Overlord of the Wilderness

Shen Ji Zi had already felt a faint inkling that Zhaang Ye possessed something he needed. Now that he was closer, his Spiritual Power could faintly detect the auras of the Dragon Blood Fruit and Top-grade Essence Qi Stones. He knew it was highly likely that Zhaang Ye was carrying both.

While Top-grade Essence Qi Stones were extremely precious, they meant little to Shen Ji Zi. The Dragon Blood Fruit, however, was a different story. It was a Seventh-Grade Spirit Fruit formed from the blood of an Ancient Giant Dragon, capable of increasing one’s chances of breaking through to the True Dao. Shen Ji Zi was currently trying everything in his power to raise his cultivation, and this Dragon Blood Fruit was exactly what he needed. He had to seize it, no matter what.

Of course, ordering Zhaang Ye to strip piece by piece was also a deliberate attempt to humiliate him. Zhaang Ye ignoring his call earlier had annoyed him, so now he wanted to return the favor.

Seeing Shen Ji Zi’s overconfident expression, as if victory was already in his grasp, Zhaang Ye sneered inwardly. ’This bastard is courting death! Looks like I’ll have to use the Long Whip again and just whip him to death...’

Zhaang Ye’s internal injuries were not even half-healed. Using the Long Whip now would inevitably aggravate his wounds. But Zhaang Ye couldn’t afford to worry about that. He planned to kill Shen Ji Zi with a single lash, then quickly move to eliminate the few Martial Arts Seventh Layer masters one by one.

However, the Long Whip had a limited range, only able to strike enemies within three zhang. If Zhaang Ye wanted to use it to kill Shen Ji Zi, he would first have to find a way to get close to him before he could attack.

But Zhaang Ye had still underestimated Shen Ji Zi.

Before Zhaang Ye could even move, an extreme sense of danger welled up from deep within him.

With no time to think, a tornado suddenly materialized around Zhaang Ye as he simultaneously swung his Heavy Saber upward.

TING!

With a clear ring, Zhaang Ye’s Heavy Saber struck a yellow shadow with incredible speed, knocking it away.

As it turned out, Shen Ji Zi had made the first move, launching a yellow copper coin at Zhaang Ye. Guided by Shen Ji Zi’s superb technique, the coin had flown silently to within ten zhang of him. If not for his Spiritual Power, Zhaang Ye would have never detected it.

Even so, Zhaang Ye still felt his wrist go numb after deflecting the coin. This alone showed the immense power it contained.

Just as Zhaang Ye was secretly shocked, Shen Ji Zi was equally astonished. His Copper Coins were forged from Undersea Essence Gold fused with Profound Copper, with each one weighing forty-nine jin. When propelled by his True Qi, they struck with a force of no less than ten thousand jin and moved so fast the naked eye couldn’t track them. He never expected that this coin, striking with immense force and lightning speed, would be so effortlessly blocked by Zhaang Ye.

WHOOSH!

The copper coin Zhaang Ye had knocked away looped through the air and actually returned to Shen Ji Zi’s hand.

Zhaang Ye’s brow furrowed at the sight of his opponent’s exquisite control. His greatest asset was the Long Whip; if he could just land a single successful hit, the fight would be over. The problem was, to unleash the Long Whip’s power, he had to get within three zhang of his target. Shen Ji Zi’s Copper Coins specialized in long-range attacks. He was already under fire before he could even make a move. Getting within three zhang of him would be incredibly difficult.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Just as Zhaang Ye was rapidly trying to figure out how to get close to Shen Ji Zi, Shen Ji Zi made a gentle pressing motion with one hand. As he did, two yellow copper coins vanished from his palm, reappearing an instant later directly above Zhaang Ye’s head.

The trajectory of the two coins secretly mirrored the movements of the Barbaric Stars, vanishing and reappearing so abruptly that they were truly impossible to guard against. Fortunately, Zhaang Ye was not only protected by a layer of his tornado but also possessed Spiritual Power. The moment the coins appeared, his Spiritual Power instantly detected them.

Zhaang Ye’s mind was perfectly calm. In a split second, he analyzed the trajectory of the two coins, and his Heavy Saber slashed out along an incomparably profound path. The slash seemed neither fast nor slow, yet it struck both coins squarely, knocking them away.

The instant Zhaang Ye deflected the two coins, Shen Ji Zi attacked again. This time, he sent out four Copper Coins.

The four Copper Coins moved through the air in a mystical pattern, imbued with a deep and profound significance, like four stars orbiting in the void. To Zhaang Ye’s eyes, the coins would speed up and slow down, darting left and right. If he failed to see through their transformations, he could be struck at any moment.

Each coin packed the force of ten thousand jin and had razor-sharp edges. If he were hit, even with his powerful physique, a bloody hole would be torn through him, and the coins would sever his internal organs and Meridians, leaving him powerless to fight.

Only now did Zhaang Ye understand why Shen Ji Zi was worthy of his title as one of the four great powerhouses of the Younger Generation. The man’s attacks grew fiercer with each wave, and his timing was exquisitely controlled. After deflecting the coins twice, Zhaang Ye had wanted to immediately counterattack, but Shen Ji Zi seemed to have read his mind. Before Zhaang Ye could make his move, the next assault was already upon him.

’The first attack was one coin, the second was two. This third attack uses four coins, and their patterns are far more complex. If I don’t find a way to get out of this, I’m afraid I’ll have to face a fourth, fifth, and sixth wave!’ Zhaang Ye’s expression shifted slightly as his mind raced, searching for an escape plan.

In close combat, Zhaang Ye wouldn’t fear even a Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer master. The problem was that he couldn’t find any opportunity to get close. In this situation, Zhaang Ye knew that if he didn’t escape soon, things would only get worse.

WHIRRRR—!

Eight more tornados suddenly erupted around Zhaang Ye. Combined with the first, a total of nine tornados now spun ceaselessly around him, creating a spectacular sight. As the nine tornados churned, waves of Devouring Power distorted the very air for dozens of zhang around. Under their influence, the trajectory of Shen Ji Zi’s four coins momentarily faltered.

"Hm?"

Shen Ji Zi was shocked; he hadn’t expected Zhaang Ye to be able to summon nine tornados in succession. His perception was exceptionally keen. He could tell at a glance that the Realm within Zhaang Ye’s tornados was faintly similar to that of a Space Storm. Its Devouring Power was both tyrannical and profound, and even his four coins were somewhat affected.

SWOOSH!

The four Copper Coins descended upon Zhaang Ye like four gleaming yellow stars, streaking through the air like meteors. Zhaang Ye could clearly feel that the four coins had locked onto him. No matter where he dodged, they would follow.

Even Zhaang Ye was slightly impressed by this ability to lock onto a target from a distance using only the coins. However, as powerful as the four coins were, their trajectories had been disrupted by the tornados, allowing Zhaang Ye to grasp their flight paths. As the four coins flew toward him, Zhaang Ye didn’t even bat an eye before his Heavy Saber swept out powerfully.

TING! TING! TING! TING!

However mystical the coins’ movements were, Zhaang Ye’s Saber Technique was even more so. In a single slash, the Blade Tip, body, and even the hilt of his Heavy Saber perfectly intercepted all four coins, knocking them aside and effortlessly neutralizing Shen Ji Zi’s attack.

"Hm?" Shen Ji Zi sized up Zhaang Ye in astonishment, watching him dismantle his attacks one after another. Even a Martial Arts Ninth Layer master would need to employ special techniques to deal with the attacks he had just launched. Yet Zhaang Ye, who was only at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer, had not only neutralized them but had done so with complete ease, showing no signs of strain. This level of combat prowess far surpassed his stated cultivation; he was on par with an expert at the Early Stage of Martial Arts Ninth Layer.

’This kid really is something else! Of all the masters who went deep into the Python Marsh, none have been seen again. Only he walked out alive. And now he’s showing combat strength far beyond the Martial Arts Eighth Layer. He must have some kind of secret!’ Zhaang Ye’s display of power left Shen Ji Zi filled with suspicion and surprise.

WHIRRRR!

After deflecting Shen Ji Zi’s four coins, Zhaang Ye pointed his Heavy Saber, and the nine tornados instantly surged toward Shen Ji Zi.

Shen Ji Zi’s cultivation had reached the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, and his combat power was comparable to the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer, so of course he paid the nine tornados no mind. With a slight flick of his fingers, he sent three Copper Coins shooting toward the tornados, intending to shatter all nine of them in one fell swoop.

But just as he launched the coins, the nine tornados exploded with a BOOM. The immense force flung the lake’s water high into the air. Within a radius of several hundred zhang, churning waves and dense Water Qi filled the area, and even with his powerful vision, Shen Ji Zi couldn’t see a thing.

As it turned out, Zhaang Ye knew that in his current state, he couldn’t defeat Ling Kongyun. So he had simply used the tornados to roil the lake’s surface and create an opportunity to escape.

’Damn it! The kid is trying to escape!’ Shen Ji Zi realized with a start and suddenly fired six Copper Coins from his hand, which vanished into the dense Water Qi.

But just as his coins shot out, a pained cry echoed from within the Water Qi. Zhaang Ye had instantly slain one of the Martial Arts Seventh Layer masters. After killing the master, a RUMBLE suddenly sounded as Zhaang Ye’s figure transformed into a tornado and shot off toward the horizon.

TING! TING! TING! TING! TING! TING! After six soft rings, all of Shen Ji Zi’s coins were deflected by Zhaang Ye one by one. His voice then drifted back from the distance, "Shen Ji Zi, Ling Kongyun, I’ll remember this! Once my injuries are healed, I will come find you for a proper challenge!"

Ling Kongyun’s face turned ashen. He was always the one who plotted against others; he never imagined that he would be outmaneuvered by Zhaang Ye, who had smoothly escaped his grasp. Hearing Zhaang Ye’s voice, Ling Kongyun silently circulated his True Qi to project his own voice across the distance, "Who are you? Announce your name!"

Zhaang Ye’s voice drifted back from afar, "I am Zhaang Ye, the eighth disciple of the Fourth Hall Master of the Wei Kingdom True Hall. Ling Kongyun, I thought you were supposed to be some amazing talent, but you couldn’t even stop someone at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer like me. Ling Kongyun, you’re nothing special after all!"

"Zhaang Ye, you’re dead!" Ling Kongyun’s face was a mask of pure fury, his earlier calm and collected demeanor having vanished completely.