Chapter 14: First Mysterious Stone Tribe War (1)

(Author's Note: I'm sorry to miss a part where it explains the differences in time flow for the Jiao Continent, the Lower Yuanning Realm, and the Lesser Realm, which our MC comes from. These will be gradually added in this chapter, but to make it simple, Lesser/Lower/Intermediate/Upper/Greater Realms all had their own flow. The greater the Spiritual Energy, the longer a single day lasted. As for Shattered Worlds like the Jiao Continent and other Realm Stone Worlds, they differ depending on the owner's cultivation.)

The First Mysterious Stone Tribe War.

This incident was the Shattered World's first large-scale event happening from the minute the Jiao Continent Realm Stone came into Jiang Sheng's possession. The degree of this event is almost catastrophic, involving nearly 90% of the entire Mysterious Stone Tribe's population.

From Jiang Sheng's rough estimation, nearly 1.5 million tribesmen participated in this eight-year war. And at the end of this event, merely 300 thousand tribesmen survived. (Author's Note: Eight years in the Shattered World is equivalent to eight Jiang Sheng's days in the Lower Yuanning Realm.)

Nobody knew how the First Mysterious Stone Tribe War happened.

But from Jiang Sheng's guess, the cause is likely related to the uprising incident that followed after the Spiritual Energy fluctuation happened two days ago.

In the past two days, there has been an increase in activities within the Jiao Continent. The Spiritual Energy fluctuation that Jiang Sheng sensed back then did not appear to affect the tribesmen in any way, but it still did something to them.

The living golems were more vigorous and violent as if they suddenly obtained enlightenment that opened part of their minds and made them evolve at a greater pace. This explanation might be vague to be applied to all the Mysterious Stone Tribesmen, but very accurate on a few, for example, the living golems with good leadership qualities.

Being born with a core that is more compatible with Spiritual Energy, these living golems are like fish in water in this world that's gradually growing richer with the Spiritual Qi. They're also more competitive than the rest of the living golems, which have a meeker, peaceful disposition.

With two years for these living golems to develop, their competitiveness naturally leads to a change in their lifestyle. And due to the richer Spiritual Energy and vitality the current Jiao Continent has to offer, these living golems are in an unlimited buffet right now.

No limiter is placed on them and restrictions on what they could do.

Since the surroundings are no longer suitable for living peacefully, a change would naturally take place. Some living golems would choose to remain the same, but most would take this opportunity to go beyond that.

Through an act of self-protection, a mindset fueled by aggressiveness quickly followed, contaminating their mind to no return. These made the once peaceful living golems filled with hostile mentalities, greed for strength, self-growth, and territoriality appear within them.

For Jiang Sheng, it was merely two days. But to the Mysterious Stone Tribe inside the Shattered World, that was two full years.

Two years was not long, but definitely long enough for the combative culture to germinate and take root inside the living golems. After all, these meek creatures are as white as paper and as easy to stain as a cloth.

This incident also occurred coincidentally while Jiang Sheng was preoccupied with other responsibilities for the past two days. For example, increases his Immortal Spirit Qi Crystal output to cover his lack and the task of delivering the crystals the group mined to Yi Xuanming.

With no leisure time to monitor the signs of progress in the Shattered World, Jiang Sheng was obviously greeted with a different surprise. It was already too late for him to stop the event by the time he monitored the Shattered World.

(Perhaps... I shall take a step back and let this event proceed naturally?)

Jiang Sheng convinced himself of the choice he had to make. As a mortal once, he witnessed the rise and fall of countries, dynasties, empires, families, clans, and sects. What else he still hadn't seen in his lifetime?

Furthermore, he believes that this conflict will not be the last either. After all, this was a natural cycle that the mortals, regardless of kind and procession, would get pulled into.

(Let's do that... Why should I get involved in the scuffle of some mortals?)

Jiang Sheng felt that his sympathy was insignificant. Hence, his view on this matter was also much colder and unconcerned. At least for now, the Mysterious Stone Tribe had nothing that caused him to lend them a hand.

Still, regardless of their insignificance, these mortals do have their uses.

Overseeing how the event unfolds from a bystander's perspective would benefit Jiang Sheng somehow in his understanding of life cycle and immortality. Furthermore, as someone who had refined a third of the Shattered Jiao Continent Stone, his sense of this Shattered World was clearer than anyone else.

This advantage allowed him to obtain twice the benefit compared to the others.

At the same time, Jiang Sheng finds it funny.

He assumed that the flint who started everything was one of the living golems, such as the Second-Tier Golem Overlord that recently won over its rival and the cause behind the Spiritual Energy fluctuation. Instead, the preparator that caused this came from the little green buds that grew everywhere on the Jiao Continent.

It surprised Jiang Sheng when he noticed the plant's usefulness, which failed to catch his interest back then.

The plant and the living golem apparently had a very close symbiotic relationship. But to make it easier to understand, it was not the plant but the pollens that matured within the green buds. The plant could only display its effectiveness after getting crushed by the living golem. 

The pollen, which turned out to have a strong adhesive nature on what it was stuck on, could offer the living golem it latched on with a suction power that pulls the Spiritual Energy to them.

Since refining the Spiritual Energy is what a living golem uses to strengthen itself, the bond naturally turns the golem and the plant into an inseparable relationship.

This might be how the flame of a tribal war was ignited in the first place. At the beginning of the first year, it was simply brawls between the living golems here and there. But everything changed when those living golems with leadership qualities joined in.

These leaders, who appeared out of nowhere, came onto the stage and displayed intelligence that few living golems could match. The Mysterious Stone Tribe might lack communication methods. Still, a firm display of strength is all that matters to the rest of living golems that follow them.

With them taking charge, small factions grow like mushrooms after rain. They were everywhere, ruling over a small territory with its own rule and iron fist.

This continued until the use of the green buds spread out. From there, the fight began to determine which living golem factions qualified to monopolize the green plants. From here, everything started to get serious in the second year of the Mysterious Stone Tribe War.

With the usage of the green plant, which Jiang Sheng named Jiaolong Grass, became known to the living golems, the number of small factions started to get lesser. Or, more accurately to say, swallowed or absorbed by stronger factions.

Led by their respective Golem Overlords, these factions were much stronger than the small and independent groups running wildly on the Jiao Continent plains. With these Golem Overlords' existence made known, an identity is naturally needed to avoid attacking their friendly companions.

This continued until the beginning of the third year when the number of Golem Overlords had dwindled until only eight were left ruling over the entire Jiao Continent.

They're respectively idolized by a certain special trait on their body. This trait was also followed by their followers, who took pride in having a physique like their Overlord.

The eight were named Fist Overlord, Shield Overlord, Pillar Overlord, Rolling Overlord, Prison Overlord, Undying Overlord, Sword Overlord, and Peeling Overlord by Jiang Sheng because the Mysterious Stone Tribe is still illiterate and yet to possess their own language and writing.

Each one was named according to their aptitudes. For example, the Fist Overlord in its fist fighting skills, and the Sword Overlord due to its skillful execution through the two sword-like arms.

These Overlords had similar strengths: on the fourth to fifth stage on the second tier. This means their Stone Physique was constructed from twenty-four to five parts.

From what Jiang Sheng could see, this level of strength was already the peak of what they could achieve. After all, that was already the limit of cultivation strength this Shattered World could handle. Unless Jiang Sheng repairs the Shattered Jiao Continent Stone further or finds another way to replenish the land's vitality that was lost, this would be the peak of the Golem Overlord's achievement.

(How come their fate and my own were similar?)

Jiang Sheng chuckled at their familiar fate. But at the same time, he had a feeling that when they breakthrough, he too, would receive a qualitative boost in his cultivation.

When the fourth day was finally here, the eight overlords could not contain their eagerness anymore.