The Eight-Hundred-Year Silver Ginseng
Xiao Yi took the stone token, feeling the rough texture beneath his fingers. One of the Squad Leaders stepped forward and spoke in a deep voice.
"This is from Chiliarch Shi Jian. He told me to pass on his words: As long as you remain loyal to the Bloodstone Tribe, the Bloodstone Tribe will never abandon you."
As long as you remain loyal… the tribe will never abandon you.
Xiao Yi's eyes flickered with emotion. He gripped the stone token, feeling the weight of the ancient lineage it represented, and solemnly nodded.
Seeing this, the Squad Leader looked satisfied and continued, "From today onward, you are a warrior of the Bloodstone Tribe. Before you qualify as a Battle Soldier, you are permitted to enter the second floor of the Military Division, where you may choose one third-tier battle technique from the Battle Manual Hall. Additionally, you are entitled to select a low-grade weapon of your choice."
Xiao Yi didn't hesitate. He exchanged a glance with Shi Lei, then, with his stone token in hand, stepped into the Military Division.
Within the Bloodstone Tribe, young warriors who had the potential to become Battle Soldiers were given the privilege of choosing two third-tier battle techniques from the Battle Manual Hall. However, Xiao Yi was already part of the older generation, which meant he wasn't originally entitled to this benefit.
Still, he had no interest in collecting numerous techniques—his true goal was completing the Storm and Thunder Spear Art.
Having lived in the era of advanced technology, Xiao Yi understood the principle of mastery over excess. Even with the Stone Mirror's abilities, he refrained from becoming overly dependent on it.
The Battle Manual Hall
The second floor of the Military Division was home to the Battle Manual Hall, where the Bloodstone Tribe stored most of its battle techniques. The hall was relatively small, but within it stood numerous ancient stone pedestals, each bathed in a faint azure battle aura—the power of Patriarch Shi Zhixuan.
Without a Bloodstone Tribe token, retrieving anything from these pedestals would be impossible—unless one could forcefully overpower the Patriarch's aura.
Xiao Yi's gaze swept across the pedestals, scanning the inscriptions beside them.
"Azure Cloud Finger – Third-tier battle technique, consisting of ten forms. The final form is a secret technique. Created five hundred years ago by the tribe's former Chiliarch, Shi Qingyun. Emphasizes technique over brute strength."
Beside the pedestal, ancient beast-hide scrolls lay neatly arranged. These scrolls had been specially treated, ensuring they would remain preserved for centuries or even millennia.
Moving forward, Xiao Yi examined another technique.
"Blue Wave Kick – Third-tier battle technique, consisting of eleven forms. The final two forms are secret techniques. Inspired by the surging waves of the sea. Only those who have mastered the art of 'Effortless Strength' through advanced Blood Refinement can grasp its essence and reach the 'Harmony of Body and Spirit' realm."
"Frozen Fire Technique – Second-tier battle technique. Focuses on ice-based energy. Can cultivate Frost-Water weapons and includes seven styles of the Frost-Water Blade Technique."
The Battle Manual Hall spanned only a hundred feet, yet Xiao Yi counted a total of eighty-five stone pedestals—seventy-five holding third-tier techniques and ten containing second-tier techniques.
Unlike third-tier battle techniques, which were divided into mental cultivation methods and combat techniques, second-tier battle techniques fused both aspects together, forming a more advanced realm of combat mastery.
The Storm and Thunder Spear Art
Xiao Yi's eyes sharpened as he finally found what he had been searching for—the Storm and Thunder Spear Art.
On the side of the pedestal, an inscription detailed its history:
"Storm and Thunder Spear Art – Third-tier battle technique, consisting of twelve forms. The final three forms are secret techniques. Created eight hundred years ago by a former tribe elder. Inspired by the violent clash of storm and thunder, capable of shattering all things. Mastery requires the 'Small Perfection' stage of Blood Refinement."
Xiao Yi's brows lifted slightly in surprise.
No wonder Shi Lei had chosen this technique. To fully master it, one needed absolute control over one's strength and balance. It was also considered one of the most powerful third-tier techniques in the tribe's collection.
Without hesitation, Xiao Yi pressed his stone token against the pedestal.
The azure battle aura rippled at the point of contact, its glow briefly intensifying before slowly dissipating.
Although silent, the moment the stone token touched the battle aura, Xiao Yi felt an immense force radiating from within—a battle aura that had reached the Bone Tempering Realm, unlocking hidden potential within the human body.
It was the essence of human evolution.
Carefully, Xiao Yi retrieved the beast-hide scroll and sat down to memorize its contents.
Thousands of characters detailed the Storm and Thunder Spear Art, and under normal circumstances, it would have taken him two full hours to commit to memory.
However, with his spiritual will having advanced to the mid-tier of the Normal Realm, his memory and comprehension had drastically improved.
Within one incense stick's time, he had absorbed every detail.
He silently recited the technique twice more to reinforce his understanding before placing the beast-hide scroll back onto the pedestal.
The azure battle aura regenerated, once again sealing the technique away.
Xiao Yi did not attempt to browse the second-tier battle techniques.
He understood well that, at his current level, they were beyond his reach—and attempting to access them would likely result in injury from the Patriarch's lingering battle aura.
Returning to the first floor of the Military Division, Xiao Yi made his way to the Warbow Hall. He exchanged his Azure Cloud Bow for a Purple Haze Bow.
The Purple Haze Bow was crafted from the spinal bones of the lower-tier desolate beast—the Violet Cloud Eagle—fused with refined iron. It required nineteen Jin of force to draw and could withstand up to thirty-six Jin of tension.
Like the Azure Cloud Bow and Blackstone Bow, the Purple Haze Bow was classified as a lower-tier battle weapon.
Beyond lower-tier weapons, there were mid-tier battle weapons and high-tier battle weapons. Above them lay the legendary Heavenly Weapons, which could only be forged through blood refinement at the Small Perfection stage.
Only those who had successfully condensed their Qi Sea through the circulation of celestial energy could hope to nurture one of the one hundred and eight Heavenly Weapons—divine arms forged using the human body as a furnace, imbued with powers beyond mortal comprehension.
Within the Bloodstone Tribe, warriors ranked below Squad Leader could only wield lower-tier battle weapons. A Squad Leader was granted the privilege of using mid-tier battle weapons, while a Centurion could wield high-tier battle weapons.
Only Chiliarchs—those commanding a thousand warriors—were powerful enough to forge and cultivate their own Heavenly Weapons.
The Old Stone Hut
At the rear of the tribe stood an old, weathered stone hut, its gray-black walls worn by time.
The once sun-dried herbs that had lined the exterior were now gone, replaced by rows of empty stone jars. Even the once-pungent fragrance of medicinal herbs had faded.
Xiao Yi pushed open the wooden door.
Inside, Elder Shi sat cross-legged on a stone bed. The elder, nearly a century old, had aged drastically within the past year. His once gray-white hair was now completely snow-white, his face deeply wrinkled, his gaze dim and clouded. The powerful blood energy that had once flowed through him was now barely perceptible, signaling the final stage of his decline.
Even though Xiao Yi had witnessed countless deaths in the era of advanced technology, seeing Elder Shi in this state filled him with a heavy sense of sorrow.
The old man had little time left.
If the Thousand-Year Heartwood Spring could not be found within the next year, Elder Shi lifeblood would wither completely, and he would perish.
The next morning, at sunrise.
Xiao Yi, sensing a faint disturbance in the air, opened his eyes and stepped out of the stone hut.
Not far away, Shi Lei approached with steady strides, his eyes carrying a flicker of excitement.
"Brother Xiao!" Shi Lei greeted him with a grin.
"An eight-hundred-year-old Silver Ginseng."
Xiao Yi's expression shifted slightly.
Shi Lei had discovered a Silver Ginseng deep within the ancient wild forests, seventy miles west of the tribe.
He had come to invite Xiao Yi to join him in retrieving it.
Ginseng under five hundred years old was referred to as Meat Ginseng, an ordinary medicinal herb.
However, once ginseng reached five hundred years, it transformed into Silver Ginseng, a highly coveted treasure-class elixir.
Should it survive for a thousand years, given the right conditions and opportunities, it would undergo a final evolution—becoming Spirit Ginseng, its entire body turning golden, earning it the revered title of Golden Ginseng.
Over the past year, Shi Gong, as the tribe's apothecary, had taught Xiao Yi much about herbal medicine.
The human body's lifeblood did not sustain itself naturally. Daily consumption of blood-rich food was essential for maintaining vitality and enhancing one's blood energy.
In addition to hunting desolate beasts, certain rare medicinal herbs could also bolster blood energy and accelerate cultivation.
Shi Lei's tone grew more serious.
"This Eight-Hundred-Year Silver Ginseng is well hidden, so it is only guarded by a single lower-tier desolate beast—the Azure-Scaled Horned Python. However…"
His expression darkened slightly.
"…this beast has nearly reached its evolutionary threshold. It stands at the very peak of the lower-tier desolate beasts, on the verge of transforming into a mid-tier desolate beast. Its strength is formidable."
Xiao Yi's gaze sharpened.
Shi Lei wasn't exaggerating.
A fully matured Silver Ginseng could provide enough medicinal energy to enhance the cultivation of nearly twenty Heavenly Veins.
Twenty Heavenly Veins of cultivation!
Xiao Yi's mind stirred. If he could obtain the Eight-Hundred-Year Silver Ginseng, it would be enough to unblock four of his Heavenly Veins.
Over the past year, he had once stumbled upon a Thousand-Year Purple Ganoderma, a rare treasure in its own right. However, it had been guarded by a high-tier desolate beast, its immense blood energy so overwhelming that even from a hundred meters away, Xiao Yi could feel its oppressive aura. Without hesitation, he had chosen to retreat, merely memorizing its location for the future.
Shi Lei, sensing Xiao Yi's concern, reassured him with a confident smile.
"I also invited Brother Shi Yuan, Shi Qian, Yun Shan, and Sister Li Yue. With you and me, that makes six of us in total," he said. "Brother Xiao, you don't need to worry. For you, this is just a training exercise. You won't need to fight."
Xiao Yi pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement. His interest wasn't in the Silver Ginseng itself but in the Azure-Scaled Horned Python guarding it.
He had seen one before—a fully evolved mid-tier desolate beast. It had been ferociously powerful, even tearing apart an unfortunate Squad Leader from the Immortal Clan, who had barely managed to escape before meeting a gruesome end.
Shi Lei, of course, had no idea what Xiao Yi was truly thinking. To him, Xiao Yi was simply a newcomer to the Bloodstone Tribe, someone who should consider himself fortunate just to accompany them on this mission. The Silver Ginseng was too valuable—whoever obtained it, it would ultimately belong to the Bloodstone Tribe. However, along the way, if they encountered common hundred-year-old medicinal herbs, Xiao Yi could have a share.
If he weren't officially recognized as a member of the tribe, Shi Lei wouldn't have even invited him.
By the time Xiao Yi and Shi Lei arrived outside the tribe's mountain walls, the other four were already waiting.
Shi Yuan
A battle-hardened warrior of the younger generation, Shi Yuan was on the verge of reaching Squad Leader-level strength. Over the past year, he had slain numerous Immortal Clan soldiers, refining their blood energy to strengthen himself. Recently, he had even obtained a low-tier Earth-Grade Blood Pill, pushing his cultivation forward.
Now, with a bronze command token hanging at his waist, it was clear—he had broken through and officially become a Squad Leader.
In the Bloodstone Tribe, ordinary members carried stone tokens, Squad Leaders carried bronze tokens, Centurions carried blue-iron tokens, and Chiliarchs carried red-copper tokens.
Shi Qian & Yun Shan
Xiao Yi had long been acquainted with Shi Qian, one of the two younger warriors.
The other, Yun Shan, had a plain appearance and a somewhat blank expression, yet his sturdy physique was unmistakable. He wasn't particularly tall, but his body radiated a weighty, unshakable presence.
On his back, he carried a massive white bone club, its origin unknown. Just by standing there, he exuded the solidity of a mountain. Clearly, he practiced a combat technique focused on raw power, one that had already become ingrained into his very presence.
Li Yue
The last member of their group was a young woman—Li Yue.
She was strikingly beautiful, her eyebrows arched like a crescent moon, and her eyes shimmering like crystal pools. She had a graceful yet deadly air about her, clad in a light blue leather battle suit that accentuated her slender figure.
Her long, smooth legs were bare, as were her delicate forearms, while her ample chest stood proudly beneath the fitted armor. A pair of slender bronze bracelets adorned her wrists, and slung across her back was a Purple Haze Bow, its surface shimmering under the sunlight with a captivating radiance.
Shi Yuan's brows furrowed the moment he saw Xiao Yi.
"Shi Lei, you went to get him?" His voice carried a note of displeasure. "I understand that you found the Silver Ginseng, but bringing along an ordinary tribesman—who isn't even a battle soldier—into the Wild Ancient Forest? This isn't some childish game. When we face the Azure-Scaled Horned Python, we won't have time to babysit him."
Shi Qian remained expressionless, though his silence spoke volumes.
While Shi Yuan had suggested bringing him, the Silver Ginseng had been Shi Lei's discovery. Shi Qian wasn't about to start an argument over Xiao Yi's presence.
Seeing their skepticism, Shi Lei quickly explained, "Brother Shi Yuan, you don't need to worry. Brother Xiao has spent the past year hunting desolate beasts in the Wild Ancient Forest. His cultivation level may not be high, but his keen eyesight and survival instincts are exceptional."
"This is just a training opportunity for him—he doesn't need to take part in the fight for the Silver Ginseng. When we battle the Azure-Scaled Horned Python, he'll stay at a safe distance and observe. He won't get in the way."
Xiao Yi stood calmly, unfazed by their doubts.
He wasn't here for the Silver Ginseng.
He was here to see the Azure-Scaled Horned Python once again—and this time, he wouldn't just be observing.