Volume 1, Chapter 8: Tribes

Cross-legged in the valley near the village, Xiahou sat surrounded by abundant earth energy.

At his brow, his spiritual power surged and receded violently like water waves, emitting faint ripping sounds. The continuous flow of pale yellow earth-elemental energy was wrapped in the spiritual power, flowing into his brow. Driven by the incantations taught by the shaman, the mysterious acupoint at his brow acted like an energy converter, blending Xiahou's spiritual power with the earth-elemental energy and transforming it into earth-elemental witch power.

This pale yellow witch power circulated throughout his body, with every muscle, bone, nerve, and drop of blood undergoing the intense transformation required for witchcraft. Destruction before creation, breaking before making. Every tissue in his body collapsed and disintegrated, only to immediately reorganize, fundamentally strengthening Xiahou's physical form.

Xiahou's expression remained calm, like an old monk in meditation. His skin had taken on a yellowish hue, resembling pure yellow earth. The pain he experienced was not as unbearable as the shaman had described. While practicing witchcraft, the Xuanwu True Solution, a skill from his previous life, was also accelerating within his elixir field. A stream of earth-elemental energy, containing vibrant life force, merged into his body, allowing the body, shattered by the witch power, to reorganize at a faster rate, naturally alleviating much of the pain.

"But even so, it still hurts a lot." Xiahou finally understood why there were so few witch warriors in the shaman's words. Imagine smashing one of your own shinbones into pieces with a hammer, then slowly healing it within thirty minutes, only to immediately shatter it into powder again, repeating this process continuously for five years. It's not that there is a lack of physically robust shamans, but rather a shortage of those who can persistently torment and abuse their own bodies.

Fortunately, with the protection of the Xuanwu True Solution, the healing speed of his injuries was more than a hundred times faster than using witchcraft alone, thus alleviating Xiahou's pain.

Xiahou also finally understood the difference between witchcraft and the Xuanwu True Solution. Witchcraft is akin to completely destroying the entire body and rebuilding a powerful one, while the Xuanwu True Solution absorbs spiritual energy from the outside world, strengthening the body like a gentle spring breeze and rain. The difference between them lies in dominance and natural harmony. Yet Xiahou employed both methods, resulting in a more solid physical form. Even his spiritual power had grown more than tenfold stronger through continuous arduous cultivation. If he had only practiced the Xuanwu True Solution, how could he have made such progress?

But the greatest difference lay in the effects. Witches seem only to care about the strength of witch power, which resides solely in the brow. Even if the witch power flows throughout the body and transforms it, it ultimately returns to the brow acupoint. However, when the Xuanwu True Solution is practiced to a profound level, the body is filled with liquid elemental power everywhere. Compared to witch warriors who rely solely on physical strength, the elemental power can exert greater power with every movement, leveraging that power to achieve even more significant effects.

Gradually, the spiritual power also turned pale yellow—now it should be called earth-elemental witch power—flowing out from the brow like water, filling the entire valley. Xiahou controlled this witch power, inhaling and exhaling, causing strange sounds to faintly echo in the air. Several massive boulders weighing thousands of pounds were swept up by the witch power, uprooted with a loud crash, and floated three inches off the ground, tumbling like fish in a tide.

After a few quick breaths, today's training session came to an end. A yellow glow flickered at Xiahou's brow, and his eyes gleamed with two eerie yellow flames. The external witch power spun rapidly like a tornado, making a hissing sound as it returned to the acupoint at his brow. The witch power was retracted so quickly that the boulders caught in it shattered on the spot, releasing large amounts of earth-elemental energy that flowed into Xiahou's body along with the witch power.

His joints cracked loudly like popcorn, and Xiahou slowly stood up.

At eleven years old, under the training of the Xiu, he consumed large amounts of meat and millet cakes daily. Combined with simultaneous training in witchcraft and the Xuanwu True Solution, his stature was now comparable to the Xiu members. His shoulders were half again as wide as a normal person's, and his arms hung down to near his knees, astonishing onlookers.

Casually performing a set of broadcast exercises from his previous life to loosen up, Xiahou's muscles rippled smoothly like mercury, exuding a powerful beauty.

In the distance, the agonized howls of saber-toothed tigers and golden apes could be heard. A flash of white light revealed a saber-toothed tiger being tossed high into the air. Bai's eyes flickered with two ghostly white flames as he suddenly leaped up, exhaling and punching the tiger's head. With a thunderous bang, the four-meter-long beast exploded in mid-air, raining down bits of flesh.

Now standing a head shorter than Xiahou, Bai ran over with his long arms flailing, chittering excitedly. His face was filled with glee, and the two white flames in his blood-red eyes were quite terrifying. Xiahou had finally taught him the White Tiger True Solution, which perfectly suited the Pixiu tribe's natural aggression. Bai had now reached the third stage of his training. Originally invulnerable to weapons, swift, and incredibly strong, Bai's power had surged after training in the White Tiger True Solution and various exotic martial arts. No beast in the nearby mountains could withstand more than three of his moves.

Allowing Bai's long tongue to lick his face, Xiahou frowned and said, "Amu told us to bring back wild game for dinner. Where's the animal you caught?"

Bai's long tongue froze mid-air, and he helplessly scratched his head with his claws, nodding and clapping obsequiously. This guy never knew his own strength; the prey he caught rarely survived intact. Asking him to hunt for food was indeed a difficult task for a "Pixiu."

Xiahou sighed and shook his head. Picking up the steel sword embedded in a nearby rock, he grabbed the long fur on Bai's neck and walked out of the valley, muttering to himself, "I guess I have to do it myself. Bai, what do you want to eat tonight? How about we catch a groundhog and make soup?"

Bai immediately spat in disgust, 'ptooey, ptooey,' indicating that groundhog meat was too unpalatable.

"Then, how about a giant ancient beast? You should like that, right? If we bring one back, it could feed the whole village for three days," Xiahou mused, eyeing the massive figure that suddenly appeared in the forest with a mischievous grin. The giant ancient beast, standing over 5.5 meters tall, was the largest herbivore in the nearby forest. Its tender meat made it an ideal prey. However, due to its enormous size, it usually required dozens of Chihu tribesmen working together to take one down.

Bai let out a loud cheer, his body shooting forward like an arrow with a fierce whooshing sound. In a few leaps, he was in front of the giant beast. Leaping high like a gorilla, Bai's eyes flashed with intense white light as he threw a punch at the beast's head.

With a faint sound, Bai's fist sank deep into the beast's skull. He pulled out his paw and joyfully scooped out the steaming brain matter, drinking it with delight. After a hearty drink, Bai lay comfortably on the collapsed beast, propping up his legs and burping contentedly.

Xiahou muttered a few curses under his breath, resignedly planting his steel sword into the beast's neck. He crawled under the massive body, and with a slight effort, hoisted the giant carcass onto his shoulders, making his way back to the village one step at a time. "Hmm, not bad. This thing is much lighter than the alloy door I used to carry around in my previous life," Xiahou thought, trying to comfort himself as he listened to Bai's snores overhead.

At eleven years old, having reached the sixth transformation of the Xuanwu True Solution, Xiahou's progress was unimaginable compared to his previous life. Coupled with the enhancement of witch power, his physical strength was nearing the peak of his former self.

Xiahou often joked, "Maybe I'm training so fast this time because I'm still a virgin? Sigh, in my last life, my cultivation speed lagged behind that White Tiger guy because I messed around with my girlfriend in college."

Talking to himself, Xiahou half-dragged, half-carried the 5.5-meter-tall, nearly 10-meter-long giant beast to the village entrance. He shouted, "Who's on watch in the guard tower? Please call my dad and a few uncles to help butcher this big guy."

The rule in the wild mountains was that half of the hunted prey belonged to the hunter's family, while the other half was shared with the village. This ensured that the strong men were well-fed, and the elderly, who no longer had the strength to hunt, didn't starve. The giant beast Xiahou brought back would provide ample food for the entire village for several days, making it a highly welcome bounty.

Chihu Xiu's familiar boastful voice echoed from afar, "My boy Ayi is back! Let Dad see what you hunted. Haha, a giant beast! Amazing, my boy!"

The voices of other tribe leaders, like those from the Fire Fox tribe, could also be heard, though they were clearly teasing the boastful Chihu Pixiu.

Xiahou snorted, casually tossing the giant beast and Bai onto the main road at the village entrance. Wiping imaginary sweat from his face, he drew his steel sword and said, "Dad, I'll take a piece of meat home for Mom to cook. Uncles, come over later for some drinks." With a swift cut, Xiahou sliced off a large chunk of meat, weighing over 300 pounds, from the beast's plump hind leg. He slung the meat over his sword, grabbed Bai with his other hand, and strode toward his family's wooden house.

Beside Chihu Xiu and his companions, there were a few outsiders dressed very differently from the villagers. Xiahou glanced at them curiously. One of the men, who seemed to be the leader, smiled at Xiahou and said loudly, "Brother Xiu, is this your child? Amazing, such strength!" The outsiders clicked their tongues in amazement, and the leader asked, "How old is he? Is he an adult?"

Chihu Xiu proudly raised his head and said, "Brother Fire Leopard, my Ayi is not yet an adult. So, what do you think of my Ayi compared to the children from other Chihu tribes?"

Not an adult yet? And he single-handedly captured a giant ancient beast? Moreover, he carried it back all by himself?

Fire Leopard murmured in shock, "Not yet an adult? He must already have the strength of a high-level warrior, right? What will he be like when he reaches adulthood and trains for a few more years? Haha!" The outsiders all laughed together, "Now our Chihu tribe has a high-level warrior. Let's see if the Yi Wolf tribe still dares to compete with us for the forest!"

After exchanging a few words, they called for the villagers to disassemble the giant ancient beast, and then they headed towards the witch's house. As they passed by Chihu Xiu's house, Fire Leopard suddenly called out, "Xiu's Ayi, come with us to the witch's house. You are a brave man, and a brave man deserves to attend the meeting. Come on!"

A meeting? No need to be polite. Kicking the reluctant Bai lying on the floor, Xiahou stepped out of the wooden house and strode towards the stone house. As he walked, he asked in a deep, powerful voice, "Dad, Uncle Fire Leopard, what's the meeting about?"

Chihu Fire Leopard laughed, "The chief has called a gathering of all the warriors from the tribes. He says it's time to teach the Yi Wolf tribe a lesson. I'm here to see how many warriors your tribe can send."

War? Xiahou's spirits lifted immediately. In his previous life, he had been a warrior too. In this world, without a country to serve, he would fight for his family.

Sitting around the witch's fire pit, Xiahou drank strong liquor like an adult. He reaffirmed his belief that Chihu Xiu and his companions were a bunch of rough men. This almost medicinal alcohol was given freely to children—were they afraid their children wouldn't die fast enough? In his previous life, this would be considered child abuse.

As he took mouthfuls of the strong liquor, the witch finally spoke, "Fire Leopard, tell us the chief's plan. If we are to fight the Yi Wolf tribe to the death, we will send eighty percent of our warriors. If it's just to teach them a lesson, half our warriors will be enough." The green light in the witch's eyes slowly brightened. "We can't leave the village unguarded."

Chihu Fire Leopard took a sip of liquor, tore off a large piece of roast pork from the fire pit, chewed it a few times, and swallowed. He wiped his greasy hands on a companion's fur vest and, seeing they weren't clean, wiped them messily on his chest before speaking indistinctly, "Half, half will be enough. The chief just wants to teach them a lesson. If we fight to the death, there will be many casualties among our people, and other tribes will definitely take advantage."

The shaman nodded and looked at Chihu Xiu. "Xiu, select three hundred clansmen to go with Fire Leopard." Xiu nodded and silently tore off a leg of roast pork to eat.

Xiahou spoke loudly, "Shaman, I'll go too." After a pause, he added with a smile, "There's nothing for me to do if I stay in the village."

The shaman blinked a few times and then waved his right hand towards the door. A massive stone, half as tall as a person, was slowly drawn inside. With a cough, the shaman grinned sinisterly. "Let's see, Ayi of Xiu's family. Show the shaman your shamanic power. If you can reach the shaman's level, you can go. We can't have other tribes saying that the men of the Chihu clan aren't brave, sending a kid who hasn't even completed his coming-of-age ceremony to the battlefield, can we?"

The clansmen laughed, and Chihu Xiu patted Xiahou's head with his greasy hand. "Ayi, show the shaman and Uncle Fire Leopard what you've learned these past years. Hey, Brother Fire Leopard, my son's shamanic potential is greater than ours. We fight with brute strength, but my son can cultivate shamanic power."

Two bright yellow lights, even more luminous than the green in the shaman's eyes, gleamed from Xiahou's pupils. His brow pulsed, and suddenly a yellow stream of energy swept out. The massive stone, weighing about three thousand jin, was lifted three feet high amid whistling winds. With a booming sound like thunder, the stone was compressed into countless fist-sized fragments, scattering stone dust everywhere.

The shaman clapped and cheered, his face beaming with uncontrollable joy. "Good, Ayi, good. The herbs I used to lay your foundation weren't wasted. You might even be stronger than the shaman. You must have nearly fourth-level shamanic power. Good, you are qualified for the battlefield! Within a thousand miles, no other eleven-year-old has your strength."

In his excitement, the shaman pulled out a thumb-sized centipede from his robe, and with great enthusiasm, he tossed it into his mouth and began chewing. Half of the centipede still wriggled outside his lips as he chewed and said with a smile, "You can go. Tell the clan shaman, my uncle Hei An, that you are my apprentice."

After swallowing the centipede in a few bites, the shaman's pale green tongue licked the juices at the corners of his mouth. He announced loudly, "Tomorrow is a good time. The spirits will be resting in their nests. The mountain, water, and wood gods will protect you on your journey. Xiu, you will depart tomorrow. Bring plenty of provisions!"

Xiu, Fire Leopard, and Fire Fox all laughed together, but none of them touched the roast pork on the rack anymore. They all knew that shamans liked to put strange things in food. After seeing the centipede, no one dared to touch the pork.

The day they set out, the sky was overcast but without rain.

Perhaps the shaman's calculations were accurate. The three hundred warriors had a smooth journey and, after twenty days of trekking, finally reached the main branch of the Chihu tribe.

This was the largest village Xiahou had seen since arriving in this world, almost like a well-developed small city. The city walls, made of logs, were more than a mile long on each side, standing about forty feet high and ten feet thick, allowing the clan's warriors to patrol along the top. Each corner featured an archery tower about eighty feet tall, with several black eagles perched on them and over a dozen sharp-eyed archers who immediately called out upon spotting the group.

Fire Leopard strode forward boldly, looked up, and shouted, "Dad, don't shoot. It's Fire Leopard back! I've brought the clansmen from the line of Eagle Shaman. Leading them is Brother Xiu. His dad was your own younger brother!"

Chihu Xiu stepped forward and casually saluted in the direction of the archery tower. "Uncle, it's me, Xiu. When my dad was alive, he met you. How come your hair and beard are all white now?"

An old archer on the tower laughed heartily, took large strides across the tower, jumped down to the wall, and then leaped out of the city wall to greet Xiu. "Ah, it's Xiu. You've grown up, kid. How long has it been since we last met? Must be twelve years, right? Why don't you come over when your tribe sends messages?"

Xiu laughed heartily and hugged the old archer. "I'm now the leader of the tribal warriors, can't just come over at any time. Uncle Black Spot, how are you?"

Black Spot laughed happily and punched Xiu's chest hard, like beating a hated enemy. "Good, of course, I'm good. My kids, your brothers, are doing well. The clan's children are growing strong, and our Chihu tribe is more powerful. Who's this strong lad?" He turned to look at Xiahou, whose skin had an unusual earthy yellow hue.

Proudly, Xiu replied, "Him? He's my Ayi, not even completed his coming-of-age ceremony yet. A hero, of course, he's a hero. My son, naturally a hero."

A group of Chihu clansmen who had come out to greet them were all stunned. Xiahou's height might not have surpassed his father's, but his build was even more robust. His shoulders were half again as wide as normal, his arms reached down to his knees, and he stood next to a fierce-looking Bai, who bared his teeth and flashed blood-red eyes, creating an image that commanded deep respect.

Black Spot looked at Xiu incredulously. "Is he your Ayi? Your kid's grown this big?"

Xiahou respectfully saluted Black Spot. "Grandpa Black Spot, I am my father's son, and in six months, I'll undergo the coming-of-age ceremony."

The Chihu clansmen collectively gasped. An eleven-year-old of such size was legendary, something they had heard of but never seen. Those few legends were from distant places, from large tribes with tens of thousands of warriors, each becoming a high-ranking warrior. Was the Chihu tribe finally going to have its own high-ranking warrior? A seventh-level, no, even a fifth-level warrior would be a formidable general in the forests.

A robust man, slightly older than Xiu, extended his hand to Xiahou. "So, you're Brother Xiu's Ayi? I'm your Uncle Yunbao. Wow, you sure have some—uh—strength."

As their hands clasped tightly, Yunbao initially spoke normally, but soon his words became stuttered. His arm muscles bulged and began to tremble, while Xiahou appeared not to exert any effort. The clan members clapped and cheered. Familiar warriors teased loudly, "Brother Yunbao, did you leave all your strength with your wife last night? How can you be outdone by a kid?"

Yunbao quickly withdrew his hand, staring at Xiahou in shock. "What a strong kid, stronger than a beast's bite. You fools, try testing this kid's strength yourselves! I've never been bested in eight hundred miles around here, and I'm a second-level warrior! But I admit defeat to this kid!"

The Chihu warriors cheered in unison, joyfully escorting Xiu, Xiahou, and the other reinforcements into the village. In this era, having a powerful warrior in the tribe was a source of great pride. A strong warrior meant more territory, more grazing land, more hunting grounds, and the ability to support more clan members. Greater strength meant the ability to seize even more land.

Xiahou also learned about the criteria for first and second-level warriors. A first-level warrior could kill a saber-toothed tiger with bare hands. A second-level warrior could defeat nine first-level warriors in a row. Xiahou's father, Xiu, defeated thirteen first-level warriors and five second-level warriors before losing to a sixth, thus being considered a very strong second-level warrior.

Because Xiahou demonstrated such immense strength, the clan members shared this information with him. In their view, a kid without all his teeth shouldn't know about warriors' standards. Now, Xiahou had truly earned their recognition.

"Every warrior upgrade requires defeating nine warriors of the same level, with the final battle against three allied warriors of the same level. No wonder high-level warriors are so rare," Xiahou mused, tightening his grip on Bai's neck. He didn't want Bai causing a scene by attacking livestock just after arriving at the tribe's main village.

With his ears attuned to any useful information, a skill honed as a special agent, Xiahou learned that the Chihu tribe had gathered over five thousand warriors, including more than a dozen third and fourth-level warriors. This force could crush many ordinary tribes in the forest. However, it was said that the Yi Wolf tribe had also assembled over four thousand warriors, skilled in archery, a deadly advantage in the forest.

Due to his impressive show of strength, surpassing the second-level warrior Yunbao, Xiahou was fortunate enough to accompany his father to the tribal council meeting held in the large stone house at the village center.

The tribe's main family, along with the leaders of twenty-five supporting clans, nearly a hundred in total, sat around eight fire pits. They drank strong wine from horn cups and roasted fragrant pork over the fire, enjoying their feast and loudly discussing their plans.

Xiahou tightly restrained Bai, only allowing him to sip the strong liquor in small amounts. He couldn't risk Bai getting drunk here, as an intoxicated and rampaging adult Pixiu would be extremely dangerous. While the clansmen might be safe, the livestock of the main family would likely be decimated. The thought of his tribe having to compensate for such losses was a real headache.

Bai lay next to Xiahou, looking aggrieved, sipping the liquor from a horn cup. His eyes darted around, and he stretched a hind leg toward a nearby wine jar. However, his legs were much shorter than his arms, just barely unable to pull the jar over.

The clan leaders had finished their meal, and just as Bai was about to successfully bring the wine jar closer, the Chihu tribe leader, Leiniu, a very robust and authoritative elder in his fifties, raised his horn cup solemnly. "Clan members, children, and," he specifically looked at Xiahou, "our brave young lad, hahaha, let's all drink together."

Over a hundred horn cups were raised simultaneously, and everyone drank in unison.

Leiniu nodded approvingly and loudly declared, "Today, we are gathered for one reason: to teach the Yi Wolf tribe a lesson and force them to relinquish Iron Bamboo Mountain."

The clan shaman, Hei'ao, sitting next to him, coldly scanned all the clansmen, his eyes flickering with green flames, far brighter than those in the eyes of Chihu Jiu. "Iron Bamboo Mountain originally belongs to us. The mountain itself is valuable, but even more so are the two excellent grazing lands nearby. Such prime grazing areas are rare in the forest. The Yi Wolf tribe invaded our territory three months ago."

Leiniu drew a large machete, two feet long, half a foot wide, and an inch thick. He struck it into the ground, shattering two stone tiles into powder, and roared, "Therefore, we must teach them a lesson. Reclaim Iron Bamboo Mountain and seize a piece of their territory."

With fierce determination, Leiniu commanded, "The Yi Wolf tribe's archery is formidable and hard to defend against. But do we, the brave men of the Chihu tribe, fear those who can only attack from behind?"

All the clansmen jumped up, brandishing their weapons wildly. Fueled by alcohol, their eyes turned red, and they shouted in unison, "No fear, no fear, kill them all."

Leiniu smiled with satisfaction and nodded. "This time, the Yi Wolf men we capture will be slaves for the main family; the women will be divided among our brothers as wives. The spoils will be shared equally. Any objections?"

Everyone shook their heads in agreement. Hei'ao then cast a deep glance at Xiahou, who remained seated, unmoving. Softly, he asked, "Ayi of the Xiu family, why are you not speaking?"

Xiahou bowed to Leiniu and Hei'ao, then asked somewhat puzzled, "Is archery the only strength of the Yi Wolf tribe? What if we can close in on them?"

Leiniu laughed heartily, "If we get close to them, each of us can take down three, no, five of them!"

Hei'ao said a bit helplessly, "But their archery is too formidable. We lose many of our people before we even get close. Therefore, we must be cautious when dealing with the Yi Wolf tribe."

Xiahou frowned, "Then, Elder Chief and Elder Shaman, why not use shields to block their arrows? With shields, getting close to the Yi Wolf people wouldn't be a problem!"

The passionate Chihu tribesmen were all stunned simultaneously. "Shields? What are those?"

A thirty-something man sitting next to Leiniu touched his thick beard and hesitantly grabbed a metal round shield about a foot in diameter strapped to his back. He frowned and asked, "Is this a shield? I traded for it with a caravan last time and found it quite handy for boiling meat in the wild."

Xiahou was speechless! He hadn't expected that the forest tribes, accustomed to close combat with wild beasts using brute strength, wouldn't be familiar with using shields. In the grasslands outside the forest, various tribes extensively used bows and arrows, thus their defense against arrows was much stronger. The Yi Wolf tribe had migrated from the grasslands into the forest over the past century, so their archery skills naturally far surpassed those of the native Chihu tribe.

It's not that the forest people didn't want to use bows and arrows; they were quite powerful for hunting. But for the Chihu tribe, with their strong close combat abilities, intricate arrows weren't highly valued. Moreover, only steel arrowheads could penetrate the skin and muscles of giant beasts, and obtaining enough steel arrowheads was impractical. It was more worthwhile to trade for sharp knives and swords.

The straightforward Chihu tribesmen instinctively drew their swords and charged when facing Yi Wolf archers, never considering the possibility of using something to block the arrows.

Leiniu immediately grabbed the shield, held it in front of him, moved it left and right, and then smiled knowingly with Hei'ao. "Hahaha, yes, shields can block arrows! But we don't have much metal."

Xiahou said calmly, "Use a wooden board, half a person high and one person wide, three palms thick, covered with two layers of rawhide. It will work even better than metal shields."

Hei'ao pondered for a while and then clapped his hands in agreement. "Chief, Ayi from the Xiu family is right. Shields can block arrows. It seems the caravan people mentioned this too, but we never paid attention. We tend to gather our people for battle at the first sign of trouble and forget that good weapons and tools can offset our numbers."

Without further hesitation, Leiniu assigned tasks, "We have plenty of rawhide. Tomorrow, everyone makes a shield. Hei'ao, choose an auspicious time, and we'll attack the Yi Wolf tribe." He looked at Xiahou, pointing at him, "Ayi of the Xiu family, you'll get a share of the slaves, wives, and loot."

Xiu laughed joyfully, winking and making faces at his clansmen. If the chief and shaman weren't present, he would be boasting again about his excellent lineage and how capable his child was. After all, in any tribe, uninitiated youngsters weren't entitled to war spoils.

Late at night, the sky was filled with stars, casting a faint silver glow on the ground.

Xiahou sat cross-legged on the small balcony of the house, looking up at the sky, and whispered, "Bai, I'm losing hope. Our people didn't even bother to invent shields. Maybe I'll only find more civilized people if I leave the forest." He turned his head and looked at the beautiful diamond pattern on the steel sword stuck in the floor beside him.

Bai burped contentedly, glanced lazily at Xiahou, scratched his groin, picked out a few fleas, chewed them with a crunch, and then lazily turned over, ignoring him.

Xiahou gazed at the starry sky, carefully observing the changing star patterns, and finally closed his eyes slowly.

From the center of his forehead, a faint yellow ripple of shamanic power silently spread out, gradually extending around him. His mind cleared, and a gentle breeze naturally began to coil around him.