Overlord of the Wilderness

Chapter 234: Chapter 223: Red Ribbon

The hot spring was over thirty feet at its deepest point. There, at the very bottom, was a spring vent the size of a bucket, endlessly gushing hot water.

Zhaang Ye sat cross-legged beside the vent. After cultivating for a while, he found his body was still extremely stiff, so he simply squeezed his entire body into the opening.

The temperature inside the vent was high enough to cook an ox. But with his body freezing from within, Zhaang Ye felt the hotter, the better. He kept pushing deeper and deeper down the vent. Only after descending more than a thousand feet did he begin to feel some relief.

The Ice Qi inside him was frigid, while the water outside was incredibly hot. As Zhaang Ye’s Cultivation Technique circulated, the heat and cold slowly found a balance. Without realizing it, he entered a wondrous state of Cultivation.

His body became completely relaxed. The qi within him flowed as naturally as clouds in the sky or a gentle breeze over a mountain ridge. Yet, as his body relaxed, his spirit and will became exceptionally focused.

There is a line in the Tao Te Ching that reads: "Carrying body and soul and embracing the one, can you avoid separation? Specializing in Qi to Achieve Softness, can you be as a newborn babe?"

From this line, Zhaang Ye had comprehended a wondrous state of Cultivation. He called this state "Specialized Qi to Softness." Now, without realizing it, he had entered this "Specialized Qi to Softness" state, merging as one with the scorching spring water.

As his Mental Power grew more focused, Zhaang Ye’s senses sharpened. Without opening his eyes, he could perceive the changes in the water currents around him.

Zhaang Ye had a faint feeling that even this ordinary water held a profound secret. If he could fathom this secret, it would be of immense benefit to his Cultivation.

Zhaang Ye let the Dragon Elephant Skill circulate on its own while his mind silently recalled the descriptions of water in the Tao Te Ching.

The Tao Te Ching was a wondrous book that pointed directly to the Heaven and Earth Dao, containing descriptions of all things in existence. Although Zhaang Ye hadn’t comprehended even a ten-thousandth of it since obtaining the book, he had already benefited greatly.

Just as Zhaang Ye was silently contemplating the Tao Te Ching, he suddenly felt an incomprehensible power sweep over his entire body.

This power was boundless and carried an indescribable force. It seemed capable of seeing through everything; even the deepest secrets of the heart could not escape its perception.

Moreover, this power also contained a faint trace of terrifying Suppression. Though the trace of Suppression was extremely faint, it could penetrate deep into the soul. When this power swept over Zhaang Ye, his heart trembled and his body stiffened, nearly jolting him out of the "Specialized Qi to Softness" state of Cultivation.

’This power... it carries a subtle Suppression and seems to see through everything. Could... could this be the legendary Spiritual Power?’ Zhaang Ye’s mind reeled in terror.

Spiritual Power was a profound and mysterious force cultivated by Martial Artists. After a Martial Artist reached the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, their Mental Power and Willpower would become so focused that they could leave the body, forming Spiritual Power.

Spiritual Power had many wondrous uses. Its greatest function was to sense the mysteries of the heavens and earth, and to track and search for opponents. The Spiritual Power that had just swept over Zhaang Ye’s body was clearly being used for a search.

’Someone with Spiritual Power has to be a master of at least the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. How could such an expert be in this godforsaken place? I’m hiding a thousand feet deep in the hot spring, and I’m in the "Specialized Qi to Softness" state, merged with the water. I hope they don’t find me...’ Zhaang Ye cursed his luck inwardly, doing his utmost to retract his aura.

「...」

「Above the hot spring.」

The long-haired woman let out a soft "Hmm," a flicker of doubt in her eyes.

When she had just used her Spiritual Power to search the surroundings, she had faintly sensed a weak, primitive aura within the hot spring. But when she used her Spiritual Power to scan again, she found nothing.

The masked woman asked, "Miss, what is it?"

The long-haired woman shook her head gently. "It’s nothing."

The masked woman giggled. "If it’s nothing, then Xiaobi is going for a soak!" With that, she deftly removed her mask and her clothes.

Xiaobi was a graceful, elegant, and exceptionally beautiful young woman. After removing her mask and dress, she slipped silently into the hot spring like a fish, letting out a soft moan of comfort.

After soaking for a short while, Xiaobi called out, "Miss, you should come in for a soak too! The water feels amazing. Even though we have hot springs on Xuli Mountain, they can’t compare to this one."

The long-haired woman shook her head. "There’s no need. I’ll just use the spring water to nourish my hair." As she spoke, she walked over to a large rock, raised a slender, jade-white hand, and removed a red silk ribbon that bound her hair, letting her long tresses cascade into the water.

The long-haired woman’s face remained hidden in a veil of mist, making it impossible to see her clearly, but her every move was indescribably captivating. As she let her hair fall into the water, the long, dark strands, which held a faint cyan sheen, shimmered against her snow-white, jade-like hand. The sight naturally exuded an air of mystery and nobility that left even Xiaobi, a woman herself, staring in a daze.

Xiaobi stared blankly at the long-haired woman for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up, her gaze fixed on the strands of hair trailing in the water.

Among the woman’s cascading hair were several dozen jade-green strands. These strands were wreathed in a jade-green luster and faintly exuded a gentle Suppression. What was even more peculiar was that when these dozens of strands dipped into the water, they seemed to dissolve into the clear spring, a truly magical sight.

Xiaobi quietly counted the strands of hair and a look of astonishment crossed her face. "Miss, your hair already has that black-cyan sheen, and eighty strands are now the color of jade! So you’re already at the Half-step True Dao realm. No wonder you killed that Beetle King with a single, light palm strike!"

The long-haired woman smiled faintly but said nothing.

Xiaobi looked at her with excitement. "Miss, you’re already at the Half-step True Dao realm. In a few more years, you should be able to cultivate the eighty-first jade strand and enter the True Dao Realm, right?"

The long-haired woman chuckled. "The True Dao Realm isn’t so easily achieved. With this Nine Heavens Soft Water Technique, the further one cultivates, the harder it is to make progress. I’ve been cultivating in seclusion for a hundred years just to produce eighty jade strands. To cultivate the eighty-first will require at least another full forty-nine years."

"Even if you haven’t entered the True Dao Realm, you’re still incredibly powerful, Miss!" Xiaobi said, excitedly pumping her small fists. "Within a radius of millions of miles, there are only a handful of True Dao masters. As long as you don’t provoke them, you don’t have to be afraid of anyone. Hmph! And as for those lechers who covet your beauty, Miss, you can’t let them off. You have to teach them a harsh lesson!"

The long-haired woman shook her head slightly. "It’s not that simple."

Seeing that the long-haired woman didn’t seem to be in a good mood, Xiaobi said no more. The two women fell silent, one swimming in the hot spring, the other sitting quietly in meditation.

「Over four hours later.」

The long-haired woman’s hair trembled slightly and instantly recoiled from the hot spring. The droplets clinging to the strands flowed back down into the spring, leaving her hair instantly fresh and dry.

After retracting her hair, the long-haired woman rose to her feet. "Let’s go. It’s time we departed."

Xiaobi answered in agreement, reluctantly climbing back onto the bank. She straightened her clothes, and then the two women quickly left the hot spring.

「...」

Not long after the two women had left, Zhaang Ye shot out of the water, gasping for breath.

Zhaang Ye had stayed in the hot spring’s vent for a full six hours. During that time, not only could he not breathe, but he also had to endure the spring’s high temperature, constantly using the hot water to melt the Ice Qi in his body. It was unbearably miserable.

But what made it even worse for Zhaang Ye was what came next.

The large amount of Ice Qi in Zhaang Ye’s body had been perfectly balanced by the hot spring water outside. But once the heat of the spring melted that Ice Qi, the balance was shattered. Zhaang Ye felt endless heat bore into his body, and he felt like he was being cooked alive!

However, Zhaang Ye knew there was likely a master of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer right above him. So, no matter how agonizing it was, he could only grit his teeth and endure.

Only after he felt the terrifying aura above him disappear did Zhaang Ye dare to emerge.

After taking several deep gulps of fresh air, Zhaang Ye’s breathing finally calmed down. He circulated the Dragon Elephant Skill and inspected his internal injuries, nodding in satisfaction.

Though this Healing session had been extremely unpleasant, the results were excellent. The Ice Qi in Zhaang Ye’s Meridians had been completely purged. Although some Ice Qi remained in his internal organs, as long as his Meridians were clear, removing the rest was only a matter of time.

After taking two steps, Zhaang Ye suddenly saw a red silk ribbon hanging on a large rock. He froze for a moment, then walked over and took it.

He couldn’t tell what material the red ribbon was woven from, but it was exceptionally soft to the touch and carried a faint, elegant fragrance. One glance was all Zhaang Ye needed to know it belonged to a woman.

Zhaang Ye glanced at it and was about to toss the red ribbon back where he found it when he suddenly heard a rush of wind. Before he could react, a masked woman abruptly appeared at the edge of the hot spring. When the woman saw Zhaang Ye, she let out a piercing shriek. "You! What are you doing here? Miss, there’s someone here!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)