74: Third Life: How Am I the Villain? (Chapter 38)

Three days later, a solitary black stream of light quietly escaped the Overlord Blade Sect's mountain-protecting formation. Without the slightest hesitation, it sped directly toward the southern horizon.

Xu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back upon a flying Magical Artifact, his robes fluttering in the wind, his gaze calm as he looked down at the mountains and rivers rapidly passing beneath his feet.

After traveling several dozen miles away from the Sect, he slowly lowered his altitude and landed in a secluded valley.

Unfolding a slightly worn map of the Southern Region, Xu Yuan's gaze swept slowly across it.

The area around the Sect was relatively stable, but the resources had long been carved up by various powers. It was suitable for Cultivate, but it was difficult to encounter any great Opportunity, and it lacked the true tempering found between life and death.

His finger finally landed on a vast area in the south of the map marked with numerous danger symbols.

— — The Wasteland.

Yao Beast ran rampant there, toxic miasma filled the air, and the environment was extremely harsh. It was also occupied by many vicious evil cultivators, exiles, and outlaws wanted by various Sects; it was truly a lawless place of chaos.

In his previous life, Xu Yuan had also gone to the Blackwind Wasteland when the Burning Sun Upper Sect opened it up. However, at that time, Xu Yuan was merely a Qi-refining Loose Cultivator with limited strength, so his exploration was confined to the vicinity of the camp, and he had never truly ventured deep into the Wasteland.

But now, Xu Yuan's plan was to enter the inner reaches of the Wasteland to seek out and fight Foundation Establishment Great Demon.

"The safe zones have long been thoroughly scavenged, making it hard to find any great Opportunity. Only dangerous lands can help me rise rapidly." Xu Yuan's thoughts raced, "Ten years may seem like a long time, but if I want to stand out in the Southern Region Elite Battle and compete with those Prodigy from the Upper Sects with deep backgrounds, I must use extraordinary methods!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Yuan put away the map. Spiritual power surged around his body, and he soared into the sky, riding his escape light. Without stopping, he sped directly toward the southern Wasteland!

His speed was extremely fast, turning into a blurred black stream of light as he swept across the mountains and plains.

The closer he got to the Wasteland, the more desolate the surroundings became, and the fewer signs of human life there were. A faint aura of wilderness and a lingering Demonic Qi began to permeate the air.

Several days later, the outline of a massive mountain range, as if divided by an invisible boundary, appeared at the edge of Xu Yuan's vision.

The sky there seemed even gloomier, and the undulating mountains resembled crouching ancient Vicious Beast, filled with a heart-palpitating aura of danger.

The Wasteland, he had arrived!

This time, Xu Yuan did not go to the Blackwind Wasteland from his previous life. After all, the Blackwind Wasteland was too far from the Overlord Blade Sect, and a long journey involved too many variables.

The one he chose was another Wasteland relatively closer on the map — — the Withered Bone Wasteland.

Although this place was named a "Wasteland," it actually contained continuous strange rocky hills and withered dense forests. The environment was complex, and the level of danger was by no means low.

Upon first arriving at the Wasteland, even with Xu Yuan's firm resolve, he dared not be the slightest bit careless. He lowered his escape light and landed behind a large rock on a hillside, a hidden spot that allowed him to overlook part of the terrain. He gazed into the distance while suppressing his own aura to the extreme.

As far as his eyes could see, it was a desolate and dead scene.

The grey-brown earth seemed to have lost all vitality; twisted dead trees clawed at the air, and craggy, strange rocks resembled the skeletons of crouching giant beasts.

The air was filled with a faint stench of decay and the smell of blood. Further away, there were faint, heart-palpitating beast roars and the hissing of unknown creatures, and waves of Demonic Qi, varying in strength but all filled with a violent aura, rose up everywhere like smoke.

"As expected... compared to the outer reaches of the Blackwind Wasteland from my previous life, this place is much more dangerous." Xu Yuan's eyes were sharp as a hawk's as he observed carefully. "The Demonic Qi here is generally stronger and more chaotic. A few of these... are definitely Foundation Establishment Great Demon, and there might even be a Mid-Foundation Establishment Stage existence."

Xu Yuan did not impulsively rush in to find opponents.

The experience of exploring the Blackwind Wasteland in his previous life told him that in a place like this, information was far more important than brute force.

Over the next few days, Xu Yuan did not venture deep. Instead, like the most patient hunter, he used his landing spot as the center and carefully radiated outward to scout.

He used the terrain, dead trees, and strange rocks to hide his figure, avoiding several areas where the Demonic Qi was particularly dense, which were clearly the lairs of powerful Yao Beast.

Xu Yuan carefully observed the activity patterns and territorial ranges of the Yao Beast, distinguishing the traces and the strength of the auras they left behind.

By observing the Yao Beast's excrement, claw marks, gnawed skeletons, and the occasional fights between them, Xu Yuan made a preliminary judgment on which were herd-living Yao Beast and which were solitary predators, roughly figuring out the activity patterns and territorial boundaries of the several Foundation Establishment Great Demon nearby.

"In the Southeast direction, that Stone Forest is occupied by an Early Foundation Establishment Stage 'Earth-Splitting Stone Ape'. It has a violent temper and amazing strength, but its speed is average, and it lives alone."

"In the western swamp area, the Demonic Qi is cold and viscous, faintly carrying a poisonous, fishy smell. It should be some kind of Foundation Establishment Yao Beast that excels in concealment and poison techniques, not easy to deal with."

"Behind the northern hillside, there is a pack of 'Ghost-Faced Yao Wolves'. The wolf king is estimated to have the strength of the Peak Early Foundation Establishment Stage, and the pack is large, so it is not advisable to provoke them for now."

Xu Yuan calculated quickly in his mind. Finally, he locked his first target onto the Earth-Splitting Stone Ape in the Stone Forest to the Southeast.

Solitary, strength-based, relatively lower speed — — this was undoubtedly the best target for practice!

Since the target was set, he did not hesitate any longer.

Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed, and his figure moved like a wisp of smoke, sneaking silently toward the Stone Forest.

The closer he got, the stronger the scent of earth mixed with violence became in the air.

Soon, he saw the target of his trip.

A behemoth was facing away from him, squatting on a relatively open rocky ground, gnawing on the remains of an unknown Yao Beast.

It was nearly three zhang tall, its body covered in grey-brown, hard, rock-like fur, and its muscles bulged like mounds. Just by squatting there, it exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

It was the Earth-Splitting Stone Ape!

Compared to the Mystic Ice Evil Toad in the Secret Realm that had been controlled by Liu Yaner using secret techniques and forced to Breakthrough, losing its sanity, this Earth-Splitting Stone Ape's eyes held vigilance amidst its ferocity. While gnawing on its prey, it still kept its ears perked up vigilantly, occasionally raising its head to scan the surroundings, revealing not-weak intelligence.

Moreover, judging from the fluctuations of Demonic Qi it emitted, it had probably been at the Foundation Establishment Stage for quite some time.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan was not alarmed but happy instead, his Battle Intent burning even brighter. This was the effect he wanted!

No longer hiding, Xu Yuan took a step forward, his figure suddenly accelerating, and Ink Sever leaped into his hand from his back with a "clang."

The pitch-black blade cut through the air, bringing with it an incomparably sharp dark-gold blade light, striking directly at the Earth-Splitting Stone Ape's heart!

"Roar!!"

The Earth-Splitting Stone Ape sensed the danger almost the instant Xu Yuan moved, letting out a deafening roar. Its massive body displayed agility inconsistent with its size, suddenly rolling to the side!

Swish!

The blade light grazed past. Although it did not hit directly, it still left a bone-deep wound on the ape's rock-hard back, and grey-brown blood sprayed out!