Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye sat cross-legged in Chaoyang Hall.

He was in no mood for Cultivation; he was replaying the earlier battle in his mind. As he thought about the fight, a solemn look appeared in his eyes.

In the recent fight with Galaxy, neither had used their true strength; it had been a simple probe. But even from that simple exchange, Galaxy’s immense combat prowess had secretly alarmed Zhaang Ye.

’Galaxy is truly worthy of his title as the former Inner Sect Senior Brother. His comprehension of the Golden Realm is exceptionally profound. Even his casual strikes possess terrifying power. If he were to draw his sword and combine his Swordsmanship with the Golden Realm, his Attack Power would increase tenfold, perhaps even a hundredfold.’

’My current combat strength might not be enough to lose to him, but defeating him will be incredibly difficult. I need to find a way to increase my power, or I’ll be at a severe disadvantage in our next fight.’

At this thought, a sense of urgency washed over Zhaang Ye. He casually picked up a Wooden Token that read ”In Seclusion, Do Not Disturb,” flew outside Rising Sun Peak, and hung it in front of the Array before returning to Chaoyang Hall.

SWOOSH!

Zhaang Ye retrieved a massive jade bed from the Fire Spirit Realm. It was the very same Ten Thousand Year Water Jade Bed he had obtained from the Ancient Cave Mansion. Cultivating on this bed not only accelerated his Cultivation speed but also provided an opportunity to comprehend the Water Realm, making it an exceptionally rare treasure.

After taking out the Ten Thousand Year Water Jade Bed, Zhaang Ye had another thought and retrieved a withered, yellow meditation mat. This seemingly unremarkable mat, also a treasure from the Ancient Cave Mansion, was in fact a Spirit Grass Meditation Mat. Cultivating upon it helped to clear the mind and calm the spirit, eliminating the risk of qi deviation no matter how fast one cultivated.

Looking at these two items, a satisfied expression appeared on Zhaang Ye’s face. He chuckled and said, ”With these two, I can definitely reach the late-stage True Dao Third Layer within three months.”

Zhaang Ye tossed the Spirit Grass Meditation Mat onto the jade bed and sat down on it cross-legged. After a moment’s thought, he took out a bottle of Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills and several hundred Mid-grade Essence Stones from the Fire Spirit Realm.

Seeing the items Zhaang Ye laid out, the Fire Spirit couldn’t help but fly out from its space and exclaim, ”Master, isn’t this too wasteful! Mid-grade Essence Stones and Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills are normally only used by those at the True Dao Fifth Layer. For you to start using them now... it’s such a waste, such a waste!”

Zhaang Ye chuckled. ”The Heaven and Earth Essence contained in Mid-grade Essence Stones and Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills is much purer than in low-grade ones. If I want to raise my Cultivation in a short amount of time, I have no choice but to rely on them. Heh, wasting a few Mid-grade Essence Stones and Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills to rapidly increase my Cultivation is worth it.”

The Fire Spirit shook its head and dove back into the Fire Spirit Realm, disappearing from sight. Ever since obtaining the Alchemy Furnace and the artifact refining forge, it had been studying them constantly. It planned to use its unique talents to refine a batch of Elixirs and weapons from the confiscated medicinal herbs and ores.

SWOOSH!

Zhaang Ye swallowed a Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pill, then took two Mid-grade Essence Stones and began absorbing the Essence Qi with all his might.

With the Elixir working internally and the Essence Stones externally, the combined effect was astonishing. The moment Zhaang Ye began circulating his Cultivation Technique, he felt a ceaseless stream of Heaven and Earth Essence Qi rapidly replenishing his Meridians. As the Essence Qi filled him, the Celestial River Righteous Qi within his body grew more and more abundant, and his Cultivation began to rise at a shocking speed.

The process of Cultivation was also a process of Healing. After three days, Zhaang Ye’s injuries were completely healed. His physical body, having been broken and rebuilt, had become even more resilient and powerful. His Cultivation also showed faint signs of a breakthrough; he could vaguely touch the threshold of the late-stage True Dao Third Layer.

Half a month later, a pale cyan flower suddenly flew out from above Zhaang Ye’s head. The petals of this Hua’Er were fully open, but the third petal was still very light in color.

The Hua’Er spun rapidly. With every full Circulation, the aura around Zhaang Ye grew stronger. Two days later, Zhaang Ye’s body trembled. The third petal of the Hua’Er above his head changed from white to a faint sky blue, and the aura it emitted became much more profound.

Late-stage True Dao Third Layer!

With the aid of the Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills and Mid-grade Essence Stones, Zhaang Ye had spent a mere seventeen days to break through to the late-stage True Dao Third Layer, and his combat strength had increased considerably.

Zhaang Ye withdrew from his state of Cultivation and carefully inspected his body’s condition. Then, he took out another bottle of Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills and began a new round of Cultivation, intending to push through to the Third Layer Peak in one go.

The difficulty of cultivating from the late-stage Third Layer to the Third Layer Peak was significantly greater. Zhaang Ye cultivated for a month, and while the Celestial River Righteous Qi in his body became increasingly abundant, there were still no signs of a breakthrough.

Zhaang Ye knew that impatience was the greatest taboo on the Cultivation Dao. He paid no mind to whether he was breaking through or not, simply swallowing one Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pill and absorbing one Mid-grade Essence Stone each day as he cultivated in silence.

After another half-month of this, Zhaang Ye suddenly sensed a thread of cool aura. This cool aura emanated from the Ten Thousand Year Water Jade Bed. It was incredibly faint, perceptible only when one’s mind was completely empty, in a state of deathly stillness. Having been in seclusion for over two months, Zhaang Ye had already entered the wondrous state of ”Specializing in Qi to Achieve Softness.” His mind had grown increasingly empty, and today, he finally sensed this wisp of aura.

Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Sense locked tightly onto this cool aura, and he entered a state similar to an epiphany, comprehending the various mysteries it contained. As he did so, his understanding of the Water Realm grew ever deeper.

「Another half a month passed.」

On this day, something suddenly stirred within Zhaang Ye, and he withdrew from his state of comprehension. A series of explosive pops echoed from within his body as the circulation speed of his Celestial River Righteous Qi grew faster and faster. Pure power began to condense, then condense again.

SWOOSH!

A pale cyan Hua’Er appeared above Zhaang Ye’s head and began to rotate slowly. The power within his body surged continuously toward it.

Under the ceaseless infusion of power, the color of the Hua’Er’s third petal slowly deepened, and the aura it emitted grew increasingly fearsome.

PUFF!

The Hua’Er flared with brilliant cyan light, and a destructive aura radiated outward, enveloping the entirety of Chaoyang Hall and causing the massive palace to tremble.

Zhaang Ye’s eyes snapped open. A slight smile touched his lips as he said, ”Excellent! After nearly three months of seclusion, I’ve finally broken through to the Third Layer Peak of the True Dao!”

Zhaang Ye rose to his feet, a wave of joy washing over him. But along with his secret delight, he was also secretly astonished. In this single session of Cultivation, he had consumed a full ten bottles of Mid-grade Gathering Essence Pills and used over one hundred Mid-grade Essence Stones. The sheer amount of resources consumed shocked even him.

’People who have comprehended a Realm require far more Essence Stones than ordinary people. Since I’ve comprehended two Realms, I need twenty times more than the average True Dao Expert. This is just murder!’ Zhaang Ye groaned internally, his joy tinged with exasperation.

After consolidating his Cultivation, Zhaang Ye ended his seclusion. He went down to the base of Rising Sun Peak and took down the Wooden Token hanging before the Array. Holding the token, he flashed back toward Rising Sun Peak, but he had only taken a few steps when someone called out from a distance, ”Wait! Daoist Master Zhaangye, I am Feng Zhonghe. I have something important to tell you.”

Zhaang Ye stopped. A white figure flew in from the horizon, arriving at the base of Rising Sun Peak in the blink of an eye and resolving into a middle-aged man in white robes. This person was none other than Zhaang Ye’s acquaintance, the Inner Sect’s Seventh Steward, Feng Zhonghe.

Zhaang Ye bowed to Feng Zhonghe and said, ”Seventh Steward, you seem to be in a hurry. What is the important matter?”

Feng Zhonghe chuckled. ”It is indeed important. And for you, it is a joyous occasion.”

At this, Feng Zhonghe’s expression turned serious. ”Daoist Master Zhaangye, you have been in the Inner Sect for several years now. You must have heard of the Third-Grade Young Master List, correct?”

Zhaang Ye nodded. ”I’ve read about it in various books, so I have some understanding of the Third-Grade Young Master List. However, I don’t know the specifics. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

Feng Zhonghe nodded. ”In that case, I will explain it to you in detail. The Third-Grade Young Master List is the oldest ranking in the entire Purple Spirit Domain, with a history stretching back tens of thousands of years. Everyone on the list is under the age of eighty-one. They are all paragons of the Younger Generation, geniuses among geniuses, and figures with immense potential.

”As its name implies, the Third-Grade Young Master List is divided into three grades. The First-Grade List has nine people, the Second-Grade List has eighteen, and the Third-Grade List has twenty-seven, for a total of fifty-four people. The list is refreshed every thirty years. If a young expert manages to get on the list, not only will they make a name for themselves throughout the Purple Spirit Domain, but they will also receive a great opportunity—an opportunity to increase their strength.”

Feng Zhonghe paused his explanation there. Zhaang Ye, his curiosity piqued, couldn’t help but ask, ”What kind of opportunity is it? Please tell me, Seventh Steward.”

Feng Zhonghe chuckled. ”Well, I’m not entirely clear on the details myself. However, if you can earn a spot on the Third-Grade Young Master List, you’ll understand what the opportunity is.”

Zhaang Ye pondered for a moment, faintly understanding the purpose of Feng Zhonghe’s visit. He spoke up, ”Seventh Steward, does the Sect intend for me to participate in this ’Young Master Evaluation Assembly’?”

A flash of admiration passed through Feng Zhonghe’s eyes. ”Precisely. Daoist Master Zhaangye, you are very young, but you are this generation’s Inner Sect Senior Brother. Therefore, the Sect has decided to give you one of the participation slots, hoping you can earn a place on the list and bring glory to our Sect.”

Zhaang Ye replied with a serious expression, ”I will give it my all.”

Feng Zhonghe nodded slightly and instructed, ”The departure time is in three days. I hope you will not go out during this time and will wait quietly for the Sect’s notice. Also, the participants in this ’Young Master Evaluation Assembly’ are all top experts of the Younger Generation. They all come from various Inner Sects and have rather arrogant personalities. You should try to keep a low profile and not get into conflicts with them.”

Zhaang Ye chuckled. ”Don’t worry. As long as others don’t provoke me, I certainly won’t go looking for trouble.”

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