Narrow Victory

As the pressure around him eased, Xiao Yi's broken spear swept in a wide arc, unleashing the full might of his Barbarian Elephant momentum. Every strand of his mental will burst forth, bearing down on the two Immortal Squad Leaders.

The two Immortal Squad Leaders were thrown backward by the sheer force. Although Xiao Yi's Barbarian Elephant momentum had not yet reached the second-tier level, it had already grazed its threshold—far beyond anything they could match. With one of them eliminated, the combined power they could summon instantly diminished, leaving them barely able to hold their ground against him.

In the very next moment, Xiao Yi roared, his body transforming into the form of a long bow, arched like a full moon. His vital energy boiled, and his spine curved like a great dragon. Through the tenth form of the Wind-Thunder Spear Technique, its energy channel surged into his broken spear. After days of rigorous refinement, the fighting style—where a man becomes the bow and his spear the arrow—was unleashed once more. Through these intense days of training, he had come to grasp the essence of this technique. At his current level, he could barely wield it without harming himself—a feat made possible by his earlier absorption and refinement of the mammoth's elephant blood, which had further tempered his flesh.

Then, as if animated by his indomitable will, his bow-like form snapped rigid. His spine trembled, emitting a deep, muffled thunderous sound. A gigantic black arrow silhouette tore through the air, slicing through silence; aside from the initial twang of release, it made no further sound. Where the black arrow passed, the air twisted subtly, and an invisible surge of energy rippled out, its icy momentum homing in on one of the Immortal Squad Leaders.

In the blink of an eye, the change was so sudden that the targeted Immortal Squad Leader's hair seemed to stand on end. It was too swift—he had no time to dodge. The arrow's speed had reached the preliminary stage of the Shattering Sound level; a thousand zhang of void was traversed in the time it took to snap one's fingers. Such archery was reserved for warriors nearly at the centurion level. In a split second between life and death, he only managed to raise his Immortal Iron Spear horizontally across his chest in a futile attempt to defend himself.

With no chance to resist, his Immortal Iron Spear shattered, and his azure Immortal armor—seemingly as fragile as paper—was rent apart. The black arrow silhouette tore through his chest and abdomen, forcefully embedding itself into a mountain rock dozens of zhang away, piercing to a depth of several feet.

In the very next moment, the Immortal Squad Leader's body exploded in a spray of blood and gore, reduced to a puddle of crimson mud.

That arrow was simply breathtaking—so awe-inspiring that even Li Yue and the others could scarcely fathom its sheer power. One Immortal Squad Leader was obliterated by the arrow's energy, leaving no trace of bone behind. In that instant, Li Yue finally understood why Xiao Yi always carried the Purple Radiance Bow on his back—not out of vanity, but because he had mastered it completely. In Li Yue's eyes, with Xiao Yi's archery skills, even if he were wielding a mid-tier battle bow, he would be supremely at ease. It was not for any other reason—it was simply that Xiao Yi was worthy.

"Move!" Xiao Yi commanded.

Terrified by that arrow, the remaining two Immortal Squad Leaders were instantly cowed. One spear thrust forced Shi Yuan to retreat, and the pair hastily fell back, fleeing toward the valley entrance.

Grasping the Purple Radiance Bow, Xiao Yi drew it in a graceful arc like a crescent moon. He released another Blue Cloud Arrow with lethal precision; from its tip, an invisible arrow aura—extending three feet and five inches—emanated, homing in on one of the Immortal Squad Leaders once more.

The two Immortal Squad Leaders, pushing their speed to its absolute limit, burst from the valley's mouth at the very moment Xiao Yi was about to release his arrow—and then vanished into the distance.

At that moment, the fierce determination that had once burned in Xiao Yi's eyes drained away, leaving his face suddenly pale. His battle aura receded as he lowered himself into a cross-legged position, gasping for breath. Even the looming silhouette of the Barbarian Elephant on his back dissipated into nothingness.

After a brief moment of stunned confusion, Shi Yuan realized what had happened: that one arrow had utterly depleted nearly all of Xiao Yi's remaining spiritual power. Even though his physical body was unhindered, he was momentarily unable to take further action. Had he not deliberately made a show to frighten off the two Immortal Squad Leaders, his waning strength at that moment would have been unable to withstand their assault.

As his gaze swept over the battlefield, Li Yue still found it hard to believe what had transpired. The group had driven back four Immortal Squad Leaders—and even killed two of them—with only Shi Yuan recently having advanced to the Squad Leader rank among them.

After forcibly calming his mind, Xiao Yi closed his eyes again and began to visualize the image of the Barbarian Elephant. In his mind's eye, a blue-scaled, majestic elephant appeared—more vivid and imposing than before, exuding an ancient and weathered aura. Every inch of its form and spirit was indelibly engraved in Xiao Yi's heart.

Then, as if summoned by his will, the spectral elephant raised its long trunk high into the air and inhaled deeply. A torrent of spiritual power, fresh as spring water and unending, flowed into him. His previous depletion was rapidly restored—even improved—while his mental resolve consolidated further. Through this brutal battle, Xiao Yi's spirit had taken a firm step forward within the Ordinary Realm.

When he opened his eyes once more, an unusual glimmer shone within them. He had never imagined that visualizing the Barbarian Elephant could have such a restorative effect on his spent spiritual energy. In that moment, he sensed that the Barbarian Elephant Mighty Strength Mantra was no ordinary technique. Merely mastering the Blood Refinement Scroll could propel one into the first echelon of mastery; to combine it with all the other battle techniques—what a formidable state that would be!

Several miles away from the valley, the two Immortal Squad Leaders panted heavily. Their eyes, deep in their pupils, still betrayed traces of sheer terror. Yet, having just fought for their lives, they soon managed to compose themselves.

"We can't waste any more time—move out! We must now go and join Chief Wanfu of Chenshan! With just the two of us, we'd barely survive in the Panlei Mountain Range, let alone launch an assault on the Bloodstone Tribe."

"Exactly. We'll seek refuge under Chief Wanfu of Chenshan. Who knows—perhaps Chief Qishui of the Biquan Tribe has already pledged allegiance to him. We'll first wipe out the Black Wind Tribe and then return to conquer the Bloodstone Tribe. Those few people—I swear I'll kill every last one of them!"One of the Immortal Squad Leaders spoke coldly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. After a brief consultation, the pair set off toward the outskirts of the Panlei Mountain Range, planning a detour of three thousand li to the territory of the Black Wind Tribe, where they were to rendezvous with an Immortal Master leading a force of five thousand.

Within the valley, Shi Yuan finished bandaging his wounds and looked over at Xiao Yi. Though the spear wounds on his body had not yet fully healed, his flesh had sealed tightly; even scabs had formed at the injured spots.

What pure, refined vital energy!Shi Yuan marveled inwardly. The speed at which one's flesh heals depends both on the robustness of the body and the purity of one's vital energy. When that energy is refined to a high degree, wounds can heal and scar over at an almost miraculous pace. Judging by the way it was, Xiao Yi's body wasn't just resilient—his vital energy was astonishingly pure, a rarity even in Shi Yuan's long life.

And his cultivation speed… To have amassed such formidable vital power in merely a year—and to have reached such a state of purity—it was nothing short of astounding.

Could it be a special constitution? Shi Yuan mused silently. He recalled that a centurion from within the tribe had once mentioned that in tribes even mightier than the Bloodstone Tribe, some clan members inherited formidable bloodlines from illustrious ancestors. Possessing such a special constitution, they could progress at a staggering pace, almost as if advancing thousands of miles in a single day—and wield combat power far beyond that of ordinary people.

Though Shi Yuan had his suspicions, he kept them to himself. In his heart, Xiao Yi was not merely an individual of extraordinary talent; he was a kin of the Bloodstone Tribe—a brother in whom one could place one's life without hesitation.

"Brother Xiao, in just half a month, all of us will turn sixteen. You can take part in the upcoming assessment with us. In fact, Brother Xiao, you're already worthy of being considered a warrior."Shi Lei's eyes shone with excitement. "At your rate of cultivation, I'm sure you'll soon break through to the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm. Once that happens, you'll be at the Squad Leader level. Becoming a Squad Leader means greater rewards from the tribe and an even faster pace of advancement."

Xiao Yi's heart swelled with determination as he listened. Though battered and nearly spent, he had come this far through relentless struggle and the hard-won boon of his newfound, extraordinary recovery ability. Now, with his vital energy renewed and his spirit hardened, he was ready to continue the fight—and to prove that even in the harshest crucible of battle, the blood of ancient warriors flowed fiercely within him.

With a stirring in his heart, Xiao Yi realized that attaining the rank of Squad Leader would dramatically elevate his status within the Bloodstone Tribe. Not only would he be permitted to lead a unit of ten warriors and reside in the prestigious White Stone House, but he would also receive an annual Ground-tier Blood Pill. Moreover, he would be granted gifts from mid-tier warriors and even have his daily blood rations supplied by the tribe. As for those who rose even higher to the rank of Centurion, they were granted access to second-tier battle techniques—a benefit Xiao Yi simply could not turn down.

Seeing Xiao Yi's nod of agreement, Shi Yuan smiled and said, "It seems it won't be long before another prodigy emerges among our youth. With such strength, you'll add a vital edge in future skirmishes against other races. Brother Xiao, take two and a half parts of this Silver Ginseng as my congratulatory gift."

A light chuckle escaped Xiao Yi as he exchanged a glance with Shi Lei. "What I need is already in my grasp. If possible, that Immortal Corpse—hand it over to me."

"Brother Xiao!" Shi Lei murmured, as if a dawning realization had taken root in his mind.

Shaking his head, Xiao Yi strode directly toward the Immortal Corpse. Extending his hand in a virtual grasp, the phantom image of the Barbarian Elephant materialized behind him; its mighty trunk arced upward as if to draw in the very essence of life. In an instant, the corpse of the Immortal Squad Leader began to wither visibly before their eyes—the entirety of its vital energy was refined away in mere breaths. Absorbed by the Stone Mirror, it eventually exuded a cluster of crystalline blood energy, slightly inferior to that of the mammoth encountered earlier. Although fundamentally incomparable and offering little direct aid to the Barbarian Elephant Mighty Strength Mantra, Xiao Yi was confident that within a month he would reopen his eighth Heavenly Vein—and his cultivation would firmly ascend into the Squad Leader echelon.

Observing Xiao Yi's rapid refinement, Shi Yuan and Li Yue exchanged looks filled with thoughtful wonder.

Without further discussing the division of the Silver Ginseng, the six understood that even within the Panlei Mountain Range, however secluded, unpredictable dangers lurked. After a brief period of recuperation, they set off on their return journey. Soon, they found themselves before the Dark Mountain once again—a towering, ink-blue peak shrouded by a deep, silent ancient forest, as if guarding a slumbering ferocious beast. This time, the six circumnavigated the mountain; its age was such that the tribe's forebears had once left warnings to their descendants about ominous entities dwelling within. Without sufficient strength, not even Xiao Yi would dare to step inside.

At sunset, the silhouettes of the six reappeared outside the borders of the Bloodstone Tribe. Against the backdrop of dark, stone walls, curling smoke and the tantalizing aroma of roasted meat filled the air.

Back at the Stone House, Xiao Yi caught sight of Master Shi. It seemed that with each passing day, Master Shi aged further—compared to a year ago, he now looked as if he were nearing the end, like a lamp whose oil had long been exhausted. His vital energy and blood were at their absolute nadir. Perhaps in a year, or even in just six months, he would vanish from this world forever—slumbering on this ancient land, eventually becoming nothing more than a fossil after endless ages.