Every Man for Himself, and Heaven and Earth Will Destroy Those Who Do Not

When Ji Wuming and the other two approached, the child heard the commotion as well. He turned around, quickly got to his feet, and immediately ran when he saw the Village Chief and Dali.

"This child, what—"

Just as Ji Wuming thought this poorly gifted child was somewhat afraid of strangers, Dali beside him spoke up.

"A'man is afraid of strangers and somewhat insecure. He is especially afraid of me and the Old Village Chief, afraid that we will lecture him again—that splitting mountains and building houses is the proper path, while he wants to become a Soul Master like Master Chen did in the past."

"I see!"

Ji Wuming felt some admiration for A'man. Over the past day or two, he had observed that the villagers never added Soul Rings to their Martial Souls. Instead, they relied on so-called Self-Created Soul Skills to carry out their daily work and lives.

Although someone taught the children their first three moves, they still required comprehension. Clearly, A'man's comprehension was not particularly good, yet he wanted to find another path to grow stronger.

At that thought, a new idea suddenly arose in Ji Wuming's heart. If he could create a Self-Created Soul Skill unique to himself in this Western Li Stone Kingdom, where everyone possessed Self-Created Soul Skills, then in the future he would definitely have at least one or two more Soul Skills than ordinary Soul Masters.

Moreover, Self-Created Soul Skills were not restricted by the age of Soul Rings. As he grew, their power could gradually increase. If he mastered one thoroughly enough, then perhaps one day in the future, a Self-Created Soul Skill could even rival a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring skill.

It did not matter even if cultivating a Self-Created Soul Skill delayed his Soul Power training for half a year. In a village filled with people experienced in creating Self-Created Soul Skills, he refused to believe he could not create even one. So what if his comprehension was poor? He could simply ask more questions and practice without stopping.

With his current path of absorbing Soul Rings across levels three times and cultivating through bloodsucking, his cultivation speed had already reached innate rank eight and a half, perhaps even rank nine. Even if he achieved nothing after half a year, Tang San would not close the gap in Soul Power by much.

"To cultivate a Self-Created Soul Skill, I'll go all out."

Ji Wuming muttered to himself.

Dali and the Village Chief did not notice the change in Ji Wuming's mindset. Pointing at the stone stele, they explained, "Boss Ji, this contains Master Chen's understanding of Sword Intent and his insights into the self-created sword techniques he wished to pass down to us."

"Alright!"

Ji Wuming focused completely as he carefully examined the contents engraved upon the stone stele. Seeing him like this, the two village chiefs quietly left.

"A sword has two edges. Its edge is sharp, and it is the way of killing..."

After Ji Wuming read through it once, especially Chen Jianjun's insights into sword techniques, he was deeply moved. In his previous understanding of swords, a sword was both for protection and for killing.

The emphasis of protection lay in defense, while the emphasis of a killing sword lay in offense—using offense in place of defense.

"As expected of the sole inheritor of the Seven Kill Sword. He developed the Seven Kill Sword to such an extreme and deeply understood the essential characteristics of the Seven Kill Sword Martial Soul!"

As Ji Wuming marveled, he summoned his Blood Thunder Battle Spear and carefully observed its spearhead. The spearhead had two edges, sharing similarities with a sword, yet it lacked the length of a sword blade and its broad cutting surface.

The basic spear techniques he had previously practiced emphasized wide, sweeping movements and the force to sweep through an army. Therefore, his Self-Created Soul Skill should also begin from two points: assassination and broad, sweeping attacks.

After pondering for a moment, Ji Wuming immediately found several adults quarrying stone. He stood nearby and watched them one by one. Whenever he encountered something he did not understand, he stepped forward to ask.

Although they used swords, he could still gain some experience from them and shorten the process of creating a Self-Created Soul Skill from nothing.

Two months later, within the Blue Silver Forest.

A cool ten-year-old girl with fair skin and flowing blue hair slowly advanced through the Blue Silver Forest under the escort of six or seven Soul Kings and three Soul Ancestors.

"Father, Uncle, Auntie, is that Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast really in this forest?"

During this period, Shui Bing'er had deliberately learned about the Blue Silver Forest. Blue Silver Grass grew across most of the region, and the Blue Silver Grass here was even more luxuriant than that of other Soul Beast forests. There was even Blue Silver Grass that was a hundred or even a thousand years old, while the other Soul Beasts here were at most ten thousand years old.

But would that Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast truly be willing to remain in a place like this?

Li Xianyue said excitedly to Shui Bing'er, "Bing'er, after eight or nine months of searching, we have finally found traces of that Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast. It is within the Blue Silver Forest!"

Almost two years had passed since she and Ji Wuming parted ways.

During that time, she and Dean Shui had personally led teams to the Star Dou Great Forest and the Blue Silver Forest respectively. At last, in the core region of the Blue Silver Forest, they had found that blue Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast, along with a small blue bird that looked particularly similar to it.

According to Li Xianyue's speculation, those two blue birds were very likely descendants of the Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast.

To avoid alerting the enemy, she swiftly withdrew. Under Dean Shui's arrangements, aside from the clan chief and six or seven Soul Kings, nearly all the clan's mid- and high-level combatants had arrived, including three Soul Emperors and a low-ranking fire-element Soul Emperor—Old Li.

"Young Clan Leader, we have spotted that ten-thousand-year Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast and one of its young ahead. We must be careful and avoid alerting them. If they notice us beforehand and fly away, it will be troublesome."

Hearing this, Dean Shui nodded in agreement and immediately led everyone carefully toward the core area ahead.

Not long afterward, everyone gathered at the outskirts of the core area. Pushing aside several thick clumps of weeds blocking their path, they saw a bird roughly seven meters tall some seven or eight hundred meters away. Its entire body was pale blue, adorned with a few golden feathers.

A blue bird roughly one meter tall was sleeping beside its thick bird legs.

"Bing'er, according to the detailed records of historical Soul Beasts, that blue bird of around one meter has no more than seven or eight hundred years of cultivation. It is within the absorption limit for your Second Soul Ring."

Afraid of startling the two rare birds, especially that Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast, Dean Shui pointed toward the striking blue bird and continued softly.

"Bing'er, prepare yourself. We will draw the Ten Thousand Year Soul Beast's attention shortly. Once we obtain the blue bird, if necessary, you must immediately deal it a fatal blow. We absolutely cannot leave it alive."

"Alright!"

Shui Bing'er neither hesitated nor showed any reluctance. Instead, she recalled something Ji Wuming had once told her: every man for himself, and heaven and earth would destroy those who did not. Whether Soul Beasts or humans, the strong devouring the weak was the most fundamental law of survival.

Just as Dean Shui and the others prepared to strike, the Blue Silver Grass in the Blue Silver Forest seemed to sense a pure killing intent. They collectively bent toward the core area.

The Phoenix Emperor-type Soul Beast, which had been drinking water, immediately sensed danger from the messages released by several clumps of Blue Silver Grass. It raised its noble phoenix head at once,