Qingyun Bow

A faint blue battle energy flowed in the center, connecting excess Heavenly Meridians and seeping into the flesh, subtly radiating a jade-like bluish glow from Xiao Yi's skin. In his mind, the shadow of the fierce elephant grew clearer, almost as though it had come to life. Scales of blue glimmered like metallic glass, as sharp as knives or swords, gleaming with a deadly edge. Xiao Yi hefted the broken spear in his hand, which was already a thousand jin, equivalent to a weight of one jun. Though his cultivation had only opened up excess Heavenly Meridians, his strength had surged to a staggering ten jun, equivalent to the cultivation of an ordinary Bloodstone Tribe member with ten Heavenly Meridians in their throat. This was the might of the Fierce Elephant Strength Secret Art. The energy and blood required for cultivation were several times greater than that of regular martial arts techniques—perhaps even close to ten times. But once he broke through, the vast blood energy would expand the Heavenly Meridians, and the benefits would be several times more. Xiao Yi couldn't even imagine what kind of power he would possess when he finally unlocked one hundred and eight Heavenly Me

Meanwhile, some members of the Bloodstone Tribe who had been disturbed by Xiao Yi's breakthrough were filled with regret. The Heavenly Meridian Thunder Sound wasn't something just anyone could induce. Some who knew the consequences of Xiao Yi's circumstances thought that it was already a rare miracle for this sickly youth to recover so quickly and even begin his cultivation path. To them, his sudden accomplishments were nothing more than the dreams of a fool.

A thousand zhang away, Shi Zhixuan was sitting cross-legged beside the Wanmiju, with two thousand strong men seated in front. The three of them almost simultaneously withdrew their gazes. Shi Zhixuan frowned slightly and said, "The Fierce Elephant Strength Blood Refining Technique, when we three borrowed it back then, we couldn't grasp the essence of the Fierce Elephant's divine rhythm, unable to step into the threshold. We could only settle for the Tianhuo Soldier's technique, which is what this person has done. Although he has only opened the Heavenly Meridians, I suspect he will soon reach a plateau."

One of the two thousand strong men nodded. After a brief pause, he said, "We can see his true heart. It's best to leave him in the tribe for now."

As night fell, the moonlight was crystalline, the full moon like jade. In the back mountains of the Bloodstone Tribe, on the edge of a high cliff, Xiao Yi stood tall, gripping the broken spear. The black shaft of the spear glimmered coldly, and the broken tip revealed a dark red hue, exuding a sharp, murderous energy. Suddenly, Xiao Yi hurled the broken spear through the air, wrapped in a faint, translucent battle energy. It tore through the air, piercing a boulder, nearly as tall as a person, into pieces. The energy reverberated, and the boulder turned to dust. Xiao Yi continued to move along the cliff's edge, the broken spear striking again and again. In the span of half an incense stick, several large rocks were shattered and pierced through. He suddenly stopped to breathe heavily.

"The battle energy still remains abundant, my blood and Qi are full, and my stamina seems endless. But my spirit cannot take much more," Xiao Yi gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the spear. "Earlier, when my spirit was captured on the battlefield, it showed my will was weak. My martial arts teacher once told me, a warrior must constantly live under the threat of danger. The technique is important, but the ability to control the battlefield depends on will and temperament. Even a cat will puff up its fur when in danger. I practice my spear on the edge of this cliff, constantly walking on the brink of life and death. This sharpens my will, forging a fighting style that can withstand life and death."

The moon hung high, and after two hours, Xiao Yi's face turned pale, sweat beading at his nose. Yet, his gaze became sharper, signaling a transformation of consciousness—a transition from the mechanical life of the technological age to unlocking the strength of the human body and refining the will of his ancestors.

However, as Xiao Yi sat cross-legged, just recovering eighty percent of his battle energy, a sudden chill erupted from his spine, spreading throughout his body in an instant. It felt as if he were about to fall off the cliff at any moment, on the verge of a bottomless abyss where life and death hung by a thread. His eyes shot open, and behind him, eyes seemed to materialize on his back. Xiao Yi swung his broken spear in a wide arc. The battle energy surged like a rainbow, cutting through the air as if a faint blue thread had been drawn from his thigh, creating an ethereal, pale blue full moon. In the next moment, black bone arrows exploded, and Xiao Yi stepped back slightly, his gaze sharp as a sword, scanning the distant wild forest. He coldly called out, "Who's there?!"

For several breaths, silence reigned. Xiao Yi furrowed his brow. The sensation of being targeted by a venomous snake had vanished. Whoever had attacked had already left. "Who was that?" he pondered, reflecting on the arrow. There was no killing intent in the strike, but it carried the force of six jun, swift as lightning. Had he not been practicing on the cliff, his mind and will sharpened to their peak, he might have been gravely injured. The clues were too few, and Xiao Yi couldn't make an immediate judgment.

At dawn, the ancient earth appeared vast and desolate. Xiao Yi returned to the tribe, and inside the stone house, Shi was busy organizing a basket of herbs, many of which were dried medicinal plants. When he saw Xiao Yi, Shi nodded in acknowledgment, though said little.

"Elder Shi, I wish to go into the mountains to hunt," Xiao Yi said. Initially, Tribe Leader Shi Zhixuan had proposed that to join the tribe's warriors, one had to hunt blood food for a year. This "year" wasn't about time, but the amount of food—enough to qualify for joining the tribe's warrior ranks. Only after that would one undergo strength trials to truly become a soldier of the human tribe. This was the only way Xiao Yi could qualify for the Bloodstone Tribe and inherit the warrior techniques.

Upon hearing Xiao Yi's request, Elder Shi paused, turned to face him, and regarded him deeply. "A year's worth of blood food, based on our Bloodstone Tribe's population, amounts to less than ten people's worth. An ordinary long-tusked boar weighs over a jun. To feed one hundred heads a day for a year would require three to five thousand boars. You need to acquire enough blood food to feed thirty-six thousand jun."

Xiao Yi nodded. The Fierce Elephant Strength Secret Art required immense blood energy. After absorption by Shi Jing, the remaining energy was minimal—barely a tenth. Relying solely on the daily provision from the tribe would never gather enough to reach the planetary sea of Qi.

Elder Shi didn't say more, but tossed Xiao Yi an ancient stone medallion. "You may go to the Weapon Department to fetch a bow for your hunting. Beyond the mountains lies the Wild Ancient Forest and the Panlei Mountain Range. Remember not to go more than a hundred miles in. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you."

Xiao Yi left the stone house. At this moment, the Bloodstone Tribe was bustling with activity. Children were practicing martial arts, young men were wearing bows, and the tribe's warriors had just returned from battle. The entire tribe was brimming with energy, many had made breakthroughs, and the younger generation was motivated, eager to strengthen their Qi to eventually become true warriors.

The Weapon Department was located at the center of the tribe. A large stone hall, standing over ten zhang high, covered an area of one hundred zhang. This was where the Bloodstone Tribe's weaponry was stored. In front of the hall, four warriors stood guard. Xiao Yi knew that these were all mid-ranking warriors—stronger than ordinary soldiers. Shi had told him that the Weapon Department was a crucial place, and the tribe had three thousand warriors stationed to defend it. It was only because of this force that the tribe could respond to threats, as only a few were entrusted to guard this hall.

Upon seeing Xiao Yi's arrival, the four warriors paid him some attention. Despite the youth's reputation, it wasn't unusual to see travelers in this vast land. What surprised them was that Xiao Yi, despite his frail appearance, seemed to have fully recovered.

A middle-aged warrior took the stone medallion from Xiao Yi, pondered for a moment, and said, "The first floor of the Weapon Department is the Battle Bow Hall. Go in and choose. You may pick from the Transparent Lower-tier Bow, the Black Stone Bow, the Qingyun Bow, or the Purple Twilight Bow."

"Thank you," Xiao Yi responded, taking the medallion and entering the Weapon Department. The first floor, the Battle Bow Hall, was filled with the sound of bows creaking as the firelight illuminated the place like daylight. Inside, hundreds of bows were lined up on stone pedestals, each carved with inscriptions. Several people were testing the bows before the pedestals.

Xiao Yi walked over to one pedestal, where a black stone bow lay. The bow was completely black, with tiger head carvings at the top, and its bowstring was taut and shimmering. Xiao Yi noticed an inscription: "Black Stone Bow: Crafted from the bones and sinews of a Black-Toothed Tiger. Requires three jun of strength to draw, and can withstand up to nine jun."

He knew that a "Lower-tier Wild Beast" referred to ordinary beasts—roughly equal to the cultivation of a human with thirty-five Heavenly Meridians at their peak. The Black-Toothed Tiger was one such common beast, found occasionally in the Wild Ancient Forest. The Black Stone Bow was the most common in the Battle Bow Hall.

However, Xiao Yi didn't linger long in front of it. He walked straight to another pedestal, where a greenish-blue iron bow lay. The bow was carved with ancient cloud patterns and glimmered faintly. It was as thick as a little finger. This was the one!

Just as he reached out to take the bow, a cold voice stopped him.

"Wait!"

Xiao Yi furrowed his brows slightly, his fingers not pausing in their motion as he reached out and took hold of the Qingyun Bow. The bow, made of iron tinged with a faint green hue, was four feet wide and weighed an astounding eight hundred jin. The moment he gripped it, a chilling sensation spread from his palms, shooting through his entire body, as if the very touch of the bow was sending a sharp cold through his veins.

"Wait!" a voice interrupted sharply.

A figure stepped into Xiao Yi's line of sight, a young man with an air of defiance. Xiao Yi recognized him immediately—this was Shi Yuan, the same person who had accompanied Shi Qian in the past for a hunting trip. Yesterday, Shi Yuan had fought against the Celestial Soldier, and although he hadn't succeeded in slaying the being, he had managed to obtain half of the Celestial Soldier's skeletal remains. This had allowed him to break through and elevate his cultivation from five Heavenly Meridians to six.

Now, standing before Xiao Yi, Shi Yuan looked at him with an expression tinged with palpable disdain. There was an unspoken resentment simmering within him. Xiao Yi had neither strength nor battle experience, yet here he was, taking a share of the spoils—half of the Celestial Soldier's bones that rightfully belonged to the tribe's Apothecary, Shi Gong. But to Shi Yuan, it felt like an injustice. An outsider, a foreigner, coming in to claim what was theirs.