Four Great Powerhouses

Lone Mountain Town suddenly emptied out. The powerful figures all departed together, everyone following the experts of the four great clans toward Stone Village to witness a great battle. The mountains were thick with forest, and fallen leaves had accumulated year after year, more than a foot deep beneath their feet, soft to step on. That did not even include the rotten leaves that had long turned to black earth; otherwise, it would have been even thicker. The mountain soil was fertile, and ancient trees towered into the sky.

The forest abounded with fierce beasts, but with so many people moving together, whether gigantic beasts or savage birds, all fled in alarm. There were simply too many of them, like a rushing flood.

"Is that the village?"

Still two or three li away, the four great clans stopped, unwilling to advance any farther. They climbed cliff faces and ascended high ground, seizing advantageous positions as they looked down upon the village.

Nothing about it seemed unusual. It was an ordinary, simple village. Animal hides were drying atop stone houses built from mountain rock, smoked meat hung from the eaves, chickens and dogs could be heard calling to one another, old people basked in the sun against the walls, and groups of children chased and played with each other.

"Such a tiny village is worth mobilizing such forces? If you ask me, we could trample through it with our horses and flatten this place in a single charge." The Golden Wolf Tribe spoke. They were a group of iron cavalry, every one of them mounted on scaled horses, their armor bright, their spears sharp, their broad blades snow-bright as they pointed ahead.

"Those who dare offend the majesty of Luofu Great Marsh shall be punished no matter how far away they are! This village must be destroyed today!" A group of youths shouted coldly. Jiao Cang had lost an arm and become a cripple. They wanted revenge.

Yet the leaders of the four great clans issued orders forbidding them from acting rashly. They were to await instructions from above; anyone who dared launch an attack without authorization would be severely punished.

"Looks like this village truly is no simple matter, to make such formidable figures so cautious."

"Eh, where are the chiefs of the four great clans? Why aren't they here? What are they doing?"

The powerful figures who had followed them here discussed the matter, watching every movement closely.

Stone Village was peaceful. In the courtyard at the village entrance, Little Dot held a small clay pot and was preparing to boil beast milk. He was sneaking about, darting glances with his big eyes toward the courtyard gate from time to time, afraid that the older children would discover him.

"It smells so good." The beast milk in the clay pot boiled over the fire. He sniffed with his little nose, his large eyes half-closed, his face full of bliss.

"Flap, flap, flap."

Suddenly, the sound of birds beating their wings came from above. Little Dot looked up in alarm. "Why are there so many birds, even savage birds? Could another beast tide have appeared?"

He stood and walked out of the courtyard, looking toward the sky. He quickly noticed something wrong: birds were taking flight from the forests in every direction, all about two or three li away.

"Something's wrong. Fierce beasts or people have surrounded this place!" Little Shi Hao was quick-witted and immediately shouted a warning to the villagers.

In truth, Shi Linhu, Shi Feijiao, and the others had noticed it at once as well. The villagers were simple and honest, but that did not mean they lacked vigilance. Living year-round in the harsh Great Wilderness required sharp senses.

"Could it be that bunch of bastards from last time again?" Er Meng's father shouted.

Among the mountains, the experts of the four great clans all showed surprise. The people of this village had reacted so swiftly. They truly were extraordinary.

"Eh, the chief has arrived!" the people of the Golden Wolf Tribe cried out.

A tall, mighty old man appeared. His pupils were pale gold, with lightning flashing from them, making everyone's legs tremble. This old man was far too powerful.

At his side stood a golden divine wolf. It was not especially large, yet as it held its head high and strode forward, looking down upon the experts of every clan, it carried an overbearing air of being the sole sovereign under heaven.

Golden radiance flowed over the wolf's entire body. Its majesty was even greater than a human's. Its golden eyes swept coldly over the crowd, forcing every powerful figure to retreat, nearly suffocating them. It was more terrifying than the old man.

Everyone understood that this had to be the most powerful sacrificial spirit within fifty thousand li!

"Golden Wolf Tribe, do not act rashly. Retreat another li and await my command." After saying this, the mighty old man transformed into a beam of golden light and vanished into the forest.

Very soon, he arrived a li from Stone Village. Together with that sacrificial spirit, he stood atop a mountain peak and stared at Stone Village.

At the same time, three peerless experts appeared in the other three directions, ascending stone cliffs and looking down upon Stone Village.

The chiefs of the Thunder Clan, Luofu Great Marsh, Purple Mountain Clan, and Golden Wolf Tribe had all arrived, each occupying one direction. They were about to unleash thunderous measures—a devastating strike.

The roar of water was like thunder. To the due west, a great river ran through the mountains and forests. The master of Luofu Great Marsh stood there, his entire body shrouded in watery vapor and glowing as an enormous savage flood dragon took shape.

He was driving his blood essence, striving to manifest a giant flood dragon. It slowly tore free from his back, coiling over the mountain land in a horrifying sight.

He was invoking a precious technique, but the method was somewhat bizarre.

After the flood dragon tore free from his spine, it rapidly grew larger, becoming a full zhang thick and more than two hundred zhang long. It was terrifying beyond measure, surrounded by gray mist as huge symbols emerged and flashed in the void.

The savage flood dragon roared, throwing the surrounding lands into chaos. Rocks tumbled down and leaves whirled wildly.

"Roar..."

With a fierce howl, the gray flood dragon reared up and dove toward Stone Village, launching a ferocious attack. It was a breathtaking strike. Its enormous body blanketed the sky, gray mist surging thick and heavy around it. It seemed to have emerged from primordial chaos. Opening its jaws in a roar, it spat out a vast expanse of dreadful light that shattered every mountain rock below.

Outside Stone Village, the rocks and forest trees suffered a devastating assault. The ground itself split apart. This savage flood dragon was too enormous, its attack power enough to make hearts tremble.

"What an incredibly powerful precious technique!" Two or three li away, everyone shuddered, goosebumps rising all over their bodies. Such a method was too astonishing, enough to wipe out an entire tribe.

"Something's wrong. That village is unharmed!"

At the village entrance, a glistening green branch on the Willow Tree began to shine, releasing a hazy glow that covered the entire village and blocked the flood dragon's heaven-shaking blow.

Then, the willow branch rapidly extended, shooting toward the high heavens to pierce through the savage flood dragon!

Boom!

Suddenly, in the north, blazing lightning appeared. Bolts of black lightning struck down from a cliff toward Stone Village, intercepting the willow branch stretching toward the sky.

Thunder Marquis had made his move. A powerful marquis exerted himself to the utmost, using his strongest precious technique, as though he had transformed into the Thunder God.

"Is this dead wood coming back to life in spring? I represent the Thunder God. I will destroy you once again—rot away completely!"

His vast voice rolled like thunder, shaking the mountains and rivers. All the experts covered their ears; its penetrating force was too great, sending the forest leaves flying wildly.

He was not attacking the Willow Tree's trunk, but intercepting that slender tender branch. The black lightning danced wildly and all crashed down. Heaven and earth darkened as black radiance surged!

To the south, a wolf's howl rang through heaven and earth. The divine wolf howled at the moon, golden light blazing there and covering the entire mountain peak. That sacrificial spirit underwent a terrifying transformation.

Its back split apart, revealing a golden fissure. Its fur parted to either side as the sacrificial spirit howled, making the surrounding mountains tremble.

It was actually shedding its skin. Once the golden fur split open, an even more dazzling divine wolf broke free from within, its entire coat seeming to have been forged from gold.

"Ah, that golden wolf truly is terrifying. No wonder it reigns supreme among the sacrificial spirits within fifty thousand li. It has already obtained a new life once, shedding an old skin and refining it into a precious artifact." Everyone was awestruck.

In ordinary times, the golden wolf had concealed its strength, always wearing the old skin it had shed. Only now did it reveal its savage true form, displaying all its power.

Golden rosy light blazed brilliantly. That wolfskin rapidly swelled, lifelike as though it were another living divine wolf. Even its teeth were present, gleaming with a cold light.

Clearly, when this sacrificial spirit shed its skin, it had done so with perfect completeness, leaving behind an intact husk. This made the precious artifact exceptionally rare and extraordinarily powerful!

"Roar..." The divine wolf gave a long howl that shook heaven and earth. The wolf-shed artifact emitted boundless light, dyeing heaven and earth gold as it rushed toward Stone Village and attacked the Willow Tree.

Everyone trembled in terror. Worthy of being the strongest sacrificial spirit within fifty thousand li, this might was simply soul-shaking, breeding immense fear from the depths of their hearts.

The divine wolf formed from golden wolfskin pounced directly at the Willow Tree's charred, massive roots, seeking to destroy it at the root. Golden light boiled and flooded the village entrance.

Boom!

Purple qi came from the east. In the east, hazy purple qi blanketed heaven and earth, transforming into thick clouds that covered the entire mountain forest. Its terrifying might surged to the heavens. Purple Mountain Marquis, the foremost powerhouse, had made his move as well!