Chapter 178

Two or three li outside the shanty area, there is an entrance to a plank road carved into the cliff wall here.

The narrow plank road can barely accommodate two or three people walking side by side; for Wu Tie, who has transformed into a half-dragon, walking on such a road is somewhat awkward.

All the way grunting and swearing, he walked up the plank road; the White Tiger Split frequently struck the cliff wall, emitting dull thuds that left depressions the size of water tanks in the rock.

Each time the two blood dwarves leading the way heard an impact, their small bodies jerked violently.

They abruptly turned their heads, giving Wu Tie a fawning grin, and their frightened gazes instinctively swept over the depressions on the cliff wall.

It's too terrifying, too mighty—no wonder the dragon people are famed for their immense physical strength… Just how heavy is his weapon? A light touch actually creates such a huge hole in the rock.

The two blood dwarves kept replaying the scene of being smashed by the White Tiger Split; the terror in their eyes grew stronger, and their bodies trembled from time to time.

After advancing dozens of li along the plank road and climbing to a cliff height nearly three thousand meters above ground, a small stone platform had been carved into the cliff here, where several heavily armored snakemen stood, staring fixedly at Wu Tie and occasionally flicking out long snake tongues.

Dragon people innately possess a bloodline-based intimidation over snakemen, and it is an overwhelming, controlling intimidation.

A single dragon person standing there, no snakeman dares to act against him.

Even if it were merely a dragon infant, while that snakeman is already a master above the Life Pool Realm, they cannot break through this bloodline confinement.

Wu Tie walked onto the platform, standing at its edge and coldly glancing at these few black-skinned snakemen whose auras were icy and sinister.

Squinting, some wandering points of light stirred within Wu Tie's bloodline.

This is the Grand Dao principle that scattered from the myriad light filaments Wu Tie broke when he shattered the first Chonglou heavenly lock during the blessing bestowed by the Nüwa ancestors; he can assume a half-dragon form because among those shattered heavenly and earthly shackles lies a fragment of dragon bloodline profundity.

A domineering, primeval, extremely overbearing aura surged forth from Wu Tie's body like a hurricane.

The two blood dwarves went 'thud' and collapsed to the ground; they had already been frightened enough by Wu Tie along the way, and being suddenly hit by the aura he deliberately released, the fact they didn't faint shows they still have some grit.

As for those few icy, sinister-aura snakemen, they rolled their eyes and fainted.

Wu Tie's emitted dragon-person aura was extremely pure; he deliberately used a little trick to magnify this pure dragon-person aura severalfold, fiercely striking it against the souls of those snakemen.

Naturally possessing an overwhelming bloodline intimidation, plus Wu Tie's deliberate effort, these black-skinned snakemen are of a lowly bloodline among snakemen, far inferior to the Lord Sa that Wu Tie has seen.

Thus they promptly passed out, their bodies occasionally twitching, and a strong stench emanated from them.

These unfortunate fellows were so scared by Wu Tie's aura that they lost control of their bladders.

"You really embarrass our Bloodcurved Blade," a hoarse voice came from a cave mouth at the platform's edge; a thin, bald old man with his hands behind his back stood at the mouth, squinting as he sized up Wu Tie's burly frame, then nodded in satisfaction.

"Still, it's understandable—a person whose bloodline aura rivals that of a pure-blood dragon… a half-dragon?" The old man's pale-green facial muscles twitched as he smiled and nodded at Wu Tie: "I've heard you're willing to join our Bloodcurved Blade?"

"Room and board, money—what can't we do?" Wu Tie strode toward the old man.

He didn't even glance at those snakemen; for dragon people, they can deal on equal terms with other races, but for the snakeman race… in a dragon's mind, a snakeman's status is lower than even their slaves.

This is pure ethnic discrimination, and Wu Tie enacts the dragon people's ethnic discrimination to the fullest.

He strode up to the old man, who was barely half his height, looked down on him, and with a 'thud' drove the White Tiger Split heavily into the ground.

The White Tiger Split, over four meters long, immediately sank more than a meter deep into the stone floor.

Sparks flew in all directions, and even a few faint runes flickered on the ground. Obviously, the Bloodcurved Blade had laid some defensive measures on this platform, but against Wu Tie's brute force and the terrifying weight of the White Tiger Split, they were utterly useless.

The old man's pupils contracted slightly; he glanced at the White Tiger Split deeply embedded in the ground, nodded and smiled: "I am Tang Seven, War Hall Hallmaster Lu Tanglang of the Bloodcurved Blade. Sir, if you join our Bloodcurved Blade, you'll be one of us from now on… May I ask your name?"

Wu Tie glared at Tang Seven: "Green Mantis? You're a Bloodcurved Blade person—why not call yourself Blood Mantis? Eh, never mind, even if you called yourself Dead Mantis, it's nothing to me… Do you provide meals? Do you pay? And those two red-skinned little guys—you said there are more perks?"

Tang Seven smiled gently, giving no hint that he was actually the War Hall Hallmaster of the Bloodcurved Blade, specially tasked with waging armed conflict against other forces.

He laughed just like a kindly old neighbor, pursing his lips and chuckling: "Of course, of course—we have fine wine and meat, gold coins and jewels, divine weapons, and beautiful girls by the handful… But… oh, may I ask your name?"

Tang Seven asked Wu Tie this question for the second time.

Wu Tie furrowed his brows, looked at Tang Seven, and said coldly: "Why keep asking my name? I have none—call me… Spear Grandpa, that'll do."

Wu Tie cracked a grin, his smile tinged with an indescribable oddity: "I'm just like my precious big spear—black, long, hard… anyone can easily run through… heh heh… call me Spear Grandpa."

Tang Seven swallowed hard with difficulty, rolled his eyes at Wu Tie, and murmured: "Spear Grandpa, Spear Grandpa… that's fine; from now on, everyone will call you Spear Grandpa…"

He gave a dry chuckle, Tang Seven pressed his lips together, and inwardly cursed up a storm.

These dragon people, indeed, are still as useless as ever… Look at this so-called Spear Grandpa refusing to give his name—obviously he's come to the Black Snake Domain to hide from disaster after stirring up trouble elsewhere.

However, many a good man in the Black Snake Domain comes from such a background.

The Black Snake Domain basically has hardly any decent people.

Thus, the more wicked the scoundrel, the more welcome he is… Especially those great evildoers who have caused massive calamities, capable of such great evil yet still able to flee to the Black Snake Domain—this proves you're mighty strong!

What the Bloodcurved Blade lacks now is strong, capable people.

Tang Seven smiled, reaching out to lightly touch the White Tiger Split, which was as thick as an ordinary person's thigh, and said in a low voice: "Spear Grandpa, well, the Bloodcurved Blade currently needs a man like you. We provide food and money, plus various other benefits—as long as you have sufficient strength, Spear Grandpa…"

Tang Seven pointed to another platform on the distant cliff wall, about ten or so li away from here.

"However, since you've just arrived, we have no impression of your cultivation, combat strength, etc.; after you join our Bloodcurved Blade, what benefits should you receive—say, how much monthly dues should be paid to you… Please, Spear Grandpa, give a little demonstration."

Tang Seven smiled: "Over there is a stronghold of our arch-enemy, the Golden Dead Spirit; these days, the Golden Dead Spirit's War Hall Vice Hallmaster Bai Gui Lao Jiu is also here, just like me, and they're also recruiting troops. Well, I'll tie up White Ghost Old Nine for you—can you…"

Before he could finish the sentence, as Tang Seven was about to voice his demand of 'Spear Grandpa,' Wu Tie burst into laughter, leapt up relying solely on brute bodily strength, cleared a distance of ten or so li with a whoop, and slammed into the Golden Dead Spirit's platform.

Grasping the White Tiger Split with both hands, Wu Tie hefted his spear, over four meters long, and brought the shaft down upon that platform.

Divine Strength Magic and Divine Steel Body—two divine abilities activated simultaneously; as the spear came down, the shaft sucked the air out of a radius of dozens of li, a hurricane swept in all directions, and the void emitted an extremely dull boom.

On this platform, Tang Seven's eyes widened sharply.

The pure, overbearing vital-blood aura emanating from Wu Tie made him feel waves of palpitations.

One sweep of the spear evacuated the air within a radius of dozens of li—what tremendous force! It's said that the dragon people's innate divine strength surpasses all tribes; relying purely on bodily power and outrageous defense, a high-level Chonglou Realm dragon can oppose other races' Life Pool Realm masters… and indeed, that is no exaggeration.

Like a thunderclap in clear skies, Wu Tie's spear shaft slammed into the Golden Dead Spirit's platform, which spanned dozens of meters.

With a tremendous bang, the platform jutting ten or so meters from the cliff and thirty-odd meters wide burst open; the huge platform shattered into stone dust, not even a sesame‑sized fragment remained.

The whirlwind kicked up by the spear shaft churned the stone dust, sending it flying far away; downwind of Wu Tie it formed a retrograde gray mushroom cloud.

"How dare you!" a roar shouted from the stone cave behind the Golden Dead Spirit's platform.

A gaunt, deathly pale old man, skin stretched over bone, with two points of blood‑red fire flickering in his deeply sunken eye sockets, emerged from the cave, looking like a white evil spirit.

The old man stepped on a stream of white qi that shot straight at Wu Tie, then exhaled a blade of white light that whirled toward his neck to chop down.

The old man further swung his right hand; with a piercing 'crack,' his arm elongated rapidly to tens of zhang in length, his palm swelling to seven or eight meters wide, his five fingers flashing with sinister white cold light as he grabbed down at Wu Tie from above.

From behind Wu Tie came Tang Qi's sharp laugh: "Old Nine, your opponent is…… I…… do……"

Bai Gui Lao Jiu spat out from his mouth a delicate palm-sized bone dagger; the pallid bone dagger spat out Cold Qi and gloomy wind, striking Wu Tie's neck as fast as lightning.

Wu Tie swayed his neck, letting his vital neck area and several major blood vessels dodge the bone dagger.

The bone dagger split the flesh on Wu Tie's neck, cut deep into his muscles, and then struck his cervical bone.

With a crisp sound, Wu Tie's cervical bone suffered no damage, but the bone dagger chipped a thumb-sized notch. Bai Gui Lao Jiu let out a strange cry, his body immediately shuddered…… a sharp pain shot through his soul, and Bai Gui Lao Jiu immediately realized that his trusty weapon had shattered.

Wu Tie raised his spear, without any fancy spear technique, just like wielding a stick, and brutally swung it at Bai Gui Lao Jiu's transforming right hand.

Bang!

Bai Gui Lao Jiu's enlarged right hand is also a divine ability, the Mighty Bone Demon Hand, several times harder than steel, possessing hundreds of millions of jin of tremendous force; normally used against foes, enemies slightly weaker than him are crushed to pieces by a single grab and throw.

Today he encountered Wu Tie.

The White Tiger Split spear shaft came crashing up; Bai Gui Lao Jiu let out a ghostly wail, his entire right hand blasted apart, exploding into clusters of white light scattering outward. Wu Tie's strength was greater than his, and the White Tiger Split was harder than his palm, so his palm naturally could only be shattered.

Before Bai Gui Lao Jiu could deploy another divine ability, Wu Tie had already rushed to his face, with a slap grabbed his slender neck like a chicken's neck, fully activated the Mighty God Demon Technique, his right arm swelling like a huge wine vat, Lin Qi then threw Bai Gui Lao Jiu straight down to the ground three thousand meters below.

Hiss!

Bai Gui Lao Jiu's gaunt body drew a long white trace in the air.

In the snap of a finger, Bai Gui Lao Jiu plummeted from three thousand meters high and slammed straight into the ground.

The ground, like a water surface, was silently torn open into a human-shaped hole; Bai Gui Lao Jiu's body violently shattered the solid earth, sinking deep hundreds of meters underground.

Only then did the terrifying power hidden in Bai Gui Lao Jiu's body, the terrifying power stored in Wu Tie's throw, finally erupt.

Bai Gui Lao Jiu's body exploded with a boom into fragments; the leaking terrifying force rippled outward through the surrounding rock layers, the layers crumbling and disintegrating, the surrounding ground shaking violently, nearby shanty areas saw large numbers of shacks collapse, countless vendors frightened and fleeing in all directions.

Tang Qi stood blankly in midair, eyes wide, staring fixedly at Wu Tie.

Bai Gui Lao Jiu's bone dagger is nothing, but his Mighty Bone Demon Hand is also quite renowned as a divine ability throughout the Great Dragon Cave; relying on this ability, dozens of experts have died at his hands.

Tang Qi boasted that he could deal with Bai Gui Lao Jiu, but at least he would need to exchange hundreds of moves, and without even half an hour he couldn't defeat Bai Gui Lao Jiu.

Wu Tie relied purely on brute strength, and with one strike smashed Bai Gui Lao Jiu to death……

This guy, this guy…… he's only at the Chonglou Realm!

Dragonfolk, are they really this terrifying?

Wu Tie turned around, gave a cold snort, and yanked out the bone dagger embedded in his neck. Blood spurted out; Wu Tie nonchalantly wiped the blood from his neck, grinning at Tang Qi with bared teeth: "Tang Qi, what do you think this strike is worth in shares? Hehe, this guy, truly a Life Pool Realm?"

Wu Tie shook his head and let out a long sigh: "Weak, truly weak…… Hmm, is he really at the Life Pool Realm?"

This Bai Gui Lao Jiu is much weaker than those few guys of Lu Yan; Wu Tie originally just wanted to tangle with him for a few moves to show off his martial skill…… I never expected that he would be flung to his death in just that one move!

Wu Tie couldn't help but secretly hope——if the high-ranking members of the Golden Dead Spirits were all this weak, how great would that be?

"Brave general! Unmatched brave general!" Tang Qi laughed until his eyes narrowed into slits: "Spear Elder, your shares are obviously the highest tier!"