Overlord of the Wilderness

This sudden voice possessed a demonic power. It shook Zhaang Ye’s Heart Spirit, making his True Qi churn violently within him until a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.

”Take me away! Take me away!” The voice rang out again and again, bombarding Zhaang Ye’s Heart Spirit like the toll of a great bell. Even with his abnormally strong Spiritual Power, Zhaang Ye couldn’t withstand such a terrifying Spiritual Attack. He couldn’t stop himself from spitting out another mouthful of blood.

’Damn it! To think such a terrifyingly strong person exists inside this Ancient Space Array!’ Zhaang Ye desperately resisted the Spiritual Attack, his heart filled with terror. This being, who possessed boundless Spiritual Power, was immeasurably strong—comparable to the Ancient Strong Person within the Mysterious Blade Tip. A simple sound was enough to make Zhaang Ye spit blood repeatedly. He felt as if his soul could be shattered by the voice at any moment, turning him into an imbecile!

’Hold on! Hold on! Hold on!!’

On the brink of life and death, Zhaang Ye focused all of his Spiritual Power, desperately resisting the terrifying voice.

Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Power was far stronger than that of an ordinary Martial Artist. Moreover, having witnessed the might of the Ancient Strong Person within the Mysterious Blade Tip, his Spiritual Power had become even more formidable—so much so that even the Thousand-Foot Stele had been unable to make him yield. At this moment, Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Power was like a reef in the ocean, stubbornly rooted in his spiritual world, allowing him to maintain a sliver of clarity.

Time seemed to stand still, each moment stretching on for a terrifying eternity.

”Take me away! Take me away!”

”Take me away!! Take me away!!”

...

After what felt like an eternity, the voice finally began to fade. As soon as it vanished, the mental pressure on Zhaang Ye lifted, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. Only then did he realize that his entire body was limp and powerless. He couldn’t even stand steadily and nearly collapsed.

Having narrowly escaped death, Zhaang Ye turned to leave the Array without a second thought.

This place was far too dangerous. After his brush with death, he had no desire to linger and only wanted to leave this dreadful place—and that terrifying being—as quickly as possible.

THUMP!

Zhaang Ye had only taken two steps when he suddenly tripped over a three-foot-square stone tablet. He casually glanced at the tablet and froze. It was covered in densely packed script.

”I am Master Qingfeng of Cyan Maple Mountain. Heed my words, you who have entered this Ancient Space Array: sealed within is an Ancient Fire Spirit. I surmise that this Ancient Fire Spirit was formed from the blood of an Ancient Phoenix combined with volcanic lava. This Fire Spirit’s consciousness has only recently awakened; it does not understand complex thought and is like a small child. However, its power is comparable to that of a True Dao Ninth Layer expert. Even while suppressed by the Spatial Array, it can injure people with just a sliver of its Spiritual Power. Whoever sees this stele, leave at once, or you will face a fatal disaster! —Master Qingfeng, written while coughing up blood.”

A Fire Spirit!

Seeing those two words, Zhaang Ye gasped. He had read a few Ancient Books, so he knew that countless races existed in the Ancient Wilderness. Besides the Human, Dragon, Phoenix, and Elephant Races, there were all sorts of bizarre life forms. For example, a great tree that lived for a long enough time could gain its own consciousness, learn to think and cultivate, speak and sing, and even run around.

If trees could gain consciousness and wisdom, then other things could as well. A rock, a mountain, a wisp of wind, a patch of cloud... given the right twist of fate, any of these things could gain sentience, able to cultivate and speak just like a person.

Though he knew that such strange life forms existed in the world, encountering a Fire Spirit for the first time still left Zhaang Ye deeply shaken.

Now that he knew the Fire Spirit’s origin, Zhaang Ye breathed a small sigh of relief. The Fire Spirit was suppressed by the Spatial Array and couldn’t move; it could only freely use a sliver of its Spiritual Power. In that case, as long as he could withstand its Spiritual Power, his life was not in danger.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhaang Ye began to walk step-by-step toward the core of the Spatial Array.

The moment Zhaang Ye started moving, the Fire Spirit’s voice suddenly returned.

”Take me away! Take me away!”

”Take me away! Take me away!”

The voice echoed in Zhaang Ye’s mind again and again, the bombardment turning his face deathly pale as blood slowly welled at the corners of his mouth. However, having experienced it once before, he found it much easier to resist. Though the Fire Spirit’s voice repeatedly hammered his Heart Spirit, Zhaang Ye managed to remain conscious and continued to walk forward, one step at a time.

The Ancient Space Array was vast and exceedingly profound. When active, it seemed to resonate with the Celestial Dao, its power infinite. Walking within this great Array, a single misstep could get one instantly torn to shreds by a terrifying force or transported to another dimension, never to return to the Desolate Continent for all eternity.

Even though Zhaang Ye had a map, he didn’t dare to let his guard down for an instant. Resisting the Fire Spirit’s voice while slowly advancing, he walked for a full ten days. After brushing with death countless times, he finally arrived at a wondrous place.

Before Zhaang Ye was a massive volcanic crater. The crater spanned fifty to sixty li, and within it, an endless sea of lava churned madly, throwing up waves of magma that dyed the entire world a ghastly red. Suspended in the air above the lava was a platform made of White Jade. This White Jade platform was inscribed with all kinds of complex arrays, and a power that seemed to fill the heavens emanated from it, firmly suppressing the lava below. No matter how the lava rolled and roared, it could not erupt.

Zhaang Ye stared blankly at the White Jade Platform above the lava, only snapping back to his senses after a long moment. He muttered to himself, ’This power emanating from the White Jade Platform must be the legendary Power of Space. This Power of Space is truly incredible. It has effortlessly locked down this area. No matter how fiercely the lava rages, it can’t erupt.’

Once his awe subsided, Zhaang Ye began to worry. The White Jade Platform was suspended high above the lava. To reach it, he would need to cross twenty to thirty li of magma. During that crossing, the slightest misstep would mean falling into the boiling lava to be burned alive.

’How can I possibly reach the White Jade Platform safely?’ Zhaang Ye thought, racking his brain.

”Take me away! Take me away!”

”Take me away! Take me away!!”

Zhaang Ye racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a solution. As he thought, the Fire Spirit’s voice echoed relentlessly in his mind, irritating him to the point that he finally roared, ”Kid, shut up for your old man! Your old man is trying to think!”

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhaang Ye regretted them. His heart leaped into his throat. ’Damn it, I’m too impulsive! What if it suddenly erupts after I yelled at it like that? If it gets angry and launches a frenzied attack, I’ll be in huge trouble!’

Just as Zhaang Ye was bracing for the Fire Spirit’s outburst, a timid voice sounded in his mind, ”Your Old Man? Is your name... Your Old Man?”

”Uh—” Zhaang Ye never would have guessed that the Fire Spirit would ask a curious question. Feeling awkward, he scratched his head and said, ”My name isn’t Your Old Man. I’m Zhaang Ye.”

The Fire Spirit asked curiously, ”Why are you called Zhaang Ye?”

”Well...” Zhaang Ye didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”I’m called Zhaang Ye because... I’m Zhaang Ye.”

The Fire Spirit then asked, ”Then what’s my name?”

Hearing this string of naive questions, Zhaang Ye instantly realized this Fire Spirit was just like a child; it didn’t understand anything and was curious about everything. Children need to be coaxed, and this Fire Spirit was no different. If he could get on its good side, he wouldn’t have to endure the torture of its voice anymore.

Realizing this, Zhaang Ye relaxed and said with a chuckle, ”You are a spirit born from the combination of volcanic lava and Phoenix Blood. Therefore, your name is Fire Spirit.”

The Fire Spirit said, ”Fire Spirit? Okay, from now on, I’ll be called Fire Spirit. Zhaang Ye, can you take me away from here? I’ve been here for a very, very long time, only ever able to talk to myself and cultivate on my own. I want to see the outside world. Please, take me away from here.”

Zhaang Ye gave a bitter smile. ”Aren’t you suppressed by the Spatial Array? This Ancient Space Array is enormous, its power enough to seal the heavens and lock the earth. My strength is far, far too weak. I can’t break your Seal, so I can’t take you away.”

The Fire Spirit fell silent, but Zhaang Ye could clearly feel a wave of sadness wash over it. The sorrow was so strong it affected him, too, souring his own mood.

After a long moment, the Fire Spirit spoke again. ”I’ve been here all by myself, only ever able to talk to myself. All the other people who entered this Spatial Array were scared to death by my voice. Your Spiritual Power is the most resilient of them all. You’re the only one who can listen to me. Can you stay and talk with me for a while?”

The Fire Spirit sounded pitiful, its tone pleading. But Zhaang Ye had already brushed with death countless times in this Ancient Space Array. In such a dangerous place, he couldn’t wait to leave. He shook his head. ”This place is far too dangerous for me; I could die at any moment, so I can’t stay. I came here on an errand. Once I’ve finished, I’m leaving immediately.”

The Fire Spirit fell silent again. After a moment, it said, ”What is it you need to do? I’m very familiar with this place; I should be able to help. All I hope is that after you’re done, you’ll stay and talk with me for a little while.”(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.)