Astonishing

Shi Qian stepped forward. With one powerful punch, his blood Qi swelled, and more than half of his forearm was driven deep into the Blue-Iron Stone, leaving behind a fist imprint two chi and one cun deep.

"Not bad. Pass," murmured Thousand-Chief Shhi Hu with a slight nod. Twenty-one jun of force—at his age, that nearly matched the prowess of our old clan head in his prime.

Shi Qian silently withdrew to the side. He knew that his extraordinary cultivation was thanks to the past half-month of refining Silver Ginseng. The nearly nine-hundred-year-old ginseng possessed a medicinal potency far beyond previous estimates. With just one and a half parts of that ginseng, he had shattered through four Heavenly Veins and was nearly ready to unlock the fifth. Now, he had fully unblocked twenty-one Heavenly Veins—a feat not to be taken lightly among nearly two thousand battle-hardened warriors of our tribe.

A few steps forward, Yun Shan also unleashed a punch, leaving an imprint two chi deep. With these consecutive displays, several Squad Leaders couldn't help but steal sideways glances. Even over a dozen Centurions showed hints of astonishment. This year's new recruits seemed exceptionally formidable—barely sixteen years old, yet possessing a strength that one might only expect after ten years of rigorous training.

Among the youthful warriors, many were of the same generation. Several had, like them, soared early to the Squad Leader level. A few years ago, Clan Head Shi Zhixuan had ascended to the Bone Tempering Realm, significantly elevating our entire tribe's martial prowess. Many youths, having been guided and inspired, shattered their limits and advanced to the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm—and even beyond to the Greater.

Their eyes turned toward Shi Qian and Yun Shan. These two stood on par with, if not superior to, the very best of their contemporaries. Now, as Centurions, they were the embodiment of blood refinement mastery.

Tuo Ba Feng was among them, though his gaze lingered only briefly on Shi Qian and Yun Shan. Rumor had it that Shi Qian, by a fortunate twist of fate, had grasped the realm of "Effortless Lifting" and manifested his own personal Force. Yet Tuo Ba Feng's attention eventually settled on Xiao Yi. Though they had only met once in the past year, the young man's presence had left an indelible impression on him.

Then Shi Lei stepped forward. His expression was grave; with every deliberate step, his aura grew ever more imposing. Finally, a subtle, oppressive energy emanated from him—so faint yet unmistakable that not even Thousand-Chief Shi Hu could miss it. In his eyes, Shi Lei had clearly brushed up against the threshold of "Effortless Lifting"; perhaps he had already set one foot into that realm. With just a little more refinement, his spiritual will would transform completely, propelling him into the Ordinary Realm and allowing him to manifest his own unique Force.

Many Squad Leaders looked on in admiration. To break into the realm of "Effortless Lifting" at such an early age meant that before even reaching the Greater Blood Refinement stage, their strength would encounter no further hindrance.

Shi Lei then threw a punch, and his battle Qi, far denser than that of Stone Qian or Yun Shan, burst forth in a dazzling display. Enveloped in pale blue Qi, his fist plunged directly into the Blue-Iron Stone, nearly to arm's length.

That punch carried a staggering twenty-nine jun of force. Even Thousand-Chief Shi Hu couldn't help but be moved—this blow surpassed even what the clan head had achieved in his youth. Although Shi Lei's cultivation still lagged by a stage, the difference was marginal.

Centurion Shi Qiren gave a slight nod, then his gaze turned toward Xiao Yi with an inscrutable, almost curious look.

Before long, the remaining youths also passed the test. In all, thirty-nine young men and ten young women—forty-nine in total—demonstrated that their strength had reached at least ten jun.

Elder Shi smiled. The wrinkles on his face blossomed like flowers—each time a young warrior passed the test, his smile grew a little wider. By the end, even Xiao Yi could sense that the old man's vitality was showing signs of a slight resurgence.

"Go on. You may let go—Elder Shi can hold on," Shi Hu commanded.

After a brief moment of silence, Xiao Yi released his left hand, which had been cradling the elder. With effort, the old man straightened up, leaning against Xiao Yi's back. Even though his arms trembled, his eyes shone brilliantly as he fixed his gaze on the Blue-Iron Stones not far off. At that moment, even Thousand-Chief Shi Hu was visibly moved; his face, once casual, now bore a solemn expression.

Nearly two thousand battle-hardened soldiers watched the elder in hushed reverence, carefully curtailing their own Qi so as not to add to his burden.

With his own blood burning in his veins, Xiao Yi did not hold back. In a deep, resonant tone he declared, "Elder Shi, look closely—this is the Barbarian Elephant Mighty Strength Mantra. This is my power!"

In an instant, without any reservation, Xiao Yi's entire being erupted with surging blood and Qi, as if a roaring furnace had been ignited within him. Behind him, a spectral blue-scaled Barbarian Elephant materialized—a towering apparition that let out a long, mournful roar skyward. Its trunk was raised high, and invisible waves of mental force radiated outward. In every ear, a majestic elephant's trumpet seemed to sound, accompanied by layers of ancient, weathered Qi that filled the air. It was the unmistakable aura of Xiao Yi's own power—the very embodiment of the Barbarian Elephant Mighty Strength Mantra!

It was an awe-inspiring sight. Centered on Xiao Yi, for dozens of zhang in every direction, countless fragments of stone floated into the air as if suspended in time. The atmosphere grew thick and still, suffused with an oppressive pressure that left the nearest group of young warriors gasping, as if a great mountain were bearing down on them. Even Shi Qian's breathing caught in his throat; at that moment, his only thought was that Xiao Yi had grown far stronger than before.

"Second-tier Force!" Thousand-Chief Shi Hu's eyes flashed with astonishment. "No… not quite there yet, but almost. Such formidable mental resolve!"

What truly moved Shi Hu was not merely the level of Xiao Yi's cultivation but his astonishing speed of progress. He knew all too well that Xiao Yi was refining the Barbarian Elephant Mighty Strength Mantra—a top-tier martial method that, when Elder Shi first obtained it, had caused a sensation throughout the tribe. Even later, when the three great thousand-chiefs—and even Clan Head Shi Zhixuan—had attempted to cultivate it, none could even breach the first Heavenly Vein. In time, the technique had been slowly forgotten, never even recorded in the Martial Scriptures. Yet here, Xiao Yi had mastered this elite method.

Xiao Yi stepped forward, and the ground quaked violently beneath him. For dozens of zhang around, shattered fragments of stone burst into the air, and countless warriors stared in horror. Over a hundred Squad Leaders wore grave expressions—each silently comparing their own Force to Xiao Yi's and realizing theirs paled in comparison. Perhaps a few among them could match him, but they were only a handful.

More than a dozen Centurions watched intently. In Tuo Ba Feng's eyes, a brilliant light flashed; indeed, his long-held suspicions were confirmed. He wondered, though, how far Xiao Yi's archery had advanced in the past year.

Centurion Shi Qiren face registered shock—despite having been prepared for such feats, he was stunned by the overwhelming power of Xiao Yi's Barbarian Elephant aura. That Force now neared the second-tier level normally possessed only by Centurion-level warriors.

In the next moment, Xiao Yi quickened his pace. With each step, the earth roared as if an enormous elephant were striding over it. The phantom of the Barbarian Elephant on his back surged forward in tandem. Arriving at the Blue-Iron Stone, he suddenly unleashed a fierce right-hand blow. At the same moment, the spectral elephant reared its trunk like a whip and snapped forward in a mighty counterattack.

Elder Shi eyes shone with unshed tears of pride as he watched the young warrior—his power, his speed, his resolve—all on full display.

One-person-high Blue-Iron Stone exploded into fragments, shattering into pieces under the sheer force of Xiao Yi's punch. A pale blue aura of battle Qi enveloped his fist—brilliant and crystalline.

Squad Leader Level!

This was true Squad Leader-level power. A Blue-Iron Stone that could normally withstand the full strike of someone newly entering the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm crumbled before Xiao Yi's blow.

Shi Yuan stood dumbfounded, his gaze blank. This wasn't merely an early comprehension of the "Effortless Lifting" realm and the derivation of one's own Force, nor was it that his strength had reached 35 jun—just one step away from Lesser Blood Refinement. Rather, his power and cultivation had fully entered the Lesser Blood Refinement Realm, marking him as a genuine Squad Leader-level warrior.

Within the entire Bloodstone Tribe of nearly 100,000 people, only about 2,000 warriors possessed 10 jun or more of strength. Among those at the Squad Leader level, following last year's great battle, fewer than 200 remained. Aside from the twenty Centurions and the three Thousand-Chiefs along with the clan head, these few elite warriors were the ones privileged enough to reside in the White Stone Lodge, receive a Di-level Blood Pill each year, command the mid-tier warriors—and enjoy a vastly elevated status.

Thousand-Chief Shi Hu could no longer keep his composure. His eyes flashed with divine light, and his grip on his crimson spear tightened ever so slightly. Then, in a deep, resonant tone he declared, "Passed. Squad Leader level."

"Excellent!"

Elder Shi smiled broadly, the wrinkles on his face blooming like vibrant flowers. In his cloudy eyes, dazzling specks of light shimmered as if tiny crystals had formed. His voice, though trembling and hoarse, rang out powerfully.

In Tuo Ba Feng's eyes, a peculiar glimmer passed briefly. In the thousand-year history of the Bloodstone Tribe, no one had ever directly ascended to Squad Leader level. Yet today, it appeared that a new chapter might soon be added to their annals.

Reaching out once more to steady Elder Shi, Xiao Yi then turned his gaze to Thousand-Chief Shi Hu. Without saying more, Shi Hu pointed into the distance. There, beyond a hundred zhang, stood a massive ironwood stake—and similar stakes could be seen at two hundred, three hundred, and even five hundred zhang away.

"Anyone who can shoot an arrow to hit the ironwood stake a hundred zhang away may join the war masters," Shi Hu proclaimed.

Soon, the young warriors eagerly drew their bows and notched their arrows. Their archery skills had reached the Wind-Breaking Realm—requiring a hundred zhang of range for unfailing accuracy. For the "Small Achievement" level, the target distance was two hundred zhang, and for "Great Achievement" three hundred zhang. As for five hundred zhang, that was beyond the Wind-Breaking Realm; it entered the second realm of archery—the Shattering Sound Realm, where arrows tear through silence and travel faster than sound.

After about a cup of tea's worth of time, three of the young warriors, their skills still somewhat lacking, reluctantly withdrew. Even if they barely attained the Wind-Breaking Realm, it was not yet steady, and under the overwhelming presence of the two thousand warriors, they faltered. Most of the others remained at the very beginning of the Wind-Breaking Realm—with only Shi Lei and one Gu-surnamed young girl reaching the Small Achievement level.

Finally, Thousand-Chief Shi Hu's gaze settled on Xiao Yi. In his eyes, a spark of eager expectation flickered. In just one short year, Xiao Yi had ascended to Squad Leader level—but how far had his archery progressed?