Overlord of the Wilderness

Chapter 570: Chapter 543: Grandmaster’s Commentary

SWOOSH!

Everyone’s gaze fell on Zhaang Ye. Even powerful experts like Qi Qingle and Ba Xiongfei looked at him with complex, unreadable expressions.

Zhaang Ye’s heart stirred. ‘Shui Daimai’s combat power is immense, and her Sound Realm is incredibly rare. If I could fight her, I’d definitely gain some new insights.’

However…

After a moment’s thought, Zhaang Ye decided to give up the challenge.

First of all, Shui Daimai’s combat strength was simply too great. She had defeated Qi Qingle using her voice alone; if she were to use her hands, her power would only be more fearsome. Even if Zhaang Ye summoned his thunder, he still had no confidence he could win. He would have no chance of victory unless he threw all caution to the wind and had the Fire Spirit emerge to help him.

Second, as soon as the young master evaluations were over, they were to enter the Sword Monarch Ruins. The ruins were fraught with danger, and he would need to be in peak condition to handle it. If he fought Shui Daimai, he would likely suffer severe injuries. If those injuries affected his exploration of the Sword Monarch Ruins, the loss would far outweigh any gain.

Besides, the reward for all First-Grade Young Masters was the same: three months inside the Sword Monarch Ruins. There was no need for Zhaang Ye to fight for the empty title of first place.

Having weighed the pros and cons, Zhaang Ye calmly said, “I decline the challenge.”

Hearing Zhaang Ye decline, the young experts both on and off the stage showed their disappointment. A trace of disappointment also appeared on Shui Daimai’s face. She gave Zhaang Ye a deep look and said, “Zhaang Ye, we will meet again. If I challenge you in the Sword Monarch Ruins, you won’t be able to refuse.”

After Shui Daimai’s battle with Qi Qingle, the challenge matches continued. No one dared to challenge the young titans on the First-Grade Young Master List, but the Second-Grade and Third-Grade Young Master Lists were a whirlwind of activity, with battles erupting one after another. Young experts from every corner of the Purple Spirit Domain brought out their full capabilities, vowing to secure a spot for themselves.

All five arenas were in use. The fighting was exceptionally brutal; in just a few short hours, ten young experts had been killed by accident, their lives lost in the Secret Realm.

At this point, Shui Cangmang challenged Yue Changsheng. Yue Changsheng had been struck by thunder during his fight with Zhaang Ye and was heavily injured, which greatly affected his combat ability. In the end, Shui Cangmang knocked him from his seat, demoting him to the Second-Grade Young Master List. With this victory, Shui Cangmang rose to ninth place on the First-Grade Young Master List.

By noon the next day, the challenge matches finally concluded. The final rankings for the Three-Grade Young Master Lists were out.

On the First-Grade Young Master List, first through third place were Shui Daimai, Qi Qingle, and Zhaang Ye, respectively. Fourth through ninth were Jade Fox, Ba Xiongfei, Pingcang Mountain, Taishu Gang, Beibing Feng, and Shui Cangmang.

On the Second-Grade Young Master List, the one ranked first was none other than Yue Changsheng. As one of the nine great young titans, to have fallen to the Second-Grade Young Master List made his face scrunch up like a bitter old melon.

The second-place on the Second-Grade Young Master List was a young expert from the Mad Beast Sect. His name was Fire Crow, and he was at the Peak of True Dao Fourth Layer, having also comprehended the Fire Realm. His combat power was comparable to a master at the Peak of True Dao Fifth Layer.

Ranked third was an old acquaintance of Zhaang Ye’s—Gu Hengshui. Although Gu Hengshui’s cultivation had been obtained through elixirs, she had, after all, reached the Peak of True Dao Fifth Layer. Relying on her abundant Innate True Qi, she had fought her way through the ranks and actually managed to seize the third-place spot on the Second-Grade List.

Another of Zhaang Ye’s old acquaintances, Galaxy, ended up ranked fourteenth on the Second-Grade Young Master List. Galaxy was relatively satisfied with this rank, but whenever he saw Zhaang Ye sitting high up in third place on the First-Grade Young Master List, a wave of discomfort washed over him.

Zhaang Ye’s other old acquaintances, Yan Ming and Gao Kangzi, had a much more miserable time. Both of them had reached True Dao Fifth Layer Middle Stage and could be considered powerful experts in their own right. However, their luck was poor. They encountered one formidable opponent after another and were severely injured. With their combat strength greatly diminished by their injuries, they ended up ranked on the Third-Grade Young Master List after all their battles—in first and second place, respectively.

For renowned masters at the True Dao Fifth Layer Middle Stage to end up on the Third-Grade Young Master List was a humiliation of the highest order. The two sat with their heads bowed, their faces so dark it looked like storm clouds were about to burst.

“Alright.”

Master Qianjian’s figure appeared in the empty space above the arenas. He said slowly, “The young master evaluations consist of three stages. Now that the challenge matches have ended, it is time to proceed to the third and final stage.”

The young experts on the three tiers of the Young Master Lists showed looks of anticipation, and even the bitter-faced Yue Changsheng raised his head. The third stage of the young master evaluations was the Grandmaster commentary. Anyone who made it onto the Third-Grade Young Master List or higher would receive the opportunity to be critiqued.

Every Grandmaster possessed an incredibly sharp eye, along with a wealth of cultivation experience and combat knowledge. Receiving a Grandmaster’s critique would allow one to see their own shortcomings, understand their future cultivation path, and save them from a great deal of fumbling in the dark.

The five Grandmasters took turns giving their critiques, starting with the Third-Grade Young Master List.

The first Grandmaster to speak was Daoist Master Peng of the Mad Beast Sect. The first person he critiqued was Yan Ming. “Yan Ming, is it? Your cultivation has reached True Dao Fifth Layer Middle Stage, yet you’ve fallen to the Third-Grade Young Master List. Do you know why?”

Yan Ming muttered, “My opponents were too strong.”

Daoist Master Peng said flatly, “Wrong! It’s not that your opponents were too strong, but that your judgment is too poor. You don’t know when to advance and when to retreat. Your cultivation is decent, but your mental state is terrible. You have this arrogant ‘I’m the best in the world’ attitude and look down on everyone. A poor mental state leads to recklessness in battle. How could you not lose when fighting with such a reckless mindset?”

Daoist Master Peng spoke without the slightest courtesy. By the time his critique was over, Yan Ming’s face was beet red. He wished he could find a hole in the ground, WHOOSH, and dive in, never to come out again.

After critiquing Yan Ming, Master Miaohua of the Talisman Sect began his critique of Gao Kangzi. Master Miaohua was just as blunt, every sentence a reprimand. Gao Kangzi was berated until he was drenched in sweat. A renowned master of the True Dao Fifth Layer, his back was soaked through with a large patch of cold sweat, and beads of it rolled down his forehead.

Seeing the two of them so thoroughly chastised they couldn’t even lift their heads, Zhaang Ye was secretly amused.

The Grandmasters’ critiques were all sharp and to the point. Zhaang Ye listened intently, gaining a great deal from them.

Soon, it was Galaxy’s turn. The Grandmaster critiquing him was Daoist Master Shuiyue of the Spirit Water Sect. Daoist Master Shuiyue nodded slightly and said, “Galaxy, your foundation is quite good, and your comprehension is excellent as well. With your current foundation, you have a five percent chance of cultivating to the True Dao Ninth Layer and becoming a Grandmaster.”

This was an extremely high evaluation from Daoist Master Shuiyue. One had to understand that in the entire Purple Spirit Domain, there were only just over twenty Grandmasters. Becoming a Grandmaster was the dream of every cultivator. For Galaxy to have a five percent chance was already an incredible feat.

When it was Gu Hengshui’s turn, the Grandmaster’s critique caught Zhaang Ye’s attention. He heard Fengqing Zhenren say slowly, “Gu Hengshui, if I’m not mistaken, your cultivation was raised using elixirs. While your cultivation is high, your realm is unstable, and you cannot bring out your full combat potential. This old man will tell you, within the Sword Monarch Ruins, there is a type of fruit called the Spirit and Flesh Jujube. If you can obtain this fruit, you can solidify your realm…”

‘Spirit and Flesh Jujube.’ Zhaang Ye silently committed the name to memory. He had just entered True Dao Fourth Layer; if he could obtain a Spirit and Flesh Jujube, he could quickly solidify his cultivation.

The young experts present also silently committed the name ‘Spirit and Flesh Jujube’ to memory. In order to participate in this young master evaluation, many of them had cultivated desperately, leaving their cultivation and realms unstable. Upon hearing that the Spirit and Flesh Jujube could stabilize one’s realm, their interest was instantly piqued. One by one, they resolved to find one for themselves.

The Grandmasters’ critiques were all sharp and to the point. Zhaang Ye listened intently, gaining a great deal from them.

Soon, the critiques for the Second-Grade Young Master List were complete, and it was the First-Grade Young Master List’s turn.

The first to be critiqued was Shui Daimai. Fengqing Zhenren pondered for a moment before speaking, “Shui Daimai, your cultivation has reached the True Dao Sixth Layer, and you have comprehended the Sound Realm. You are, without a doubt, the number one expert of the younger generation. However, you are from the Spirit Water Sect, and the cultivation technique you practice is a Water Element Technique. Only by comprehending the Water Realm can you cultivate your technique to the Great Success Realm. This old man suggests you find an expert who has comprehended the Water Realm and fight them often. It will aid your own comprehension.”

Shui Daimai nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over to Zhaang Ye. Seeing the fighting spirit in her eyes, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but groan inwardly. ‘This woman has actually cultivated to the True Dao Sixth Layer! Damn it, with such formidable cultivation on top of her Sound Realm, I don’t stand a chance against her…’

Next, it was Qi Qingle’s turn. The one critiquing him was Fengqing Zhenren of the Array Sect. Fengqing Zhenren seemed to hold Qi Qingle in relatively high regard. After giving his critique, he concluded, “Qi Qingle, you have a high chance of becoming a Grandmaster. In this old man’s opinion, your chances are as high as ten percent. I hope you will continue to strive.”

After Fengqing Zhenren finished his critique, Daoist Master Peng’s gaze fell upon Zhaang Ye. He asked, “Zhaang Ye, how old are you now? And how many years has it been since you entered the True Dao?”

Zhaang Ye was slightly taken aback. A sense of unease crept into his heart, so he reported a slightly older age. “I am currently thirty-nine years old. It has been ten years since I entered the True Dao.”

HISS!

Even though Zhaang Ye had inflated his age, it still caused a sensation. The expressions of the young experts present changed in unison as they drew in sharp breaths.

The people participating in the young master evaluations had all cultivated arduously for decades; not a single one was younger than sixty. For Zhaang Ye, in his thirties, to have defeated powerful enemies and claimed the third spot on the First-Grade Young Master List was a feat that was simply too astonishing, too terrifying!

To have reached such a level of cultivation before the age of forty meant his chances of becoming a Grandmaster were definitely greater than twenty percent. If Zhaang Ye were given another twenty or thirty years, the Purple Spirit Domain would likely have another Grandmaster-level expert!

Ba Xiongfei, Beibing Feng, Yue Changsheng, Jade Fox, and the other young experts exchanged a look of mutual understanding. A flicker of killing intent flashed across all four of them. Zhaang Ye’s powerful performance had given rise to murderous intent. In their hearts, the four of them secretly made a decision: they would kill Zhaang Ye in the Sword Monarch Ruins.

—

This is the second chapter of the night! The third will be around 12 o’clock.

–(To be continued.