Overlord of the Wilderness

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Looking out from the Guiding Flying Vessel, an unprecedented, azure sky appeared before Zhaang Ye’s eyes. His first impression of this sky was that it was incredibly high and vast. Plumes of white cloud were impossibly high, drifting with an ethereal lightness. Golden sunlight scattered upon them, causing them to emit a faint glow that gave them a crystalline, translucent feel.

Looking down at the ground, he saw vast stretches of forests, grasslands, and lakes that spread out like a verdant carpet to the horizon. All sorts of strange and exotic plants bloomed with dazzlingly colorful flowers, a beautiful and overwhelming sight. The trees growing on the ground were even more immense, towering a thousand zhang high, their sturdy branches pointing straight at the blue sky.

Zhaang Ye emerged from the cabin and stepped onto the deck of the Guiding Flying Vessel. He took a deep breath. Wisps of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, visible to the naked eye, swarmed toward him, seeping into his body through every pore and transforming into threads of pure True Qi. Zhaang Ye felt as if every pore was cheering, an ineffable comfort spreading through his entire body.

The grey-robed middle-aged man said leisurely, ”This is the outside world. Zhaang Ye, how does it feel?”

Zhaang Ye nodded and said, ”Very good, very good. In the outside world, the sky is higher, the earth is thicker, and the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi is more abundant. It’s truly a wonderful place for Cultivation.”

The grey-robed middle-aged man smiled faintly. ”Vast Heaven and Earth—you put it well. This world is the true Barbaric World. The Land of Divine Abandonment is merely a place the size of your palm.”

Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun had also emerged from the cabin by now, marveling at the scenery outside. The grey-robed middle-aged man glanced at the four of them and said slowly, ”You’d best stand still and not move around carelessly. This is the true Barbaric World. Only a True Dao Expert can fly here. If you fall from the Guiding Flying Vessel, even I won’t be able to save you.”

HISS—

Hearing the grey-robed man’s warning, Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun all sucked in a sharp breath, their scalps tingling with fear. Even Zhaang Ye was secretly shocked; he had just walked to the railing of the Guiding Flying Vessel for a better view of the scenery below, an extremely dangerous move.

Yangx Guyuan said respectfully, ”In the Land of Divine Abandonment, experts at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer can already use Qi Manipulation Flight. Why is it that in the true Barbaric World, one must cultivate to the True Dao to do so?”

The grey-robed middle-aged man said flatly, ”It’s simple. The Laws of Heaven and Earth are different. The Land of Divine Abandonment is shrouded by a huge Spatial Array, separating it from the true Barbaric World. Because of that, Martial Artists of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer can use Qi Manipulation Flight. But the true Barbaric World has a vast heaven and a thick earth; without cultivating to the True Dao, it’s simply impossible to fly in the sky.”

「More than a month passed aboard the Guiding Flying Vessel.」

Zhaang Ye used this month to silently refine the True Qi in his body. As his Cultivation progressed, more and more of his Postnatal True Qi was converted into Innate True Qi. Zhaang Ye could vaguely sense that he was very close to the Half-step True Dao. He only needed a period of seclusion to break through.

「One day, a verdant mountain range that soared into the clouds suddenly appeared before the Guiding Flying Vessel.」

This verdant mountain range resembled a colossal dragon stretching straight into the distance. Just a single glance from afar was enough to feel a desolate, ancient aura wash over them, making it difficult to breathe.

The Guiding Flying Vessel slowly decelerated, flying toward this massive mountain range. After flying several thousand li, the Guiding Flying Vessel slowly descended toward a mountain peak.

The grey-robed middle-aged man landed the Guiding Flying Vessel on a White Jade Platform, then announced, ”Alright, we’ve arrived at the Sect. Follow me down immediately to register your identities and receive your Identity Recognition Jade Tokens.”

After saying this, the grey-robed man executed his Body Technique, transforming into a faint grey streak of light as he dropped from the Guiding Flying Vessel.

Zhaang Ye, Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun also used their Body Techniques to descend toward the Jade Platform. But the moment the five of them leaped off the Guiding Flying Vessel, they immediately sensed that something was wrong. Their incredibly light bodies had suddenly become abnormally heavy, as if they were carrying a weight of tens of thousands of pounds, completely out of their control!

WHOOSH!

Zhaang Ye, Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun plummeted like five stones!

Seeing the five of them plummeting, a hint of a smile appeared on the grey-robed middle-aged man’s face. He watched them with a grin, ready to enjoy the pathetic sight of them crashing to the ground.

Just as the grey-robed man was about to enjoy the show, Zhaang Ye, who was still in mid-air, suddenly took a long breath, and a low humming sound came from within his body. In the next instant, his body suddenly transformed into a dazzling golden saber. It flew swiftly through the air, and in the blink of an eye, Zhaang Ye had reached the ground.

SWOOSH!

The golden light around Zhaang Ye dissipated, and he landed on the ground, safe and sound.

”Nice!”

The grey-robed middle-aged man was extremely surprised to see Zhaang Ye land unharmed, and he couldn’t help but call out in approval.

While Zhaang Ye landed safely, Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun were not so lucky. Caught off guard, the four of them slammed into the ground like four stones. Despite their Cultivation at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, they were sent sprawling on their backs.

Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun were all considered top experts in their own right. Being thrown to the ground so forcefully made them feel utterly disgraced and dejected.

The grey-robed middle-aged man looked at their pathetic state, a smile touching the corner of his mouth. He said, ”The gravity in the Barbaric World is more than fifty times greater than in the Land of Divine Abandonment. In other words, a person who weighs a hundred pounds in the Land of Divine Abandonment would weigh over five thousand pounds here. Martial Artists with a Cultivation below the Martial Arts Ninth Layer wouldn’t dare leave the Land of Divine Abandonment; otherwise, the gravity would crush their internal organs, and they would die.”

Zhaang Ye, with his memories from a past life, deeply understood the terror of gravity. Hearing the grey-robed man’s explanation, he nodded slightly. A person’s internal organs are their most fragile parts. If a Martial Artist below the Martial Arts Ninth Layer were to suddenly encounter such terrifying gravity, their organs would definitely rupture, leading to death.

The grey-robed middle-aged man continued, ”Now you understand why only a True Dao Expert can perform Qi Manipulation Flight, right? Heh, under such terrifying gravity, even a Half-Step True Dao Expert can’t fly in the sky using Qi Manipulation Flight. Only True Dao Experts who have reached the Innate Realm can fly for extended periods in the air.”

After this explanation, the grey-robed middle-aged man waved at the five of them and used his Body Technique to head toward a magnificent palace. Zhaang Ye looked into the distance and saw two large words written above the palace: ”Guiding Hall.” Without needing the grey-robed man’s introduction, Zhaang Ye knew that this ”Guiding Hall” was used to receive newly initiated disciples.

As they followed the grey-robed man to the front of the Guiding Hall, Zhaang Ye discovered that over a hundred young people had already gathered there. The Cultivation of these youths was at least at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage. Among them, seven had reached the Half-step True Dao, and they exuded a thick, murderous aura. It was clear at a glance that they were not to be trifled with.

Zhaang Ye asked, ”Are all these people elite members of the Younger Generation from various regions? Are they all new disciples of the Sect?”

The grey-robed middle-aged man nodded. ”Exactly. They are all elites from various regions, the cream of the crop of the Younger Generation. The weakest among them has a Cultivation at the Mid-stage Ninth Layer. Some of the prodigies with outstanding talent and profound opportunities have already cultivated over ninety percent of their Innate True Qi and are only a hair’s breadth away from the True Dao.”

At this point, the grey-robed man glanced at the five of them and said with a chuckle, ”They are also your competitors. In three months, an entrance tournament will be held, and over three thousand talented disciples will engage in a series of fierce battles. You should all start thinking about how to improve your combat strength.”

The faces of Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun changed drastically. Their Cultivation was only at the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage; they were nothing compared to these people.

Zhaang Ye and Yangx Guyuan, however, remained calm. They had managed to cultivate formidable strength in the Land of Divine Abandonment, where Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was scarce. Now that they were in the Sect, where the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi was dozens of times richer, three months was enough time for them to improve their strength.

The grey-robed man led the five of them into the Guiding Hall and approached a one-armed middle-aged man. He said, ”I have completed my guidance mission. I have now brought the five talented prodigies from the Land of Divine Abandonment. I ask Martial Uncle to please register them.”

A strange glint flashed in the one-armed man’s eyes. He then nodded slightly and began to record the five’s information. Zhaang Ye had been watching the one-armed man closely and noticed that when the man recorded his information, a cold look actually appeared in his eyes.

After recording the information, the one-armed man took out five Jade Tokens, tossed them to the group, and said, ”These are your Identity Recognition Jade Tokens in the Sect. They record your name, identity, residence, and asset balance. Using the Jade Token is simple; just drip a drop of fresh blood onto it, and you will understand.”

Seeing that Zhaang Ye’s group had received their Jade Tokens, the grey-robed man patted Zhaang Ye on the shoulder and said, ”Your residences have been arranged in the Jade Tokens. Just follow the addresses inside to find them. I have completed my mission and must report back, so I won’t accompany you any further.”

With that, the grey-robed man strode away.

Zhaang Ye said respectfully, ”Safe travels, senior.”

After saying this, he also strode out of the Guiding Hall. As for Yangx Guyuan, Du Hong, Zhou Lihuo, and Yin Chenyun, they had already disappeared without a trace.

The one-armed man watched Zhaang Ye exit the Guiding Hall, then quickly took out a thin piece of Beast Hide. On it, he wrote: ”Zhaang Ye has arrived at the Sect. His residence has been arranged near the Jiang Family disciples.”

After writing this message, a strange smile appeared on the corner of the one-armed man’s mouth. He expertly tied the Beast Hide to a small gray bird, which immediately spread its wings and flew off in a certain direction. (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.)