"Brother, you're really sincere. The Miss Xuan Yue you mentioned is that little girl dressed as a magician just now, right? You really have good taste! Finding such a beautiful girlfriend."

  "He forced a wry smile and said, 'She's not my girlfriend or anything, I'm just her follower.'"

  "How can this be? With your brother's skills, how could you become someone's follower?"

  Ah-Dai thought of the various things he had done with Hsuan-Yueh, and shook his head helplessly. He changed the subject and asked: "Brother Rock, why are your Pu-Rock tribe so unfriendly to outsiders?"

  The rock's eyes flashed with anger, and after a long time, he sighed and said: "Because our Pu Rock tribe has suffered too much harm. Now I can't tell you that it is the biggest secret in our tribe. If there is an opportunity later, you will know. Let's hurry up, not far ahead, it is one of our small tribes, also my home. Your sister-in-law's cooking skills are very good, today brother invites you to have a few drinks." With a loud whinny, the rock urged his war horse to gallop forward.

  Although Ah Diao's riding skills were not great, the warhorse under him seemed to be very proud and automatically accelerated to catch up. Ah Diao was in a panic and could only lower his body to maintain his balance.

  Just as Ah-Dai and Yan Shi were rushing to the Pu Rock tribe, Feng Ping had also returned to Tian Gai Mountain. In the past few days, he had galloped through the Yaksha and Ya Qiao tribes' territories, returning to the Men's Sect in a dusty and exhausted state. As soon as he stepped onto the mountain, he met an old man in white clothes who was over sixty years old.

  "Xiao Ping, how did you come back? I heard from your master that you are now the deputy commander of some mercenary group!"

  Feng Ping saw the old man in white hurry up to him and bowed, saying: "Lu Wen Shibo, greetings. Is our ancestor at home on the mountain? I have an urgent matter to report."

  Lu Wen was the fourth disciple of the Tianxia Sword Saint, and he was already sixty-nine years old. He had a loyal and gentle nature, and everyone in the sect loved him dearly. When he heard Feng Ping's words, his face showed a hint of surprise, and he said: "What exactly happened? Why must we disturb Master? He is currently in seclusion."

  Feng Ping wiped the sweat from his forehead and briefly told Ruo Wen about what had happened with Ah Duan. After listening to Feng Ping's account, Ruo Wen furrowed his brow and said, "Which of our junior brothers is so capable that he can train a disciple under twenty years old to such an extent? Ping'er, I haven't heard that any of your senior brothers have encountered this situation! Come on, let's hurry up the mountain. This matter needs to be investigated by me and your senior uncles."

  Feng Ping followed Lu Wen back to the top of Tian Ge Mountain, where the mountain was very flat and the Tian Ge Sword Sect was built. The sect had a history of several decades and held a very noble position in the Huasheng Empire. The current commander-in-chief of the empire's military was Feng Wenyu, the second disciple of the Tian Ge Sword Saint. Forty years ago, the ruler of the Huasheng Empire had already established the Tian Ge Sword Sect as the national sect. The sect's requirements for accepting disciples were very strict, and only those who passed multiple screenings could join. Talent was not what the Tian Ge Sword Sect valued most; they placed more emphasis on their disciples' character. Over the past 70 years, the total number of disciples in the Tian Ge Sword Sect was only around a hundred, but these disciples had achieved great things on the continent that people looked up to. Perhaps their abilities were not exceptionally powerful, but since its establishment, the Tian Ge Sword Sect and its disciples had always been symbols of justice on the continent.

  As soon as they returned to the sect, Lu Wen immediately ordered his disciples to invite several fellow apprentices from the mountain, including Feng Ping's master and Shi Wen, who was fifth in seniority among the second-generation disciples. Feng Ping recounted the story of meeting Ah-Dai again in front of all the senior uncles. After listening to his account, these second-generation disciples of the Tian Gang Sword Sect looked at each other in dismay, thinking for half a day, but still couldn't figure out who Ah-Dai's master was.

  Lu Wenda said: "The third generation disciples now basically all have accurate news, and there is no news of anyone's death! Ping'er, can you confirm that the child used was indeed the Tianxia Swordsmanship?"

  Feng Ping nodded and said, "Fourth Master, it's absolutely certain. Even if the Tian Gan sword technique can be faked, the genuine internal energy that Ah-Dai and I exchanged blows with is absolutely impossible to fake. Although he hasn't reached the fifth level of mastery, he's not far off either. It's all my fault for not keeping him back then; if I had brought him back, things would have been clear."

  Xī Wén, who was sitting at the top, suddenly opened his eyes, and two sharp lights shot out, falling on Fēng Píng's body. Xī Wén was the eldest disciple of the Tiān Gǎng Sword Saint, and among all the fellow disciples, his skills were the most profound, reaching the eighth realm of Shēng Shēng Jué. Although he was already over eighty years old, on the surface, he seemed to be younger than Lù Wén.

  Lu Wenda said: "Big Brother Master, do you know whose disciple this is? Could it be the disciple of Second Brother Master?"

  Xī Wén shook his head and said, "It's unlikely. Although my second brother's skills are not inferior to mine, he has been in the military for many years and doesn't have much experience teaching disciples. His two apprentices only have the strength of a fifth-level cultivator, it's impossible for them to teach such an excellent disciple. Moreover, they were all by my second brother's side. The other day when my second brother came back, he even brought them together to pay respects to Master." Xī Wén's eyes suddenly shone brightly as he asked Fēng Píng, "Píng'ér, do you still remember what was special about the Tiān Gāng sword that child used?"

  Feng Ping thought for a moment and said, "On the surface, it doesn't seem to have any difference with mine, but its weight seems to be slightly heavier. Although his skills are not as good as mine, when it comes to hard fighting, he didn't suffer much loss."

  Xie Wen nodded and said, "That's right. The child is very likely not a fourth-generation disciple, but a third-generation disciple. Moreover, he should be using the 72-kilogram Heaven-Defying Heavy Sword mixed with Xuan Iron that we second-generation disciples use, rather than the 56-kilogram Heaven-Defying Sword used by the third-generation disciples."

  Lu Wen was shocked and exclaimed: "Big Brother Master, you're saying..."

  Xī Wén nodded and sighed, "Only he could have trained such an excellent disciple! It's been thirty years, and finally, we've got news of him. Quick, fellow disciples, let's go invite Master to come out of seclusion together. With this news, Master will surely be overjoyed." As he spoke, a hint of melancholy appeared on Xī Wén's face.

  Feng Ping listened to a head of foggy water and didn't know who Master Bo was talking about. However, since everyone sitting there were seniors, he couldn't ask too many questions and could only wait here for now.

  Xie Wen and seven other second-generation disciples of the Tianxia Sword Sect arrived at the stone cave in the back mountain. This seemingly ordinary stone cave was actually the place where the Tianxia Sword Saint had been cultivating for nearly 70 years. The mountain wind blew against the white clouds, constantly colliding with the mountain peaks. Everyone present was a top master on the continent, and their fierce aura emitted a faint layer of white light that isolated the damp mist.

  Arriving outside the stone cave, with Xi Wen as the leader, the seven people lined up in a row and shouted respectfully: "Please come out of the pass, Master." Their voices were not loud, but wrapped in the vital energy, they deeply entered the stone cave.

  After a moment of silence, a clear voice came from inside the stone cave, "What's going on that you've come to disturb my cultivation?"

  "Reporting to Master, there may be news about Little Brother. Fifth Brother's disciple, Feng Ping, found a young man within the Hong Liao tribe who was under twenty years old but had already cultivated his Vital Energy to the fourth level. According to that child, his master has passed away. I think only Little Brother could have taught such an excellent disciple."

  In the quiet cave, Shiwen and his seven disciples could only wait quietly for the instructions of the Tianxia Sword Saint. In their hearts, the Tianxia Sword Saint was almost a synonym for God.

  After a long time, the clear voice came out again, with a hint of faint sadness. "Lao Jiu has been gone for so many years, I didn't expect him to die in a foreign land. Alas! Fate is playing tricks on people! Pass down my order, command all disciples of the Tianjian Sword Sect to search with all their might and find out the whereabouts of that disciple as soon as possible, bring him back to see me. Xi Wen! I'm old, from now on, I won't ask about the affairs inside the sect anymore. From today on, you are the second-generation leader of the sword sect."

  Ximen was shocked and quickly knelt down on the ground, trembling with fear, saying: "Master, your disciple is terrified, please withdraw your order."

  "I've grown old, and the time of my return is near. This position as head should have been passed on to you long ago. This is my order, do not disobey."

  Lu Wen and six others immediately knelt down on the ground upon hearing Tianxia Sword Saint say that he would soon be returning, loudly calling out: "Master!"

  The voice of the Tianxia Sword Saint softened, "I have lived for over 110 years, and among the four great sword saints, I am the oldest. Human lifespan is always limited, from now on, the Tianxia Sword Sect will rely on you few. The Blood Day is approaching, the thousand-year catastrophe is about to arrive, which is not something that the Church can resist. The dark waves on the mainland have gradually risen, you must take the lives of all living beings as your responsibility. When the Holy Calendar reaches a thousand years, there will inevitably be demons descending upon the world. Alas... I'm afraid I won't make it to that day. You must assist the Church and eliminate the demons, do you understand?"

  "I humbly obey Master's orders."

  "Alright, Xiwen, you must find that child as soon as possible. What happened to Lao Jiu is the greatest regret of my life. I was too selfish. I hope to fulfill this wish before I die."

  …………

  After more than two hours of rapid galloping, Ah-Dai, who had never ridden a horse before, felt as if his whole body was about to fall apart, especially his waist and buttocks, which were numb and had lost all sensation.

  Yan Shi lightly pulled the reins and slowed down his horse. He glanced at Ah Dai, who was following closely behind him, and asked: "Brother, how's the feeling of riding a horse?"

  "Ah-Dai let out a wry smile: 'Brother Rock, my bones are almost shattered, hasn't your tribe arrived yet?'"

  Yanshi burst out laughing and said: "It's always like this the first time you ride a horse, just get through this forest and we'll be at the tribe, hang in there for a bit longer."

  A'Dai stretched his muscles and said: "Brother Yan, your Pu Rock clan has such a great environment with so many forests. Don't you have cities?"

  "The great nature gave birth to our people, the Purock tribe. How can we destroy it? What's the use of cities? They're just built by clearing forests. Nature has its own rules. If you treat it badly, it will revenge on you sooner or later. Even if humans have divine power, they absolutely cannot rival nature!"

  Ah-Dai scratched his head and said, "Rocky brother, although I don't quite understand what you're saying, I think you're absolutely right. Compared to the city, I'd rather stay in the forest with its fresh air." As soon as he mentioned the forest, he naturally thought of the Mystic Forest and the Magic Flame Master Goris, whom he hadn't seen for five years, and a faint sadness crept onto his face.

  "The tribe ahead is my own territory. There are dozens of tribes in the Puyan clan, and my father is the leader of the largest tribe, which makes him the patriarch of the entire Puyan clan. The people of our Puyan clan are very united, unlike other places where people are always trying to outsmart each other."

  Finally passing through the forest, everything in front of him suddenly startled Ah-Dai. Here, it was like a huge village, with stone-built houses everywhere, seemingly several thousand households. The tribe was bustling, with smoke curling up, and many families were apparently cooking lunch.

  Pulling the reins, Yán Shí jumped down from the horse and said to Chōng ā Dāi with a proud smile: "How's that? Our tribe isn't bad, right? Except for not having city walls, it's basically no different from a city. Everything is available here. You can rest well at my place today and leave early tomorrow morning, it won't be late."

  A'Dai also got off his horse, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, he felt a lot more comfortable all over, except for a slight feeling of emptiness in his feet. He adjusted his breath and hurriedly moved around to loosen up his sore muscles. At this time, Yue Yin and others also got down from their carriages. Xuan Yue quickly ran to A'Dai's side and looked at the tribe in front of them, exclaiming: "Wow, what a big village!"

  The moon mark coughed twice and said, "This is not a village, it should be the Pu Yan tribe's tribe, which is about the same as an ordinary city. I've seen even bigger tribes than this."

  Xuan Yue glared at him and said, "I'm just called Village, what's wrong with that." As she spoke, she pulled on Ah Dai's clothes and frowned, saying, "Look, your clothes are all messy, let me help you tidy them up." Due to riding horses, Ah Dai's clothes had long been filled with wrinkles. Upon hearing this, he lowered his head to look, and Xuan Yue was pulling on his magician's robe, continuously stroking it. A strange feeling like being electrocuted instantly spread throughout Ah Dai's body, leaving him standing there in a daze, unable to speak.

  Yan Shi burst out laughing and said: "Brother, you still say she's not your little girlfriend? Look at how much she cares about you!"

  Xuan Yue's blue braids fluttered as her pretty face turned slightly red, and she scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about? Who is his girlfriend? We just came together. If he dresses sloppily, it would be embarrassing for me!"

  The strange rock looked at Ah-Dai with a weird gaze and said, "Let's go, first enter our tribe. You've been rushing for half a day, you must be tired too. Eat something and rest for a bit."

  Under the escort of the soldiers, they entered the tribe. Most of the Pu Rock people were yellow-skinned, with skin slightly darker than Ah Dai's. Their brown hair was their symbol. Everyone who saw Rocky showed a respectful expression.

  "Uncle Rock, you're back! Did you bring some delicious food for Dongdong?" A four or five-year-old boy ran over, curiously looked at Ah Dai and the others, and pounced on Rock's body.

  Yan Shi burst out laughing and scooped up the boy, saying: "Dong Dong, this time Uncle left in a hurry and didn't have time to bring you delicious things. Uncle promises you, next time he'll definitely bring some."

  "Dong Dong pouted and said: 'Uncle, you must keep your promise.'"

  Yanshi Cai gently ruffled his hair and said, "Uncle, when have you ever gone back on your word? Where's your mom?"

  A woman ran over, looking very pretty, and shouted at the rock: "Young master, you're back! Winter saw your shadow and rushed over. Winter, come down quickly!" Winter looked at his mother, hugged the rock's neck tightly, and refused to move.

  The young woman walked to the side of the rock, sighed and said: "Young tribal leader, Dongdong has always regarded you as his father. His father left early, if there is a chance in the future, I hope you can teach him something."

  Dongdong lifted his head and looked at Rocky Road: "Yes, Uncle Rocky Road, I also want to become a brave warrior like you."

  The rock's eyes revealed a hint of melancholy, gently stroking Dongdong's hair, saying: "Zhuoma, I will. Dongdong be good, come down first, Uncle has guests today and can't accompany you. In a few days, Uncle will start teaching you martial arts." Under the repeated coaxing of the rock, Dongdong finally returned to his mother's arms, and the young woman glanced at Ah Dai and others before turning around and leaving.

  As he watched the young woman's receding back, a hint of desolation flowed into Rocky's eyes. Xuan Yue asked, "Your relationship seems very complicated! Big guy, who are they to you?"

  Yanshi shook his head, leading the crowd towards the center of the tribe while saying: "Zhuoma is the wife of a good brother of mine. When Dongdong was two years old, his father died on duty. It's been three years now, and I feel sorry for this widowed mother and orphaned child. Whenever I have time, I will take care of them. In our tribe, there are many cases like Zhuoma's, all because..." He suddenly stopped here, looked at Xuanyue with some vigilance, and no longer spoke.

  Yuè Hén and Yuè Jī stared at each other, while Xuán Yuè's big eyes rolled around, thinking about something again. ā Dāi rushed to the rock and said: "Rocky brother, don't be sad, things have already happened. Their experience is very miserable, but Dongdong still has a mother, compared to me, it's much stronger." Thinking of the experience of pulling fish in Nino City when he was young, ā Dāi couldn't help but feel a little silly.

  Xuan Yue had never heard Ah Dai talk about his own life before, so he curiously asked: "Ah Dai, I've never asked you before, what do your parents do? Where is your family?"

  He looked at her and said faintly, "I have no parents. I also don't have a home." Thinking of Owen, Ah-Dai felt a pang in his heart, filled with longing for Owen and Gollis.

  Yan Shi patted Ah Dai's shoulder and said, "Brother, I didn't know you were an orphan too! Alright, we're home now, let's go in. Today, my wife will cook a delicious meal for you, her culinary skills are exceptional!" This was the second time Yan Shi had bragged about his wife to Ah Dai, and looking at his blissful expression, it was clear that their relationship was very deep.

  When he heard the words of the rock, Ah-Dai suddenly realized that everyone had arrived in front of a huge stone house, which was located in the center of the entire tribe and occupied an area of several hundred square meters. The soldiers who followed the rock were gone, presumably returning to their own homes, leaving only himself, Xuan Yue, and Yu Yin's four people here.

  Yan Shi's face was filled with excitement as he shouted loudly at the tightly closed door, "Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun, we have guests arriving, hurry up and open the door! Open the door quickly!"

  The door seemed to be locked from the inside, and no matter how much Yanyan shouted, there was no response. Yanyan was a bit stunned and muttered: "Where did Xiaoyun go? The door is usually open!" He grabbed a passing villager and asked: "Uncle Ke Lu, have you seen Xiaoyun today? Why is our door locked, has she gone out?"

  The old man, who was held back by the rock, shook his head and said: "After you went out this morning, I haven't seen Xiaoyun. She should be at home, right? Ah! Why is your door locked today? Xiaoyun rarely goes out, knock again to see if she's sleeping."

  Yan Shi shook his head and said, "It won't be, I told her this morning when I left that I would come back for lunch at noon, Xiao Yun will definitely wait for me." Yan Shi's face showed a look of anxiety, he walked to the front door, hesitated for a moment, stretched out his large hand like a fan, pressed it on the door, and with a burst of yellow energy, the sound of "ka" echoed, and the door latch inside was already broken.

  Yan Shi pushed open the large gate, stepped into the room, Ah Dai followed closely behind him. As soon as they entered, a pungent bloody smell suddenly wafted over, Yan Shi's face changed greatly, and he quickly walked towards the inner room.

  "No——" A loud, mournful cry echoed through the room, causing the entire stone house to shake violently. Ah-Dai was startled and rushed in with Yue-Heng. Seeing what lay before them, they were shocked into stupidity. In the inner chamber's bedroom, a large bed held a naked girl, her brown hair tangled and disheveled, her originally beautiful face filled with resentment and unwillingness, her eyes wide open, the grayish-white eyeballs staring at the ceiling above, her fists clenched tightly, fresh blood staining the white sheets red, still trickling out from between her legs, clearly a victim of rape and murder. Her pale skin had a faint bluish tint, apparently having been dead for some time.

  The rock held the girl in his arms, completely stunned, tears constantly flowing from the eyes of this iron-like strong man, his facial muscles twitching constantly.

  Xuan Yue and Yuè Jī followed them in, and upon seeing the scene before their eyes, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. Xuan Yue rushed into Ah Dāi's arms, trembling with fear, saying: "This, this is what happened, so scary!"

  "Big Brother Rock, what's going on here?" Ah Diao exclaimed as he rushed towards the rocky path.

  The rock did not respond, and holding the girl's naked corpse, he stood up, tore off his own cloak behind him and wrapped her in it, step by step walking out of the door, and everyone automatically made way for him to watch him walk out.

  The rock burst out of the door and suddenly let out a loud roar, "Ah——" The voice rapidly grew louder, piercing through the clouds. Along with the massive shout, the rock's body underwent a transformation. His already robust muscles suddenly swelled up, tearing apart his upper garments. His brown eyes turned bloodshot, and waves of ominous aura continuously seeped out from within him, his presence surging intensely.

  "Ah! He's gone berserk. He's actually a Berserker."

  The loud cry of the rock echoed throughout the village, and the villagers nearby immediately ran over. In a short while, they surrounded the rock's home in a circle.

  "Shao Zu Chang, what's wrong? What happened?"

  "Ah! Yun'er sister, what's going on? Why is there blood? What exactly happened?"

  "Shao Zu Zhang, what is this......"

  A cold voice seeped out from the gaps between the rocks, stunning people's minds. "Tell me, who is it? Who killed my Yun'er? Who is it? You tell me, who is it?"

  Everyone in the tribe was stunned, Rock's wife was famous for her beauty and kindness in the tribe, suddenly died, even they couldn't accept it. Rock kept screaming in agony, but he couldn't express his inner pain no matter what.

  A sturdy man ran over, his physique no less than the rock. Looking at the corpse in Rock's hand, he asked in surprise: "Brother Rock, how did your younger brother and sister end up like this?"

  The momentum on the rock's body grew more and more frantic, still those words, "Who was it, who killed my Yun'er?"

  Ah-Dai walked up to the rock and comforted him, saying: "Brother Rock, calm down, let's investigate this matter clearly before talking."

  With a flick of his arm, a surge of great force came forth, instantly sending Ah Dai flying several meters away. His eyes seemed to be about to spew out fire as he exclaimed, "Calm down? How can I calm down? The person I love the most is dead, how can I calm down?"

  Ah-Dai urged the true energy inside his body to move, and after several cycles, he finally dissipated the fierce aura emitted by the rock. The rock's power was originally higher than his, and after going berserk, its power surged, seeming to increase by more than a fold. That powerful force was fundamentally not something he could resist.

  More and more people gathered around, surrounding the rocky home with an impenetrable wall of water. A group of young warriors pushed their way to the front of the rock, and upon seeing everything before them, were stunned into silence.

  The rock suddenly let out a loud roar, one hand tightly wrapped around his wife's body, glaring at the warrior in front of him, crazily shouting: "It was you, it was you, wasn't it? You must have been the one who killed my little cloud!" The other hand that had been freed suddenly shot out, carrying a dense yellow fighting energy that violently collided with the warrior's chest.

  The warrior was shocked, and at the critical moment, he barely blocked his chest with both hands. Ah-Dai was startled, shouted "Don't!", and punched a fist full of energy onto the rock from the side.

  In the midst of a deafening crash, two figures were simultaneously sent flying. The energy stored in Rockfist's punch was too great, and even with Ah-Dai using all his might, he was still blown away. Under Ah-Dai's interference, Rockfist's fist still slammed into the warrior's hands, and the sound of bones shattering could be clearly heard. The warrior's body also flew out, spewing a mouthful of blood into the air. If not for Ah-Dai's timely intervention, he would have certainly died under Rockfist's crazed punches, but even so, he still suffered severe injuries.

  "Ah! Has he gone mad?"

  A sturdy man who had rushed over earlier shouted loudly: "Quick, everyone first hold down the young master of the minority, he has gone mad and doesn't recognize anyone." As he spoke, he charged forward first.

  A robust man seemed to have great prestige among the Pu Yan tribe, and dozens of young warriors rushed up instantly, pouncing on the rock. The rock was frantically roaring on one side, while constantly waving his arms, with a surge of yellow energy bursting out, no one could get close to him within three meters, shadows flew out one by one, in just a moment, more than ten Pu Yan tribe people were beaten into serious injury.

  Wanli helped Adai up from the ground, Adai had just punched the rock with a sideways fist, so although he was blown away, he wasn't injured. Looking at the crazed rock, Adai furrowed his brow and ran to Xuanyue's side, saying: "Miss, Rock Brother suddenly became like this, do you have any way to save him?"

  Xuan Yue seemed to have not recovered from the fright of seeing the corpse of his wife, and when Ah Dai asked her, she shook her head and said: "I, I also don't know what to do!"

  "Kuang Zhan Shi's power is extremely strong, it can instantly boost its strength to 200% of its original state, and its defensive power increases several times. Looking at the rock's current state, I'm afraid no one can stop him now. Our skills are not enough!"

  A'Dai gritted his teeth and said: "I'll go up and try, how could Rock Brother suddenly become like this, has he really gone mad?"

  Yuè Hén grasped Ah Dāi's arm and said, "Brother, even if you go up there, it'll be useless. He's completely frenzied now and doesn't recognize anyone. The stimulation he received was too great, his mind is no longer clear-headed. Although I've seen berserk warriors before, they were only 50% frenzied, and when their potential burned out, they would recover on their own. But Yán Shí's condition is different, it's unlikely he'll recover. Let him calm down first, then there might be a chance for him to return to normal. Xiǎo Yuè Niáng, do you have any magic that can calm people down?"

  Xuan Yue thought for a moment and nodded: "There is, but my magic level is insufficient, I don't know if I can cast this advanced calming spell."

  Yuehen looked at the still crazed rock and anxiously said, "Let's try it out. When he's completely frenzied, what gets consumed first is his own power and physical strength, then he'll start consuming his life potential. If we let him continue like this, I'm afraid he'll exhaust himself to death."

  "Ah, yes! Moon, you have to save Rocky Brother, I'm begging you!"

  Xuan Yue looked at Ah Diao with some surprise and nodded: "Alright then, Ah Diao you help me."

  "Ah, stupid!" he replied, "How can I help?"