One Year

Seventy li to the west of the Bloodstone Tribe, in a circular valley, two Bloodstone clansmen stood before a withered Immortal corpse, their faces etched with helpless resignation.

"Nearly two months have passed. We've hunted down nine Immortal soldiers. Our strongest among them has unlocked twenty Heavenly Veins, while even the weaker ones possess cultivation equivalent to sixteen veins. Four of them lagged just one step behind and had their blood Qi completely refined away—even one of them died in less than the time it takes for a single incense stick to burn. Such is the pace of refinement; even a Centurion would be impressed."

"Likewise, the power of that same spear strike has grown ever stronger. I can feel its Qi becoming more distinct—before long, it will surely take that final step."

The two exchanged glances, each reading deep questions in the other's eyes: Who, exactly, was this person? Over the past two months, they had discreetly investigated within the tribe, yet found nothing unusual. Even among the youthful warriors practicing the Wind-Thunder Spear Technique—Stone Lei and his three peers—no one showed any anomalies. It was as if a mysterious figure had been hidden among them all along.

Ten li away, by the banks of a great river, a black broken spear—like a bolt of lightning—sliced through an Immortal soldier clad in blue armor, pinning him to the riverbank.

Drawing the broken spear from the slain foe, Xiao Yi's eyes shone crystal-bright. With a single deep inhale, he absorbed every last drop of the Immortal soldier's blood Qi—this soldier, who had unlocked nineteen Heavenly Veins, was now utterly drained. This was the fruit of two months of delving into the Barbarian Elephant Mighty Strength Mantra; by visualizing the image of the Barbarian Elephant, more and more of its majestic spirit had merged with his own body. In that moment, refining the Immortal's blood Qi was like witnessing a mighty elephant feeding—its long trunk sweeping in like a flash of lightning.

After devouring that Immortal's refined essence, Xiao Yi felt his entire body tremble with surging blood Qi, as if it were about to burst forth. Simultaneously, his fourth Heavenly Vein stirred restlessly, hinting at an imminent breakthrough. Over these past two months, besides his daily hunts for vital "blood food," he had slain countless lower-tier wild beasts and absorbed their Qi. Coupled with the blood Qi from seven or eight Immortal soldiers—and refined by his Stone Mirror—the accumulated essence had finally reached the threshold required to unlock his fourth Heavenly Vein.

"Barbarian Elephant, trampling all, shattering mountains and splitting peaks—Break!"

In an instant, Xiao Yi's entire body stiffened. With a guttural roar, his blood Qi erupted violently; his spine arched like a colossal dragon, and his legs seemed to root into the earth, as if his weight had increased exponentially, plunging him deep into the ground. It was as if a gigantic Barbarian Elephant had planted itself upon the barren land, heavier than Mount Tai itself.

In that very moment, every particle of Xiao Yi's blood Qi coalesced to its utmost extreme. One critical barrier was forcefully shattered, and his body erupted with a thunderous roar—a sound akin to the rolling of celestial drums. This was the "Heavenly Vein Thunder," an extraordinary phenomenon that only those with exceptionally robust physiques and potent blood Qi could manifest during a breakthrough. It was a portent of vast potential.

With his fourth Heavenly Vein unlocked, Xiao Yi's battle aura surged, and his strength leapt from fifteen jun to twenty jun in an instant. In the very next heartbeat, he drew his Qingyun Bow; its arrows shimmered with a cold radiance. He bent the bow into a perfect crescent, its string gleaming like crystal, and from the tip of his arrow emerged a fine, pale blue, razor-sharp aura.

The Qingyun Arrow sped from the bow, leaving behind a trail of afterimages in the air. Three hundred zhang away, a venerable ancient pine—large enough for a man to embrace—was impaled by the arrow before exploding into countless fragments.

"An arrow that can travel three hundred zhang unfailingly—that is already the pinnacle of the Wind-Breaking Realm. To ascend into the Shattering Sound Realm, one must not only further elevate one's strength but also cultivate one's own unique Force."

To possess one's own Force requires the insight of the first level of the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm—known as the realm of "Effortless Lifting." This is the very first gateway in the human quest to excavate the divine potential hidden within the body. Without mastering this, even if one's strength reaches the Squad Leader level, lacking the corresponding mental will to control it will eventually lead to self-destruction.

One Month Later

Before the fortified walls of the Bloodstone Tribe, the centurion Chang He personally reviewed the tally of captured and slain Immortal soldiers. Two battle-worn warriors stood before him in respectful silence.

"You're telling me that an unknown clansman—one whom no one has even seen—has single-handedly slaughtered forty-six Immortal soldiers in just three months?"

Centurion Chang He, one of the most outstanding figures of the Bloodstone Tribe's middle generation, was visibly shaken by their report. Though the two battle soldiers before him were not the strongest, each had unlocked nineteen and twenty Heavenly Veins, respectively. More importantly, they were over thirty years old and had spent nearly a decade surviving as warriors in this wild and perilous land. To think that someone had managed to elude their notice while hunting in the vast ancient forests and desolate wilderness—if the culprit were from the younger generation, it would be nearly impossible. Yet among the warriors of the youth and middle-aged ranks, Chang He could think of no one who fit the description. This matter, while neither trivial nor grand in the grand scheme of things, was proving to be an utter mystery.

What Chang He found most alarming was the speed at which this individual had advanced. Whether they had been biding their time or had only now begun to reveal their true potential, the progress was staggering. Based on reports, three months ago, this person's mastery of the "Effortless Lifting" realm was merely at its infancy—barely able to stir a trace of battle energy. The Immortal soldiers they killed had, at most, unlocked eighteen Heavenly Veins. But now, their spear strikes were beginning to manifest an embryonic "Force" of their own, with one foot nearly stepping over the threshold into true mastery. The soldiers they slew had already reached the level of twenty-three Heavenly Veins.

After a moment of contemplation, Chang He declared, "If he refuses to reveal himself, we shall force his hand. Spread the word—of all those heading out to hunt down Immortal soldiers this time, the top three who capture or kill the most shall each be rewarded with an Earth-Tier Blood Pill."

Earth-Tier Blood Pill!

The two battle soldiers gasped, exchanging stunned glances. They had not expected Chang He to make such a bold move.

What was an Earth-Tier Blood Pill?

Beyond the ordinary medicinal pills brewed by the tribal apothecaries using stone cauldrons, there existed a rare and powerful elixir—one that only the tribe leader himself could refine. This was the Earth-Tier Blood Pill. A single pill, once fully absorbed, could steadily elevate an ordinary warrior by one whole Heavenly Vein, and in some cases, even aid in the comprehension of battle techniques. Within the Bloodstone Tribe, only those who reached the rank of Squad Leader were eligible to receive one, and even then, only one pill per year. Centurions were allocated two, and commanders of a thousand soldiers received three. Never before had such a pill been granted as a reward.

Every year, the number of Earth-Tier Blood Pills was precisely allocated by the tribe leader, Shi Zhixuan, to the Squad Leaders, Centurions, and Commanders—no more, no less. So where had these three extra pills come from?

The Next Day

A stone monument was erected before the fortified walls of the Bloodstone Tribe, inscribed with ten lines of text.

The first line bore no name—only forty-six deep etchings.

The second line read "Warrior Shi Li" with thirty marks.

The third, "Warrior Hu Ya" with twenty-six marks.

The fourth held sixteen marks, and by the tenth line, the count had dwindled to ten.

A large crowd of battle-hardened warriors and Bloodstone clansmen gathered around, scrutinizing the monument.

"Have you heard? Centurion Chang He is offering three Earth-Tier Blood Pills to the top three warriors in this hunt!"

"The Squad Leaders don't care for such rewards, but it's rumored that some warriors with over thirty Heavenly Veins are preparing to act. Whether they're from the younger generation or the middle-aged ranks, this could be their opportunity to break through to the Lesser Blood Refinement realm and secure a Squad Leader position."

"The younger warriors shouldn't be underestimated either. Even though Shi Lei didn't make it into the top ten, he still managed to kill five Immortal soldiers. And Shi Qian, Yu Tianye, and Yun Shaoyan—each of them took down three, surpassing some of the warriors ranked at the bottom of the list."

As the sun dipped below the western horizon, figures began returning to the tribe—warriors and clansmen who had ventured into the vast primordial forests to hunt wild beasts, as well as those who had gone out to pursue Immortal soldiers. Some returned with their weapons heavy with spoils, others empty-handed, but all bore the unmistakable scent of blood. Clearly, each had braved fierce battles.

In the wilderness, every step taken was a gamble between life and death, a dance upon the thin line separating paradise from the abyss.

"Earth-Tier Blood Pill..."

Dragging three long-tusked boars behind him, Xiao Yi slowed his pace as he entered the tribe, his eyes flashing with a keen light. A single glance at the stone monument was enough to understand Chang He's intent.

Truth be told, an Earth-Tier Blood Pill was indeed a tempting reward—but not tempting enough for Xiao Yi to expose himself. His goal was simple: to cultivate quietly, to grow stronger without unnecessary entanglements. Why invite trouble before it was necessary?

With the Stone Mirror in his possession, his willpower honed, and his battle techniques sharpened, even five Earth-Tier Blood Pills wouldn't be enough to shake his resolve.

More Than Half a Year Later

To the east of the Bloodstone Tribe, deep within a secluded mountain ravine that Xiao Yi had named Blackstone Falls, a hundred-foot silver waterfall roared down, sending waves of mist and spray several yards into the air. Beneath the cascading torrent, a towering figure stood motionless. Nearly seven feet in height, he remained unmoved by the sheer force of the water crashing down upon him. In his right hand, he gripped a broken black spear—its surface dark and metallic, gleaming with an icy luster.

Xiao Yi's breathing was steady, rising and falling in an inexplicable rhythm. As time passed, the sound of his breath gradually intensified. At first, it was barely audible, but soon it grew deeper, rolling like distant thunder. His stance subtly shifted, his foot adjusting ever so slightly.

In that instant, it was as if an ancient beast had awakened. The thunderous breath transformed into a resonant trumpet, reminiscent of an elephant's call.

At this moment, the hundred-foot waterfall no longer seemed to be crashing against a mere man, but against a colossal beast—an ancient titan of the wild. The force of the falling water mimicked the motion of a great elephant inhaling and exhaling, drawing in vast torrents before unleashing them in a powerful surge.

In Xiao Yi's mind, the image of the Azure-Scaled Wild Elephant—the mythical beast he had long studied—seemed to break through an invisible shackle. What had once been a mere illusion now grew more tangible, its form condensing like mist turning into water droplets. Though its quantity remained unchanged, its very essence underwent a profound transformation.

At that moment, something within Xiao Yi clicked. His entire being trembled, and his life force surged like a tidal wave. In that instant, he was no longer merely human—he had become the wild elephant itself, standing unshaken upon the vast primordial land. His mighty trunk reached out as if it could grasp the stars and moon.

His spirit and willpower shattered their previous limitations, expanding beyond his body and diffusing into the surrounding air. This was a metamorphosis of willpower—an evolution. Xiao Yi's mind had ascended from the elementary stage of ordinary willpower to the intermediate stage.

Instantly, within a ten-foot radius around him, the splashing water droplets froze in midair, as if time itself had slowed to a crawl. The air thickened, turning heavy and viscous.

His eyes erupted with dazzling brilliance. With a deep shout, Xiao Yi released the accumulated force within him. The water beneath his feet sank by an inch as his blood energy surged—like a raging furnace igniting into a roaring inferno—charging toward an unseen barrier.

"The Force of the Wild Elephant! Sixth Heavenly Vein—break for me!"

A thunderous explosion echoed through the ravine.

Xiao Yi's entire body trembled violently. His battle energy erupted, piercing through his body and surging into his spear. At the tip of his weapon, a spear aura formed—initially extending two and a half feet before suddenly expanding, stopping only when it reached a full three feet in length.