Epic (Seeking Support)

On Dragon Soul Star, the Half-Dragonfolk retainers buried over eight hundred clansmen who sacrificed themselves during the first assessment in the public cemetery.

The Priest, Xi the Eighth, led the clansmen in a grand sacrificial ceremony, praying for the deceased clansmen and celebrating the victorious return of their warriors.

The Heavenly Emperor's reward arrived as promised, with Starlight Rain showering the tribal lands, the returning warriors, and the clansmen.

Over a hundred Half-Dragonfolk warriors, severely wounded and barely managing to return, were cleansed and healed by the Starlight Rain. Their grievous injuries gradually mended, and the toxins within them were dispelled, restoring their strength and combat prowess.

These warriors who survived the fierce battle were precious assets to the Half-Dragonfolk retainers. Liang Ji naturally could not bear to see them perish from injury or illness.

Numerous Half-Dragonfolk retainers also benefited from the Starlight Rain, growing stronger and achieving greater power.

In particular, among the over ten thousand Zero-Tier Half-Dragonfolk retainers, more than two thousand successfully awakened their bloodline and intellect, advancing to Tier One.

This not only restored the number of Tier One Half-Dragonfolk retainers to pre-assessment levels but even significantly increased it, surpassing five thousand.

After the grand sacrificial ceremony, most of the clansmen dispersed. Many gathered around the returning warriors, listening to their tales of the outside world and battles.

Shouts of surprise erupted from the crowd from time to time.

The Priest, Xi the Eighth, listened for a while but soon left with a heavy heart, returning to the Heavenly Emperor Temple.

Inside the Heavenly Emperor Temple stood a statue of the Heavenly Emperor, depicted as half-dragon, half-human. It bore a resemblance to the Half-Dragonfolk but was distinctly different, appearing more majestic and perfect.

This image of the Heavenly Emperor was left by the first Priest, Xi. Legend had it that Priest Xi had once seen the Heavenly Emperor in a dream.

At this moment, Priest Xi the Eighth paid homage and prayed to the Heavenly Emperor, but his worries remained unresolved.

He thought of his friend, Chi the Eighth. In fact, the four leaders of the Half-Dragonfolk tribes generally had good relationships, often becoming friends while jointly managing tribal affairs.

This time, his friend Chi the Eighth had led the tribal warriors on an expedition and returned as a sacrifice! While Priest Xi the Eighth was proud of his friend and believed his spirit would undoubtedly find immortality with the Heavenly Emperor, he also wished for his friend to be immortalized among his people and future generations.

However, the Half-Dragonfolk retainers had not yet mastered writing, making it impossible to record history in books. All their history and legends were passed down through oral tradition.

The stories of many heroic ancestors would only be passed down for two or three generations among the clansmen before being forgotten over thousands of years.

Take, for example, the previous two generations. The tribal warrior leader, Chi the Sixth, had once led six hundred tribal warriors on an expedition for the Heavenly Emperor and returned victorious, leaving behind many epic legends. But now, these epics were mostly circulated only among a select few, such as Priests, warrior leaders, and tribal leaders. Most clansmen had already forgotten these heroic tales.

Priest Xi the Eighth did not want his friend Chi the Eighth's story to be gradually forgotten by the clansmen like their ancestors.

Furthermore, he believed that the stories of these ancestors and heroes were tribal heritage and precious treasures that should not be easily lost or forgotten.

As the tribe's Priest, he had the responsibility and obligation to pass down and promote these valuable treasures.

"Almighty Heavenly Emperor, please grant me guidance..."

Roar!

As Priest Xi the Eighth prayed to the Heavenly Emperor for guidance, he seemed to hear a dragon's roar from the unseen. A beam of starlight descended from the heavens, entering Priest Xi the Eighth's head.

It was like a sudden enlightenment, or like an immortal imparting knowledge. A flood of information and knowledge about runes appeared in Priest Xi the Eighth's mind.

"Runes! Writing!"

After a long while, Priest Xi the Eighth slowly came back to his senses, his eyes shining with brilliant light. With fervent devotion, he prostrated himself before the Heavenly Emperor and declared loudly:

"Thank you, the almighty and benevolent Heavenly Emperor, for your gift!"

"Your believer understands your will!"

Priest Xi the Eighth performed another fervent prostration, then left the Heavenly Emperor Temple. He found the tribal leader, Chi the Eighth, and conveyed the Heavenly Emperor's decree: to cultivate Rune Masters within the tribe and to spread and teach writing.

Runes were the language of heaven and earth, the traces of the laws and rhymes of the Dao. The writing systems within the Star Alliance had developed from runes. Liang Ji's "Rune Master Inheritance" within the Stars and Retainers contained a complete rune system and writing information.

Priest Xi the Eighth assimilated this "Rune Master Inheritance." While teaching runes and writing to the tribe and cultivating Rune Masters, he also began to attempt to use this writing to record the epics and heroic stories passed down orally through generations.

"The world was originally silent and dark. The Heavenly Emperor summoned the sun, moon, and stars, thus bringing light, day and night, and the four seasons..."

"The Heavenly Emperor planted a seed. Earth, fire, water, and wind opened up, and life was born... The Heavenly Emperor gave us life..."

"...The Heavenly Emperor bestowed the fire seed, bringing the flame of wisdom... The first wise one was born... He was the Heavenly Emperor's messenger, and the Heavenly Emperor named him: Xi!"

"...Under the leadership of the Heavenly Emperor's messenger 'Xi,' more and more clansmen awakened their intellect and formed a tribe... The Heavenly Emperor chose three among them to assist 'Xi' in managing the tribe and bestowed upon them names: Wang, Nong, and Chi!"

"...He bestowed seeds upon us, teaching us to farm and hunt..."

"...The sixth-generation warrior leader, 'Chi the Sixth,' led the warriors on an expedition according to the Heavenly Emperor's will... The Priest blessed them, and the clansmen cheered for them... Under the Heavenly Emperor's guidance and assistance, they slew a winged, ugly demon..."

"...The Heavenly Emperor opened the underworld... The living return to enjoy glory, and the dead shall be immortal in the underworld..."

"...To reward the brave warriors who fought for the Heavenly Emperor, the Heavenly Emperor bestowed inheritance... The clansmen gained immense strength and impenetrable bodies... Poison and flames, ice and snow could not harm us..."

"...Under the Heavenly Emperor's guidance, we built villages..."

"...The eighth-generation warrior leader, 'Chi the Eighth,' led the warriors on an expedition according to the Heavenly Emperor's will... The Priest blessed them, and the clansmen cheered for them... They encountered powerful enemies... Their spears could tear through everything... Under the Heavenly Emperor's protection and guidance, they completed their mission and returned... A thousand went, a hundred returned... They are the Heavenly Emperor's warriors, the tribe's heroes... Their spirits shall be immortal in the underworld..."

"...The Heavenly Emperor bestowed upon us runes and writing..."

After decades, the first epic of the Dragon Soul Tribe was born at the hands of Priest Xi the Eighth!

Continue to strive for greater heights!