Stone Family's ancestral land, Blackstone City.
This is an irregular cave that stretches for over 300 li (150 kilometers) in length and over 200 li (100 kilometers) in width. Twelve illusory suns hang high in the sky, providing a vast amount of light and heat.
Giant black stones rise from the ground, forming a massive stone formation.
In the core of the stone formation, a black castle stands proudly like a giant beast.
This is the fundamental stronghold of the Stone Family. The most important members of the Stone Family reside in this Blackstone City. Countless instructions, which determine the fate of the Stone Family, are transmitted from here to the mines, farms, fortresses, and numerous smaller families affiliated with the Stone Family.
In the central hall of Blackstone City, in the sunken circular meeting hall, Stone Fei gently pats his belly with both hands, looking helpless as he stands on the circular platform at the bottom of the meeting hall.
Beside him stands Stone Le, as well as over twenty young and strong members of the Stone Family.
On each ascending layer of stone stairs surrounding them, several elderly people with obscure and unclear auras sit on stone-carved chairs, overlooking Stone Fei and the others from above.
At the highest layer of stone stairs, on a row of stone chairs, two elderly figures with haggard appearances, skinny bodies, and large blotches of age spots on their skin sit hunched over.
Despite their aged appearance, their eyes burn like ghostly flames, their gazes fixed on Stone Fei and his group.
Stone Fei's body trembles, his flesh and skin gently rolling. He looks at the elders of the family, his voice elongating in a mournful wail, "Respected elders, it's not that I, Second Stone, haven't taken any action... I can't do anything about Sixth Stone."
Tears well up in his eyes, and with a "shua" sound, two streams of tears flow out. Stone Fei, with a crying tone, continues, "He holds half of our family's soldiers in his hands... and all of them are elites. Damn it, they're all the strongest elites of our Stone Family!"
He spreads his hands and screams, "In Blackstone City, my people were all massacred by him... heavy casualties, heavy casualties... the group of capable subordinates that I painstakingly trained, he killed dozens of them!"
"I really didn't expect him to have the audacity to kill Elder Shi Gui," Stone Fei looks at an elder, his tears flowing endlessly, "I never thought he would do such a thing..."
"While Elder Shi Gui was disrespectful, greedy for money, lustful, shameless, and forgetting loyalty for personal gain, and even protected his group of unruly bastards who ran amok in the clan, causing complaints..., Elder Shi Gui was still an elder..."
Stone Fei cries out, "I also didn't expect Sixth Stone to be so audacious, slaughtering Elder Shi Gui like a livestock."
"Enough!" one of the elderly men sitting at the highest level of the meeting hall with almost no teeth growled hoarsely.
Stone Fei quickly closes his mouth, raises his sleeve, and wipes his tears with great effort.
With a round face and a large surface area, the tears on his face are substantial. His sleeve quickly becomes wet, giving him a truly pitiful and desolate appearance.
"Who gave Shixiong (elder brother) such audacity to commit such outrageous acts?" the elderly man who just scolded him asks in a cold voice.
Stone Le and the others standing on the circular platform at the bottom of the meeting hall remain silent.
Stone Fei blinks his eyes, then hysterically wails, "Elder Shi Gui's death was so tragic... not a single bone left... and his direct descendants... wuwu, my brothers... they were hung on the city gate by Sixth Stone to dry!”
"It has been over a month... I wanted to seek justice for Elder Shi Gui, but... but..." Stone Fei looks pitifully at the group of elders, his voice hoarse as he screams, "It's not that I, Second Stone, am incapable, but it's just that you elders gave Sixth Stone too much power."
Tears well up in Stone Fei's eyes again as he complains, "Half of the elite warriors directly under his command are from our clan... In fact, more than half act according to his orders..."
"I say, that's enough." Another elderly man sitting at the highest level of the meeting hall, the most elderly among them, sternly reprimands, "Stone Meng's reckless actions must be punished... Stone Fei, can you do it?"
Stone Fei hangs his head and ponders for a while before raising his head and shaking it like a bachelor.
"Respected elders, to be honest, I can't confront Shixiong and seek revenge for him, whether it's commanding troops or fighting him one-on-one... I'm no match for Sixth Stone... he can beat me with just one hand."
Stone Fei spreads his hands and exclaims, "I ask the elders to select elite soldiers to deal with Sixth Stone... all I can do is ensure the supply of all necessary resources... that's all I can do."
The expressions of the elderly Stone Family members on the stone stairs improved significantly.
If Stone Fei had wanted to seize command from Sixth Stone, they would have suspected that Stone Fei was involved in some conspiracy. But since Stone Fei doesn't want command, and honestly tells them that he is not Sixth Stone's match, Stone Fei is still reliable.
"Good!" Two of the elderly men who appear the most aged nod in satisfaction.
"Stone Chui!" one of the elders shouts in a deep voice.
Behind a pillar at the highest point of the meeting hall, a dwarf statue made of iron steps forward with a rumble. This iron dwarf possesses the unique physical features of a dwarf and has a sturdy physique like an iron pillar, reaching a height of nearly 1.8 meters.
This height... undoubtedly, this guy has activated some special bloodline, possessing extraordinary bloodline abilities.
"Stone Chui, go to Blackstone City with your men and cooperate with the Yan Family... capture Stone Meng," the elderly man hands a black iron token to Stone Chui, "Bring your clan members, and Stone Fei will cooperate with you... I want to see Stone Meng alive. I want to know where he got such audacity... how dare he kill Shi Gui!"
Stone Chui responds in a booming voice as he takes the token.
Stone Fei suddenly exclaims, "The Yan Family? This is a matter of our Stone Family, what does it have to do with the Yan Family?"
A burst of laughter fills the meeting hall.
The elder who just took out the token says lazily, "Oh? You haven't received the news yet? Right... but the news will come soon... before we gathered you all, the Yan Family had already launched their attack."
The elder, with a trace of delight, smiles lightly, "At this time, Blackstone City is probably already engulfed in a sea of fire. Coupled with a bunch of powerful soldiers, Stone Meng is ultimately just a younger generation. He wanted to resist us...
Heh."
Another elderly man says leisurely, "Stone Family should listen to the advice of the old... You want to make a big fuss without even growing your hair... You have to wait until we die."
Stone Fei blinks his eyes rapidly and suddenly hysterically wails again, "Elder Shi Gui died miserably... his remains disappeared. And his direct descendants... wuwu, my brothers... Sixth Stone hung them outside the city gate to dry!"
"It's been more than a month... I wanted to seek justice for Elder Shi Gui, but... but..." Stone Fei looks pleadingly at the group of elders, screaming with all his might, "It's not that I, Second Stone, am incompetent, but you elders gave Sixth Stone too much power."
Stone Stairs and the other members of Stone Family exchange glances, occasionally uttering low whispers.
Stone Fei adopts a dead pig not afraid of boiling water attitude, rolling his eyes at the elders.
These elders...
How many of them are like Shi Gui?
For the hope of longevity promised by the Church of Longevity, they have disregarded the fundamental interests of the Stone Family.
The territories of the Stone Family, they can sell; the wealth of the Stone Family, they can give away; the people of the Stone Family, they can trade...
But these things belong to Stone Fei and the others.
It's not just saying that these things will belong to Stone Fei and the others in the future, but right now, Stone Fei and the others, represented by them, already have control over the daily affairs of the Stone Family. These territories, wealth, and people are already their vested interests.
If the elders wanted to enjoy their later years, Stone Fei and the others would gladly play the role of filial sons and grandchildren.
If the elders wanted to betray the benefits already belonging to Stone Fei and the others for the sake of longevity, then it's no wonder Stone Fei and the others acted mercilessly.
The cultivation and combat power of the elders are precious, and they are also a part of the family's interests.
Therefore, Shi Gui is just a chicken.
The elders are a bunch of monkeys.
Stone Meng killed a chicken to show the monkeys, and now the monkeys are starting to jump and make noise...
Stone Fei blinks his eyes and suddenly continues hysterically, "Elder Shi Gui's death was so tragic... not a single bone left... and his direct descendants... wuwu, my brothers... they were hung on the city gate by Sixth Stone to dry!"
"It's been over a month... I wanted to seek justice for Elder Shi Gui, but... but..." Stone Fei looks pitifully at the group of elders, his voice hoarse as he screams, "It's not that I, Second Stone, am incompetent, but you elders gave Sixth Stone too much power."
Stone Stairs and the other members of Stone Family exchange glances, occasionally uttering low whispers.
Stone Fei adopts a dead pig not afraid of boiling water attitude, rolling his eyes at the elders.
These elders...
How many of them are like Shi Gui?
For the hope of longevity promised by the Church of Longevity, they have disregarded the fundamental interests of the Stone Family.
The territories of the Stone Family, they can sell; the wealth of the Stone Family, they can give away; the people of the Stone Family, they can trade...
But these things belong to Stone Fei and the others.
It's not just saying that these things will belong to Stone Fei and the others in the future, but right now, Stone Fei and the others, represented by them, already have control over the daily affairs of the Stone Family. These territories, wealth, and people are already their vested interests.
If the elders wanted to enjoy their later years, Stone Fei and the others would gladly play the role of filial sons and grandchildren.
If the elders wanted to betray the benefits already belonging to Stone Fei and the others for the sake of longevity, then it's no wonder Stone Fei and the others acted mercilessly.
The cultivation and combat power of the elders are precious, and they are also a part of the family's interests.
Therefore, Shi Gui is just a chicken.
The elders are a bunch of monkeys.
Stone Meng killed a chicken to show the monkeys, and now the monkeys are starting to jump and make noise...
Stone Fei blinks his eyes and suddenly continues hysterically, "Elder Shi Gui's death was so tragic... not a single bone left... and his direct descendants... wuwu, my brothers... they were hung on the city gate by Sixth Stone to dry!"
"It's been over a month... I wanted to seek justice for Elder Shi Gui, but... but..." Stone Fei looks pitifully at the group of elders, his voice hoarse as he screams, "It's not that I, Second Stone, am incompetent, but you elders gave Sixth Stone too much power."
Stone Stairs and the other members of Stone Family exchange glances, occasionally uttering low whispers.
Stone Fei adopts a dead pig not afraid of boiling water attitude, rolling his eyes at the elders.
These elders...
How many of them are like Shi Gui?
For the hope of longevity promised by the Church of Longevity, they have disregarded the fundamental interests of the Stone Family.
The territories of the Stone Family, they can sell; the wealth of the Stone Family, they can give away; the people of the Stone Family, they can trade...
But these things belong to Stone Fei and the others.
It's not just saying that these things will belong to Stone Fei and the others in the future, but right now, Stone Fei and the others, represented by them, already have control over the daily affairs of the Stone Family. These territories, wealth, and people are already their vested interests.
Stone Fei and the others will willingly play the role of filial sons and grandchildren if the elders want to enjoy their later years. But if the elders want to betray the interests that already belong to Stone Fei and the others for the sake of longevity, then it's not surprising that Stone Fei and the others act mercilessly.
The cultivation and strength of the elders are valuable, and they are part of the family's interests.
So, Shi Gui is just a chicken.
The elders are a bunch of monkeys.
Stone Meng killed a chicken in front of the monkeys, and now the monkeys are starting to prance and make noise...
Stone Fei blinks his eyes rapidly and rhythmically pats his rotund belly.
...
A piercing alarm bell suddenly rings, almost penetrating the eardrums.
Lizardman scouts from the watchtower of Blackstone City sound sharp whistles, "Flame Devouring Gold Ants, Flame Devouring Gold Ants... at least three thousand... no, five thousand... no, ten thousand..."
Whistles made of fern branches sound across Blackstone City.
Both the front and back gates of Blackstone City open, and groups of Oxs and Wolf Tribe warriors wave their whips, roaring at the top of their lungs, driving the slaves living in the huts outside the city toward the city.
Wu Tie has arrived at the city wall, looking at the rapidly approaching blaze, his eyes widening.
Flame Devouring Gold Ants, an extremely terrifying creature.
They are naturally fond of high temperatures and generally dig their nests near magma areas. The powerful individuals among the Flame Devouring Gold Ants can even bathe directly in magma without any harm.
They feed on various metal ores, so their exoskeletons are as hard as refined steel. They possess immense strength, with adult Flame Devouring Gold Ants easily capable of lifting several thousand jin (hundreds of kilograms). Ordinary warriors are no match for them.
Additionally, they radiate high temperatures, and when warriors fight against them, they are troubled by the heat, suffering a direct reduction in combat strength of at least thirty percent. Moreover, fighting them for a period of time poses the risk of dehydration and fainting.
Some of the mutated variants can even breathe out flames or shoot spikes made of condensed metal, causing tremendous damage.
Most importantly, they are a colony creature. When they swarm, things like city walls are nothing. In front of their sharp and powerful mandibles, even city walls made of metal would be bitten apart like a snack.
Lizardman scouts continue to report urgently, their voices trembling, "The number of Flame Devouring Gold Ants has exceeded three to five thousand. Wait, now there are more than ten thousand."
Before long, they start shaking and are unable to speak.
Waves of fire sweep across the land. Without these lizardman scouts' alerts, Wu Tie sees that at least thirty to fifty thousand Flame Devouring Gold Ants are charging forward.
Across large areas of farmland outside Blackstone City, many crops are almost mature.
The Flame Devouring Gold Ants, radiating high temperatures, rush through, drying out the moisture in the neat fields and setting them aflame.
One black smoke column after another rises from the fields, flames spreading, and the heat rushes towards all directions.
The fire grows stronger, more black smoke columns rise, flames soaring, and the scorching heat becomes more intense.
Wu Tie suddenly finds it difficult to breathe.
After all, this is a cave covered by rock formations, a hundred or so li (50 kilometers) long and several dozen li (10 kilometers) wide. With the blazing fire, the oxygen in the air is rapidly depleting. Wu Tie's face turns red, and he sweats profusely.
At the entrances of dozens of small and large passageways on the rock walls, strong gusts of wind blow in continuously.
The rapid convection between cold and hot air causes a fierce storm to surge within the cave, bringing in fresh oxygen but also stoking the fire even more. Violent winds blow, creating a turbulent storm in the cave. These winds bring fresh oxygen, but they also fuel the raging fire.
Outside the city, many slaves from the nearby huts hear the alarm bell from Blackstone City. They immediately pack up their belongings and hurry towards the city.
But as the firestorm sweeps over, followed by the howling winds, the puny rock dwarfs scream in terror and are quickly engulfed by the sea of flames.
"The damn bastards!" Wu Tie smashes his fist against the city wall.
The distance between the fire and the city wall is tens of li (kilometers), and there is not enough time for Wu Tie to mount a rescue. He can only watch helplessly as the fire rages on, consuming vast hordes of rock dwarfs.
Outside the city, large groups of Oxs and Wolf Tribe warriors howl in desperation, unable to conceal their fear.
"Hurry, hurry into the city... Those who don't want to die, rush into the city!"
Fire and flames sweep toward the city, and through the flames, Wu Tie sees a several-hundred-strong force in full armor following closely behind the countless Flame Devouring Gold Ants.
(End of the chapter)