The Blue Stone Elephant

The Soldiers' MoundA vast burial ground lay beneath the Bloodstone Tribe—a cemetery for the human warriors. Two soldiers led the way as Xiao Yi descended from the first level of the military precinct. The bleak, mottled stone steps and the flickering lights from aged lanterns on the walls guided him deep underground for several dozen zhang until he beheld an expansive subterranean necropolis.

This was a realm of endless gray, where life had lost all its luster. Tombstones, some freshly erected while others bore the patina of decades or even centuries, lined the area. The "sky" above was nothing more than solid rock, and the sizzling sound of burning animal fat filled the air, casting a dim, yellow glow over the land. This was the solemn—and at times, deadly—resting place of the human warriors.

Among these graves, their battle remnants lay interred alongside the very relics of war: broken halberds, dulled bone knives, hefty bronze swords, and cracked iron spears. Each warrior's final resting place bore dark stains of blood—blood spilled by alien foes.

In a secluded corner on the edge, Xiao Yi buried a blue stone jar. Once used to hold the medicinal elixir that had sustained him, the jar now contained the bones of Stone Gong. Stone Gong's tomb was modest and unassuming; Xiao Yi retrieved a Zixia Arrow from his back—this was the last arrow Stone Gong ever saw. Empowered by the might of the Barbarian Elephant's Great Strength Technique, it would accompany him into eternal rest.

Xiao Yi planted the arrow atop the grave and sat silently before the tomb for three days and three nights, before finally departing.

Three days later, under a morning sun ablaze like fire, Xiao Yi gazed skyward. In this world, there remained deeds yet to be done, and he had come to intuit a profound truth about this land.

Before the White Stone CottageBefore the modest White Stone Cottage, ten members of Shi Lei's team had long been waiting. Aside from the occasional incursion by alien forces, the ordinary warriors spent their days—apart from morning drills—practicing under the guidance of their squad leaders. These squad leaders could consult with centurions, and even the three great thousand-commander generals and the tribal chief would sometimes offer their counsel.

"Big Brother Xiao, this was entrusted to me by Commander Shi Hu," said Shi Lei as he presented Xiao Yi with a bronze token and a piece of white animal hide.

Xiao Yi took them and examined the items closely. A peculiar gleam flashed in his eyes. He had learned that within the ranks of the two great thousand-commander military masters of the Bloodstone Tribe, even the squad leaders and centurions were ranked. The higher one's standing, the more cultivation treasures one could obtain. For example, a squad leader ranked within the top twenty would earn an extra Earth-tier Blood Pill each year; a top-ten ranking would yield two extra Earth-tier Blood Pills annually; and those in the top three—specifically, the second and third places—would receive half a piece of lower-grade Spirit Stone, while the very leader would be granted a full piece of lower-grade Refined Stone.

Xiao Yi knew well that Refined Stone was formed from the condensed essence of heaven and earth—a substance capable of accelerating cultivation and refining one's battle aura. For a human warrior to reach formidable heights, one must attain the Bone Tempering Realm to absorb the stray energies of the world, nourish the flesh, and ultimately even reach the state of Fasting from Food.

At the same time, on that beast hide, Xiao Yi noticed his current ranking—196th, placing him right at the bottom of the list.

"Follow me."

Xiao Yi turned and departed. Shi Lei and the others were momentarily taken aback, but soon they followed. Among these ten, there were eight boys and two girls; except for Shi Qian, all had willingly chosen to follow Xiao Yi, for every punch and arrow had left an indelible mark on their hearts.

At the Rear Mountain Cliff of the Tribe

Following Xiao Yi's orders, Shi Lei and Yunshan hauled a massive blue stone weighing ten jun to the cliff's edge. The stone, with its jagged edges, sat precariously atop the precipice as the mountain wind howled around it—as if it might tumble off at any moment. Shi Qian watched all this with a cold, silent gaze.

"Swoosh!"

Abruptly, Xiao Yi sprang into action. His "Broken Spear" technique (断枪) emitted a low humming sound as it split into several afterimages in an instant. A vast surge of blood qi rose with him, and as his spearwork unfurled, the air roared with a sound akin to rolling thunder.

All ten felt a heavy weight settle upon them—a tremendous pressure that seemed to emanate from a true squad leader's might. Just the raw, forceful blood qi was far beyond their capabilities, not to mention the gradually emerging threads of spiritual will from Xiao Yi that eventually coalesced into a towering, blue-scaled barbaric elephant. Although only a phantom, it appeared so lifelike that its swinging trunk and bellowing cry—an ear-splitting trumpet sound—seemed real to all present.

The might of the barbaric elephant!

Xiao Yi unleashed his full barbaric elephant aura without any reservation. The overwhelming force of his spiritual will pressed down so heavily that, save for Shi Qian, everyone found it nearly impossible to move—even the slightest motion became an arduous task. The intangible pressure stifled their spirits and seemed to still the very air around them, and that was not even accounting for the fact that this force was not solely directed at the ten.

Gritting his teeth, Shi Qian tried to summon his own force. However, he soon discovered that beneath Xiao Yi's dominating barbaric elephant aura, his own wind-and-thunder technique was utterly suppressed. His spiritual will was stifled, and his mind began to cloud over—reminding him all too vividly of the oppressive pressure he had once felt under the combined might of the four great spirit clan squad leaders.

Amid flying fragments of stone, Xiao Yi's spear moved like lightning. The enormous blue stone began to morph; its sharp edges gradually smoothed away, and a majestic, undulating contour emerged before their eyes.

It was a colossal blue stone elephant—standing nearly three zhang tall. Although it bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Yi's own barbaric elephant aura, it lacked that suffocating oppressive force. Its stately form, robust limbs, and raised trunk exuded an inexplicable divine charm that captured the attention of Shi Lei and the others.

This blue stone elephant had been carved by Xiao Yi through meditative visualization of the barbaric elephant image, infused with the essence of his current power. As a result, it now possessed a portion of his formidable force, along with a hint of the divine aura inherent in the barbaric elephant.

"From today on, every morning at Chen time, you are to practice in front of this cliff by this stone elephant for half a day. For the remaining half, venture into the wild, ancient forest to hunt feral beasts and enhance your blood qi," Xiao Yi instructed.

"Training in front of this stone elephant—does that really work?" Shi Qian sneered coldly. "Instead of teaching us martial techniques, you make us spend every day staring at this stone..."

Before Shi Qian could finish his words, the wind howled fiercely. In a flash, Xiao Yi appeared right behind him. In an instant, a sharp sting in his backside sent him hurtling forward—landing squarely in front of the stone elephant.

Shi Lei and the others were momentarily stunned, then couldn't help but stifle their laughter. Even at his age, getting kicked in the backside was utterly unbearable for the ever-stoic Shi Qian. Not far off, two young girls' cheeks flushed a deep crimson, while Yunshan, unable to hide his amusement, grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey, you!" Shi Qian roared, his eyes blazing with fury. Yet before he could continue, he noticed the sky above darken as an unspoken, oppressive force weighed upon his heart.

In that instant, the blue stone elephant before them seemed to come alive. Its massive form—standing three zhang tall—loomed heavily, with thick legs like colossal pillars. In Shi Qian's mind, he envisioned a vast, desolate plain where a wild elephant soared into the clouds, its long trunk swinging as if capable of plucking stars and snatching the moon; with but a few strides, the very Milky Way would seem to reverse its course.

This was a force that pressed upon the spirit—a true manifestation of the barbaric elephant's might!

Startled, Shi Qian struggled to gather his thoughts. His spiritual will coalesced as he summoned his wind-thunder aura, straining to break free. Yet he could only extend it an inch before it was ruthlessly suppressed. Although this barbaric elephant force might not rival Xiao Yi's own, its infusion with the divine essence of the barbaric elephant diagram made it palpably real. Faced with such a blue stone elephant, Shi Qian found that not only was it nearly impossible to train or comprehend the wind-thunder spear techniques, but even moving about became an arduous challenge. Merely three chi away loomed a sheer precipice, where one misstep in the frigid heights could shatter one to pieces, intensifying his dread.

Only when confronted by this blue stone elephant did Shi Qian truly grasp its terror. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, his face paling, until finally he sat down cross-legged, focusing all his might on countering it with his wind-thunder aura, abandoning all extraneous thoughts.

The other nine—Shi Lei and his companions—were visibly taken aback. From Shi Qian's reaction alone, it was clear that the blue stone elephant concealed mysterious depths. Without another word, Xiao Yi departed. His refined and pure spiritual will, honed to a razor's edge, enabled him to discern even the smallest details and uncover subtle weaknesses. Whether in perfecting martial techniques or in comprehending higher realms, this quality was invaluable. Xiao Yi believed that once he had succeeded once, he would do so again—until he completely ascended to a new level, at which point he might even recreate a blue stone elephant for Shi Lei and the others.

On the opposite side of the rear mountain, atop a sheer cliff, Xiao Yi sat cross-legged. His mind was immersed in battle qi, and at his chest, an ancient stone mirror slowly rotated. Its surface was crisscrossed with over a thousand natural cracks—each one unaltered despite the fact that over the past year Xiao Yi had devoured the blood and qi of numerous lower-tier and even mid-tier wild beasts. Not a single fissure had begun to heal. Clearly, this path would be a difficult one.

In the next moment, Xiao Yi stirred his battle qi and manipulated the stone mirror, transforming the world before his eyes. Now, having achieved a breakthrough in his spiritual will, he could already summon his future self six times in a single day.

Across the vast, boundless land, a blue silhouette stood with its back turned toward Xiao Yi. Though motionless, its qi and blood pulsed as though it were a raging furnace. All around it, an ethereal sound—reminiscent of an elephant's trumpet—faintly echoed.

The moment Xiao Yi appeared, the blue silhouette turned around, revealing a face nearly identical to his own but etched with the weariness of countless years—a testament to the weight of time. At that very instant, the once-faint elephantine call surged in intensity, magnifying tens to hundreds of times. Rolling sound waves twisted the air, and the desolate cry spanned an endless expanse of time and space, shaking one's very soul.

This was Xiao Yi's future form, achieved in the realm of Blood Refining Grand Completion. He inhaled deeply, and the air roiled in reverse, causing his figure to waver. Then, a colossal blue-scaled barbaric elephant—ten zhang tall—materialized behind him. With a long, resounding bellow, a vast surge of spiritual will cascaded down, turning Xiao Yi's face ashen as his spiritual realm showed signs of fracturing. This was the barbaric elephant force of his future self—an increasingly fearsome presence as his cultivation and breakthroughs advanced.