Shock!

At that moment—Xiao Yi moved.

His once half-closed eyes snapped open, and in that instant, two piercing beams of light shot forth from his gaze.

With a swift motion, the Purple Radiance Bow appeared in his grasp. He drew the bow, nocked an arrow—a Blue Cloud Arrow once again—and aimed directly at the Immortal Squad Leader.

The arrowhead gleamed coldly, and in that moment, the Immortal warrior felt a chilling sensation crawl up his spine, as if a dagger had been pressed against the back of his neck.

The very air trembled.

Like ripples spreading across a still lake, waves of invisible force undulated in the sky above them.

The expressions of the remaining three Immortal Squad Leaders instantly darkened.

At this moment, they clearly felt it—a powerful, unyielding will had suddenly forced its way into their combined aura.

Even though their fourfold synchronized might had formed an impenetrable force, the opposing presence stood like a towering mountain, unmoved.

What's more—there was an eerie sensation that their collective force was being subtly drawn and disrupted by that overwhelming will.

The Blue Cloud Arrow was released.

A flash of azure light streaked across the battlefield, leaving behind only faint afterimages.

Silent.

Deadly.

The Immortal Squad Leader's face twisted in terror.

Xiao Yi was barely ten meters away.

At this range, instinct took over—he dodged, his body shifting to the side with lightning speed.

But in that same instant—his heart clenched in horror.

No matter how he moved, the arrowhead remained locked onto him.

A presence—just slightly stronger than his own, but unyielding like iron—had completely pinned him down.

Somewhere deep in his mind, he heard it—

A deafening elephant's trumpet.

The roar resonated through his spirit, piercing through his defenses, crushing him beneath an invisible weight.

Then—

A flower of blood blossomed in the air.

Far behind them, a cliff wall now bore the mark of the strike—a single arrow, lodged deep, its shaft trembling with residual force.

Crimson drops of fresh blood slid down the stone, the sound crisp and clear against the battlefield's silence.

Shi Yuan stood frozen, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Before him, the Immortal Squad Leader staggered, then collapsed.

A clean, penetrating hole sat at the center of his forehead.

Red and white matter oozed from the wound.

Even in death, his eyes remained wide open—as if he couldn't comprehend what had just happened.

"Kill him!"

The remaining three Immortal Squad Leaders roared as their initial shock was replaced by pure fury.

The arrow just now had burned itself into their minds—a technique of the Shatter-Sound Realm!

For an archer at this level, any target within fifty meters was as good as dead. Even Squad Leader-class warriors stood little chance once an arrow was fired.

Their only option?

Close the distance.

Now, before Xiao Yi could recover, they had to engage him in close-quarters combat, forcing him into a position where he couldn't draw his bow.

Despite their aggressive charge, there was now a crack in their once seamless formation—the loss of one Squad Leader had shattered their unified aura, giving Shi Yuan and the others a chance to break free from its oppressive hold.

"Shatter-Sound Archery…"

Shi Qian's voice trembled.

His eyes were wide—his usual composed demeanor completely shattered.

His voice was almost hysterical.

"It's really him…!"

Li Yue sucked in a sharp breath, her bright eyes flickering with emotion.

"I had my suspicions before, but now it's confirmed… That mammoth…"

"It had to be Xiao Yi who took it down!"

Shi Lei inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling with awe.

"His growth is unbelievable."

Their shock was justified.

In one year—just one year—he had reached the Shatter-Sound Realm in archery.

To achieve this level, one had to:

Grasp the realm of Effortless Might, where attacks were as natural as breathing. Form and refine one's own personal force. Fully integrate that force into archery itself.

On top of that—a near-mastered Blood Refinement technique was required.

Without it, at most, one could only reach the Great Perfection of the Wind-Breaking Realm, where arrows still produced sound.

But Xiao Yi's arrow was soundless—a strike that exceeded the speed of sound itself.

Even though Xiao Yi had eliminated one Squad Leader in an instant, the pressure from the remaining three bore down on him.

Three Immortal Squad Leaders.

That was still a force capable of crushing mountains.

The burden on Xiao Yi was immense.

But instead of fear, his battle spirit surged.

Since he had already taken action, there was no longer a need to hold back.

Previously, Xiao Yi had chosen to remain unnoticed—his heart had not been set on this battlefield.

All he had wanted… was to go home.

But the moment of life and death had awakened something deep within him.

Now, as he stood among them—Shi Yuan, Shi Lei, Li Yue, Yun Shan, Shi Qian—

He understood one thing:

The same blood ran in their veins.

He was no longer a passerby.

This was his fight now.

In the vast primordial wilderness, the ancestors of mankind fought ceaselessly—against the ferocious beasts, against the mighty races of the hundred realms, against the merciless wrath of nature.

They unearthed the secrets hidden within the human body, unlocking the divine potential of the flesh. And for what purpose?

For battle.

The warrior's will of the human race was forged in endless bloodshed, tempered through life and death.

Since there was no path to transcendence in peace, then they would seek evolution in the throes of combat.

At this moment, something within Xiao Yi shifted.

His once-calm aura began to stir. His long black hair lifted slightly, swaying as if caught in an unseen current.

His eyes flashed like twin bolts of cold lightning.

The Purple Radiance Bow rested upon his back.

In his grasp—a black broken spear.

The spearhead hummed, its obsidian shaft glinting with a metallic sheen.

And now, as Xiao Yi's cultivation continued to rise, so too did the weight of this weapon—now a staggering three jun.

With a thunderous step, Xiao Yi launched forward.

His vital energy surged, every inch of his muscles and tendons igniting with raw power.

He no longer held back—his full might was unleashed.

Seven Heavenly Veins roared to life.

Vital blood surged through the seven heavenly channels, forming a raging crimson dragon within his body.

Before him—three Squad Leader-level Immortal warriors.

Deep within his mind, the phantom of the Blue-scaled Barbarian Elephant grew increasingly vivid.

By now, he no longer needed to actively visualize the totem—the Elephant God had already been branded into his soul.

As his cultivation deepened, its presence manifested more clearly, subtly altering his very being.

But he was still too young.

His foundation was not yet firm enough to fully unleash its power.

Even so—

The moment Xiao Yi moved, a hazy silhouette materialized behind him.

A towering blue-scaled Barbarian Elephant, standing three meters tall.

Its massive trunk swung through the air, silent yet deafening.

The sound was not one heard by mortal ears—

It was a spiritual force, directly invading the minds of the three Immortal warriors.

Yet to them, it was as though a great trumpet blast shook the heavens—

Like a dragon's roar splitting the sky—

Like a tiger's howl shaking the earth.

"Not good! This is the second level of Force!"

All three Squad Leaders turned pale.

Three immortal iron spears lashed out in unison.

The air tore apart, each strike carrying a different essence—

The cutting sharpness of wind.The fluid grace of water.The blinding speed of lightning.

Three forces intertwined, forming a web of death.

Even with his solidified will, Xiao Yi's mind shook beneath their combined might.

But—

He swung his broken spear, unleashing the Storm Thunder Spear Art.

A single move—Tempestuous Downpour—

Collided head-on with the three immortal iron spears.

Spear tip against spear shaft—

A shower of sparks erupted.

The impact sent a howling shockwave blasting outward.

Rubble exploded in all directions.

Xiao Yi staggered back—

Each step he took sank three inches into the ground.

Only after nine steps did he finally stabilize.

In contrast—

The three Immortal Squad Leaders had only retreated two steps before regaining their stance

"Wait… This isn't the true second level of Force."

One of the Immortal warriors narrowed his eyes, a brilliant gleam flashing within.

"He hasn't yet reached the Effortless Might Realm."

"His spiritual force is simply too pure."

"And the battle technique he cultivates is at least second-tier, allowing his Force to show signs of cohesion ahead of time."

"But—"

"It hasn't yet transitioned from illusion to reality."

"He hasn't even reached half a step into the second level—he's only touched the threshold."

"If he had truly stepped into that realm, the pressure alone would suppress our strength by thirty percent."

"But look at us—"

"We still hold the advantage."

Xiao Yi said nothing.

His blood burned.

His fighting spirit raged.

In a flash, he lunged forward once more—straight at the three Immortal warriors.

The Force of the Barbarian Elephant erupted to its limit.

His every fiber burned with battle intent, his mind sharpened to its peak.

Dozens of exchanges flashed by in an instant.

The Nine-Form Barbarian Elephant Spear Art was pushed to its absolute limit—

The first form—Raging Winds and Rolling Thunder.The second form—Tempestuous Downpour.The third form—Flashing Lightning and Roaring Thunder.

Each strike was seamless.

Each transition was flawless.

A warrior's mastery was often measured by their technique.

And Xiao Yi's was terrifying.

He wasn't simply following the motions—

Every form flowed into the next, unpredictable as the wind, untraceable as the shadows.

Even his deadliest technique, one of his three ultimate moves—

Gathering Storm and Thunder—

Would occasionally appear in the fray, catching his opponents off-guard.

Shi Yuan and the others watched in utter silence.

They understood the levels of martial mastery.

Mastering a third-tier battle technique had several stages—

Novice – Barely grasping the basics. Competent – Understanding the form but lacking refinement. Advanced – Entering the hall of true skill. Mastery – Flawless execution, fluid as flowing water.

Only those who perfected a third-tier technique to the level of Mastery would even qualify to attempt the Effortless Might Realm.

And only upon reaching the Effortless Might Realm could one begin to integrate their Force into their technique, pushing it to an even higher level—

A level where spear strikes became untraceable.

And Xiao Yi—

Was already on that path.

."Such terrifying talent..."

It was precisely because he was in the same cultivation realm as Xiao Yi that Shi Yuan was so utterly shaken.

When he had stepped into the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm, it had only been after years of arduous training that he managed to fully master the ninth form of his Wind and Cloud Blade Art.

As for the previous eight forms and the tenth ultimate technique, they still required further refinement.

But Xiao Yi?

From the moment he had begun his cultivation journey until now, barely a year had passed.

In the entire thousand-year history of the Bloodstone Tribe, there had never been anyone like him.

The four warriors fought fiercely in the valley.

Winds howled as powerful shockwaves blasted outward, sending scattered stones flying.

Four distinct battle forces collided, each attempting to overwhelm the others.

Even Shi Qian, who had once believed himself to be on the verge of mastering his own Force, felt a crushing weight descend upon him.

It was only now that he truly understood—

The difference between himself and a true Squad Leader-level powerhouse was not just in technique but in the refinement of raw strength.

His Force was nothing but an empty shell, lacking true substance and cohesion.

It was like loose sand, easily shattered under pressure.

Over a hundred exchanges passed.

By now, several spear wounds marred Xiao Yi's body.

Even though his Force was superior, it could not fully offset the advantage of three warriors fighting as one.

However—

He had still managed to suppress a portion of their strength.

If not for that, the relentless shocks from their combined assault would have shaken his blood energy violently, and given that his strength had yet to fully reach the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm, he would have been severely wounded within just a few moves.

Yet, Xiao Yi was not the only one shocked.

The three Immortal Squad Leaders were even more astounded than him.

Their Immortal Iron Spears were mid-tier weapons, each strike capable of piercing through stone and steel.

And yet—

Even when their spears landed directly on Xiao Yi, they had only managed to leave shallow wounds.

Most of the time, they barely broke the skin.

The moment their weapons made contact, it was as if they had struck an incredibly tough, rubber-like hide.

This was the physical manifestation of Xiao Yi's gradual fusion with the Form and Spirit of the Barbarian Elephant.

The Ancient Dragon Essence Blood had remolded his body, awakening the dormant power of the ancient human bloodline within him.

His flesh was being tempered anew.

And coupled with his cultivation of the Barbarian Elephant's Mighty Strength Mantra, his physical endurance had already far surpassed others of his realm.

One day—when he fully mastered the Blood Refinement Scroll—

He would attain the true Barbarian Elephant Physique.

At that time, every strike he unleashed would carry the full, unstoppable force of a Barbarian Elephant's might.

As time passed, the three Immortal Squad Leaders began to feel their strength waning.

Fighting with full force for so long had taken a heavy toll.

Both their spiritual energy and Immortal Qi were rapidly depleting.

And yet—

Xiao Yi?

His breathing remained steady.

His Qi channels pulsed with endless vitality.

Even though his spirit had been severely taxed under the oppressive weight of three combined Forces, instead of faltering—

It had only grown sharper and more refined.

At that moment—

Shi Yuan finally made his move.

The brief moment of respite had allowed him to recover nearly sixty percent of his strength.

To the side, Shi Qian also unleashed his own Force, stepping forward in tandem.

The two warriors joined the fray—

Shi Yuan's blade gleamed with cold, murderous light, slicing through the air toward one of the Immortal Squad Leaders.

The battle was far from over.