A sliver of dawn light appeared on the horizon, as roosters crowed and dogs barked, bacons of the morning descended on Gu Yuan Tribe. Daybreak was around the corner. When the light brushed across the Gu Yuan Tribe, the diligent tribe members had already begun their new day.
Dozens of miles away from the Gu Yuan Tribe, three figures were furiously galloping on their horses. Their Swift Wind Steeds were racing at great speed, yet it seemed that the riders on the horseback were still unsatisfied, relentlessly whipping the horses' backs.
Soon, these three figures entered the Gu Yuan Tribe, appearing in front of the tribe leader, Xiao Chen. After paying their respects, the leading knight said first, "Chief, we three have been lurking around the Black Mountain Tribe area. We haven't noticed anything unusual, but we have found the underground Scorpion People lurking about. However, they don't seem interested in fighting, so we didn't clash and just avoided each other from a distance. Looks like, they too are spying on the Black Mountain Tribe."
After pondering for a while, Xiao Chen ordered the three War Soldiers to rest, not reaching any conclusions.
Since the true intentions of the Black Mountain Tribe remained unclear, Xiao Chen decided to focus on improving their own strength. After all, you need to be strong yourself to fight off others. As long as they were powerful enough, they could shatter any conspiracy or trickeries in one shot.
After making a round tour of the tribe, having nothing specific to do, Xiao Chen strolled towards Elder Gu Lin's dwelling.
Although Gu Lin was the only remaining elder in the tribe, he didn't have his own courtyard. He lived near the ancestral hall, where he presided over the ancestral worship activities. Generally, he didn't venture out unless necessary. He also held the key to tribe's secret vault, where precious artifacts collected over several hundreds of years were kept.
The Gu Yuan Tribe's ancestral hall was northeast of the Great Hall, which in Continental tradition is considered the most distinguished direction.
Being the Gu Yuan tribe's spiritual sanctuary, the ancestral hall was not imposingly vast but was rather delicately designed.
"Young Xiao, what brings you here to an old man like me?" asked Gu Lin, seeming pleased to see Xiao Chen.
"Elder, I heard that there is a long spear passed down by our ancestors in the secret vault. After breaking through the Blood Refining Realm, my previous inferior long spear has become hardly useful. So, I came to you for it." Xiao Chen came straight to the point.
"The secret vault was established to protect the tribe in times of great calamity. Every fifty years, a batch of supplies is stored in it. Unfortunately, during a big catastrophe a hundred years ago, most of the materials were lost. Otherwise, the Gu Yuan Tribe wouldn't have declined to such a state. You must know, during its heydays, our Gu Yuan tribe had several Blood Refining Realm warriors."
"Elder, everything will get better. Our Gu Yuan will certainly be prosperous again."
"Very well, go to the secret vault. The bronze key will eventually be handed over to you." Gu Lin, shakily pulled out a bronze key from his bosom and handed it to Xiao Chen, showing no intention of accompanying him.
Taking the bronze key, Xiao Chen strode towards a small gate next to the ancestral hall.
Boom!
As he pushed open the heavy stone gate, a gust of dust met his face. It looked like the vault had not been visited for quite a long time, as it appeared disordered.
Collapsed wooden racks, broken weapons, and scattered ores on the floor seemed to warn about the cruel disaster of the bygone years.
Brushing off the dust on his hand, Xiao Chen stepped through the gate of the secret vault.
Inside the unassuming vault from outside, it was another world, spanning thousands of square feet, although it appeared terribly dilapidated.
Xiao Chen moved towards where the weapons were kept. At the place where countless weapons should have been stacked, a few small swords lay scattered. Yet none of these caught Xiao Chen's attention. His eyes were entirely drawn towards a giant stone platform ahead.
The stone platform was nearly a yard square and over a meter high. Two dark weapons were vertically thrust into it; a black iron spear and a carved bow.
From a distance, the iron spear looked as high as half-a-room and completely black, with a pattern of irregular, shapely carving streaks. It bore a single point and double blade.
As for the great bow, it was hollow throughout. At the center where arrows were shot from, was an engraving of a fearsome beast that Xiao Chen didn't recognize. Its eyes emitted terrifying lights, reflecting its unreduced vigor even after a hundred years.
Not able to resist his excitement, Xiao Chen couldn't believe that the declining Gu Yuan Tribe actually had such treasures. A proverb flashed in his mind - In a ruined family lays hidden a cache of wealth, the ancients were not deceiving me after all.
Overjoyed, Xiao Chen immediately walked up and tried to pull the spear out for a close look, just as an aged voice echoed from behind him.
"These two weapons have existed since the founding of our Gu Yuan Tribe. After our first tribal leader passed away, none of his successors have pulled these two weapons out from the stone platform. Hence, they have always been left here."
Out of nowhere, Gu Lin who was originally cleaning up the ancestral hall, appeared behind Xiao Chen, narrating the history of these two weapons with a face full of nostalgic longing.
Perhaps the thought of the Gu Yuan Tribe's past glory sombered the old man's mood.
Bang!
As the sound of iron hitting stone reverberated, the black spear was pulled out of the platform by Xiao Chen, creating a loud noise throughout the secret vault.
As he played with it creating a slew of spear flowers, Xiao Chen finally took a good look at it.
The long spear was indeed twelve feet long, as he had estimated, and as thick as a baby's arm. Upon weighing it, it was actually a hefty thousand pounds. The average Bone-Tempering Realm warrior wouldn't even have the strength to wield it. It was uncertain what material the body of the spear was made from.
Shh!
He circulated the combat qi within his body and channeled it into the long spear. The spear let out a series of hisses, as if greeting its new master.
"Haha, from now on, I'll call you Dark Blood. You will follow me, the chief, in battles and protect our tribe,"
Gripping the long spear, Xiao Chen let out a satisfied laugh. As if acknowledging his words, the long spear made a long hum, and it exploded with a streak of dim light, exuding a cold intention intimidating to the soul.
Seeing such a spectacle, Elder Gu Lin on the side was so excited that he almost pulled out his sparse beard.
The divine object chose its master, and after eight hundred years of waiting, the Dark Blood Spear once again revealed its extraordinary and lofty momentum.
After setting the long spear aside, Xiao Chen picked up the black bow on the stone platform. The bow seemed to be made of the same material as the Dark Blood Spear, originating from the same source - likely created by the same person. It was truly unknown where the ancestors of the Gu Yuan Tribe had obtained these two divine weapons.
In the Gu Yuan Tribe, nearly every tribal member had been trained in archery from a young age. When they came of age, they would join the hunts in the Great Wasteland. As such, nearly every person on the Ancient Great Continent was an exceptional archer - and Xiao Chen was no exception.
After strapping the carved bow on his back, Xiao Chen looked in other directions. All he saw was chaos and wreckage, like a locust invasion had ravaged the secret vault.
Just as he was helping Elder Gu Lin to leave, suddenly! A searing sensation of pain emanated from the tattoo on his right arm.
It was the Mountain River Seal that hadn't reacted in a long while! Ever since it had passed on a Bone-Tempering Elixir recipe to Xiao Chen, this invaluable treasure, which had been playing dead for so long, had shown reaction again!
If Elder Gu Lin wasn't by his side, Xiao Chen would have immediately jumped up in excitement. After all, it was because of the Mountain River Seal that Xiao Chen had the opportunity to defy fate, coming to this unknown world.
As for the Mountain River Seal's activity, Xiao Chen couldn't help but feel hopeful.
Find an arbitrary excuse, persuading Elder Gu Lin to leave before Xiao Chen started his search in the secret vault.
The Mountain River Seal revealed its true form again - a green-tinted bronze, dotted with rust, carrying a sense of age.
In the deepest part of the vault, Xiao Chen found a green stone about a foot in diameter and irregularly circular. It was this giant stone that attracted the Mountain River Seal!
"Could there be something extraordinary in this green stone?"
Having gently tapped the green stone, Xiao Chen found himself muttering.
While Xiao Chen found nothing, it didn't mean the Mountain River Seal found nothing. The bronze seal turned into a light, plunging into the green stone like a hungry tiger rushing at its prey.
Leaving a fist-sized black hole, it made Xiao Chen, who was outside, stare blankly with a woeful expression.
Fortunately, the Mountain River Seal knew not to embarrass its new master too much. Before long, it shot out from the green stone and returned to Xiao Chen's right arm, and the green stone promptly exploded.
Just as Xiao Chen was reacting, the Mountain River Seal that had returned to his arm sent out a massive surge of energy. The tumultuous power wreaked havoc in his body like a flood. Without time to return home, Xiao Chen immediately sat down on the spot and calmly circulated the Barbarian Bull-soaring Technique to resist the massive power that was assaulting his body.
The path of cultivation was fraught with challenges and dangers. Xiao Chen tried hard to control the energy surge within his body, letting it rush towards the channels that were not yet connected, without the slightest distraction. Otherwise, if his mind was a mess, the violent energy would rampage in his body and destroy his internal channels, resulting in his immediate death.
The Barbarian Bull-soaring Technique, being an incomplete human-level cultivation technique, originally had six levels. Now it only had four levels, and Xiao Chen had already practiced it to the fourth level. Merging the roiling energy flow into a robust whirl, he spun it rapidly and directed it to assault his internal channels.
The initially impassable blocked channels turned fragile as paper at this moment, and were instantly burst open, immediately connecting.
After this channel was connected, the energy flow's momentum remained unstopped as it rushed towards the next channel. It wasn't until all three channels were connected, that this energy flow finally depleted and stopped at the fourth channel.
"It seems the Barbarian Bull-soaring Technique can't keep up with my realm anymore, I should find a new primary cultivation technique as soon as possible,"
Slowly finishing his practice and exhaling a gust of turbid air, Xiao Chen was thoughtful.
Seeing such a fortuitous incident, Xiao Chen was overjoyed. Initially, he had wanted to find a suitable weapon. Unexpectedly, he had broken through to the early peak of the Blood Refining Realm by accident, which was a pleasant surprise.
"Haha, Xiong Li, I swear I'll kill you with my spear,"
Feeling the power within his body, Xiao Chen knew that his martial arts cultivation level was now on par with Xiong Li's. A strong self-confidence surged from Xiao Chen's body, like a war god descending to earth.