Fengya Tribe

Likewise, the barbaric elephant aura in his future self underwent a breathtaking transformation. That majestic spiritual will, vast as the ocean, seemed to infuse the very essence of the elephant force with life. In an instant, it vaulted over his future form and charged straight at Xiao Yi.

The desolate earth trembled as Xiao Yi's face grew grave. The phantom elephant force materialized behind him—but it dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. A ten-zhang-long trunk whipped through the air like a celestial lash, forcing Xiao Yi into a hasty retreat. At the same moment, his Broken Spear sprang from its scabbard, and he boldly unleashed the eleventh form of his wind-thunder spear technique.

Thunderous Might!

The Broken Spear roared like thunder in Xiao Yi's grasp, and a thick bolt of pale blue lightning burst forth, colliding fiercely with the elephant's trunk.

Sparks flew in all directions, as if metal clashed with iron. The elephant's trunk, undeterred and moving with lightning speed, bypassed the Broken Spear and struck Xiao Yi with brutal force—sending showers of blood powder into the air.

On the edge of a sheer cliff, Xiao Yi slowly opened his eyes, his face ashen. Each encounter with his future self was a battle for survival—a relentless dance on the edge of death that relentlessly tested his spiritual will. The barbaric elephant force of his future self had revealed the true terror of the Blood Refining Grand Completion stage: a method that could transform illusion into reality with divine clarity, verging on the miraculous.

Re-entering the Panlei Mountains, Xiao Yi's spearwork grew ever more fearsome, and his barbaric elephant aura became increasingly tangible. Yet, there always seemed to be a gauzy veil separating him from fully grasping its other side. He knew his spiritual will had reached a bottleneck. Over the past month, through relentless life-and-death battles and his ascension to the squad leader level, he had gained profound insights into his future self's techniques. His spiritual will had surged forward through intense meditation and integration.

But this barrier was not easily shattered—it had merely reached its threshold. He would need to amass enough power to break through in one decisive blow.

At dusk, Xiao Yi returned to the tribe. Before the fortress wall, several warriors regarded him with a newfound reverence. That day, every punch and arrow had left an indelible impression—a youth and an elder were etched into their memories.

Back at the White Stone Cottage, the fire in the stone basin blazed brightly, and on the blue stone table, the aroma of golden, succulent blood beef filled the air. Every day, designated tribe members tended the fire and brought food to the squad leader–level warriors. Half an hour later, warriors arrived as Commander Shi Hu summoned all the squad leaders and centurions.

Without a trace of ceremony, Xiao Yi followed him outside the tribe. At that moment, besides Commander Shi Hu, another thousand-commander—Qianyuan—was present, along with all twenty centurions. One by one, many squad leaders arrived until all 196 were assembled.

Upon seeing Xiao Yi, some squad leaders' expressions shifted. Among them were young men, nearly Xiao Yi's age—peers who had distinguished themselves and risen to squad leader status; there were dozens of such talents. In contrast, among the twenty centurions, only four were of the younger generation. Xiao Yi had heard of these four—they were the four mightiest youths of the Bloodstone Tribe. They had once been squad leaders, and later, after Tribal Chief Shi Zhixuan guided many through the Bone Tempering Realm, only these four succeeded in breaking through to attain Blood Refining Grand Completion. Their names were Tuoba Feng, Shi Taiyi, Shui Qianliu, and Mu Xue.

Among them, Tuoba Feng was famed for his archery, rumored to have reached the pinnacle of the Shattering Sound Realm—within 1,500 zhang, once an arrow was loosed, it never returned, never missing its mark. Shi Taiyi was renowned for his blade techniques, having completely mastered the second-level fire-blade method. Shui Qianliu reigned supreme with his leg techniques, practicing the second-level raging wind leg. And finally, Mu Xue—though an unassuming young woman—wielded a peerless swordsmanship; it was said that her movements melded with her sword, her strikes piercing and relentless, leaving few centurions capable of contending with her frontal assault.

Xiao Yi took special note of these four. That day at the fortress wall, aside from Tuoba Feng, the other three had been absent; at this moment, they merely cast a fleeting glance at Xiao Yi, seemingly indifferent.

Commander Qianyuan glanced at Xiao Yi, a peculiar glint flickering in his eyes. In a deep, measured tone, Commander Shi Hu spoke, "This time, it's a matter of great consequence. You all know that in Jingyuan Valley—located a hundred li away—our Bloodstone Tribe possesses a refined stone vein nearly a hundred zhang long."

A refined stone vein absorbs the essence of heaven and earth and gives birth to refined stones—treasures for cultivation. Among the many squad leaders of the Bloodstone Tribe, only the top three each year can obtain a lower-grade refined stone, and only the foremost leader may receive a complete piece. Its rarity is self-evident, and its source lies in the Jingyuan Valley a hundred li away.

This was common knowledge—one that Xiao Yi was already well aware of. That refined stone vein, buried several dozen zhang underground, is extremely difficult to excavate. Each year, it yields only a modest amount of refined stones, almost all of which are lower-grade. Furthermore, refined stones are categorized into upper, middle, and lower grades; there are even legends of a supreme refined stone, though that remains nothing more than myth.

After a brief pause, Commander Shi Hu continued, "Two hundred years ago, our Bloodstone Tribe and the Fengya Tribe—located fifteen hundred li away—nearly simultaneously discovered this refined stone vein. Our ancestors fought tooth and nail, through multiple struggles, to secure it. But recently, word has spread that in Jingyuan Valley there exists another refined stone vein nearly ten li in length."

"What!" 

Everyone was stunned. A refined stone vein nearly ten li long far surpassed the one our Bloodstone Tribe currently held. Such a vein would undoubtedly yield a vast abundance of lower-grade refined stones. With only a modest effort in excavation, the harvest could be many times greater than before. With these refined stones, not to mention other benefits, the combat power of our two thousand-commander military masters would be greatly enhanced—perhaps even enabling the emergence of a third or fourth thousand-commander military master.

Once the numbers reach ten thousand-commander military masters, that forms what is known as the "ten-thousand warrior" group—a mid-level Blood Division.

Some of the centurions' eyes reddened at the prospect. In these northern, barren western regions, the lower Blood Divisions numbered in the tens of thousands. Every day, new scattered human groups would settle, forming the most ordinary scattered factions. Likewise, each day, some of these factions, having amassed sufficient strength, would see the rise of thousand-commander military masters and their promotion to lower Blood Divisions. At the same time, lower Blood Divisions were also being decimated by attacks from alien tribes. Every incremental enhancement in the tribe's power was a guarantee for our bloodline's continuation. In this context, such a refined stone vein held immeasurable strategic value.

Yet, what should have been cause for celebration was overshadowed by the grim expressions on the faces of the two thousand-commanders. Could it be that someone had foreseen an ominous portent?

"The news has leaked," Commander Shi Hu said gravely. "After two centuries of tranquility, our guard has slackened. The Fengya Tribe has never entirely abandoned their ambitions—and they have just learned of it. This time, they come with overwhelming force."

A refined stone vein nearly ten li long carried extraordinary significance, and it was only natural for the Fengya Tribe to covet it. Now, our task is to counter their moves and force them to stand down.

Xiao Yi was well aware that around the Bloodstone Tribe, there were three neighboring tribes. Besides the Fengya Tribe to the east, fifteen hundred li away, there was the Heifeng Tribe on the opposite end of the Panlei Mountains to the west, and the Huoshan Tribe, located a thousand li to the north. All three belonged to the lower Blood Division. If even one faltered, and all three launched their assaults simultaneously, our Bloodstone Tribe would be unable to hold Jingyuan Valley.

At that moment, the formidable image of Tribal Chief Shi Zhixuan appeared in Xiao Yi's mind. There was a worry that among these three tribes, there might also be strong warriors who had reached the Bone Tempering Realm. According to Xiao Yi, the histories of these three tribes were not inferior to that of the Bloodstone Tribe—indeed, some were even more ancient.

"Shi Qiren, Shi Taiyi," Commander Shi Hu ordered, "you two, along with your hundred-man teams, are to proceed immediately to Jingyuan Valley. Combine with the hundred-man team already stationed there, and have the three hundred of you temporarily garrison the area. Expedite the excavation of refined stones to guard against any mishaps. Meanwhile, the tribe's military masters will reorganize, and then follow shortly."

Both Shi Qiren and Shi Taiyi nodded, their gazes steeling with resolve. This undertaking was of great consequence—one misstep and it would surely be stained with blood.

After a short while, the squad leaders and centurions swiftly departed. Throughout the tribe, firelight flickered as many clan members stayed awake—preparations for the warriors' expedition were already underway.

Back at the White Stone Cottage, Shi Lei and his nine companions had arrived with the news. They looked as if they had just been hauled out of water, soaking wet and with pallid complexions that betrayed the heavy strain on their spirits. Yet in their eyes shone a radiant spark, glimmering like stars against the darkness of night.

At that moment, the glances they cast toward Xiao Yi took on an unmistakable air of reverence. Today, they had not ventured into the wild, ancient forest; instead, they had spent the entire day before that imposing blue stone elephant. The vast, archaic qi—mighty as a mountain and as relentless as a cascading waterfall—had washed over them, forging and testing their wills. Although their minds were weary, during the subsequent martial drills they found that every technique—be it spear, staff, blade, or arrow—had gained an extra measure of fluidity and finesse. Even aspects that had once seemed impenetrable now hinted at a newfound clarity.

Shi Qian's gaze remained icy, yet when confronted by Xiao Yi he awkwardly averted his eyes, his expression tinged with both shame and irritation.

After spending half an hour within the White Stone Cottage, Xiao Yi emerged. By that time, Shi Lei and his team had nearly recovered; though traces of exhaustion still lingered, they were otherwise fit and ready.

At the front of the fortress wall, Xiao Yi arrived with the ten members of Shi Lei's group. Several squad leaders, accompanied by their warriors, had already gathered there.

"Brother Xiao!"

A burly middle-aged man called out warmly. This was Shi Shan—a squad leader under Centurion Shi Qiren, ranked 76th among the squad leaders.

"Brother Shi,"Xiao Yi replied with a nod and a slight smile.

One after another, squad leaders greeted him. These men were unpretentious and straightforward: if you were strong enough, you naturally earned their respect. Although Xiao Yi currently ranked at the very bottom, many of the squad leaders present recognized that while his techniques might not yet propel him to the very top, his display of near-tangible force—blurring the line between illusion and reality—and his archery skills that had reached the Shattering Sound Realm were by no means to be underestimated.