The Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique

Deep within the tribe, there stood an old stone house where an aged man named Elder Shi resided. At ninety-eight years old, Elder Shi was once a battle-hardened warrior of the Bloodstone Tribe. However, as he aged and failed to break through to the next realm, his blood vitality waned, forcing him to withdraw from the ranks of the warriors. He instead took on the duty of venturing into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs and treat the wounded tribesmen.

It was Elder Shi who had rescued Xiao Yi from the depths of the mountains several miles behind the tribe. Over the past fifteen days, Xiao Yi had endured intense pain and managed to regain his ability to walk, thanks in no small part to Elder Shi's herbal remedies. Though his body had not fully recovered, Xiao Yi could feel that his physique was already much stronger than before.

Yet, he had often heard Elder Shi lament over the past few days that his constitution was far too weak, even inferior to that of an old man. If he wished to pursue the path of cultivation, it would be nearly impossible to make progress. Even reaching the threshold of the Blood Refinement Realm and opening just one heavenly meridian would be considered a miracle.

With great effort, Xiao Yi pushed open the stone door, which weighed over a hundred pounds. Sweat beaded on his forehead—such was the frailty of modern humanity compared to the sheer strength of these ancient tribesmen.

"You're back."

Inside the stone house, a slightly hunched figure was organizing several green stone jars. Seeing Xiao Yi enter, Elder Shi pounded his pestle into a mortar twice before turning around and handing him a green stone jar. In his usual stiff tone, he instructed, "Drink all of the medicine inside."

Elder Shi was always gruff, but Xiao Yi did not mind—he was like this with everyone. Staring at the black, murky medicinal liquid inside the jar, Xiao Yi felt a bitterness rise in his throat. For the past ten days, this had been his daily regimen. The concoction was excruciatingly bitter, but it worked wonders in soothing his meridians and alleviating his pain.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yi drained the contents in one gulp. Seeing his resolve, Elder Shi's dry and weathered face finally relaxed slightly, though he quickly regained his usual stern expression. "The chieftain has not granted permission. You are not one of our Bloodstone Tribe, and even a third-rate battle technique cannot be passed on to you. Even if you wish to join our tribe, you must first hunt blood beasts for an entire year before you can even take the assessment. Given your current physique, that is an impossible task."

Xiao Yi had initially hoped to use cultivation to suppress the foreign energy wreaking havoc in his body, but it seemed that the Bloodstone Tribe was unwilling to teach him their techniques. He did not argue. Instead, he simply knelt down before Elder Shi and solemnly kowtowed three times. To someone who had already died once, dignity was of the utmost importance.

Elder Shi sighed, reaching out to help Xiao Yi to his feet. "Foolish child. Alone, you will not survive in the vast and wild forests. But I can see that you are not an ordinary person. You have a past. In your eyes, I see the resolve of a man prepared to die. Perhaps the chieftain should not have been so wary of you. But do not blame him—our Bloodstone Tribe has nearly a hundred thousand people, living in the perilous mountains and surrounded by foreign threats. There are too many considerations. However, I have one alternative for you… though this path…"

Elder Shi hesitated slightly before finally pulling out a dark green beast hide from his robes. "This is the 'Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique,' a first-class battle technique. I obtained it by chance during a skirmish with foreign tribes in my youth. Unfortunately, it only contains the Blood Refinement volume, and the cultivation requirements are incredibly strict. Almost no one has ever fully unlocked its 108 heavenly meridians to nurture their battle essence. However, should you succeed, you will wield the strength of a Barbaric Elephant."

Taking the beast hide into his hands, Xiao Yi examined the ancient text etched upon it. The strokes were rugged, each character sharp and angular. It was a script he was certain no longer existed in modern times, yet, inexplicably, he understood every word as if an unseen force was transmitting the knowledge directly into his mind.

"Cultivation is divided into three realms: Blood Refinement, Bone Tempering, and Soul Fusion. The Blood Refinement Realm entails absorbing the essence of blood to strengthen one's vitality, opening 108 heavenly meridians, and forming a battle aura," Elder Shi explained. "In order to resist the great clans of the Hundred Worlds, our human ancestors developed battle techniques. These are categorized into third-class, second-class, and first-class battle techniques. It is said that above battle techniques exist the 'Laws,' which govern the control of power itself. Those who comprehend the Laws can fully unlock the potential of the human body. Our Bloodstone Tribe's supreme technique, 'Heavenly Fire Armament,' is a near-first-class battle technique."

"The vast lands are home to savage beasts, mighty creatures capable of toppling mountains and swallowing clouds. The strongest among them manifest an 'Ancient Star' on their brows. A one-star beast is equivalent to a human at the Blood Refinement Realm…"

For two hours, Elder Shi continued his lecture. Only then did Xiao Yi finally grasp the basic knowledge of this world and the immense difficulty of cultivation. While nearly anyone could begin cultivating, achieving true mastery was an entirely different matter. If it were easy, then among the Bloodstone Tribe's tens of thousands of people and two thousand warriors, more than just the chieftain would have reached the Bone Tempering Realm.

"Enough for today. Rest now—I have herbs to organize."

The heavy stone door slowly closed. The Bloodstone Tribe's night was tranquil and peaceful. Through the stone window, the boundless sky stretched above, and the moon hung close to the land. Even within the stone house, Xiao Yi could sense the ancient aura of this world.

Outside the window, several Bloodstone warriors clad in green beast-hide armor strode past. Some carried dark wooden bows, others gripped bone swords, and a few held iron-gray spears. Their bodies radiated thick blood energy, their piercing eyes shining in the night, even brighter than the moonlight.

These were the Bloodstone Tribe's warriors. Elder Shi had explained that every tribe had its own battle force. The Bloodstone Tribe possessed two thousand warriors, organized into two 'Thousand-Man Battle Divisions.' Each ten-man squad was led by a squad leader, ten squads formed a hundred-man unit under a centurion, and a thousand warriors constituted a division under a 'Thousand Commander.' Beyond this, greater 'Ten-Thousand-Man Divisions' existed, but none were seen within a thousand-mile radius. The Bloodstone Tribe was the only tribe in the surrounding lands, and in the vast Human Realm, smaller tribes like theirs often fought their battles alone.

Xiao Yi took a deep breath, setting aside his thoughts. Elder Shi's medicine had temporarily suppressed his pain, but it was only a reprieve. If he could not find a permanent cure, it would forever be a shackle upon him.

Sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, he spread the dark green beast hide across his lap. The 'Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique' was a first-class battle technique—stronger even than the tribe's treasured 'Heavenly Fire Armament'—though it contained only the Blood Refinement volume. After carefully reading through the entire text, Xiao Yi's gaze sharpened. Elder Shi had not exaggerated—the technique's requirements were absurdly high.

Still, if he could master it, he would possess the strength of a Barbaric Elephant. And an ancient beast of such caliber… even Elder Shi could not fathom its true might.

Moments later, Xiao Yi had committed to memory every word and formula inscribed on the beast hide. Apart from the Blood Refining Scroll of the Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique, the hide also contained the first three stances of the Barbaric Elephant Spear Technique. However, without first unlocking the Heavenly Veins and cultivating Battle Qi, executing the technique would be mere imitation, devoid of true power.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yi fixed his gaze on the central image of the beast hide—a barbaric elephant. It bore a resemblance to the elephants of later generations, yet it was even more massive than a mammoth. Its colossal legs were like four heavenly pillars, and its tusks, sharp as divine swords, exuded an intimidating aura. A thick layer of scales covered its entire body, gleaming with an ancient luster. The depiction was so lifelike that, as Xiao Yi continued to stare, the blue scales seemed to glow and shift, making the image grow increasingly vivid and real.

The first step in practicing the Barbaric Elephant Strength Technique was to visualize this image, rousing one's blood energy to sense the 108 Heavenly Veins within the body and begin unlocking the first one. Master Shi had once said that those with exceptional physiques could unlock multiple Heavenly Veins on their first attempt using their own blood energy alone. The stronger one's physique, the more veins they could unblock at once. Conversely, those with weaker constitutions would struggle to even clear the first vein and would require a large influx of external blood energy to progress.

Xiao Yi had heard of such cases before. Shi Lei, for instance, was one of the most physically gifted youths in the Bloodstone Tribe, with only a handful of peers matching his talent. On his first attempt, he had entered seclusion for four days and emerged having unlocked four Heavenly Veins solely through his own blood energy. Over the course of two years, he had now unblocked eleven veins, surpassing the threshold required to qualify as a Warrior of the Human Race. Once he came of age, he would be officially recognized as a battle soldier. The greatest warrior in the Bloodstone Tribe, Chief Shi Zhixuan, had been even more astonishing—he had unlocked six veins in one go, a feat that had stunned the entire tribe. Through sheer perseverance, he had ultimately shattered his limits and ascended to the Bone Tempering Realm.

Fixing his gaze upon the Barbaric Elephant Image, Xiao Yi gradually reconstructed the image in his mind. Since this was his first attempt at visualization, the form of the elephant remained indistinct. However, as time passed, he carefully traced every detail of the image with his eyes. Two hours later, the mighty figure of a towering, blue-scaled barbaric elephant was finally etched into his consciousness.

At that instant, the barbaric elephant within his mind came to life. It trumpeted toward the heavens, raising its long trunk, its blue scales radiating an ethereal glow. Ancient and primordial energy rippled outward, filling the air with an oppressive aura of timeworn power. As this aura spread, Xiao Yi suddenly caught a glimpse inside his own body—a world of crimson blood energy where 108 Heavenly Veins stretched across his limbs and torso like an intricate web.

Beyond that, he noticed something even more astonishing—within his flesh and blood, faint golden streams of energy flowed gently. These golden currents exuded an overwhelming presence, filling every crevice of his muscles, carrying an aura that was both ancient and noble.

"It really is them!"

Xiao Yi's eyes snapped open, and for an instant, a faint blue gleam flickered across his gaze.

"Now I finally understand… the strange energy inside me is actually the essence of the dragon egg! But it's far too powerful for me to refine. Though I survived that disaster back then, I still don't know how or why. Even now, I am not strong enough to absorb it. I can only wait until my cultivation reaches greater heights to slowly refine this essence. Yet… who knows how many years that will take?"

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yi's eyes shone with renewed determination.

"No matter what, as long as there is hope—since I have survived, I must uncover the truth of this world with my own eyes. I refuse to blindly trust the words of those four people. If I was able to arrive here, then I will certainly find a way to return. There is always a path beneath my feet—I just have to find it."