight him.

Zhaang Ye’s gaze swept slowly across the crowd. As it passed over the young experts from the Great Rong Kingdom, Great Chang Kingdom, Celestial Forest Kingdom, Great Bell Kingdom, and Moon Country, some paled slightly while others looked away, not daring to meet his eyes. Some of the experts with lower Cultivation even trembled when his gaze fell upon them.

Watching Zhaang Ye intimidate the crowd of young experts into breathlessness with just a glance, Wei Jingtian, Xuli Long, Fang Caiying, and Feng Tongming all had expressions of pure excitement. Their bodies trembled slightly with anticipation.

Wei Jingtian’s voice trembled as he said, ”Just a single glance makes all those young experts pale and afraid to look up. Zhaang Ye’s presence is just too powerful!”

Xuli Long, Fang Caiying, and Feng Tongming all nodded in agreement. Xuli Long sighed. ”To single-handedly dominate all the young experts of the Six Eastern Countries... to achieve something like this in one’s lifetime... it makes it all worthwhile!”

At this moment, Zhaang Ye’s gaze suddenly fixed on one person.

Everyone’s gaze snapped over in the same direction. The person Zhaang Ye was staring at was none other than Fu Songcheng, the top expert of the Moon Country’s Younger Generation.

Fu Songcheng felt his skin crawl under Zhaang Ye’s stare. However, he came from an extraordinary background and had many things to rely on. Even if he wasn’t as strong as Zhaang Ye, he wasn’t particularly panicked. Fu Songcheng met Zhaang Ye’s gaze and sneered, ”Zhaang Ye, are you looking to challenge me?”

Zhaang Ye nodded slightly, pointed directly at Fu Songcheng, and said, ”You. Get up here.”

Fu Songcheng snorted, then vaulted into the air and landed on the stage. Staring at Zhaang Ye from across the platform, he sneered, ”Zhaang Ye, don’t think you can be invincible among the Younger Generation just because you have some Barbaric Power. This time, I, Fu Songcheng, will teach you a lesson you’ll never forget!”

Hearing Fu Songcheng not only accept Zhaang Ye’s challenge but also proclaim he would teach him an unforgettable lesson, the crowd below grew excited. The entire arena was soon filled with a buzz of discussion as people wondered what ace Fu Songcheng had up his sleeve that made him dare to provoke Zhaang Ye after witnessing his power.

Fu Yibo, the Ninth Elder of the Moon Country’s True Hall, had initially disapproved of Fu Songcheng accepting the challenge, having seen how powerful Zhaang Ye was. But seeing the look of utter confidence on Fu Songcheng’s face, Fu Yibo had a sudden thought. ’Fu Songcheng’s strength is still a fair bit below Zhaang Ye’s. His current confidence... could it be that Master Fu gave *that thing* to him?’

At this thought, a look of relief appeared on Fu Yibo’s face. He glanced at Zhaang Ye with a chilling look in his eyes. ’Fu Songcheng isn’t an idiot,’ he mused. ’If he’s this confident, he must have that item with him! Heh heh, this battle... Zhaang Ye is as good as dead!’

Having long meditated on the Ancient Fist Intent and the Ancient Sword Intent, Zhaang Ye’s entire demeanor had become cold, dominant, and unfathomable. He did not grow angry at Fu Songcheng’s provocation. Instead, he stared at him like a lion. ”Fu Songcheng, it seems you have some kind of backing,” he said slowly. ”But in the end, for a Martial Artist, only strength truly matters. Your strength is lacking. No matter how many tricks you have up your sleeve, you can’t escape a miserable defeat.”

”Is that so?” Fu Songcheng gave a cold smile and took out an object. (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.)