Youthful Spirit

The Flood Dragon is rampaging.

The Water Python is roaring.

Inside the Mist Blades stronghold, the Mist Blades assassins turned and left without a word. Highly trained, they swiftly evacuated the stronghold.

They are assassins, killers, reapers walking in darkness; they are not fearless warriors. When faced with a powerful enemy, an enemy they absolutely cannot resist, the Mist Blades assassins' choice is naturally to retreat.

Without the suppression of the Mist Blades assassins, the family warriors inside the stronghold lost their formation.

They gathered together chaotically, in their original family units, shouting in bewilderment.

Many brave Ox Tribe warriors swung their great axes and maces, roaring as they charged at the Flood Dragon. Each time, the Flood Dragon would exhale slowly, killing or injuring large groups of Ox Tribe warriors, then swallowing them with an efficient, yet strangely 'elegant' manner.

Whether it was flesh, armor, or weapons.

Slowly and steadily, it swallowed them whole.

The resistance of the family warriors quickly collapsed. Elite warriors fled in disarray everywhere, and Gray Dwarves and Rock Gnomes cried out everywhere.

Urged by Old Tie, Wu Tie had already walked a distance downstream along the great river.

However, after condensing his Origin Force and tempering his body with it daily, Wu Tie's five senses had been strengthening. Now, with keen hearing and sharp eyesight, he could clearly hear the cries coming from the Mist Blades stronghold.

The voices of the Ox Tribe people were deep and powerful, the long cries of the Wolf Tribe were high-pitched and penetrating, and the voices of those Gray Dwarves were like the hammers they loved to use – resonant and carrying the scent of hard stone.

As for the weakest Rock Gnomes, their voices were tiny and clear. Even when screaming in terror, their voices were as pleasant as the notes from a flute.

Especially among the Rock Gnomes, the children who had not yet grown up, their voices were delicate and tender, like a large group of people blowing on tiny bone whistles simultaneously, easily carried far, far away by the river wind.

Those little Rock Gnomes.

Rock Gnomes were at most about 1.2 meters tall. The children in their tribe were even more tender and weak. Their light gray skin, thin arms and legs, soft hair clinging to their scalps, and eyes a size larger than normal were always filled with curiosity about the whole world, brimming with pure innocence.

At the Wu Family Stone Fort, Wu Tie treated these little ones like pets.

They were as cute and adorable as Gray Rock Lizards just hatched from their eggs.

At the Wu Family Stone Fort, Wu Tie often shared his food with these little ones, even if he went hungry himself.

Therefore, Wu Tie's greatest dream back then was for the Wu Family Stone Fort to one day have enough, continuous water supply. Then they could grow more Great White Mushrooms or other fungi, and these little ones wouldn't go hungry.

Those tender, delicate little ones who always wore a serene smile as they gathered around Wu Tie, listening to the stories he recounted from Master Hui, looking at him with adoring eyes.

Those little ones who, whenever Wu Tie had something to do, would eagerly help him tidy everything up.

Those who, at a young age, followed their parents to work in the fields, polished the scales and large teeth of the Great Rock Pythons, cleaned the mouths of the Gray Rock Lizards, and kept the entire Wu Family Stone Fort spotlessly clean.

They were like a group of innocent and cute little sprites, darting around the Wu Family Stone Fort, filling it with life and vitality.

"I wonder how they are..." Wu Tie thought of the few little ones he was closest to.

As slaves, Gray Rock Gnomes had no names.

But those few little ones, Wu Tie had given them names, names he chose using the beautiful words he had learned.

Wu Tie suddenly stopped, turned, and looked towards the Mist Blades stronghold.

Several commanders had brought many slaves.

To sustainably develop this secret realm, many slaves were brought in with their families.

There were old people, adults, and of course, children. Especially the vast number of Gray Rock Gnomes, their breeding cycle was short, and in these past few months, they had already given birth to many infants.

Gray Rock Gnome children could run around within two to three months.

The Flood Dragon rammed into the wall of the Mist Blades stronghold. With a muffled thud from afar, a large section of the wall collapsed.

Many warriors standing on the wall, futilely firing crossbows, were thrown back by the impact. They screamed as they fell heavily to the ground, along with the shattered earth and stones.

The Flood Dragon leisurely entered the stronghold with several large companions.

Countless tender voices shrieked. Standing on the small hill, Wu Tie could even see those small, toddling figures running inside the Mist Blades stronghold in the distance.

Behind those small figures, gray figures not much taller than them charged towards the Flood Dragon and Water Python. Without weapons, these small figures charged forward with mining shovels.

The small mining shovels, made specifically for Gray Rock Gnomes and weighing no more than two pounds, struck the scales of the Flood Dragon and Water Python...

The Flood Dragon and Water Python disdained such attacks. With a casual roll, hundreds of small figures were crushed to death.

The Flood Dragon raised its head and pursued the tender, small figures fleeing ahead.

Wu Tie watched the Flood Dragon's movements with a grim expression.

He seemed to hear the soft voices of the little ones in the Wu Family Stone Fort thanking him as they secretly accepted the mushrooms he handed them.

He seemed to see again those sensible little ones who, despite their own hunger, saved a little bit of their meager mushrooms for their younger siblings.

Wu Tie thought of his father, his elder brother.

He thought of Wu Jin, who stood in front of him...

The wounds on Wu Jin's back had exposed bone...

For him, his useless younger brother, Wu Jin knelt on the ground...

"I've already run away once," Wu Jin inexplicably recalled a powerful phrase Master Hui had often recited.

'Though facing thousands, I shall go forth'!

"Though facing thousands, I shall go forth!"

"Though facing thousands, I shall go forth!"

"Though facing thousands... I shall go forth..." Wu Tie roared, "Although I still don't quite understand what this means... I can understand why Master Hui always likes to mutter about 'apricot blossoms'!"

"Saying this... really gives one spirit!"

Wu Tie laughed heartily, straightened his back, grabbed his spear, and a formless force field enveloped his entire body. A fierce wind raged around him, and he suddenly soared hundreds of meters into the air, charging towards the Mist Blades' stronghold with a whistling wind.

Blood, burning hotter.

Bloodline, boiling.

Within his brow, a ball of golden light spun and expanded rapidly.

In the surrounding air, sparkling Primal Energy detached itself, transforming into streams of glittering liquid that continuously poured into Wu Tie's body.

Wu Tie greedily swallowed the surrounding Primal Energy. The Origin Force in his lower abdomen surged out, flowing rapidly through his body. Primal Energy merged with Origin Force, and the Origin Force grew bit by bit. Wherever it passed, his entire body was wracked with pain. The Origin Force was like a divine giant hammer, tempering and pounding Wu Tie's body.

Wu Tie's blood truly began to boil.

In his brow, the golden light trembled violently. Wu Tie roared hoarsely, "Though facing thousands, I shall go forth," a phrase he didn't fully comprehend, charging towards the Mist Blades' stronghold, towards that terrifying Flood Dragon.

His bloodline was boiling.

Within his bloodline, some extremely subtle, hidden energies deep within Wu Tie's bloodline were stirred.

Wu Tie's Origin Force circulation speed suddenly increased tenfold, while the pain in his body increased a hundredfold. Filaments of blood continuously seeped from his pores. A small vortex of Primal Energy appeared above Wu Tie's head, and streams of Primal Energy as thick as his arm continuously poured into the vortex, entering his body through the crown of his head.

The Origin Force was rapidly increasing, rapidly strengthening.

The golden light in his brow transformed into extremely fine strands of golden light that cascaded down, like a celestial river waterfall, continuously washing over Wu Tie's body, refining his muscles, bones, and internal organs... especially his bloodline.

An indescribable, vast, supremely strong, mighty, and majestic aura faintly condensed within Wu Tie's body.

In the next instant, this aura erupted. Wu Tie's forward speed increased severalfold. Behind him, faint wisps of gray aura gradually coalesced into a blurry humanoid figure with a straight spine and a tall, ancient hat.

Old Tie, seeing Wu Tie rashly charge out, opened his mouth wide in fright, about to unleash electricity to stop Wu Tie's impulsiveness.

That Flood Dragon was simply not something Old Tie and Wu Tie could handle at their current strength.

If it were just a few days ago, after unleashing that earth-shattering blow, Old Tie would have had some confidence in heavily wounding the Flood Dragon.

But now... Old Tie was willing but unable...

Electricity surged through his large teeth. Just as Old Tie was preparing to unleash electricity, the hazy, mist-like human figure quietly appeared.

Old Tie opened his mouth wide, staring blankly at the blurry human figure.

"Though facing thousands, I shall go forth..." Old Tie's body trembled slightly, and the blood-red light in his eyes suddenly flared, illuminating hundreds of meters around them. "This kid... is he just incredibly lucky... or is he truly a peerless genius?"

Old Tie slowly closed his mouth. His metal skull couldn't show any facial expressions, but his tone was enough to declare his current mood.

"What a terrifying bloodline, what a terrifying tribe... worthy of being the descendants of the monsters who created me, Grandpa..."

"Sparks of inheritance, endless life... as long as the bloodline remains... then..."

"Damn it all, let's go for it!"

Old Tie suddenly barked a few times like a mad dog, followed by a loud, thunderous roar from within his body: "Battle... Battle... Battle... Life is endless, battle is unending... the meaning of my birth is to battle!"

"Escape? A feint to relieve the besieged?" Old Tie roared hysterically, "These are not the thoughts I should have... Which bastard put something else in Grandpa's head? Grandpa is a pure warrior... Bah, Bian Que... Bah, a medical-type Ancient Divine Weapon..."

The blood-red light spewing from his eyes solidified, burning the rocks he looked at into molten lava.

Old Tie madly pursued Wu Tie, roaring as he ran, "Damn Yang Jian... I only violated battlefield discipline once... a combat genius like me, and you demoted me to a medic!"

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Old Tie roared with gusto, "To hell with battlefield discipline, to hell with military orders... The highest commander of this sector, Yang Jian, is dead. The highest commander of the allied sector, Ox Hero, is dead... I haven't received any new military orders... I, according to the founder's... highest directive, fight with my heart..."

"White Tiger Army... Death Squad... General... Wrathful Asura... Engaging!"

Blood-red light surged from Old Tie's eyes.

Within his large, pale white skull, an invisible shackle seemed to shatter, the cracking sound crisp and audible.

On Old Tie's pale white, smooth, unblemished skull, fine blood-red patterns quietly emerged, forming ever-changing totem patterns. Old Tie, already quite ferocious in appearance, now became even more savage and menacing.

The surface of Old Tie's skull writhed rapidly, and several sharp horns grew from it. These blood-red horns were fierce and sharp in design, with countless tiny sparks dancing on them. The surrounding Primal Energy turned into visible streams of glittering liquid, constantly being absorbed by these horns.

With a few 'crackling' sounds, a large amount of electrical sparks erupted from Old Tie's neck, and his movements suddenly became somewhat unbalanced.

Terrible energy violently impacted within his skull, but his body, after all, was not his own. Under the fierce energy impact, Old Tie's four legs stumbled, and he suddenly fell headfirst to the ground, smashing a large stalagmite into pieces.

"Roar!"

"Battle!" Old Tie roared hoarsely, with large patches of electrical light spewing from his neck. He suddenly sprang up, transforming into a streak of blood-red firelight, charging forward.

A group of young Gray Rock Gnome children were crying and fleeing.

Their parents had already become bloody messes, or had been swallowed by the Flood Dragon and those Water Pythons.

Their small legs, less than a foot long, moved with difficulty as they fled within the chaotic stronghold. Tears filled their large eyes, and unprecedented fear permeated their bodies and minds, distorting their voices.

They... were completely defenseless.

A massive Water Python chased after them, its mouth opening wide in satisfaction as it lunged to swallow the group of Gray Rock Gnome children in one gulp.

"I'm scared too... but... I'm here!" Wu Tie roared hoarsely, plummeting from the sky. Gripping his long spear tightly, he thrust it fiercely, piercing the Water Python's head.

An inexplicable, immense force that Wu Tie couldn't control at all erupted from the spear.

Vast and mighty, supremely rigid and strong, it filled the entire world, brimming with infinite righteousness.

The Water Python's enormous body suddenly exploded, scattering flesh and blood across the sky.

The ground trembled violently. Wu Tie's body slammed into the earth, his spear hitting the ground and blasting out a crater over ten meters in diameter.

An invisible force field surged around him. Wu Tie slowly floated out of the large pit.

He held his spear, gritting his teeth as he looked at the Flood Dragon watching them from several hundred meters away.

"I'm afraid of you... but I still came!"

"There are always things that must be done... there are always people who must be protected..."

"I'm such an idiot... but I still came!"

Wu Tie beckoned to the Flood Dragon with a trembling finger, laughing heartily, "You little punk, come here to Grandpa, Grandpa will have a good time with you..."