Overlord of the Wilderness

The Fourth Hall Master glanced at the battle and said, "Cai Ying, you are not Zhaang Ye’s match. You may step down for now."

Fang Caiying nodded helplessly and withdrew. It may have looked like she and Zhaang Ye were evenly matched, but she knew in her heart that this stalemate was only because Zhaang Ye had been on the defensive the entire time. If he had launched a counterattack, she would have likely been defeated by his palm.

Once she was about thirty feet away, Fang Caiying couldn’t help but ask, "Junior Brother Zhaang, what is the name of that Saber Technique you just used? What grade of Combat Skill is it?"

Zhaang Ye smiled faintly. "This Saber Technique is one I created myself. I gave it a name: Cloud-Breaking Slash. As for what grade it is, I’m afraid I don’t know."

"A Self-Created Saber Technique?!" Fang Caiying cried out in astonishment. "You really created it yourself?"

Zhaang Ye nodded affirmatively.

Fang Caiying gave a wry smile. "To think you could create such an endlessly profound Saber Technique! It seems you are the true genius, one who can be mentioned in the same breath as Yangx Guyuan, Helian Bi Bi, Ling Kongyun, and Chu Pingxiang. Your Senior Sister has no complaints about this loss!"

Zhaang Ye coughed awkwardly. "Well, we only fought to a draw."

Fang Caiying’s almond-shaped eyes widened as she waved her hand dismissively. "You were on the defensive the entire time and didn’t counterattack even once. Plus, you only used that one move, Cloud-Breaking Slash, over and over. You must have other skills you didn’t use. Don’t think your Senior Sister is too slow to notice!"

Zhaang Ye was speechless.

Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from the distance. "AHAHAHA! Master, did you summon me, Xiong Li, for something?"

As the voice drew closer, Zhaang Ye could feel the ground begin to tremble. A moment later, a tall, burly, bearded man strode over with a terrifying aura, like a Barbaric Beast from the ancient Wilderness.

Seeing him arrive, Zhaang Ye bowed. "Greetings, Sixth Senior Brother Xiong Li."

It turned out this giant of a man was none other than the Fourth Hall Master’s sixth disciple, Xiong Li. Xiong Li possessed a trace of the Ancient Bear Clan’s bloodline. He looked like a bear, and his aura and power were just as bearish, making him unforgettable at first sight.

Xiong Li strode forward. Upon seeing Zhaang Ye, he laughed heartily. "Junior Brother, you’re finally back! Let me see how much your Cultivation has improved... Huh?!" Xiong Li sized Zhaang Ye up, his beady eyes suddenly widening in shock. He pointed at Zhaang Ye in disbelief and said, "Eighth Junior Brother, you’ve actually reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer! How did you cultivate so fast?"

Zhaang Ye coughed dryly, but just as he was about to speak, the Fourth Hall Master cut in, "Xiong Li, everyone has their own fortuitous encounters. You don’t need to worry about how Zhaang Ye reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. I called you here to have you test your skills against his. You may begin now!"

"Test our skills! Haha, my favorite thing to do!" Xiong Li was a natural-born warrior. Hearing the Fourth Hall Master order him to fight Zhaang Ye, his eyes instantly blazed with intense battle intent. An incredibly powerful aura erupted from his body, locking firmly onto Zhaang Ye.

Xiong Li possessed the bloodline of the Ancient Bear Clan. Although this trace of bloodline was faint, it still allowed him to emit a hint of the Ancient Bear Clan’s aura. While Xiong Li’s aura was a far cry from that of the true Ancient Bear Clan, it was still exceptionally formidable to ordinary Martial Artists. Even experts at the Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer couldn’t match his aura.

Xiong Li had been cultivating for far longer than Fang Caiying, and his strength was also much greater than hers. Several years ago, Xiong Li had crushed Zhaang Ye into the ground with just a sliver of his aura. Now, he was unleashing his aura at full power, making it dozens of times more terrifying than before. Zhaang Ye felt the air around him suddenly grow heavy, as heavy as a great mountain!

’Hmm? As expected of someone with the bloodline of the Ancient Bear Clan. His strength surpasses even that of a Mid-stage Ninth Layer expert!’ Zhaang Ye was secretly shocked as he estimated Xiong Li’s power.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!

Green veins bulged on Xiong Li’s body, making him look like a giant bear. He took several rapid steps with his massive feet, crossing over a hundred feet in an instant. One of his huge palms transformed into a great claw and swiped at Zhaang Ye.

When the Ancient Bear Clan fought, they appeared slightly clumsy, defeating enemies with brute strength and sharp claws. Xiong Li’s grab resembled an old bear snatching a fish; it looked a bit awkward, but its speed and power were terrifying to the extreme. Zhaang Ye felt like a fish in the water, finding it difficult to even move!

"Good!" Zhaang Ye shouted, his left palm chopping out like a saber—Cloud-Breaking Slash!

BOOM!

Zhaang Ye’s left palm clashed with Xiong Li’s. The immense force shook the ground for hundreds of feet around them, causing it to crack inch by inch. Fang Caiying was only about thirty feet away. The instant their claw and Palm Blade collided, she felt a massive wave of force rush toward her. Despite her profound Cultivation, she couldn’t help but take two steps back, silently cursing them as monsters.

Xiong Li was forced back a step by Zhaang Ye’s strike, and Zhaang Ye also retreated one step. In this direct clash, they had actually fought to a draw.

"Good!" Xiong Li sensed that Zhaang Ye’s True Qi was exceptionally pure, allowing him to match his strength head-on without being at a disadvantage. He couldn’t help but shout his approval as his massive body pressed forward like a mountain, unleashing a torrential storm of attacks on Zhaang Ye.

RUMBLE—

Xiong Li’s power was tyrannical. His attacks were all about overwhelming his opponents with force, and at full power, the area within a thousand-foot radius seemed to be on the verge of collapse. If an ordinary Martial Arts Ninth-Layer Expert faced such terrifying attacks, they would likely not even dare to block one head-on, forced to retreat while fighting to weather the storm. But Zhaang Ye had started his journey by practicing a Body Refining Technique. His own power had become so tyrannical that even he wasn’t sure of its limits. Therefore, no matter how terrifying Xiong Li’s power was, Zhaang Ye didn’t retreat a single step. He didn’t even use any techniques, simply relying on his raw Physical Body’s Power to clash head-on with Xiong Li.

RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE— Zhaang Ye and Xiong Li were like two ancient behemoths, clashing again and again. The Qi Force erupting from between their fists and palms peeled up layers of turf, sending them flying high into the air. It formed a hazy rain of mud that even blotted out the sun. Beneath their feet, huge swathes of land cracked like spiderwebs from the force of their steps. Even water from deep underground was stomped to the surface, gushing out in geysers as thick as a man’s arm.

Fang Caiying retreated again and again, not stopping until she was over five hundred feet away. Watching Zhaang Ye in battle, she couldn’t help but gasp in shock. When she had fought him earlier, she knew he wasn’t using his full strength, but she had never imagined his power was this terrifying. It was one thing for Zhaang Ye’s Saber Technique to be exquisite, but for his physical strength to be no less than Xiong Li’s... The hundreds of thousands of pounds of force in his every move was simply too shocking for Fang Caiying to comprehend!

The Fourth Hall Master watched the battle, growing more and more delighted the longer he observed. Xiong Li cultivated a Body Refining Technique and was a master of combat, with strength surpassing even a Mid-stage Ninth Layer expert. For Zhaang Ye, who had just entered the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, to be able to fight Xiong Li on equal terms was truly astonishing!

After watching for a while longer, the Fourth Hall Master suddenly noticed that Xiong Li was starting to pant from the repeated clashes. Zhaang Ye, despite clashing with Xiong Li for so long, was also a bit out of breath, but he wasn’t struggling nearly as much. In other words, Zhaang Ye was still holding back!

’This kid, he’s even hiding his strength in front of his own master. He’s quite the crafty one...’ The Fourth Hall Master shook his head slightly, thinking to himself, ’I have to find a way to make Zhaang Ye reveal his true power. I, for one, want to see just how strong this kid really is and what other Ultimate Techniques he’s hiding!’

Having made up his mind, the Fourth Hall Master suddenly called out, "You two, whoever can defeat the other within ten moves will be allowed to pick a weapon from the Armory!"

Hearing the Fourth Hall Master’s words, Xiong Li, Zhaang Ye, and Fang Caiying were all stunned. Every Martial Artist knew the importance of a weapon. Possessing a suitable weapon could greatly increase one’s combat effectiveness. The Fourth Hall Master was a True Dao master who had lived for over two hundred years. It went without saying that the weapons he collected would be Top Grade. To be able to enter the Armory and choose any weapon was a massive windfall!

Xiong Li and Zhaang Ye were stunned for a moment, then became excited. Xiong Li was overjoyed. "Master, can we choose a True Artifact? This Old Bear’s power is tyrannical. Although I can’t unleash the full power of a True Artifact, I can still manage twenty or thirty percent of it! If I defeat Junior Brother Zhaang, I want to take a True Artifact!"

The Fourth Hall Master chuckled. "I said you could choose anything, so of course a True Artifact is an option. As long as you can defeat Zhaang Ye within ten moves, you can take any True Artifact from your master’s Armory!"

Receiving his master’s confirmation, Xiong Li let out a few excited howls.

Only True Dao Artifact Refiners could forge True Artifacts, and forging each one required immense energy and time. Furthermore, the materials for True Artifacts were incredibly difficult to gather. Therefore, even Ninth-Layer Experts like them did not possess one. If one could have a True Artifact as their weapon, even without being able to unleash its full power, it would still be far better than any ordinary weapon!

"Haha!" Xiong Li roared with laughter, his eyes fixed on Zhaang Ye with excitement. His aura became more terrifying than ever. He chuckled sinisterly. "Junior Brother Zhaang, this Old Bear has wanted a True Artifact for a long time. Now that the opportunity is finally here, don’t blame me for not holding back!"

Zhaang Ye sighed internally. ’The old ones are always the craftiest! I was planning on holding back some of my strength, but I never expected Master to use a True Artifact as bait. Now this Old Bear will definitely go all out...’ Despite his inner lament, Zhaang Ye’s expression didn’t change in the slightest as he said, "Bring it on!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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