Overlord of the Wilderness

Zhaang Ye flew at full speed for over 300 li when he felt a powerful force from behind, seeming to pull him backward. Zhaang Ye knew this was the unique Devouring Power of the Space Storm. ’If I get dragged back by this, even ten thousand lives won’t save me.’

ROAR!

Zhaang Ye unleashed the full extent of the Ancient Dragon Power within him, controlling a faint cloud to carry him away at top speed.

CRY!

Just as Zhaang Ye was flying for his life, a draconic roar suddenly echoed from over a hundred li away. The cry was terrifying to the extreme. With that single, long roar, all the clouds within a hundred li rapidly converged, as if a giant hand in the sky had snatched them up and pulled them into one place.

Zhaang Ye’s heart jumped when he heard the draconic roar. He was all too familiar with it—it was the cry of that terrifying Thousand-foot Python!

Although the terrifying Thousand-foot Python had been heavily wounded by several Half-Step True Dao Experts, its power was still not to be underestimated. Even a master at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer would be no match for it. In the eyes of this Thousand-foot Python, a Martial Artist like Zhaang Ye, who had just entered the Martial Arts Eighth Layer, was little more than an insect.

’Heavens! I hadn’t run into it this entire time; I thought it had gone into hiding to recover from its injuries. I can’t believe it’s showing up now! That’s right—the entire Python Marsh is facing destruction. The Thousand-foot Python must have sensed the danger and is running for its life! I just hope it’s not heading in my direction. If it catches me, I’m done for!’ As he thought this, Zhaang Ye glanced back.

The sight made Zhaang Ye’s heart pound. Over a hundred li behind him, a mass of dark, oppressive clouds was flying forward at an astonishing speed. In front of the clouds was a man in white. This man had somehow provoked the Thousand-foot Python, which was now in relentless pursuit. And both the python and the man were heading straight for him!

"Ahem! Friend, up ahead! This Hundred-foot Python is grievously wounded. Let’s kill it together!" The man in white had spotted Zhaang Ye at the same time. A flicker of delight showed in his eyes as he flew toward Zhaang Ye and called out.

’He obviously can’t shake the Thousand-foot Python, so he’s deliberately luring the Giant Python to me! To trick me into helping, he even downplayed its size, calling it a Hundred-foot Python instead of a thousand. What a sinister bastard!’ Zhaang Ye instantly saw through the man’s intentions. Ignoring him completely, he unleashed his Ancient Dragon Power and shot off into the distance like a bolt of lightning.

Seeing that Zhaang Ye wasn’t responding, the man in white called out again, "Friend, please wait! If you help me kill this Hundred-foot Python, I’ll give you ten thousand Top-grade Essence Qi Stones! We can also split the python’s corpse evenly!"

The man in white was skilled in the Calculation Dao. He had a faint feeling that he and Zhaang Ye were connected in some way, so he refused to let him go, keeping his eyes locked on him.

Zhaang Ye acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, flying even faster.

When Zhaang Ye continued to ignore him, the man in white frowned and shouted, "Friend, if you give me a hand, I, Ling Kongyun of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall, will owe you a favor! This Hundred-foot Python isn’t that strong. We can definitely kill it if we work together!"

’Ling Kongyun?! The Ling Kongyun, one of the four most outstanding experts of the Younger Generation?’ Zhaang Ye’s heart skipped a beat when he heard the name, but he quickly sneered inwardly. ’He calls a Thousand-foot Python a Hundred-foot Python to understate its power. Then he drops his famous name and offers a favor. An ordinary Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert might actually stop to help. Too bad for him, he ran into me!’

Now that he knew the man in white was Ling Kongyun of the Da Ling Kingdom True Hall, Zhaang Ye couldn’t be bothered with him and just focused on flying straight ahead.

RUMBLE!

After flying for another eight hundred li, a rumbling sound echoed from behind. Zhaang Ye glanced back and saw a section of the sky behind him suddenly turn pitch-black. A moment later, a deafening BOOM resounded between heaven and earth as an enormous vortex appeared in the sky. The massive black gate was instantly sucked in, along with over three hundred square li of soil and swampland, leaving behind nothing but a colossal crater hundreds of li wide.

’What a terrifying Space Storm! It destroyed a Little World in an instant and swallowed hundreds of square li of earth from the Python Marsh!’ Zhaang Ye was deeply shaken by the sight of such power. In the face of this cataclysmic force of nature, even a True Dao Expert seemed insignificant. The impact was simply overwhelming.

As the Space Storm devoured the Little World, the airflow between heaven and earth descended into chaos. Clouds churned, lightning flashed, and thunder boomed as if it were the apocalypse. In this environment, the heavily wounded, colossal Thousand-foot Python was greatly affected; its speed began to decrease.

Ling Kongyun, on the other hand, slowly began to pick up speed. He gradually shook off the pursuing Thousand-foot Python and flew straight for Zhaang Ye.

Even though Zhaang Ye was flying at full speed, he was a notch slower than Ling Kongyun. Within just a few dozen breaths, Ling Kongyun had closed the distance to eighty li and was drawing ever nearer.

Zhaang Ye’s expression changed as he realized Ling Kongyun was closing in. Ling Kongyun was an extraordinary individual in both cultivation and cunning. In his heavily injured state, Zhaang Ye was no match for him at all. ’If he catches up and senses the Water Spirit Stone I’m carrying, I’m a dead man!’

’I need to put this Water Spirit Stone away! If he gets any closer, he’ll be able to sense its aura!’ Not wasting another second, Zhaang Ye moved like lightning, placing the Essence Stones he had acquired from the Little World and the Water Spirit Stone into a wooden box. This was the very box that held the Mysterious Blade Tip and the Boundary Stone. The box had an Array carved on its exterior that could block an expert’s Spiritual Power, making it the perfect container for the Water Spirit Stone.

Once everything was put away, a ruthless glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. He resolved to use a brand-new Body Technique to shake Ling Kongyun.

For some time now, Zhaang Ye’s cultivation and strength had been growing ever more formidable. His Body Technique, however, had not seen a fundamental improvement; he was still using the Cloud Stepping Technique. While comprehending the Water Control Technique allowed him to fly freely, his speed still lagged behind that of a Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert.

However, while Zhaang Ye had not yet cultivated a more advanced Body Technique, his Comprehension and experience far surpassed those of an ordinary person. Through his constant flying recently, he had already begun to formulate a new method of flight.

The inspiration for this new flight method came from Zhaang Ye’s previous life. In his past life, people were adept at using various tools, one of which was a flying machine called a "jet." This aircraft could suck in air from the front and blast it out the back, achieving speeds far beyond that of sound.

Inspired by this flying machine, Zhaang Ye devised a new flight method: using a Tornado for propulsion.

A spinning Tornado could devour the air in front and expel it from behind. If he could control the Tornado with enough precision, Zhaang Ye could fly through the air at incredible speeds, just like a jet. Of course, that was just the theory. He would have to test it to see how well it actually worked.

Zhaang Ye’s body suddenly pitched forward, assuming a horizontal posture with his head pointing forward and his feet trailing behind him.

FWOOSH!

A massive Tornado suddenly formed around Zhaang Ye’s body. It enveloped him completely, constantly devouring the air before him and expelling it behind, propelling him forward at high speed.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE—

At first, his speed didn’t even reach the sound barrier. But as Zhaang Ye became more practiced, his velocity steadily increased. By the time Ling Kongyun was only thirty li away, Zhaang Ye’s speed had reached Mach 3, not much slower than Ling Kongyun himself.

’What is that kid doing?’ Ling Kongyun watched Zhaang Ye from a distance, a look of disdain on his face. His own speed was Mach 4; no matter what tricks Zhaang Ye tried, he was confident he could catch him.

Ling Kongyun didn’t know Zhaang Ye, but his Inference Technique was exceptionally profound, and his powerful Soul Power often allowed him to sense things others couldn’t. The moment he saw Zhaang Ye, Ling Kongyun had a faint feeling that the young man possessed something he desperately needed. For that reason, he could not let him escape.

Ling Kongyun’s speed increased, closing the distance li by li.

Zhaang Ye’s heart tightened as he saw Ling Kongyun drawing ever closer. Under the immense pressure, he finally had a breakthrough and grasped the key to this flight technique. Overjoyed, he frantically poured out his True Qi, and the Tornado surrounding his body instantly grew thicker and more powerful.

BOOM!

To Ling Kongyun’s astonishment, Zhaang Ye’s body streaked across the sky, leaving a visible white trail. He shot forward at a blistering Mach 4 or 5. In the span of a dozen blinks, he had covered more than ten li, vanishing into the depths of the Python Marsh.

’Hmm? What kind of Body Technique is that!’ Ling Kongyun was stunned by Zhaang Ye’s incredible speed. After his initial shock, a calculating light gleamed in his eyes. ’He’s so fast! But I’ve already locked onto your aura. No matter how fast you are, my inference can still pinpoint your location! I won’t let you get away!’

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PS: To my friend, Qingcao Chitang, I’m sorry, but I don’t have the permissions to feature your comment. (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)