After nine months in the Ancient God Soldier Camp.
Two metal spiders, one on the left and one on the right, were perched on two large rocks. The ground shook violently as angry beast roars echoed from afar.
The Gu Tie, whose height had increased by more than one foot, ran swiftly in tight-fitting armor, occasionally picking up a stone from the ground and throwing it backwards. The stones always hit the nose of the fierce beast behind him. This beast had a huge size, about eight or nine meters long and over five meters tall, weighing tens of thousands of jins. Blood continuously sprayed from its large nostrils.
This fierce beast, resembling a hippopotamus, came from a river several miles away. Normally, it lived in the deep water of the river, only occasionally going ashore with its kind to feed on fern leaves.
After discovering this group of massive water beasts, Gu Tie had spent two full months mustering up the courage to provoke the smallest one among them.
The ground trembled as the fierce beast charged, and Gu Tie continued to throw stones backwards. The beast's nose was bleeding from the accurate strikes, and a trail of blood followed it.
"Come on, big guy, come to daddy. Haha, daddy loves you!" Gu Tie laughed loudly, his bright eyes devoid of any fear, only filled with unconcealed excitement and fanaticism.
Nine months of life and death battles and frenzied hunting. Nine months of being scolded day and night by old Gu Tie, his ears and eyes becoming accustomed to it.
Under the guidance of Gray Master since childhood, the touch of elegance and literacy that Gu Tie used to carry had long been lost, replaced by a fierce and slippery demeanor—a unique charm belonging to seasoned soldiers.
"Come on, big guy, haha, daddy has something delicious for you. Oh yes, exactly here!" Gu Tie shouted and suddenly leaped between the two large metal spiders perched on the stones.
The water beast roared angrily and hurriedly followed Gu Tie. It stepped heavily on the ground, causing it to sink and one of its feet to get trapped in a deep pit.
A crisp sound of bone cracking echoed from a distance as the water beast's left front leg twisted and snapped. Its massive body became wedged between the two large stones, unable to move. The agonized water beast thrashed and roared, continuously spewing white saliva from its mouth.
Gu Tie swiftly turned around, rushing towards the water beast at full speed. With his long spear, he pierced through the water beast's head, leaving a straight and fierce shadow in its wake.
The long spear produced by the Ancient God Soldier Camp was exceptionally sharp, piercing through the half-foot thick skull of the water beast. Gu Tie stirred his wrist, causing the water beast's massive body to twitch several times before falling silent.
"Let's get to work, brothers!" Gu Tie excitedly greeted the two metal spiders. The two spiders quickly hopped over to him, bouncing with pride a few times.
A slit appeared in the carapace of one of the metal spiders, and a silver-gray liquid oozed out, instantly transforming into a thin and sharp long knife a meter long.
"I still can't figure out why a melted lump of metal can turn into a knife by itself. It's so amazing." Gu Tie grabbed the long knife and quickly dismembered the water beast into pieces.
Over twenty metal spiders emerged from the fern forest behind, grabbing pieces of meat much larger than their own bodies, swiftly returning to the Ancient God Soldier Camp. Each metal spider could easily carry several hundred jin of meat, and with over twenty of them, they could drag back tens of thousands of jin of prey in one go. It took Gu Tie a full two hours to dismember the water beast, bringing back at least fifty to sixty thousand jin of flesh and blood.
Flesh and blood were ingredients for foundation-establishing elixirs.
Humming a tune he had learned from Old Gu Tie, Gu Tie returned to the Ancient God Soldier Camp while accompanied by a group of metal spiders, carrying several large bone clubs.
The flesh and blood of the water beast had already been stored in the alchemical apparatus, neatly arranged on the ground were fifty-six bottles of foundation-establishing elixir, emitting a blinding emerald light. The air was filled with the distinct and fragrant yet slightly pungent aroma of the elixir.
Four metal spiders carried Old Gu Tie, circling around Gu Tie.
"Not bad harvest, huh? You brat got bold, huh? Dare to provoke those giant hippopotamuses?" Old Gu Tie snorted coldly. "Be more careful next time. Besides their massive size, those giant hippopotamuses have no other abilities. Moreover, they are herbivorous animals and are not good at collective hunting... You got lucky."
Gu Tie grinned.
It was because those creatures were herbivorous that he dared to provoke them.
Otherwise, just imagine, a large group of such giant hippopotamuses charging at once... That scene would be absolutely stunning!
Putting down his spear, Gu Tie rubbed his palms vigorously while looking at the foundation-establishing elixirs lined up in front of him, trembling with excitement.
"Old Gu Tie, and... Big Gu Tie!" Gu Tie glanced at the floating Ancient God Soldier Camp behind Old Gu Tie. This unlucky boy had been annoying Old Gu Tie for his own name, and in the end, Old Gu Tie casually gave him a name like 'Big Gu Tie.'
No matter how you thought about it, that name was dismissive.
Old Gu Tie, Big Gu Tie, Little Gu Tie... However, if Big Gu Tie was happy, that was enough. According to Old Gu Tie, Big Gu Tie's overall intelligence level was roughly on par with a four or five-year-old child, sometimes a bit smarter and sometimes a bit duller.
"This time, I should be able to break through the initial stage of the Foundation-Establishing Formula, condense essence blood, and form elemental energy, right?" Gu Tie anxiously looked at Old Gu Tie.
The Foundation-Establishing Realm was divided into three major levels: the first level was tempering the body, condensing essence blood into elemental energy; the second level was cultivating elemental energy, condensing it into elemental armor; and the third level was using highly condensed elemental armor to refine the entire body.
Gu Tie, with his average speed of refining three foundation-establishing elixirs per month, had already spent nine months in arduous cultivation.
Out of the total of 1,200 foundation-establishing formulas, he had only cultivated up to the 320th formula. Only by breaking through the 360th formula would his body be perfectly tempered and able to refine elemental energy.
According to Old Gu Tie, the 360th formula was like a control valve inside the body. When this formula could be executed, the valve would naturally open, and the massive essence blood would be able to condense elemental energy on its own.
Now, Gu Tie had cultivated up to the 320th formula, and there were fifty-six bottles of foundation-establishing elixir in front of him.
"Of course, if you only use them to cultivate foundation-establishing formulas, it's possible for you to break through to the 400th formula," Old Gu Tie looked at Gu Tie and said seriously, "But, I and Big Gu Tie here, have a suggestion... Perhaps, this matter is more important than breaking through the foundation-establishing formulas."
Gu Tie widened his eyes, looking at Old Gu Tie. "What matter?"
Old Gu Tie's eyes rolled a few times, and he asked solemnly, "May I ask, what is your mother's surname?"
Gu Tie stared at Old Gu Tie in astonishment and then spread his hands, shaking his head forcefully. "My mother? I have never seen her... Only my dad and my elder and second brothers know where she is."
"Oh, then, this question is not important... It's a peculiar custom, husband and wife living separately, husband raising their sons alone..." Old Gu Tie mumbled to himself, "An interesting custom, it reminds me of... Well, it's not important. What's important is that your mother might have left something very precious for you..."
Old Gu Tie and Big Gu Tie's eyes suddenly lit up, especially Big Gu Tie, whose huge eyes turned into two bright searchlights, glaring at Gu Tie, forcing him to close his eyes.
"Big Gu Tie... Your eyes are too bright!" Gu Tie complained loudly.
Big Gu Tie's eyes lost their luster and he turned his body around, knocking Old Gu Tie with his huge skull.
"Follow me." Old Gu Tie issued the order, and four metal spiders carried him as they walked towards the grand hall where Gu Tie usually treated his injuries. The hall was filled with crystal balls.
"It's a good thing. It's a great thing for you. Your mother's bloodline power is very powerful, which allows you... to have unique abilities much earlier than others," Old Gu Tie muttered to himself, "But, awakening these talents, which are born from the power of bloodline, is quite difficult if you rely only on your own power."
"These days, you have been seriously injured multiple times and have fainted many times." Old Gu Tie's tone was peculiar as he continued, "Originally, I thought you would awaken your talents in the face of death just like the protagonists in legends... Well, it seems like grandpa thought too much."
"You are just an ordinary kid who got lucky enough to meet me... If you want to awaken, you need the help of external forces," Old Gu Tie's tone turned particularly heavy, "Fortunately, there is something that can serve as a catalyst here, although... I'm not very willing..."
Gu Tie and the others arrived in the main hall.
Yang Jian was silently suspended in a crystal ball, and the vertical eye on his forehead emitted a faint golden light, exuding might and dominance. The strong aura filled the entire hall.
Although Gu Tie had been neighbors with Yang Jian in the crystal ball multiple times, every time he saw Yang Jian, his soul would tremble, almost shattering. His whole body would turn weak, and he would subconsciously avoid direct eye contact with Yang Jian.
This was absolute suppression on the level of life.
Even though Yang Jian had been dead for many years, he still exerted absolute suppression over Gu Tie.
Old Gu Tie silently watched Yang Jian for a long time.
Big Gu Tie anxiously shifted his body and gently bumped into Old Gu Tie with his large skull.
"Go ahead!" Old Gu Tie spoke coldly. "Although I'm reluctant, resources are limited... For the sake of..."
Old Gu Tie closed his mouth, and after a long time, he whispered softly, "For the sake of..."
Big Gu Tie grunted.
The crystal ball containing Yang Jian silently rippled with blue electric light, and it slid open, allowing Yang Jian's body to slide out.
A metal spider the size of a fist fell from the ceiling, landing directly on Yang Jian's face. Several sharp forelimbs were lifted high and then gently pierced through the vertical eye on Yang Jian's forehead. Through a tiny crack on the spider's belly, an extremely thin needle emerged, accurately pricking the pupil of the vertical eye. Through the transparent needle, one can see strands of golden liquid being continuously extracted.
Old Gu Tie silently watched this scene, his eyes flickering with bloodthirstiness, giving off an extremely chaotic feeling.
Gu Tie dared not utter a word.
The intense sorrow and despair emanating from Old Gu Tie infected him with a heavy mood he couldn't quite explain.
He looked at Old Gu Tie and then at Yang Jian. Gu Tie didn't know what had happened between them, but he could tell that they had a deep and profound relationship...
The vertical eye on Yang Jian's forehead darkened, and all traces of golden light vanished.
A blue electric light surged from the crystal ball, and Yang Jian's body was drawn back into the ball, floating in the dark red liquid.
The fist-sized metal spider turned golden throughout its body, and a glaring golden light burst out from its inner self, dazzling the eyes.
"Let's begin!" Old Gu Tie shouted.
The golden metal spider leaped up suddenly, pouncing on Gu Tie's nape. A thin needle plunged deeply into Gu Tie's neck, and a scorching hot current, brimming with immense power, crashed in like a tidal wave.
The hot current spun rapidly through his body, quickly rushing towards Gu Tie's head.
Gu Tie groaned, feeling a sudden emptiness throughout his body, as if all his essence had been drained. His eyes rolled back, his body convulsing and releasing a large amount of hot steam, before heavily collapsing onto the ground, fainting.
"The power remaining in Yang Jian's divine eye is a hundred thousand times stronger than any awakening elixir." Old Gu Tie looked at the convulsing and fainting Gu Tie, muttering softly. "Feed him the foundation-establishing elixirs, all fifty-six bottles. It should be enough."
Several metal spiders forcefully pried open Gu Tie's mouth, continuously pouring each sticky foundation-establishing elixir into it.
The elixirs were immediately absorbed upon entering, and Gu Tie's muscles began to twitch violently. The hot steam emanating from his body had turned into a milky white mist.
His body seemed to be engulfed in a furnace.
Not only his body, but his soul was also wrapped in flames.
Gu Tie felt like he was in boundless darkness, surrounded by black flames burning his spirit and flesh from all sides. It was as if he would be burned to ashes at any moment.
In the boundless darkness, in the distance, two extremely thin lights existed.
The two lights coiled around each other, forming strange double helices, wildly shuttling through the darkness.
Gu Tie instinctively rushed towards the two lights, wanting to catch up with them, wanting to see their true identities.
In the next moment, the two lights flew toward Gu Tie, and the intense light tore apart the darkness.
Gu Tie vaguely saw two figures within the helix of light.
Before he could clearly see their appearances, unprecedented pain struck. The darkness around him suddenly shattered with a deafening crack, and the entire dark world disintegrated. A fountain-like force surged out from the depths of his soul.
In the grand hall, Old Gu Tie and Big Gu Tie quietly awaited.
Gu Tie rose to his feet and floated in mid-air. The space around him vibrated strangely, and his gaze faintly emitted a golden light.
The innate power derived from his mother's bloodline awakened!
(End of the chapter)