Chapter 54

When Wugong Zongtu said this, Nanliao and the others all drew in a cold breath. Although the competition for the academy recommendation slots every three years was always brutal, it had never been as deadly as this time, making even those who had long since become indifferent to life and death feel a chill down their spines.

To ensure the recommendation slots, or perhaps to protect the core members who could enter the Canglan Academy, each tribe would send as many outstanding young members as possible. However, the more they sent, the more casualties there would be along the way;

And the losses would all be the future core elites of the tribes...

Wugong Zongtu slowly continued, "Ge Yi said today that although the Black Python tribe has declined, it was still a strong clan in Canglan several decades ago. Therefore, they will directly give us a trial iron badge. As long as we can keep this trial iron badge, the Black Python will have a place in this year's Canglan Academy."

Hearing Wugong Zongtu's words, Chen Xun felt an even greater chill.

If the Black Python tribe were to start with the trial iron badge, they would become the target of all. It would be better to hide and then snatch the trial iron badge from other tribes' young members along the way.

Suzhi said they valued the Black Python, but this was clearly pushing them into a fire pit.

He never thought that after six or seven hundred years, the Su family still harbored such suspicions toward the Black Python, not relaxing at all, yet managing to block the mouths of other tribes.

Of course, the Black Python could refuse to send members to compete for the Canglan Academy recommendation slots.

But could the Black Python refuse?

For a moment, the stone hall fell into an extremely oppressive silence.

"Grandpa, I will represent the Black Python," Chen Xun sat up straight and said.

Zongya, Zongling, Nanxi, and other young members, although they had awakened their barbarian souls and possessed mid-level barbarian martial strength, if they were to hold the trial iron badge and participate in the brutal competition for the twenty recommendation slots, they would most likely lose their lives.

"Xun, you are not a member of the Black Python; how can the fate of the Black Python tribe be avoided by its members?" Wugong Zongtu shook his head and said, "Last year, Deputy Captain Su Qingfeng favored you greatly, and your cultivation has greatly improved in just a few months. If you go to Canglan with Ge Yi, you will have the opportunity to enter the academy..."

In addition to the two hundred tribal members and the Su family's clan members, the Canglan Academy also admitted young members from small and medium-sized clans and even commoners who flooded into Canglan from all over Yunzhou every three years.

Chen Xun was just a young man from Yunzhou who had drifted to Mangya Ridge and had gained the favor of Deputy Captain Su Qingfeng. He did not need to participate in such a brutal competition for the tribal members' slots and had a greater chance of entering the Canglan Academy.

Nanliao, with his emaciated large hand, propped up on the stone table, said loudly, "Nanxi is about to break through to the fourth level of barbarian martial arts, so he has a chance!"

Although his voice was loud, it revealed a sense of desolation.

As the tribal chief, Nanliao's son Nanxi, though only thirteen years old, was destined to bear this heavy responsibility.

"Let Zongling go too!" Zongsang said through gritted teeth, "How can the Black Python not fight for a slot this time? If we don't, the Gui Xi will make it difficult for us to survive."

"Uncle, Zongling is still young. He will have another chance in three years. This time, let me go," Zongya, who had been eavesdropping in the stone hall, now walked in directly. His left sleeve hung empty, but his face was resolute.

"The fate of the Black Python must be borne by Zongling too!"

Chen Xun turned his head and saw Zongling, Nanxi, and the other young members walk in, their faces, still retaining some childishness, showed a determination that could not be refused...

"Good, good, all of you go. The men of the Black Python are not cowards who fear death!" Zongsang, with anger, pointed at the stone table, speaking each word as if it were a hammer striking the ground.

The Gui Xi tribe might have been more restrained in the past two years, but after three to five years, once the Gui Xi-led merchant guilds had a firm foothold in Tianma Lake, they would not allow the Black Python to take root in the mountains thirty to fifty miles away.

If the Black Python could not secure a slot to enter the Canglan Academy this time, they might not have such an opportunity again. What would happen in three to five years?

Would they have to move the entire tribe from the Northern Mountains to avoid the disaster brought by the Gui Xi?

The Wuwei Captain's residence had ill intentions from the start, giving a trial iron badge to a Black Python member, making them a target for all.

If the Black Python only sent one member with the trial iron badge, they would likely be killed within a hundred miles, and the trial iron badge would be taken by members of other tribes.

Even knowing the path was filled with blood, sending three to five more members to participate in the selection might help divert the attention of the enemies, increasing the chances of one person ultimately carrying the trial iron badge into Canglan City.

Zongsang, though rough, understood this. Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi going together meant that two of them would have to sacrifice themselves to attract the attention of other tribes, but such a sacrifice was necessary.

However, who among Zongling, Zongya, and Nanxi would carry the trial iron badge, and who would be the decoy to attract the attention of other tribes?

Thinking of this, Zongsang clenched his fists, his nails piercing his flesh, his veins bulging, and his eyes, like copper bells, almost bleeding, but he did not have the courage to look at Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi.

No matter who was chosen as the decoy, it would be cruel.

"Let Zongling, Zongya, and Nanxi draw lots..." an old man in the stone hall suggested softly.

Everyone's eyes turned to Wugong Zongtu, waiting for his decision.

Chen Xun sat up straight and said to Grandpa Zongtu, "The Northern Mountain tribes will kill each other for these five trial iron badges. The Gui Xi and other southern tribes will likely send their young members to ambush us to secure more slots. Whether Zongya, Zongling, or Nanxi carries the trial iron badge, they will face great danger. I will go with them..."

"Xun, you don't need to sacrifice so much for the Black Python," Wugong Zongtu said, his heart trembling.

The rules set by the Su family were unbreakable in Canglan. The Gui Xi and other large tribes might have a few members under eighteen who could reach the upper level of barbarian martial arts, but the number would not be many. Chen Xun, going with Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi, would greatly increase their chances of success.

Although Nanliao, Zongsang, and others were extremely eager for Chen Xun to go with Zongya and the others, they also knew that Wugong Zongtu was right; Chen Xun did not need to sacrifice so much for the Black Python.

"Four years ago, if it weren't for Grandpa taking me in, I would have been killed by beasts long ago," Chen Xun smiled and said firmly.

Not to mention the years the Black Python had taken him in and allowed him to settle; in this world of the strong preying on the weak, his ability to practice the Great Peng Secret Fist, to train in the marshes and wilderness, and to meet Su Tang, all of which were gifts from Grandpa, could not be repaid with just a few Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills.

Moreover, he could not sit idly by and watch Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi go to their deaths!

********************

That night, Wugong Zongtu, Nanliao, Zongsang, and others secretly initiated a soul sacrifice in the stone hall.

Without hesitation or regret, they took out three Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills and gave them to Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi to consume and refine their bodies, hoping to help them break through their current realms and increase their chances of survival on the journey.

The Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills had extremely potent effects, and ordinary barbarian martial artists found it difficult to fully refine the medicinal power in one or two days.

Chen Xun, who practiced the barbarian soul, needed about half a month to fully refine a single Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pill.

Only with the help of the Black Python's Nine Nether Barbarian Soul Statue could Chen Xun quickly refine and absorb the medicinal power of the Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills.

However, the Nine Nether Barbarian Soul Statue could only be activated by consuming the souls of exotic beasts.

Seeing the young leopards, who had been lively and playful in recent days, fall into a deep coma after their souls were consumed by the Nine Nether Barbarian Soul Statue, Chen Xun felt a pang of guilt, but they had no other choice.

The Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills had extremely pure and potent effects.

Generally, barbarian martial artists who had awakened their barbarian souls and reached the peak of the sixth level of tendon and muscle refinement could, by consuming the Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills, refine their bodies to a new extreme, helping them break through the sixth level and advance to the upper level of barbarian martial arts.

Although Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi, with the help of the Nine Nether Barbarian Soul Statue, refined all the extremely pure medicinal power into their bodies, their cultivation only reached the peak of their respective levels. The remaining medicinal power transformed into extremely pure barbarian soul essence, directly fusing into their soul seas, but did not help them immediately break through their current levels and advance further.

The expansion of the soul sea and the heart image helped improve their future cultivation potential, but Zongya, Zongling, and Nanxi urgently needed to improve their cultivation.

However, the effects of consuming the Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills were limited, and everyone was helpless.

Chen Xun also consumed and refined three Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills during the soul sacrifice, but even three pills were not enough to bring him to the peak of the seventh level of blood replacement.

Sutang had said that the ancient bloodline he possessed was rare in a thousand years, and breaking through the peak of the ninth level of barbarian martial arts might be ten times more difficult for him.

Chen Xun had not expected that, let alone advancing to the Rebirth Realm, even breaking through the seventh level of blood replacement would be so difficult.

He still had six Nine Yuan Nourishing Qi Pills, but Chen Xun did not dare to waste them recklessly. He also needed to leave twelve pills in the village to help Grandpa Zongtu, Nanliao, Zongsang, and others protect the Black Python's foundation.

In the remaining ten days, Chen Xun did nothing but, accompanied by Zongsang and Nanliao, delve deep into the dangerous mountains and valleys of Mangya Ridge to gather herbs and refine the Essence-Gathering Ointment.

Before martial artists reached the Rebirth Realm, they could not store true essence in their bodies and relied entirely on the purity of their blood and the strength of their physical bodies in combat. The only way to replenish their blood and qi in a short time was to consume spiritual medicines.

No one knew what dangers they would face on the journey, so refining more Essence-Gathering Ointment to carry with them was always better to be prepared.