Wu Tie woke up.
In the instant his eyes opened, an unbearable thirst rushed over him.
With a wave of his hand on instinct, glistening droplets of water condensed in the air, forming a clear stream that descended. Wu Tie opened his mouth and gulped down the ice-cold refreshing water in big mouthfuls.
After drinking the equivalent of a small barrel, Wu Tie waved his hand and the water droplets above his head burst, turning into a large mist that dispersed.
The dozen or so people standing in the room finally let out a sigh of relief, their gazes filled with zeal as they looked at Wu Tie.
Lao Bai rushed over like a streak of lightning, leaping onto Wu Tie's stone bed and squatted down next to him, sizing him up from top to bottom. "Hey, impressive, little Tie as the steward. Truly impressive. Without you, we would have been in a miserable state this time."
Wu Tie chuckled a few times. He sat up and closed his eyes, beginning to sense the state of his body.
Very well. His body was in a state it had never been before.
Within the golden sphere at his brow, countless golden dots fell like a drizzle, slowly merging with the qi and blood all over his body. They continuously integrated with the abundant elemental power circulating throughout his body.
Even with his eyes closed, he could distinctly sense the condition of each tiny part within him. He could even clearly feel the state of every single cell.
Every cell was filled with power, brimming with energy.
In order to unleash the mighty ice storm, Wu Tie had swallowed an entire basket full of molten grass, as well as dozens of higher-grade elemental plants. Most of the energy had transformed into a spiritual tide, condensing into an eruption of the ice storm. However, a small portion of the energy remained within his body.
Now, every cell in Wu Tie's body was filled with energy.
Each tiny, delicate cell was round and shiny like an inflated ball.
Furthermore, after experiencing the massive energy eruption of an entire basket of elemental plants, his body survived in the torrent of terrifying energy. After going through the tempering of the righteousness, his meridians had become spacious and tough. His muscles, nerves, blood vessels, organs, and even the most fragile part, his brain, had all received excellent tempering.
His flesh and blood tissue had become stronger and more flexible.
Even his bones had received effective tempering. The strength of his whole body had increased by more than fifty percent.
As he clenched his fist, the sound of his joints crackling resonated, like muffled thunder echoing within his body. Under his fair-as-jade skin, muscles as sturdy as steel bars bulged, with each muscle having smooth contours and clear visibility.
In the room, Iron Eighty-Eight, Hei Pi, Du Yan, and Lao Bai, who all pursued the path of brute strength like him, suddenly lit up. "Damn, Little Tie, when should we compare our strengths?" Iron Eighty-Eight exclaimed, his eyes shining.
Wu Tie leapt up from the bed and pulled out a linen robe from the head of the bed, wrapping it around his body. He laughed out loud and slapped Iron Eighty-Eight's arm fiercely. "Sure, when should we have a match... Are you guys all alright?"
Wu Tie looked at the people in the room.
Iron Eighty-Eight, Hei Pi, Du Yan, and Lao Bai were all members of the Stone Family's external Martial Division who were close to him.
Other than them, there were several Stone Meng trusted subordinates wearing heavy armor.
There were two iron dwarves, three ox clan warriors, and four Stone Family members.
A large group of people crowded in the room, waiting for Wu Tie to wake up.
A burly man from the Stone Family scratched his head, which was covered in burned patchy short hair. He laughed and said, "Little Tie, thanks to you, our losses weren't significant this time. By the way, go and send a message to the Sixth Lord. Let him know that Steward Wu Tie has awakened."
As soon as he finished speaking, earth-shattering beast roars came from outside the room. The roars were filled with pain and fear.
The ground trembled violently, and then Stone Bao's cursing could be heard through the thick doors.
"Damn beast, behave yourself, or I'll chop you up and use you for wine!"
"Hah, what a good beast, hahaha... Ow..."
A loud bang resounded, and the ground swayed for a moment. Then Stone Bao's curses continued, accompanied by the sound of heavy collisions.
Wu Tie and his group hurriedly pushed open the door and walked out.
Outside the door was a straight and spacious passageway. Directly facing the door was a large arched floor-to-ceiling window.
This wasn't Wu Tie's abode but rather the main castle in the center of the Great Stone City, the place where the core elite and trusted subordinates of the Stone Family resided.
Across the passageway, Wu Tie stood at the window and looked outside. It was the central square of the main castle, a nearly two-hundred-meter-square-shaped plaza.
Four rows of six-story buildings formed a "口" shape around the square. In the rocky ground of the square, four thick steel piles were driven in, each rope-like iron chain, the size of a small water bucket, was tightly locked around the limbs of a three-horned dragon.
The nearly twenty-meter-long three-horned dragon roared furiously. It violently shook its head, swaying its thick tail in a left and right motion. The bone-heavy hammer, the size of a water bucket, swung and struck randomly, causing soil and stones to fly, and shaking the four sets of tall buildings made of huge stones in the surroundings.
On its sturdy neck, a broad and heavy beast leather restraint was securely fastened. The restraint emitted a dazzling light and constantly sprayed large patches of electric lights that hit the three-horned dragon's head and neck.
The three-horned dragon occasionally opened its mouth and roared. A faint yellow light flickered inside its mouth, as if it wanted to release some kind of attack.
However, the beast leather restraint locked its neck, so it could only roar and rage, completely unable to spit anything out.
Stone Bao lay sprawling several tens of meters away, struggling to get up from the ground.
A dozen stone giants, wielding iron clubs, surrounded the three-horned dragon and mercilessly beat it. The iron clubs, as thick as a water bucket, continuously fell down with a dreadful sonic boom, heavily smashing into the three-horned dragon's body.
The three-horned dragon's body was covered in a thick layer of pale yellow skin. When the iron clubs landed, a thunderous crash resounded. Beneath the pale yellow layer of skin were numerous patches of greenish-blue congealed blood, clearly showing that this massive creature had not been lightly beaten.
"What are they doing?" Wu Tie asked in amazement.
"When the Great Stone City was attacked, Stone Meng sent out a distress signal. Elder Stone Bao couldn't rush here in time." An iron dwarf said in a dull voice. "Those damn Yan Family bastards. They actually sent Stone Bao an offering ahead of time... Our Yan Family speciality 'Drunk Dragon Brewing'... They laced it with Confusion Grass... They've defiled the beauty of the wine... They deserve to die..."
The iron dwarf wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and growled, "They actually sneakily laced Confusion Grass in such a top-grade wine like Drunk Dragon Brewing... They have desecrated the wine. They should all die..."
Wu Tie and his group stared at the iron dwarf, flabbergasted.
What were you angry about exactly?
Were you angry that Stone Bao was drugged, or were you angry about the method they used to drug him in alcohol?
Old Bai mumbled, "But Stone Bao is truly impressive. He aroused his blood and forcibly expelled the Confusion Grass that could confuse five three-horned dragons. He drove away the Yan Family's female elder and even captured her mount-cum-bodyguard..."
Black Skin cackled strangely by the side. "This big guy seems to be unwilling to listen to Stone Bao's orders... If persuasion fails, we can only roast it and eat it... The three-horned dragon, this creature possessing a trace of legendary dragon blood... Sizzle..."
Black Skin also wiped the drool from his mouth. Cyclops murmured with yearning, "One bite, and we could gain dozens of kilograms of strength, right? Eating more roasted meat, tsk tsk, if we could activate even a trace of dragon blood... Dragonkin... Tsk tsk..."
Black Skin licked his lips, Cyclops licked his lips, Iron Eighty-Eight licked his lips, and Old Bai's drool had already wet his chest...
The sound of heavy footsteps rang out, and a stone warrior clad in armor came running over.
"Steward Wu Tie, Lord Six invites you over," the Stone Family warrior clenched his right fist and forcefully knocked on his heart. He saluted Wu Tie and looked at him with fanaticism. Obviously, Wu Tie had gained a different status in the hearts of these Stone Family fighters after saving Great Stone City.
Wu Tie mimicked the appearance of the Stone Family warrior, clenching his right fist and knocking on his heart. Then he followed the Stone warrior and walked to the end of the corridor, ascended a spiral staircase, and arrived at the top floor of this building, the sixth floor.
Outside the square, Stone Bao's angry roars resounded. He had rushed to the side of the three-horned dragon, and his fists wildly pummeled the heavily armored head of the three-horned dragon.
The three-horned dragon struggled, but it didn't show the slightest intention of submitting.
It might end up being roasted in the end... Wu Tie wondered if there would be a lucky person who could obtain that thin strand of legendary dragon blood within its body.
In the central hall on the sixth floor, Stone Meng sat behind a spacious stone desk, holding a bloodstained iron club in his left hand and a wine jug in his right hand. He laughed heartily, pouring large amounts of wine into his mouth.
By Stone Meng's side stood an elderly lizardman with a dark green skin, a haggard appearance, and almost all of his scales shed. The dark green skin was filled with scattered scars. His face was contorted, he had lost all his teeth, and a red tongue hung weakly at the corner of his mouth, his eyes were also murky and had no trace of luster.
The elderly lizardman held a beast bone-made medicine bowl in his hand, and a strange medicinal smell filled the air in the hall.
A dozen warriors from the Yan Family lay in odd postures on the ground, with bones in their limbs twisted by heavy objects. Their appearance indicated that they had been subjected to torture rather than just having their limbs broken.
A tall warrior from the Yan Family with a blood-red dragon tattooed on his back lay prostrated on the ground. His hands and legs were twisted in a similarly eerie manner, and he wailed on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "Kill me... kill me..."
Stone Meng drank mouthful after mouthful of wine and laughed. "Feng of the Yan Family, we are brothers. Why would I kill you? Besides, you told me the location of the Yan Family's secret cultivation spot for elemental plants... I haven't even had a chance to thank you properly. Why would I kill you?"
Stone Meng laughed heartily, and his two rows of white teeth gleamed under the torchlight, radiating a cold light. His upper body was covered in blood and wine, and the proud laughter resounded through the hall.
Seeing Wu Tie walk in, Stone Meng placed the wine jug on the stone desk and dropped the iron club in his hand. He stood up and quickly approached Wu Tie.
Opening his arms, he embraced Wu Tie tightly and then patted Wu Tie's shoulder forcefully. He earnestly looked at Wu Tie and said, "Little Tie, you are now the deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Stone Family's Great Stone City, and also the captain of the Great Stone City Defense Squad... Hmmm, is that alright?"
Wu Tie looked at Stone Meng, who had a face full of smiles, and also laughed.
"No problem," he replied to Stone Meng decisively.
He came to the Stone Family for the sake of resources for cultivation. As long as he was given sufficient resources, he didn't care what position he had to fill.
Stone Meng nodded in satisfaction. He grabbed Wu Tie's shoulder and pushed him to sit on a large chair in front of the stone desk. Then he walked to the back of the stone desk and heavily sat on his own large chair.
He solemnly looked at Wu Tie and solemnly said, "The Yan Family dared to attack Great Stone City... This is a complete break of our alliance..."
He sneered, "I am a straightforward person. I don't beat around the bush. If you stab me with a knife, I will definitely stab you back with a knife, right? That's fair and reasonable."
"They attacked Great Stone City, burned half of the food outside the city... If I don't retaliate, how can I still have face?"
Wu Tie quickly recalled what Stone Meng said earlier and asked in shock, "Are you thinking of...?"
Stone Meng forcefully slapped the stone desk, his eyes glistening as he looked at Wu Tie. "Since we have already discovered the location of their cultivation spot, Little Tie, do you have the guts to lead our people and launch a fierce attack against them?"
"Reclaim all of their elemental plants inside the cultivation spot... And if possible, let's cause some destruction." Stone Meng grinned.
The howls of Feng, who was crawling on the ground, became increasingly hysterical.
He wriggled his body, crawling bit by bit towards Wu Tie, opened his mouth, and tried to bite Wu Tie's feet.
Wu Tie evaded Feng's attack. He pondered for a while, then nodded, "The Yan Family is colluding with the Church of Longevity, right? I'll take on this mission."
The Church of Longevity was their enemy.
So, Wu Tie found himself an excuse to participate in the operation.
(End of this chapter)