Chapter 331: 331. Chapter 331 Bronze Pillar Moves, Kuafu's Death

331. Chapter 331 Bronze Pillar Moves, Kuafu's Death

The field's atmosphere fell into deathly silence with the sudden sarcasm and Kuafu's rise, yet the newcomer, seeing Kuafu thus, still continued to shout:

"Do you think it's wrong? Your grandiose false words have drawn how many tribespeople's high hopes upon you."

"The result, however, is that people laugh till their teeth fall out, letting that bunch on the other side stand outside the bronze pillar and mock our valor!"

"Today the tribespeople's joy is thus, the flashing and swaying red star in the sky is so moving, the fine wine and roasted meat by the bonfire contain how many tribespeople's expectations."

"Everyone is enjoying themselves freely, wanting to witness the tribe's valor, yet now you step forward again, wanting to continue proving to us the Heavenly Court's might and our weakness?"

Looking at Kuafu before him, eyes blood-red, his whole body emanating killing intent and fury, as if wanting to tear him apart, that person's eyes revealed a mocking smile, and he spoke mockingly:

"How so? Want to kill me? Come, prove your blood courage; if you can pull out the bronze pillar, what does it matter if I give up this life?"

Kuafu remained utterly silent, about to step forward, when Dayi shouted: "Kuafu! That's our tribesperson!"

"Unfortunately, Dayi's well-meaning dissuasion found no favor; instead he continued to provoke: 'Great Shaman Dayi, please don't say that; I am ashamed to have a tribesperson like Kuafu, and let him kill me so everyone can see how a coward proves his valor!'"

With that person's words, countless drunken shamans began to cheer, and some even wanted to throw the remaining fruit peels and bones in their hands at Kuafu.

Seeing the tribespeople's support, the newcomer felt a bit prouder, intending to continue mocking Kuafu, but was shoved away by a slap from him.

Kuafu's eyes filled with disbelief and incomprehension; he had never imagined that one day the tribespeople would look at him this way.

Facing the crowd's mockery and disgust, Kuafu finally spoke:

"My valor is not something your kind, who only shout and incite the tribespeople, can comprehend; I will prove my valor, and you had better let me see yours!"

As his words fell, Kuafu silently walked toward the bronze pillar; his aura was like a heavenly chasm, wherever he went, the surrounding shamans all stepped aside, daring not to block him.

Dayi and the many great shamans watched silently; they wanted to stop him, but the words they imagined were so feeble and contradictory.

Dayi had the power to stop him, but for some reason his feet felt as if filled with lead, heavy; he knew he also wanted his good friend Kuafu to prove himself and wash away his shame.

Even though they all knew this was mistaken, every great shaman understood that Kuafu had been placed by the tribespeople on a cliff's edge, with abysses ahead and behind, leaving no retreat.

Kuafu arrived beneath the bronze pillar; though it was merely ordinary brass, it emitted a golden light that inspired awe, and Kuafu understood that the uncomfortable presence permeating it was called dignity.

With his blood and qi boiling, Kuafu's body began to grow rapidly; from just over a zhang, within a few breaths it reached over a thousand zhang.

The azure and yellow snakes coiled around his left and right hands, their huge forked tongues flicking out, then gradually contracting until they slipped into Kuafu's hands.

Kuafu's body continued to swell, gaining another five hundred zhang in height, until now he placed his hands on the bronze pillar and exerted force suddenly.

The cracking of bones and tendons rang without cease; Kuafu clenched his teeth, a trace of blood seeping between them, and he let out a low growl.

The field fell silent; numerous shamans fixed their gazes on Kuafu, as if even the moonlight on the horizon and the swaying red star could not draw their attention.

Veins bulged, yet Kuafu felt as if he were embracing not a bronze pillar but the entire continent; no matter how he strained, he could not budge it.

As time passed, many tribespeople seemed to see Kuafu's impotence, gradually losing patience with him.

Seeing the bronze pillar unmoved while Kuafu exhausted his strength, the exposed veins, the blood trickling from his gums, and his waning qi made one tribesperson unable to bear it, and he shouted:

"Kuafu, you've done your best; give up. We actually held no hope; those earlier words of yours need not be taken to heart—they were merely that person's personal opinion."

The murmurs of agreement were scattered, yet they kept rising and gradually gained some force; Kuafu, however, seemed oblivious, wholly immersed in the bronze pillar.

Actually Kuafu heard them, but the voices urging him to quit grew louder, entering his ears without giving him the slightest comfort, instead making his heart feel as if cut by a knife.

The pervasive blood and qi began to burn, even seeping blood from his pores; his fifteen-hundred-zhang frame was now a giant dyed red with blood, mighty yet powerless.

Suddenly Kuafu bellowed, spewing countless mists of blood that scorched the surrounding air to boiling, with faint blood flames burning on the bronze pillar.

Suddenly someone below cried out:

"It moved, everyone look quickly—the bronze pillar stirred! Kuafu, you've proven your valor; stop now!"

Countless voices echoed, even carrying a faint sob; Kuafu was already spent.

In Dayi's and others' eyes flashed a hint of reluctance, yet they never spoke; did the bronze pillar move? They hoped it had.

Kuafu ignored the crowd's cries, merely letting the blood flames on his body burn fiercer, scorching the air into distortion, forcing the surrounding shamans to retreat.

"Ah!!!"

Kuafu's mouth roared, but it was merely meaningless noise, not human speech; the blood flames swelled further, and suddenly, before everyone's eyes, the bronze pillar truly trembled once.

The movement was minuscule, to the point that those in the field felt as if their eyes were playing tricks.

It moved again, still that minuscule, yet it undeniably entered everyone's sight.

The crowd kept shouting: "Kuafu, enough! You've done it! The bronze pillar moved! It really moved! We all saw it!"

Among them were Dayi and the many great shamans, and Kuafu beneath the bronze pillar finally ceased, letting out a hearty laugh.

The laughter rang through the heavens, full of abandon and excitement; countless people in the field cheered, and the flickering red star seemed to sway with it.

But the laughter cut off abruptly; the giant collapsed with a boom, his massive body tilting backward, continually shrinking as he fell.

Upon hitting the ground, the fallen Kuafu stood less than a zhang tall, his body wrapped in blood, his breath like a guttering candle in the wind, liable to extinguish at any moment.

Dayi and the others rushed over, using their strength to sustain Kuafu's pulse, their fierce eyes locked on the earlier provocateur.

But they had no time to waste on such a petty person; Kuafu's breath was faint, so they hurried to bring him back to the tribe to see if the ancestral shamans could effect a rescue.

The gathering on the hillside was interrupted; countless people weaved through the crowd, seeking only to find the earlier speaker.

That person had wanted to flee, but was ultimately discovered; countless shamans swarmed him, beating him to death at the bronze pillar's base! Afterwards some shamans bound his corpse to the pillar, hoisting it high to suffer sun and rain, to be pecked by birds.

And after the many great shamans brought Kuafu back, they found the ancestral shaman Houtu in the tribe; without waiting for an explanation, Houtu hurriedly brought him into a room.

Until several days later, when the sun hung high, Houtu emerged from the room weary-faced, gazed at the many great shamans before her, and spoke with eyes full of anger and sorrow:

"Kuafu has departed, returning to the Father God's embrace; his blood and qi are exhausted, his tendons and bones shattered, his wounds too grave—I too am powerless."

"Now, who among you can tell me what exactly happened? Weren't you out gathering? Why has Kuafu become like this!"

The many great shamans remained utterly silent; after a long while, Dayi finally stepped forward and related everything to Houtu.

The field fell dead silent; Houtu lowered her head, obscuring her expression from the crowd, then suddenly she thrust a fist straight at Dayi.

With a booming crash, Dayi was flung backward outright, smashing several mountain peaks before coming to a halt.

After throwing the punch, Houtu's face remained grim, but somewhat better than before; she swept a fierce glance at the great shamans and said: "Anyone not of the Houtu tribe, get out back to your own tribes at once—this place is no longer welcome to you; while I still can control myself, scram!"

The Nine Phoenix at the front called out guiltily: "Lady Houtu, I—"

Just as the words weren't finished, Hou Tu's sharp gaze fell upon Jiu Feng, and he shouted, "Didn't you hear what I said? Get lost!"

The many great Wu were helpless and dared not linger; they could only retreat slowly back to their own tribes.

After several months, the wounded Da Yi finally limped back to the tribe; Hou Tu's punch had nearly shattered half his bones, and they still haven't healed.

Just lying in the shattered mountains, Da Yi stayed there for two months, unable to move at all during that time.

Only when his injuries began to mend did he barely regain the strength to drag his wounded body back to the tribe step by step.

During this period, Hou Tu's anger also eased a little; seeing Da Yi, he didn't strike again, only saying, "If you're not dead, come with me to the main hall for a meeting—other ancestral Wu have arrived, and they need to inquire about that night's events."

"About what happened that night, don't conceal anything; don't omit any detail."

Da Yi nodded and replied, "Yes."

Immediately the two headed to the Wu Clan's great hall of Hou Tu's tribe; there, the four ancestral Wu—Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin, Zhurong, and Gonggong—were already waiting.

As Hou Tu took his seat, the leading Di Jiang ignored Da Yi's disheveled appearance and asked first, "Do you still remember the appearance and name of the person who started this that day? Was there anything unusual? Was it spontaneous among the tribespeople, or could there be an outsider's scheme?"

After a moment's thought, Da Yi immediately replied:

""Reporting to Lord Di Jiang, that person was indeed a Wu; I recall his appearance, likely from the Gonggong department." "As for his name, I don't know, but before the gathering began, I saw him enter together with the Gonggong department.""

""As for any abnormality, I'm sorry I didn't notice; ever since Kuafu first failed to pull out the bronze pillar, his environment in the tribe has been unfriendly.""

""As for the attempt to pull out the bronze pillar, at first it was just tribespeople who had drunk too much, entertaining themselves there.""

""Later, for some reason, more and more people tried, and then it drew us in.""

""The bronze pillar concerns the Heavenly Court; we know its importance, but we were forced onto it by the tribespeople, so someone had to go try.""

""At the time I thought Kuafu had already tried it; even if he failed again, it shouldn't matter, and everyone present can attest to that.""

""Originally everything went as expected, but then someone suddenly jumped out, his words full of mockery toward Kuafu.""

""In front of many tribespeople, Kuafu was shoved onto the cliff; I don't know how to resolve that situation.""

""The final outcome, you all know; as for the one who jumped out to mock Kuafu, we were busy bringing Kuafu back to the tribe at the time, so we didn't pay him any heed.""

Di Jiang nodded and said, "That person is already dead, beaten to death by the enraged tribespeople; his corpse still hangs on that bronze pillar, and since too many people struck him, we don't know exactly who did it."

""Whether there is an outsider's scheme, we're all in the dark about it now; you're badly injured, I'll ask you one last question—you must answer truthfully.""

""After you answer, you can go back to tend your wounds; as for how the tribe will later punish you, that's Hou Tu's sister's affair—we have no authority to interfere.""

""I ask you, did you really see that bronze pillar move with your own eyes? Make sure you're not mistaken, or saying it just to stop Kuafu as a joke.""

""This is of utmost importance; no lies, no falsehood or sentimentality will be tolerated—you must speak the truth.""

Upon hearing this, Da Yi's eyes turned blood-red; he never imagined that his good brother Kuafu, who had proven his bravery with his life, would now face suspicion. Seeing Da Yi agitated, Hou Tu immediately shouted:

""Da Yi!""

Hearing Hou Tu's words, Da Yi could only force himself to endure, gritting his teeth as he spoke:

""Reporting to Lord Di Jiang, I swear on my life that Kuafu indeed moved the bronze pillar—I saw it myself! There is not the slightest falsehood.""

Di Jiang nodded, a flicker of surprise and joy crossing his eyes, as if a heavy stone had been lifted, making his whole body relax.

Looking at the extremely agitated Da Yi before him, Di Jiang then spoke to comfort him:

""Good, I believe you; you must also believe that Kuafu's sacrifice was not meaningless—he not only proved his blood courage, but also reconnected the Wu's backbone.""

""He will be a hero, a hero of the Wu Clan; his death will be a hero's death, and that is unshakeable.""

Da Yi's expression then eased, having received Di Jiang's affirmation—at least Kuafu's sacrifice wouldn't be so insignificant, at least it had some meaning! "I understand, Lady Hou Tu; forgive my severe injuries, I'll take my leave first."

Hou Tu nodded, said nothing; seeing this, Da Yi could only depart gloomily.

After only the five ancestral Wu remained, Zhu Jiuyang spoke: "Kuafu's strength, among the Wu Clan's great Wu, should rank within the top ten, though he still falls slightly short of the very strongest."

""Since even he could shake the bronze pillar, the tribe must now have the ability to remove it!""

""After removing us twelve, there are still six bronze pillars left; let's discuss who we could rally for the future removal.""

After thinking, Di Jiang said:

""Xingtian, Da Yi, Chiyou, Wind Earl, Rain Master, Xiangliu, Jiu Feng—these seven are the top great Wu of the Wu Clan today.""

""The candidates can only be chosen from among them; everyone else is even inferior to Kuafu, who could only shake it, while others have no chance.""

Zhurong remained silent; his tribe had no powerful great Wu, and no one from his tribe appeared on that list, so he naturally had nothing to worry about.

Gonggong spoke first: "Xiangliu won't do; compared in strength, he excels more in law power, and his venom is top-notch, but he falls far short in strength."

Hou Tu also spoke: "My Hou Tu tribe has already lost a Kuafu; Da Yi cannot join them either, otherwise where would fairness be?"

Hearing this, Di Jiang frowned and said, "What do you mean? This concerns the entire Wu Clan; how can we allow selfishness! The grand plan of the clan has nothing to do with individual tribes, losses, or fairness."

The hall instantly erupted in argument; each tribe actually has no shortage of great Wu, but lacks individuals like those present who could become ancestral Wu.

These people are truly the tribes' treasures, key to ensuring a tribe's long-term prosperity; they would hardly let go easily now.

Zhu Jiuyin, standing aside, seeing the chaos, couldn't help but let out a sinister chuckle: "You all are arguing like this, which is too damaging to brotherly affection; why not hold a grand tournament within the Wu Clan, letting them come out to practice?"

""For the sake of the clan, from among them we select the strongest six to go pull out the bronze pillar; of course, to ensure fairness, neither of us can leave this place—we can only send word to notify them, right?""

Hou Tu's face instantly darkened; she naturally knew Da Yi's strength—aside from Xingtian, who is still a match, the rest pose no real threat to him.

Zhu Jiuyin's suggestion was clearly aimed at the Hou Tu tribe! Yet not expecting Hou Tu to speak against it, Di Jiang and the others voiced their agreement:

""Agreement.""

""Agreement.""

""Agreement.""

Hou Tu looked at the few people in the hall, then snorted angrily and said, "Good! Very good!"

Having said that, she immediately closed her eyes and fell silent; the other ancestral Wu exchanged glances but also did not offer counsel, for they each harbored their own thoughts and would not step forward to comfort her now.

In the Heavenly Court, within the Hall of Lingxiao, Di Jun and Fuxi sat facing each other playing a game; Di Jun smiled lightly and said, "The Wu Clan is quite interesting—we haven't even lifted a finger, yet they themselves are pushing a Wu of great potential onto a cliff destined for death."

""If we waited a few more yuanhui, letting us actively reduce the fortune on the bronze pillar, perhaps even that person wouldn't die; their haste is puzzling.""

In Di Jun's smile lay a hint of mockery and also some puzzlement; the Wu Clan is not without smart people, who clearly know that if they just wait quietly, they will eventually have a day to rise.

Yet a great Wu nearly comparable to the Hunyuan Dao ends up being shoved onto the execution platform by a crowd whose strength can only be called ants.

Di Jun did not understand, Fuxi also smiled and said: "The people of the Wu Clan have no primordial spirit, they solely cultivate the power of bloodline and fleshly form laws; although in battle they are not inferior to immortals and gods, but in their thinking they are no different from ordinary mortals."

"After all, unable to cultivate the Great Dao, they cannot be like immortals and gods, maintaining a heart unmoved by external things, and will not undergo tempering and cultivation."

"Obsessed with emotions, fixated on honor and martial valor, even if their lifespan is long, they are still merely mortals."

"There is inherently the matter of being ashamed to draw a sword and hard to sheath it, the strong dying at the hands of the weak; do not believe that, if placed among the Immortal Dao, these people could possibly approach one's person, let alone speak provocatively."

Saying this, Fuxi placed a piece; above Xifang Dalu, countless cloud layers rolled, a bolt of lightning struck down, finally entering the eighteen copper pillars.

Fuxi then laughed and said:

"Since they have such ambition and are unwilling to wait for heavenly timing, I will give them some surprise to show the Heavenly Court's grace."

"After all, whether thunder and rain or dew, they are all the Heavenly Court's grace; regardless of whether they are willing or not, they all shall receive it from me."

Di Jun looked at Fuxi with some surprise, seemingly not expecting that he too could be so overbearing; however, it was only a bit of lightning, and that was it.

Moreover, because of Kuafu's shaking of the copper pillars, the countless Wu people who were inspired are now eagerly heading to the locations of each copper pillar.

They did not expect that what awaited them was not the former pillar that would not retaliate, but rather only the outcome of either pulling out the copper pillar or dying.

In contrast, at this moment the Heavenly Court is filled with joyous excitement; the day of the Earth Marriage is approaching, the entire Heavenly Court is anticipating it and is excited about it.

After all, once such a grand gathering occurs, it signifies that the countless spiritual objects accumulated in the Heavenly Court's treasury will finally see the light of day again.

The gains brought by a single assembly almost save them ten thousand years of cultivation; with such a wonderful thing, how could they not be excited?

As for the beings in the Wilderness, they are still confused about this, painstakingly researching how to defend against heavenly demons, and are troubled by it.

But just then, a message suddenly spread throughout the Wilderness: join the Heavenly Court, receive the Heavenly Court's qi fortune protection, consume the Golden Core Peach, and heavenly demons shall not disturb.

Immediately, the entire Wilderness boiled over again, everyone painstakingly scheming to join the Heavenly Court; unfortunately, having long been without warfare, the Heavenly Court hardly recruits personnel from the Wilderness.

Amidst the peaceful scene of the Wilderness, the Earth Marriage ceremony finally opened its curtains with the arrival of the new Yuanhui. (End of chapter)