Overlord of the Wilderness

When Wei Jiu’s Book heard Zhaang Ye agree to the trade, his face blossomed with joy. He had been stuck at the Early Stage of Martial Arts Ninth Layer for a very long time. If he failed to achieve a breakthrough, his lifespan would run out in another thirty or forty years, and he would die. Now that he had this Dragon Blood Fruit, he had a good chance of cultivating to the Martial Arts Ninth Level Middle Stage, or even the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer, increasing his lifespan by twenty or thirty years.

Just a single fruit in exchange for twenty or thirty years of life—the trade was absolutely worth it.

Zhaang Ye was also very satisfied with this exchange. Although he possessed immense physical strength, he had never been able to unleash it fully. No matter how powerful his bare hands were, they couldn’t compare to a weapon. Now, with these gloves, Zhaang Ye’s close-combat abilities would be even more formidable, and he could handle some ranged attacks with much more ease.

Take Ling Kongyun’s Copper Coins, for example. Before, without gloves, Zhaang Ye could only knock them away. If he’d had these gloves, he could have easily caught them and claimed them as his own. And when facing long arrows, he could use his gloved hands to catch them, effortlessly neutralizing the attack.

Carefully putting the Dragon Blood Fruit away, Wei Jiu’s Book chuckled. "Young brother, no wonder your cultivation has improved so quickly! You must have eaten a Dragon Blood Fruit, right? Only by eating a Spirit Fruit like the Dragon Blood Fruit can one’s cultivation advance so rapidly. My boy, this should give you a better chance in your fight against Ling Wuliang."

Hearing Wei Jiu’s Book mention Ling Wuliang, Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. "Thank you for your concern, Martial Uncle. I’m quite confident about this battle."

Glancing at the two remaining Dragon Blood Fruits, Wei Jiu’s Book said, "The first Dragon Blood Fruit has the greatest effect; the efficacy is greatly diminished when you eat the second. I suggest you find a box for the remaining two, young brother, and take them back to the True Hall to be refined into elixirs. Only by refining it into an Elixir can the Dragon Blood Fruit’s medicinal properties be maximized."

Zhaang Ye chuckled. "Then I’ll have to trouble you to find me a box, Martial Uncle."

Wei Jiu’s Book nodded. "That’s easy. By the way, I came here to tell you something. In two years, the Thirteen Countries of the Land of Divine Abandonment will hold a Rookie King Tournament. The top five newcomers will have the opportunity to leave. To prepare for this tournament, our Wei Kingdom will hold a selection trial in one year. The top ten from the trial will earn the right to participate in the Rookie King Tournament, representing the Wei Kingdom."

At this point, Wei Jiu’s Book chuckled again. "Anyone under forty-five can participate in this selection trial, and the top thirty will receive prizes. Your strength is extraordinary, young brother. You should join and see the caliber of the various masters in the Wei Kingdom. Heh, with your power, you might even make it into the top thirty..."

Zhaang Ye’s heart stirred. "Martial Uncle, you just said the top five in the Rookie King Tournament will have a chance to leave. What does that mean? Does it mean they’ll have the chance to leave this Land of Divine Abandonment and go to the vaster world outside?"

Wei Jiu’s Book nodded slightly. "Exactly. The Desolate Continent is boundless. Compared to the world outside, this Land of Divine Abandonment is but a tiny speck. If your strength is great enough, you can naturally reach the vast world outside and go much further on the path of cultivation."

Having explained the matter, Wei Jiu’s Book took a Beast Hide Scroll from his robes and handed it to Zhaang Ye. "I said I had good news for you. Here, take this. I hope you find it rewarding."

Zhaang Ye took the Beast Hide Scroll. "What is this?"

Wei Jiu’s Book chuckled. "On the night of the full moon, there will be a large-scale black market gathering at Ping Mountain. Many good things will appear at this market. This Beast Hide Scroll lists some of them. You should go to the Ping Mountain Black Market and have a look, young brother. You might find a pleasant surprise."

"The Ping Mountain Black Market?" Zhaang Ye suddenly recalled the faint black invitation card he had found on Mei Yuntian. He immediately took it out and asked, "Does this have anything to do with the Ping Mountain Black Market?"

"A VIP invitation!" Wei Jiu’s Book glanced at the card. "This is a VIP invitation issued by the Ping Mountain Black Market. Hmm? I heard the Ping Mountain Black Market only issues VIP invitations to great masters at the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer. How did you get one?"

Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. "I just picked it up. Martial Uncle, can you explain what the Ping Mountain Black Market is? And what’s this VIP invitation for?"

Wei Jiu’s Book shook his head, not bothering to ask further. "The Ping Mountain Black Market is a trading venue organized by two Half-step True Dao masters. Since it’s held at Ping Mountain, it’s called the Ping Mountain Black Market. By the way, you know what a black market is, right?"

Zhaang Ye nodded. A black market was essentially a private trading bazaar where items of dubious origin were exchanged—everything from unknown elixirs, secret manuals, and weapons to medicines. You could find almost anything. Although the origins of these items were unclear, they were extremely cheap. Moreover, you could conceal your identity at a black market; no one would know what you sold, and no one would know what you bought. Thus, many masters frequented such markets to hunt for treasures.

Wei Jiu’s Book continued, "The goods at a black market are also tiered. The Ping Mountain Black Market, for instance, has three trading areas: the Outer Market, the Inner Market, and the VIP Area. The items traded in the Outer Market are common goods, not worth much. The items in the Inner Market are much more valuable. Finally, there’s the VIP Area. The things traded there are all rare treasures, and you need a VIP invitation to enter. Young brother, with this VIP card, you can go to the VIP Area and broaden your horizons..."

After finishing his explanation, Wei Jiu’s Book left in a hurry. Clearly, he wanted to consume the Dragon Blood Fruit as soon as possible to quickly raise his cultivation.

Zhaang Ye put away the VIP invitation and also entered a state of seclusion. Ling Wuliang was already dead, so Zhaang Ye no longer had to fight him. He silently focused on improving his own cultivation.

「In the Wei Kingdom, inside a bone-chilling cave.」

Jiang Ailiang sat cross-legged in the depths of the cave, his entire body like a block of frigid ice. An endless stream of Ice Qi, almost tangible, poured from his body. Wherever it passed, even the air let out a strange "HISS," creating an exceptionally eerie scene.

WHOOSH!

Jiang Ailiang slowly exhaled. The breath shot out like an arrow, rushing toward the cave entrance and kicking up powerful gusts of Qi Force. Under the impact of this force, the entire cave trembled. The ice within the cave shattered piece by piece, as if someone had smashed it all with a great hammer.

"HAHAHA!" After exhaling, Jiang Ailiang let out a joyous laugh. "My Profound Ice Qi has finally reached the Minor Achievement Realm of the 3rd Layer! This Profound Ice Qi is truly profound! With my current strength, even a Martial Arts Eighth Layer master is no match for me! HAHAHA, Zhaang Ye, I’m going to freeze you into a block of Profound Ice, then smash your body to bits with an Iron Hammer!"

After saying this, a beautiful figure surfaced in Jiang Ailiang’s mind. A cold glint appeared in his eyes: ’Now that my Profound Ice Qi has reached the Minor Achievement Realm of the 3rd Layer, I’ll consolidate my realm, then immediately find Feng Tongming for dual cultivation and raise my Profound Ice Qi to the 4th Layer!’

At the thought of Feng Tongming, a hint of excitement appeared on Jiang Ailiang’s pale face. Feng Tongming was exceptionally beautiful, and dual cultivating with her would also improve his Profound Ice True Qi. The mere thought of it was exhilarating. Jiang Ailiang was already imagining all the pleasures he would experience after pushing Feng Tongming onto the bed.

Just then, a voice came from outside. "Very good. Jiang Ailiang, you have not wasted the family’s nurturing. You have finally cultivated your Profound Ice Qi to Minor Achievement."

With the voice, a tall, thin man suddenly appeared before Jiang Ailiang. The man emanated waves of coldness. This chill was so unbelievably intense that even Jiang Ailiang, who cultivated Profound Ice Qi all day, found it somewhat unbearable.

Upon seeing the tall, thin man, the excitement on Jiang Ailiang’s face vanished. He bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Steward from the main family."

It turned out this tall, thin man was indeed a Steward from the main branch of the Jiang Family. This Steward had brought Jiang Ailiang large quantities of elixirs and medicines for his cultivation and had taught him the Cultivation Technique for Profound Ice Qi. It was precisely because of these numerous elixirs and the Steward’s guidance that Jiang Ailiang’s Profound Ice Qi could advance so quickly, soon reaching the Minor Achievement Realm.

The tall, thin man nodded slightly. "Jiang Ailiang, you’ve done well to cultivate your Profound Ice Qi to the 3rd Layer before the age of thirty. However, with your current strength, you are still no match for Zhaang Ye. Therefore, for the time being, you should just obediently focus on cultivating your Profound Ice Qi to the 4th Layer."

Hearing the lean Steward’s words, Jiang Ailiang said in astonishment, "My current strength is equivalent to a master at the Early Stage of Martial Arts Eighth Layer. How could I possibly be unable to defeat Zhaang Ye with my current power?"

The lean Steward shook his head slightly. "You’ve been in seclusion cultivating this whole time, so of course you don’t know how formidable Zhaang Ye has become. Let me tell you, a while ago, Zhaang Ye successively defeated more than a dozen masters from Python City. Among them was Li Zhongtian, ranked ninth among the Younger Generation of the Da Ling Kingdom, who also lost to Zhaang Ye. Let me tell you, this Li Zhongtian has a cultivation at the Martial Arts Eighth Layer Middle Stage, and his combat power is comparable to a master at the Late-stage Martial Arts Eighth Layer. Even he was defeated by Zhaang Ye. So, compared to Zhaang Ye, your strength is still lacking significantly."

Jiang Ailiang murmured, "How is that possible? How? How could Zhaang Ye’s strength improve so quickly?"

The lean Steward snorted, jolting Jiang Ailiang back to his senses. He said coldly, "You received the main family’s support; that was a fortunate opportunity. You had an opportunity, and it’s very likely Zhaang Ye had one of his own. So don’t overthink it. You just need to follow the plan and continue your cultivation. Sooner or later, you will be able to surpass Zhaang Ye!"

Jiang Ailiang quickly replied, "Yes, sir."

The lean Steward nodded in satisfaction. "For the next while, I must go to the Ping Mountain Black Market. You will stay in this cave and cultivate diligently for me. I, this old man, hope that in the rookie selection trial a year from now, you will be able to display your strength and build the prestige of our Jiang Family!" With that said, his figure abruptly vanished from the cave...(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets or Monthly Passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)