Chapter 465

Wu Tie

The thick animal hide was variegated in color, unknown what exotic species it came from, the hide a full inch thick, the three-foot-long and three-foot-wide hide scroll weighed heavily in the hand, like a stone slab.

The scroll bore no text, only a few symbols like ghostly scribbles.

When Wu Tie's finger touched the animal hide scroll, a chill breath streamed from his fingertip straight into his body, circulating a few times within him, then swiftly rushed up to his head.

The chill went straight to the life pool, then merged into his soul.

Vast images and texts burst forth from the chill; Wu Tie closed his eyes, immersing himself in the boundless legacy of knowledge.

This knowledge, like a key, stimulated the massive database Lao Tie had imparted to Wu Tie; huge amounts of corresponding information kept surging out of the database, continually absorbed and integrated by Wu Tie.

In the wooden hut there was a square fire pit, beside which sat several gaunt, elderly old men.

When they saw Wu Tie receive the animal hide scroll, the ghostly scribble-like runes on the scroll glowed faintly; they all nodded slowly, and their gazes toward Wu Tie gained a hint of closeness.

This faint glow proved that Wu Tie possessed pure human bloodline, untainted by any other messy stuff.

Wu Tie immersed himself in the information constantly surfacing in his mind.

Humans, innately possessing a Dao body, harbor within them the celestial circuit great Dao law—harmonious, complete, symmetrical—thus stable. The human form is the outward manifestation of countless Dao laws coalesced together, yet coexisting in harmony, complete and unblemished, symmetrical and stable.

Monsters... their essence lies in birds and beasts, plants and insects, even earth, wood, mountains and stones—all can become monsters.

When heaven and earth were opened, the legendary sage who split the heavens had his body shattered and his Dao body disintegrated—how could he create the myriad things of heaven and earth?

The Heavenly Dao shattered into billions of fragments; the perfect, harmonious portion condensed into the human Dao body, while the impure, incomplete portion became rivers, lakes, seas, mountains, hills, beasts, and the earth's veins and stones.

Take an imperfect example: when the heaven-splitting sage disintegrated, a speck of spiritual light was deficient; lacking a part of countless Dao laws, the laws that originally balanced and checked that deficient part became prominent, instantly shifting from a balanced 'recessive gene' to an aggressive 'dominant gene', thereby manifesting myriad forms and diverse creations.

Likewise, a fish likely arose when, during the heaven-splitting sage's Dao body disintegration, a speck of spiritual light emerged in which the Dao laws of the flying beasts and sea creatures that restrain the fish's Dao were deficient, causing the fish's Dao to stand out; after this speck absorbed heavenly primordial energy, it became a fish.

The reason fish vary in size and strength—some reaching thousands of feet and even capable of flying up to transcend and enter sainthood after evolution, while others can only keep company with shrimp and seaweed, becoming fodder for other aquatic creatures—is merely due to differing amounts of missing heavenly and earthly laws within their bodies.

The less missing, the more extraordinary the talent, the greater the strength and dominance.

The more missing, the lower the talent, the weaker and more pitiful.

What the monster tribe's cultivation is best known for is 'seizing heaven's creation, taking earth's essence.' The so-called seizing heaven's creation and taking earth's essence shows that monster cultivation mostly draws essence from the sun, moon, and stars.

The power of the sun, moon, and stars contains Dao law.

Monster cultivation consists of refining from sunlight, moonlight, and starlight the Dao laws they lack, gradually increasing and completing them; the more complete, the stronger they become. The more complete, the greater their talent. The more complete, the faster their cultivation speed. The more complete, the higher their future Dao fruit and the stronger their strength.

Thus, the stronger the monster tribe, the more powerful the individual, the more complete the Dao law within them, and the more their outward form approaches that of humans!

Precisely for this reason, monsters may cultivate for tens of millions of years yet perhaps not match humans who cultivate for mere decades. It is not lack of effort; rather, innate limitations restrict them—their Dao law is incomplete, so they lack an innate advantage over humans.

However, seizing heaven's creation and taking the essence of sun and moon was easy back when heaven and earth first opened; then every grain of sand and dust held boundless Dao, its rhythm manifest, making cultivation naturally easy.

But in the present age, the Dao's rhythm lies hidden between heaven and earth, making monster cultivation ever more difficult.

The further back in antiquity, the more mighty beings among monsters researched a vicious secret art: directly seizing the Dao law within human bodies, absorbing human bloodline essence, to directly make up their own deficiencies.

In short, it is 'eating humans'!

Humans' innate Dao body is the perfect material for these monsters to perfect themselves and make up their deficiencies.

Through long years of research and personal practice, monsters discovered that the Wu tribe's bloodline is the most potent, its outward manifestation the strongest—especially Wu tribe children, whose bloodline is pure and unrefined, lacking any strong power to protect themselves, making them ideal tonic ingredients.

Simply put, Wu tribe children are prime veal, tender and tasty, easy to digest.

But the bloodline of Wu tribe warriors who have cultivated becomes extremely refined, like old ox tendons—tough to chew, hard to digest; even if consumed, little nutrition can be gained, not to mention that Wu tribe warriors are extraordinarily formidable, making them difficult to hunt.

Ying Long

Moreover, Chen Long's battle prowess is as fierce as a primordial magic dragon; the difficulty of hunting her... hehe!

Thus, monsters mainly target Wu tribe children and youths.

In this mountain range, Wu and monster tribes have been locked in constant slaughter, bearing a blood-deep enmity, precisely because various monster tribes, to perfect themselves, continually hunt Wu tribe minors.

And once Wu tribe children come of age and gain sufficient strength, they will return to hunt the monster tribe.

Untransformed monsters, those retaining their original beastly forms, are also prime tonic ingredients for the Wu tribe; moreover, the feathers, leather, bones, claws, and teeth of adult monsters are superb materials for forging weapons.

Wu Man Tribe

The materials on those monsters' bodies are far stronger than the metal lumps they painstakingly refine themselves.

Thus, the enmity between the Wu and monster tribes can be called 'eternal as heaven and earth' and 'unceasing'.

"So that's how it is?" Wu Tie nodded thoughtfully.

"May I ask your esteemed surname, guest?" The old man who had just handed the scroll to Wu Tie suddenly asked with deep meaning.

Elder

Wu Tie rolled up the animal hide scroll and respectfully handed it to the old man; his ten fingers gripping the scroll assumed a strange posture—like flames, like a lotus—his finger formation contained some ineffable unique rhythm.

The several old men beside the fire pit simultaneously brightened their eyes, each drew a breath, and straightened their backs in unison.

Kuafu Shanyao

Wu Tie drew a deep breath, solemnly gazing at the several old men.

After a moment's contemplation, Wu Tie shook his right hand, flipped it, and a drop of blood seeped from his fingertip, instantly igniting; crimson smoke curled around his fingertip, forming a thin wisp like a dragon or serpent.

Kuafu Shan Yao solemnly nodded; he likewise flipped his palm, and a drop of blood seeped from his fingertip, igniting into a thin wisp like a dragon or serpent, which swiftly and lightly collided with the smoke from Wu Tie's fingertip.

Afterward, the two wisps of smoke blended like water and milk, without the slightest separation.

Wu Tie saw before his eyes a giant tens of thousands of zhang tall appearing, the giant holding a wooden staff made of peach wood, hissing and roaring loudly, stepping on one big mountain after another, spreading his legs and running wildly, the staff constantly smashing wildly at the red sun in the sky.

Kuafu Clan

Wu Tie suddenly understood why the Scarlet Dragon's speed was so fast.

Compared to the Scarlet Dragon's speed, her strength was actually quite ordinary.

Kuafu Shan Yao saw countless giants tens of thousands of zhang tall roaring in the void, flames, freezing ice, thunder, gale winds, various heavenly phenomena surrounding these giants; among them, a giant with extraordinarily long arms drew a long bow and shot down a golden crow; also a headless giant wielding a great axe swung it toward the sky; also a giant whose body was like water waves rammed headfirst into a mountain……

Finally, Kuafu Shan Yao saw a giant whose height he could not tell, but who was extremely burly and immensely sturdy, his whole body emanating a naturally perfect aura, holding a huge axe; with one blow he split the boundless chaos darkness into fragments.

Kuafu Shan Yao and several old men jumped up at the same time, each staring at Wu Tie as if they had seen a ghost.

Wu Tie is also of the Wu clan bloodline.

Moreover, unlike their little Kuafu clan, Wu Tie's bloodline is older and more noble; his origin comes from the true origin tribe of the Witch Tribe. In the Primeval Ancient Wasteland era, the tribe Wu Tie belongs to is the supreme 'Royal Clan'.

And as for that final image of the giant who split heaven and earth… one can only say that Wu Tie's essence-blood concentration has reached an unimaginable degree, faintly showing signs of atavism.

And the true ancestor of the Witch Tribe, even the ancestor of all beings in this realm…… what else is there to ask?

"Young man, what do you think of Longlong?" Kuafu Shanyao slowly sat back by the fire pit, he solemnly looked at Wu Tie and said solemnly: "If you think she looks not bad, she is your woman."

"I never expected that we could still encounter clansmen of the lineage… ah, are you now working for people outside the mountains?" Kuafu Shanyao earnestly asked Wu Tie.

"I have my own affairs." Wu Tie also earnestly looked at Kuafu Shanyao: "I need reliable helpers…… can the Kuafu clan become my helpers?"

Kuafu Shanyao solemnly asked Wu Tie: "Are you married?"

Wu Tie grinned helplessly at Kuafu Shanyao: "No."

Kuafu Shanyao and the several old men instantly laughed, they nodded together: "No is good, then, the Kuafu clan is willing to take refuge……"

Wu Tie raised both hands and performed a strange salute: "Wu Tie."

Kuafu Shanyao nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course, Wu Tie, Wu Tie, of course, you are surnamed Wu…… then Huo Xiong?"

Wu Tie smiled at Kuafu Shanyao.

Kuafu Shanyao and the several old men nodded in unison, saying nothing more. They are the few Witch Priests of the Kuafu tribe; their natural way, how many mysterious arts does the Witch Tribe have?

They have had dealings for many years with the Eastern Palace belonging to the former Crown Prince of the Great Jin; regarding outside-world affairs, they are not completely ignorant.

Since Wu Tie operates under an alias in the Great Jin Divine State, they will pretend to know nothing, as long as they follow sincerely.

"Young man, your arrival just solved our tribe's great crisis." Kuafu Shanyao obviously sighed in relief: "Otherwise, with our abilities, we truly wouldn't know how to handle this."

Outside the wooden house came the voices of Zhuji and Longlong; the two seemed to be having a dispute over Wu Tie's affiliation.

Zhuji insisted that Wu Tie was her captive from the Eastern Palace and naturally should be handed over to her to take back.

While Longlong believed that Wu Tie had helped them rescue so many children and youths, no matter what, Wu Tie owed great kindness to his own tribe, and the Kuafu clan repays kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity, being clear-cut about gratitude and grudges.

Therefore, she cannot let Zhuji take Wu Tie back.

Longlong, after a few words, immediately provoked with force; soon a muffled breaking-through-the-air sound came, the two flew up into the high sky, then the high sky exploded with thunderous roar, the two women again began an extremely brutal fight, shaking the high sky as if they wanted to smash a huge hole in the heavens.

"Is the Kuafu clan in trouble?" Wu Tie looked at Kuafu Shanyao in astonishment.

He didn't think he was a nationally beloved beauty that everyone loved, nor did he think he could shake his mighty physique and attract supporters from all directions. Therefore, Kuafu Shanyao and the others' resolute decision to rely on him truly seemed hard to believe to him.

After all, the Kuafu clan is not the Five Elements Spirits.

Those simple Five Elements Spirits regarded themselves as the reincarnation of their holy ancestor, thus wholeheartedly relying on themselves.

But as for the Kuafu clan…… the pressure from the demon clan on them has already reached this point?

"Nearly half a year ago, we already noticed something was off. In the mountain forests, besides the Great Jin's lackeys, there were others appearing." Kuafu Shanyao slowly said: "However, those people mostly appear in the southern mountain ridges, few in number but quite strong."

"Those people…… when we first encountered them, they wanted to attack several gathering teams' women in our village. So the guarding warriors fought them fiercely, both sides suffering casualties."

"Thus, we formed a grudge with them. I don't know how, but they got involved with the demon clan."

"This time, we almost suffered a loss, because those people suddenly sent experts to raid the village, nearly stealing the ancestral witch treasure we enshrined."

"Our witch priests, with elite warriors in pursuit, only then did the thunderbird demons take advantage of the opening."

Kuafu Shanyao looked at Wu Tie and slowly said: "Those people call themselves warriors of the Great Martial Divine State."