Chapter 4: The Broken Sword

  Bloodstone Tribe

  Atop the mountain, on the edge of a cliff, the wind howls, and the sound of falling rocks cannot be heard.

  A giant stone elephant sits here, its body majestic and powerful, with a trunk that strikes towards the sky, possessing an inexplicable aura. In front of the stone elephant, six young men and one girl are practicing their martial arts, walking along the edge of the cliff, hovering between life and death, yet without any hesitation, each move is executed with full force, their vital energy surging, their vigor overflowing in all directions.

  Under the Ministry of War, the bleak and desolate land of the tomb, a few Bloodstone tribe members were patrolling. Their eyes were heavy with grief, for too many regrets were buried here, and countless lives had perished. The warmth of their blood could no longer be seen, forever trapped in eternal slumber. Life cannot last long, but death can be eternal.

  Suddenly, a faint and soft humming sound came from one corner of the military tomb. The voice was distant, as if it came from the end of time and space far away. Several Bloodstone tribe members were shocked, they followed the sound and found a special grave, a cyan stone jar, a purple mist arrow, and a black broken gun.

  The broken gun hummed, with half of its body buried in the mud. The other half was shaking violently, as if it had sensed something. Several Bloodstone Tribe members looked at each other in surprise and uncertainty when suddenly everything went black. A crimson figure appeared before their eyes.

  "Tribe leader!"

  Shi Zhi Xuan gazed at the broken gun, its dark body gleaming with a cold metallic luster. The ancient and unadorned gun body emitted a faint aura of blood, which was infused into every inch of the gun's body from the fresh blood of an alien tribe. If Shi Zhi Xuan's spirit and will were not strong enough to transcend the ordinary, he would not have been able to perceive it.

  After a moment of hesitation, Shi Zhi Xuan said: "This gun will be sent to the front of Xiao Wu Chang's White Stone House."

  Several Bloodstone Tribe members were shocked, and immediately they pulled out the broken spear, but found that the broken spear was getting heavier and heavier. Previously, it only weighed three jin, but now it might have reached five jin.

  Ordinary Bloodstone Clan members generally use war blades that do not exceed 500 jin, while warriors typically do not exceed 1,000 jin. A Wuzhang-level strongman who has achieved minor success in refining their blood can at most wield a two-jin war blade. Only a Baifu-level strongman is capable of wielding a four- or five-jin war blade, while a Qianfu-level strongman can use war blades that exceed 10 jin.

  ……

  The setting sun was like blood, on the top of the mountain behind, even the green stone statue had been dyed a bluish-red color. The seven members of Shi Lei were panting heavily, they only felt that every inch of their muscles and bones seemed to have lost consciousness, their bodies unable to be controlled by themselves, their spirits extremely exhausted. However, in each person's eyes, there was a glow, they could clearly feel that their willpower had never been so concentrated before.

  Under the oppression of the brutal elephant's momentum, these days, Shi Lei and others clearly felt the changes in themselves. Originally facing the green stone elephant, they could only barely resist with their spiritual willpower. Now, however, they can simultaneously hone their combat skills, and each person's spiritual willpower has grown differently.

  Seven people sit cross-legged, calm their minds and soothe their breath, cultivate their spirits, relax their bodies, recover, and before they know it, the sunset has fallen, and the bright moon rises.

  Buzz!

  A mysterious fluctuation suddenly emerged from Shi Lei's body, which shocked the six people of Shi Qian. They saw Shi Lei sitting cross-legged, his black hair moving without wind, and a hint of crystal light at his brow. A formless spiritual will spread out, this spiritual will violently fluctuated, then began to surge, a heavy pressure pressed down on the six people of Shi Qian.

  "It's broken through!" Shi Qian said in a deep voice.

  This is a breakthrough in spiritual will, from the ordinary realm of primary to the ordinary realm of intermediate. Shi Lei's body shape remains still, sitting quietly and contemplating, his spiritual will advances. The next step is to grasp the divine charm of lifting heavy as light, and understand the evolution of one's own momentum.

  Some people's mental will has advanced, and they have a deeper understanding of their own momentum. The few people in the clouds are all focused, which is a great opportunity for observation, allowing them to gain more experience and grasp more when breaking through later. Even Shi Qian is watching carefully, re-examining the advancement of his mental will once again, which can make his grasp of momentum even more harmonious.

  An hour has passed.

  The spiritual will on Shi Lei's body became more and more active, as if it had come to life. Although there was no further improvement, the six people of Shi Qian clearly felt that the oppressive force on their spirits continued to increase. In the end, except for Shi Qian, Yun Shan and the others retreated a step back. This was also due to the daily oppression they suffered under the brutal momentum in recent days. Although Shi Lei's spiritual will was strong, it could no longer exert overall suppression over them. They were gradually adapting to this first-level momentum, constantly honing their spirits, accumulating strength, and seeking opportunities for breakthroughs.

  Half a time later, the spiritual pressure on Shi Lei's body reached its peak. The aura around him began to transform, and a new momentum emerged vaguely. This momentum was like a stormy wind and thunder, with Shi Lei as the center, within a radius of three feet, pieces of broken stones floated up, and the air within ten feet became stagnant.

  He suddenly opened his eyes, and from Shi Lei's eyes, two intimidating lights flashed by. He stood up straight, took a deep breath, and muttered: "I've broken through."

  He gazed down at the village, where the dark green mountain walls were lined with stone houses and cottages, wisps of smoke rising from them. Soldiers patrolled, their torches flickering like stars in the darkness. The world before his eyes was clearer than ever before. Within a radius of ten zhang around him, the sounds of birds, beasts, and insects entered his ears with clarity.

  Seven people went down the mountain, but did not disperse. A young man left for a moment and came back with two stone bowls in his hands. One bowl was filled with steaming golden tiger meat, and the other was full of sparkling spring water. The seven people remained silent and walked towards the distance.

  A moment later, not far away, a white stone hut came into view. Shi Qian slightly furrowed his brow. In front of the white stone hut, it seemed like someone's shadow was flashing about. They were two young strongmen from the Volcano Tribe, who had arrived with Chi Yan Qian in the afternoon and formed an alliance with the Blood Stone Tribe. The ten young strongmen who came this time would participate in the tribe's War Master Competition a month later.

  As they approached, Shi Qian's pupils almost simultaneously contracted, and in front of the white stone hut, a dark broken spear was inserted into the mud, with no ornamentation on its body, and there were still some bloodstains left on it. Two young men from the Huoshan tribe stood in front of the broken spear, one of whom carefully examined the broken spear after pulling it out, with a look of surprise in his eyes.

  These two members of the Huo Shan tribe, Shi Qian and Qi Ren also knew, one named Chi Xue, one named Huo Qing, both were young strongmen of this generation of the Huo Shan tribe, their cultivation was not ordinary, they were Wu Chang level strongmen, with extremely powerful combat strength. They had just arrived in the afternoon when they challenged two Wu Changs, each defeating them within ten moves. Among them, Chi Xue excelled at archery, almost reaching the realm of Li Yin Xiao Cheng, which even some Bai Fu Chang of their tribe couldn't match. The other person named Huo Qing was extremely skilled with spears, it was said that due to a coincidence, he had once found the tomb of an ancient human elder and obtained a second-rate martial manual, Lie Yan Gun Fa. The Wu Chang who fought him could be ranked among the top ten in the tribe's many Wu Changs, but was forced back by one spear thrust and injured by another.

  Huò Qīng stroked the broken spear in his hand, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Chi Xuě, can you see that this broken spear is actually cast from Wū Jīn? Even if it's just a mid-ranking warrior, adding a bit of Wū Jīn to it would make it comparable to a high-ranking warrior. Although this spear isn't entirely made of Wū Jīn, it's still extraordinary. The fact that the warrior stood in front of the house means that its master has already fallen in battle. I've been searching for Wū Jīn to re-cast a suitable weapon, and now I'll go find Chi Yán Qiān Fū Zhǎng and ask him to speak on my behalf to the Xuě Shí Bù Luò, so I can inherit this spear. I'm sure Xuě Shí Bù Luò won't refuse. Once I return to the tribe, I'll ask our tribe's master craftsman to re-cast this spear. Even if I eventually reach the realm of Liàn Xuě Xiǎo Yuán Mǎn, I can still use this spear as my main weapon and cultivate it into a heavenly soldier."

  "That's natural, just a broken gun and a useless soldier, the Bloodstone Tribe wouldn't be so petty." Chi Xue laughed.

  Suddenly, the bloodshot eyes slightly moved, and he saw seven people walking towards this place. They were seven young men, seemingly the younger generation of the Bloodstone Tribe. The aura on their bodies was not weak, all having already reached the cultivation of a warrior.

  Huò Qīng also noticed the seven people of Shí Léi, he slightly furrowed his brow and thought nothing of it, saying: "Just seven little guys, let's go, we're going to find Chì Yán Qiān Fū Zhǎng."

  As soon as they finished speaking, the two were about to leave. In the instant they turned around, not far away, Shi Lei and his seven men moved in unison, transforming into seven strong gusts of wind that traversed over ten zhang within a few breaths, blocking the path of Huo Qing and his companion.

  "You little ones from the Seven Bloodstone Tribes, what are you trying to do!" Chi Xue's smile was not quite a smile. "Do you want us to guide you?"

  "Get out of the way, you seven little rascals! We don't have time to bother with you. Which one of you is the squad leader? Hasn't he taught you any manners for receiving guests?"

  "Put down your gun!" Shi Qian said in a deep voice.

  He chuckled and a hint of mockery flashed in his eyes, saying: "You little guys are getting too involved. This rifle is about to belong to Fire Qing brother. He will go propose to your Stone Tiger Commander to inherit this scrap gun and repair it completely, which can be considered as making the best use of it. Now let's open up and not bother you this time. If you continue to act recklessly in the future, we might have to take action to teach you a lesson or two on behalf of your Company Commander."

  "Put down your gun!" Shi Lei's eyes flashed with a cold glint.

  His face sank, and Huo Qing said coldly: "You have a big tone, are you trying to teach us? Even if it were Commander Wu himself who came, he wouldn't dare speak to us like this. Now, back off while you still can, or else today you'll get a taste of suffering. You don't even know the rules, and you're not recognizing your place!"