Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye dodged the attacks from behind as he sped toward the depths of the Dragon Blood Forest. By now, the aura fluctuations deep within the forest had grown increasingly intense. That ceaseless pulse of energy guided him like a beacon.

Suddenly, gusts of bizarre wind materialized out of thin air. Its origin and destination were a mystery, as if it had simply sprung into existence. As the strange wind blew, a familiar sensation surfaced in Zhaang Ye’s mind. He had the faint feeling that something extraordinary was about to erupt from beneath the earth!

BOOM!

Just as the premonition struck Zhaang Ye, a tremendous roar echoed from the distance. He looked up and saw an enormous black gate materializing out of thin air. The gate was covered in all sorts of Runes, which formed a series of incredibly profound Arrays. Waves of an Ancient Giant Dragon’s aura emanated from these Arrays, an oppressive force that pressed the Giant Pythons for dozens of miles around flat against the ground. Even the Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts were affected by the gate’s aura; their souls trembled, their True Qi stagnated, and their speed instantly dropped.

’A Little World! It’s actually a Little World!’ The aura emanating from the black gate had no effect on Zhaang Ye, who possessed both Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power. Upon seeing the massive gate, his mind immediately flashed to the Young Elephant Trial Arena within the Mammoth Cemetery, and he couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment.

’So the thing about to appear in the depths of the Python Marsh is a Little World!’ After the initial shock, Zhaang Ye’s eyes lit up with wild joy. Little Worlds were spaces forcefully carved out of the void by ancient experts using Great Divine Powers, and they contained all kinds of Treasures. The Young Elephant Trial Arena, for example, had held many such Treasures: various Spirit Trees and plants, Barbaric Beast Skeletons as hard as any metal, and more. Unfortunately, when Zhaang Ye entered the Young Elephant Trial Arena, it had been on the verge of collapsing, and he had been forced to flee without taking a single thing.

’Even a collapsing Little World like the Young Elephant Trial Arena had so many treasures. This new one must have even more! If I can just get my hands on a few things, the benefits will be endless! My future cultivation path will be so much smoother!’

"Haha!" Zhaang Ye let out a long laugh and shot forward like an arrow, heading straight for the black gate. The Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts behind him were all worldly and experienced. They too recognized the black gate for what it was: a Little World had appeared. Ecstatic, the experts used every technique they had to try and accelerate. But before the immense aura emanating from the black gate, their souls trembled. They couldn’t pick up speed no matter how hard they tried and could only watch helplessly as Zhaang Ye closed in on the prize.

Zhaang Ye was only a few dozen miles from the black gate. Pushing his Body Technique to its limit, he covered the distance in just over a dozen breaths, arriving within a few miles of it. At that moment, all kinds of winds began to converge on him: chilling winds, powerful gales, cool breezes, swift gusts, eerie drafts, scorching blasts, furious squalls, gentle zephyrs, violent storms, and even a Tornado...

These winds were as bizarre as they were deadly. Take the seemingly harmless breezes, which felt no different from a summer zephyr upon the skin. Yet after one passed, you would find it had imperceptibly stripped away a layer of flesh, exposing the bloody muscle and sinew beneath.

CRACKLE— A slow wind drifted past, and a thousand-year-old tree began to make strange creaking noises before slowly crumbling into dust.

WHOOSH— A blast of hot air swept past a thousand-yard-long Giant Python. Its scales began to flake off as its entire body became steaming hot, filling the air with the stench of burnt snake meat. The wind had roasted the massive creature alive.

"This..." Zhaang Ye’s expression turned grave as he reeled in shock. ’This wind... it’s so similar to a Space Storm! No, these aren’t Space Storms themselves, but the strange, unique gales that herald their arrival. How bizarre. Why would they suddenly appear here? Don’t tell me this newly appeared Little World is already on the verge of collapse?’

At this thought, Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but gasp. He had witnessed a Space Storm with his own eyes; he knew its terror better than anyone. Realizing this new Little World was already on the brink of destruction, Zhaang Ye instantly understood that retrieving anything from it would mean facing immense, incredible danger. If his luck was even slightly off, the overwhelming power of the Space Storm would reduce him to ash, leaving not a single trace of his existence in the world.

’So what if it’s dangerous! I’ve come all this way. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t at least go inside and take a look!’ Zhaang Ye instantly made up his mind. He unleashed his Dragon Elephant Power, forming a nine-layered tornado around his body.

WHOOSH! Now aware of how deadly these strange winds were, Zhaang Ye no longer dared to fly through the air. He dropped to the ground and used his Body Technique to sprint straight toward the black gate.

Zhaang Ye had witnessed a Space Storm before, and the Mountain-Breaking Slash he cultivated was a technique he had comprehended from it. As a result, his understanding of Space Storms was far deeper than even that of a True Dao Expert. Relying on this knowledge, Zhaang Ye was able to avoid the most dangerous of the strange winds, moving with the ease and grace of a fish in water.

Before long, Zhaang Ye had covered another two miles. The strange winds grew even more ferocious here. Smaller lakes were swept by the gales, and all their water vanished into thin air. Even the damp ground, when a gust passed over, would have a layer simply disappear, as if bitten away by an invisible beast.

Just then, Zhaang Ye spotted three figures. Judging by their auras, all three were Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts. Zhaang Ye recognized one of them at a glance—it was Ling Wuliang, the expert from the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall whom he had challenged to a duel!

’That old bastard interrupted my insights, costing me an extra month to comprehend Spiritual Power,’ Zhaang Ye thought, his eyes flashing with killing intent as he stared at Ling Wuliang. ’If he were alone, I could use these strange winds to kill him. Unfortunately, he has two even more powerful companions. Even with my familiarity with Space Storms, I can’t kill him quickly...’

As Zhaang Ye spotted Ling Wuliang’s group, they also sensed his presence. Seeing Zhaang Ye catching up from behind, the expressions of Ling Wuliang and the Divine Strategy Double Eagles soured, and undisguised killing intent filled their eyes.

To be the first to enter this Little World, the Great Hall Master of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall and Shen Ji Zi had worked tirelessly, expending immense energy on their calculations. Shen Ji Zi had even dispatched numerous people to map the Python Marsh and research various countermeasures. After all that preparation, if Zhaang Ye still beat them to it, how could the three of them possibly endure the humiliation?

"This brat... let’s find a chance to obliterate him in a moment!" the Divine Strategy Right Eagle said, his gaze icy as a palpable killing intent surged from his body.

Ling Wuliang slowly nodded. "Although he possesses Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power, he hasn’t been cultivating for long, so his Cultivation isn’t that formidable. We are three Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts. When he gets close, we’ll attack together. We can definitely kill him!"

The Divine Strategy Left Eagle let out a sinister laugh, his long tongue snaking out to lick his lips. "I haven’t tasted fresh blood in a long time," he said. "This one has both Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power. I imagine he’ll taste exquisite. After we kill him, I must have a bite. His body has been tempered by two Ancient Powers. Eating his flesh and blood might even give my Cultivation a huge boost!"

Zhaang Ye’s pace was astonishingly fast. In the short time it took the three to speak, he was already within a few hundred yards. Ling Wuliang’s group struggled to dodge the deadly, strange winds, deliberately slowing their pace to wait for Zhaang Ye to get closer.

Just as the trio focused all their attention on waiting for him, Zhaang Ye suddenly darted to the side. He reappeared a few hundred feet away, looked at the three of them, and roared with laughter. "You three old bastards want to kill me? Too bad! I’ve already seen right through your wicked hearts! Hahahaha..."

"You’re courting death!" The Divine Strategy Double Eagles and Ling Wuliang were all mighty Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts. In all their long lives, they were the ones who mocked others, not the other way around! When had they ever been on the receiving end of such ridicule? Furious at Zhaang Ye’s words, the three flew into a rage, dodging the strange winds as they charged straight for him.

Ordinarily, being targeted by three mighty Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Experts would be a near-certain death sentence for Zhaang Ye. But here, amidst the strange winds, he felt no fear of them at all. Seeing the three charge at him, Zhaang Ye just laughed, his body weaving away like a fish as he dodged into the distance.

SWISH SWISH SWISH—

Under the three men’s horrified gazes, Zhaang Ye unleashed his Body Technique to its fullest. He weaved through the deadly, strange winds with complete ease, covering several hundred yards in the blink of an eye.

"Quick, chase him! We can’t let him get into the Little World!"

Seeing Zhaang Ye making a beeline for the black gate, Ling Wuliang and his companions grew anxious. Each of them unleashed their Body Techniques and gave chase. But just as they tried to accelerate, a gentle breeze drifted by silently. Caught completely off guard, the three had their hair blown clean off their heads, and the skin on their faces was stripped away, leaving them a bloody, gruesome sight.

"Hahahaha!" While the three reeled from their grievous injuries, Zhaang Ye crossed the final mile like the wind and shot straight through the black portal!

P.S. I’d like to recommend a friend’s wonderful novel, "The Renegade Mad Monk"! (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.com and vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)