Overlord of the Wilderness

A single grab!

With just one grab, Zhaang Ye had Baili Shuangyi’s neck in a vice-like grip. Baili Shuangyi’s face turned purple, his legs flailing wildly, but it was utterly useless!

Silence!

The audience around the arena had just opened their mouths to cheer for Baili Shuangyi. They never expected that before their cheers could even fade, Zhaang Ye would already have him by the throat. The reversal was too drastic. The tens of thousands of spectators stared, dumbfounded, their cheers vanishing in an instant.

BANG!

Before the eyes of tens of thousands, Zhaang Ye flicked his arm. Baili Shuangyi’s body flew out like a stone and slammed viciously into the arena’s Protective Shield. The massive boom startled the nearby audience.

Baili Shuangyi collapsed onto the arena floor like a dead dog. His once-handsome face was now a bloody mess, and he foamed at the mouth, his entire body twitching uncontrollably.

The referee took one look and knew Baili Shuangyi had no strength left to fight. He announced, ”Elimination tournament, second round, arena thirty-eight, eighth match. Zhaang Ye wins.”

In the spectator stands, no one dared to make a sound. Zhaang Ye’s ferocious and domineering display had completely stunned them.

Of the fifty matches happening at the same time, Zhaang Ye’s was the first to conclude. His extraordinarily domineering performance attracted the attention of several powerful experts.

Sect Seventh Elder Jin Zhongyu chuckled. ”This Zhaang Ye isn’t bad,” he said. ”It’s been a long time since a talented expert this formidable has appeared in the Land of Divine Abandonment.”

Sect Eighth Elder Chi Haisheng nodded. ”Although Zhaang Ye relied on his gloves to win this battle, his own strength is quite impressive. If he’s lucky, he has a twenty to thirty percent chance of entering the Outer Sect.”

As a True Dao Eighth Layer expert, the Eighth Elder naturally saw through Zhaang Ye’s use of the gloves.

Ninth Elder Deng Jian Gong nodded, his face lit with excitement. ”This year’s disciples are very strong! There are two or three hundred talented experts who have reached a Half-step True Dao Cultivation. Some of the disciples in the elimination rounds are not the slightest bit weaker than the seeded contestants. In fact, a few of them are even stronger than some of the top thirty seeds.”

Seventh Elder Jin Zhongyu nodded. ”Those ten geniuses—Huaa Jianxiong, Ancient Wilderness, Sword Eternal, Ba Changming, Mountain Cross Sword, Augustus, Shi Gang, Li Xiaotian, Fa Cangtian, and Zhong Pingtian—are quite outstanding. The Innate True Qi within each of them has surpassed ninety percent purity, their combat awareness is excellent, and they have a very good chance of entering the Sect’s Outer Sect.”

The Ninth Elder chuckled. ”Besides those ten, Jiang God Sword, Qiuchan, Baili Shuangshuang, Lei Ba, Wu Xuanyi, Wooden Stubborn Man, Yuan Shihua, Huangping Sea, Xingxing’Er, and Yu Susu are also impressive. They also have a good chance of entering the Sect’s Outer Sect, and some of them might even have the strength to challenge for a spot in the top ten.”

The Eighth Elder nodded slightly. ”Heh heh, there are indeed many geniuses this year, but it’s a pity that no peerless, once-in-ten-thousand-years talent has emerged. Mo Luo and the other four are quite good, but they don’t yet reach that legendary level.”

As the Elders were making their comments, five supreme experts also took note of Zhaang Ye: King of Hell, Mo Luo; Sword King Ye Cangtian; Power King Red Cliff Celestial Ape; Blood King Netherworld Green Blood; and Spear King Fengyun Sheng.

Power King Red Cliff Celestial Ape, his entire body shrouded in a dense aura, let out a strange, ”Heh heh,” laugh. ”That kid, Zhaang Ye, seems pretty strong. I hope he makes it to the points-based matches. I want to show him what true power is.”

Spear King Fengyun Sheng said flatly, ”This Zhaang Ye only won just now because of his gloves. His own strength isn’t all that great. The kid is domineering enough, though. I hope he makes it to the points-based matches.”

Sword King Ye Cangtian was more optimistic about Zhaang Ye. He chuckled and said, ”Making it to the points-based matches won’t be a problem. He just has to avoid running into people like Huaa Jianxiong, Ancient Wilderness, and Sword Eternal.”

...

Zhaang Ye had just returned to his seat when Tu Feiyuan appeared. Laughing boisterously, he clapped Zhaang Ye on the shoulder. ”Brother, that fight was just overflowing with dominance! I placed a bet on you and won a small sum. Come on, I’ll take you to see the betting area!”

Tu Feiyuan led Zhaang Ye into a wide passageway where fifty White Jade Tables were set up, each surrounded by a dense crowd. Everyone was staring intently at the arenas below, their expressions shifting with the tides of battle. Some erupted in joyous cheers, while others sighed in despair.

Tu Feiyuan chuckled. ”This betting area has fifty White Jade Tables in total, and each one corresponds to a single arena. The house sets the odds before each fight and then takes bets. Winnings are paid out as soon as the battle concludes. How about it? Exciting, isn’t it?”

Zhaang Ye nodded. This method of gambling was indeed very exciting.

Just then, a burly man in purple robes with a Half-Step True Dao Cultivation shouted, ”Place your bets, place your bets! This match is Yu Susu versus Shell-Bone Dragon! The odds on Yu Susu are ten-to-one, and the odds on Shell-Bone Dragon are one-to-five. Hurry up and place your bets!”

Zhaang Ye looked toward the arena and saw a young woman in plain clothes at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer, standing quietly in the center of the stage while cradling a single-edged saber. Without a doubt, this had to be Yu Susu.

Yu Susu’s opponent, Shell-Bone Dragon, was a large, brutish man. A dense Innate True Qi swirled around his body—he was a Half-Step True Dao Expert.

A fighter at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer facing a Half-step True Dao expert. No wonder Yu Susu’s odds were so high.

Zhaang Ye briefly studied the two fighters on the stage. Sensing the condensed yet agile Sword Gang emanating from the girl, his heart stirred. He took out ten Low-grade Essence Stones and said, ”I’ll bet on Yu Susu to win.”

Tu Feiyuan was stunned. Yu Susu’s Cultivation was only at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer, while her opponent was a Half-Step True Dao Expert. The difference in their Cultivation was enormous. For Zhaang Ye to bet on Yu Susu under these circumstances—and to casually toss out ten Low-grade Essence Stones, no less... ’It’s like he has too many Essence Stones and is just looking for a way to get rid of them!’

Tu Feiyuan coughed drily. ”Brother, are you sure you don’t want to think about that a little more?”

Zhaang Ye shook his head slightly. ”No need. I have a feeling this young lady will win. I’m just betting ten Essence Stones for fun. It’s only ten Low-grade Essence Stones; I can afford to lose them. How about it? You placing a bet?”

Tu Feiyuan was speechless. He was just now realizing that Zhaang Ye was actually loaded. A mere ten Essence Stones clearly meant nothing to him.

Just then, the battle began.

At the referee’s signal, two ghastly white bones suddenly appeared in Shell-Bone Dragon’s hands. He tapped them together in mid-air, and an unbearably grating sound erupted from them. The two bones then transformed into a massive, overlapping White Bone Mountain that pressed down on Yu Susu with terrifying force.

Yu Susu, who had been standing motionlessly while cradling her saber, suddenly moved the instant Shell-Bone Dragon attacked. She was like a swallow soaring through the sky, nimble and swift. Before the White Bone Mountain could even crash down on her, she had already transformed into a faint streak of white light and vanished.

”Where do you think you’re going!”

Shell-Bone Dragon roared. The White Bone Mountain instantly dissipated, transforming into thousands upon thousands of individual bones. Emitting a chilling, deathly aura, the bones shot after Yu Susu, seemingly unwilling to stop until she was struck down.

Seeing Shell-Bone Dragon show no mercy and unleash a killing blow on such a beautiful young woman, the audience cried out in alarm. Just as they thought Yu Susu was about to be pulverized by the bones, the saber in her hand finally moved. It sliced through the air like a soaring swallow, small and deceptively delicate.

SHATTER!

Yu Susu’s saber sliced through the air with exquisite skill. In an instant, the seemingly ordinary blade erupted with a dazzling light. Under her incomparably ingenious Saber Technique, Shell-Bone Dragon’s ghastly bones instantly disappeared into the void.

”The Jade Carving Saber Technique?”

Shell-Bone Dragon was taken aback. He quickly struck his ghastly bones together, preparing to attack again, but Yu Susu’s saber had already cut through the air, launching her counterattack.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Yu Susu’s Footwork Technique, Body Technique, and Saber Technique blended together perfectly. Her unremarkable saber seemed to come to life, launching an inescapable assault against Shell-Bone Dragon. He was now like a block of raw jade, being relentlessly carved by Yu Susu’s blade. Even if he wanted to fight back, he was powerless to do so!

SHLICK!

After blocking hundreds of strikes from the Jade Carving Saber Technique, Shell-Bone Dragon finally revealed an opening, and Yu Susu’s saber sliced viciously into his thigh. He instantly lost all will to fight. He knew that if this continued, his entire body would be carved up by that saber—a fate worse than death.

Shell-Bone Dragon shouted, ”Enough! I surrender!”

”Woah!”

The crowd erupted into a clamor. Yu Susu looked like a delicate young woman who couldn’t withstand a gust of wind, yet she had defeated Shell-Bone Dragon with her Saber Technique alone, despite her Cultivation being far inferior. The outcome was completely unexpected.

In the betting area, Tu Feiyuan couldn’t help but gasp. He turned to Zhaang Ye and said, ”Brother, I can’t believe Yu Susu actually won! You just made a killing!”

The odds on Yu Susu were ten-to-one. Zhaang Ye had bet ten Essence Stones, and in the blink of an eye, he had made a clean profit of one hundred Low-grade Essence Stones.

Watching Zhaang Ye pocket the glittering white Essence Stones, Tu Feiyuan practically started drooling. He was filled with extreme regret. ’Heavens, Zhaang Ye told me to bet and I didn’t have the guts! If I’d bet ten Essence Stones, I would’ve earned a hundred Essence Stones too!’

Tu Feiyuan viciously pinched his own chubby face, stretching the flesh out before yanking it a few times. Then, he scurried over to Zhaang Ye’s side and said, ”Brother, who do you like this time? I’m betting with you!”

Zhaang Ye pointed to one of the arenas and said casually, ”This match is Life’s Dream versus Lin Qinghe River. The odds on Life’s Dream are ten-to-one right now. I like his chances, so I’m planning to bet twenty Essence Stones.”

Tu Feiyuan glanced at the two fighters and cried out, ”What? You’re betting on Life’s Dream? Don’t you know his opponent, Lin Qinghe River, is an incredibly formidable fighter?”

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