Overlord of the Wilderness

”What? How is that possible!”

The middle-aged man in black was stunned to see Zhaang Ye dodge all three long arrows. He immediately began burning his own True Qi, frantically pushing his Body Technique to its limits as he gave chase.

But Zhaang Ye had already put a hundred li between them, moving beyond the man’s attack range. Without his longbow, the middle-aged man in black had no way of catching up. He could only watch helplessly as Zhaang Ye vanished from sight.

”Hmph!”

The middle-aged man in black slammed his fist through the air, his face a dark mask of frustration as he reluctantly came to a halt.

In this operation, the Black Water Sect had lost four Elders. On top of that, the Third Elder and Fourth Elder had both had their legs severed. With the loss of so many True Dao Experts, the Black Water Sect’s power was drastically diminished. They would have to tread carefully from now on.

”AOWOO!”

As the man in black stewed in his dark mood, a long cry echoed, growing closer. Soon, a crimson streak of fiery light shot in from the distance, landing right beside him.

The newcomer was none other than Baili Lie Fire. Seeing the man in black’s gloomy, dejected expression, Baili Lie Fire instantly had a bad feeling. He quickly asked, ”Water Monster, where’s the kid? Don’t tell me you blasted him to bits?”

The Water Monster clenched his fists and roared, ”Bits my ass! The kid got away! Hundred Li Monster, you’ve really screwed me this time! I lost four Elders, and two others had their legs severed. My Black Water Sect struggled to nurture those True Dao Experts, and now half of them are gone!”

Baili Lie Fire was aghast. ”What! Even you couldn’t handle him? How is that possible? Water Monster, you must have been holding back!”

The Water Monster snorted angrily. ”Holding back? To deal with that kid, I even brought out my Profound Water True Bow! I risked my life unleashing the ’Three Dragons Raging in the Sea’ Arrow Technique multiple times, and I couldn’t even graze him. Hundred Li Monster, you’re the one who begged me to intervene, so you will compensate me for my losses. I want two thousand-year-old, Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixirs!”

”What!?” Baili Lie Fire exploded. ”Water Monster, you couldn’t even touch a single hair on that kid’s head, and now you’re demanding two thousand-year-old Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixirs from me? Why don’t you just go and die!” He flatly rejected the demand.

The Water Monster retorted self-righteously, ”Hundred Li Monster, what do you take me for? Your servant? You asked me to act, so you have to pay the price. Not only do you owe me payment, but you also have to compensate me for my losses. Asking for a mere two thousand-year-old, Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixirs is already letting you off easy!”

Baili Lie Fire raged, ”Water Monster, if you had caught that kid, I would have handed over the Spirit Elixirs without a second thought. But you let him get away, and you still have the gall to ask for payment! Let me be clear: you’re not getting a single Spirit Elixir from me. If you want to fight, I’ll take you on right here, right now!”

The Water Monster’s fury boiled over. He said with a sinister sneer, ”Fine! Just fine! Today, I’ll see for myself just how much you, Baili Lie Fire, have improved over the years!”

RUMBLE!

True to his word, the Water Monster attacked instantly, raising his fist and launching a punch at Baili Lie Fire.

The Water Monster was a True Dao Fifth Layer expert. Even though the punch seemed casual, its power was terrifying. The immense force of the blow stirred the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in a radius of dozens of li and agitated the waters below. A boundless wave of power, shrieking through the air, shot straight toward Baili Lie Fire!

Baili Lie Fire’s expression changed slightly. This vast expanse of water was the Water Monster’s domain. A casual strike from him could manipulate the Water Qi and waves, vastly amplifying his power. In contrast, Baili Lie Fire’s Fire Element Technique was severely suppressed in this environment, weakening his strength considerably.

Despite the disadvantageous environment, Baili Lie Fire showed no sign of weakness. He sneered, ”Pathetic trick!”

As he spoke, Baili Lie Fire thrust out his arms, and an endless torrent of flame erupted from him. The roaring fire danced across the sky, instantly evaporating the Water Monster’s wave. For a thousand li, the sky was clear again.

After neutralizing the Water Monster’s attack, Baili Lie Fire let out a savage grin. ”Water Monster, today I’ll show you what a real wildfire looks like!”

Baili Lie Fire thrust his arms out again, and an endless sea of fire surged forth like a volcanic eruption, dyeing the very air crimson. Under the searing heat, the space for a hundred li around seemed to burn. The water below began to boil, and countless fish were cooked alive, their flesh giving off a fragrant aroma.

Seeing Baili Lie Fire unleash his awesome might, the Water Monster refused to be outdone. He too unleashed his full power, sending massive, sky-high waves crashing toward Baili Lie Fire, one after another!

PSHHH! PSHHH! PSHHH! PSHHH! PSHHH!

Baili Lie Fire cultivated fire, and the Water Monster cultivated water. Their Cultivation Techniques were natural enemies. From the very start, the battle was intensely fierce, filling a thousand-li radius with nothing but crashing waves and raging fire.

After exchanging dozens of brutal blows, they simultaneously broke apart. Baili Lie Fire’s face was pale as he violently spat out two mouthfuls of blood. The Water Monster, with the territorial advantage, was in much better shape than the Hundred Li Monster. He only coughed up a single mouthful of blood.

”Enough! I’m done fighting!” Baili Lie Fire was severely injured. Seeing the Water Monster preparing to strike again, he quickly waved his hands, calling for a truce.

A triumphant look flashed across the Water Monster’s face. He said slowly, ”We can stop, on one condition. You give me the two thousand-year-old, Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixirs!”

Rage burned in Baili Lie Fire’s heart. ’This old bastard is getting stronger,’ he thought. ’I have to find a way to eliminate him, or I’ll never be able to expand my territory. Wait... I recently found the cave abode of a Cultivator from Ancient Times. I can lure this Water Monster there and use the cave’s traps to kill him!’

His mind made up, Baili Lie Fire gave a dry cough and said, ”Water Monster, to be honest with you, I don’t have a single thousand-year-old, Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixir...”

”What? Not even one?” the Water Monster roared, his fury reignited. ”Hundred Li Monster, you dare deceive me? I’ll kill you right now!” He raised his fist, ready to attack.

”Wait!” Baili Lie Fire shouted, seeing the Water Monster was about to lash out. ”I may not have any thousand-year-old, Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixirs, but I know the location of a cave abode from a Cultivator of Ancient Times. Water Monster, find me in three months, and we can explore it together. We’ll split everything we find, fifty-fifty.”

The Water Monster was extremely wary. He wasn’t tempted in the slightest and sneered, ”A cave abode from Ancient Times? How is that possible? Hundred Li Monster, knowing your character, if you found such a place, you’d try to claim it all for yourself. You’d never tell anyone. You’re definitely trying to trick me!”

Baili Lie Fire chuckled and sighed. ”I’d love to claim the cave for myself! The problem is, it requires two different types of power to open. That’s why I have to bring you in on it, lucky for you.”

The Water Monster sneered. ”Swear a blood oath, and I’ll believe you. Swear on your own lifespan. If you’re lying to me, may your tendons snap and your bones shatter within a year, and may you die in excruciating pain.”

Cultivators share a deep connection with heaven and earth. The higher one’s Cultivation, the easier it is to trigger a celestial response. For this reason, once one reaches the True Dao, they generally avoid making oaths, as a blood oath is very likely to come true.

Baili Lie Fire already had a plan. Hearing the Water Monster’s demand, he wasn’t angered in the slightest and promptly swore the blood oath.

Hearing Baili Lie Fire swear the blood oath, the Water Monster was finally convinced. He laughed loudly and said, ”Excellent! In that case, I’ll forget about the two thousand-year-old, Eighth-Grade Spirit Elixirs. In three months, I’ll make the trip with you. Heh, I hope we can find some rare treasures to offer to the Jade Maiden of the Spirit Water Sect!”

Baili Lie Fire chuckled. ”The Spirit Water Sect is about to choose its next Jade Maiden. Your Black Water Sect is just a Minor Sect under their banner. If you can get on the new Jade Maiden’s good side, Water Monster, your power and influence will grow tremendously.”

The two men looked at each other and burst into loud laughter.

...

After shaking off the man in black, Zhaang Ye flew nonstop for over two million li. Just as he was about to leave the vast water region behind, a strange look appeared on his face, and he slowed his flight.

The Fire Spirit sensed something was off. ”What is it?” it asked.

A flash of joy crossed Zhaang Ye’s face. ”From that battle with the man in black, I gained some new insights into the power of water,” he said. ”I want to find a place to go into seclusion and meditate. I want to see if I can use this momentum to comprehend the Water Realm.”

The Fire Spirit was delighted. ”Congratulations! If you comprehend the Water Realm, you’ll have mastered two Realms. The Water Realm and the Wind Realm are subtly connected—as they say, the wind makes the water rise. If you master both, your power will increase dramatically. You’d even be able to fight that man in black!”

Zhaang Ye nodded. Just by comprehending the Wind Realm, he was already capable of killing an expert at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer. If he could also comprehend the Water Realm, his power would leap to another level. He would no longer have to fear True Dao Fifth Layer experts.

The Fire Spirit spoke up again, ”Master, the Water Qi ahead is extremely dense. There’s probably a waterfall there. You could fly over and try to comprehend the Water Realm beneath it!”

Zhaang Ye knew the Fire Spirit’s Spiritual Sense was far superior to his own. He immediately adjusted his course and flew onward. After several thousand li, he suddenly heard the thunderous roar of rushing water. He looked up to see a colossal waterfall stretching out before him.

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