Chapter 22

In the early morning, the sun shone brightly, and the forest was shrouded in a misty haze...

This ancient Great Wasteland welcomed a new day once again.

The herb-gathering work had stopped, Jiang Xiaorou was preparing breakfast, and Yi Yun was chopping firewood in the courtyard.

He didn't use an axe but instead aimed his palm at the firewood and chopped down with one strike!

"Crack!"

A crisp sound echoed, and the firewood split neatly in half, the cut perfectly straight.

Yi Yun looked at the two pieces of firewood and muttered to himself, "A warrior who has mastered the 'Dragon Sinew Tiger Bone Fist' can, within a minute, use both hands to cut a tree stump into a pile of uniformly sized, evenly thick chopsticks. I wonder if I can reach that level after three months of martial arts practice."

As Yi Yun was thinking, he suddenly heard a commotion from not far away.

Focusing his attention, Yi Yun recognized Zhao Tiezhu's voice—

"Clan members of the Lian Clan! Listen up! The clan elders have issued an order to recruit ten more able-bodied men to refine the Wasteland Bone. Those interested can sign up, and we will select the best candidates!"

Huh?

Recruit ten more able-bodied men to refine the Wasteland Bone?

Yi Yun's heart stirred, and he immediately thought of the incident a few days ago when all the villagers refining the Wasteland Bone had contracted typhoid.

So many people had fallen ill and were cured by a so-called "miracle drug."

Now, they were recruiting new able-bodied men to refine the Wasteland Bone again, which seemed suspicious.

Thinking this, Yi Yun threw away the firewood and walked towards the village's drying ground.

From a distance, Yi Yun saw Zhao Tiezhu standing on a platform, shouting loudly.

Many clan members were alarmed. The villagers who had previously refined the Wasteland Bone had received many benefits, including salted meat and the miraculous pill, as well as regular food subsidies.

Due to the previous Wasteland Bone refinement, the Lian Clan now had a severe shortage of food. Getting more food was a dream for the villagers.

"I'll sign up!"

"Me too!"

People rushed to the temporary registration booth set up by Zhao Tiezhu, afraid of being left behind.

"I, Wang Dahu, am willing to refine the Wasteland Bone! I am a second-class able-bodied man!"

A tall man, but with a slightly sallow complexion due to long-term malnutrition, stood in front of Zhao Tiezhu, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"Second-class able-bodied man... barely... " Zhao Tiezhu sized up Wang Dahu critically.

Zhao Tiezhu didn't know that refining the Wasteland Bone could be fatal. This was a closely guarded secret in the Lian Clan, known only to a few high-ranking members.

Other members of the warrior training camp didn't know that the Wasteland Bone was filled with deadly cold energy that could seep into the flesh and blood of those around it, eroding their lives and eventually sealing their vitality, causing their organs to fail and leading to death.

So Zhao Tiezhu thought refining the Wasteland Bone was a good job.

The power to decide who got this good job made Zhao Tiezhu very pleased. The direct benefit of power was that people looked at him with more flattering eyes and spoke to him with flattery.

Zhao Tiezhu was extremely picky, "Wang Dahu, you stand over there for now, as a backup. If there's no one better, it will be you."

Hearing Zhao Tiezhu's words, Wang Dahu was overjoyed, thanked him repeatedly, and obediently went to stand aside.

"Huh? Liu Er, you're signing up too? With your weak legs, you'll be blown away by the wind! Do you know that refining the Wasteland Bone requires chopping wood, making fires, and fanning the flames from morning till night? The temperature around the cauldron is very high, and if you lack stamina, you'll faint directly!"

Zhao Tiezhu looked at the monkey-like Liu Er, waved his hand impatiently, and told him to scram.

Lian Chengyu had instructed to select strong men, and weak and sickly people were absolutely not allowed.

Villagers rushed to sign up, but many were turned away, and only a few were kept.

Yi Yun stood nearby, watching coldly. He had a gut feeling that there was something wrong with the Wasteland Bone!

However, even if there was a problem, he had to investigate it.

Because for Yi Yun, the Wasteland Bone was very important.

The herbs on Lian Clan's Medicine Mountain were almost depleted, and he needed energy and nutrients to continue his cultivation. Relying solely on coarse porridge wouldn't do.

"Huh? It's you!"

Just as Yi Yun was pondering his next move, he suddenly heard this familiar voice behind him.

This voice was low and somewhat refined, but Yi Yun's face changed when he heard it!

It was Lian Chengyu!

Lian Chengyu was supposed to be in seclusion, according to Zhao Tiezhu, for three months. How could he have come out so early?

Originally, Yi Yun had planned that after three months, his strength would surpass Lian Chengyu, and he wouldn't fear him anymore. But now, Yi Yun had only practiced martial arts for six or seven days. Even with the Purple Crystal, it was impossible for him to defeat Lian Chengyu, who had practiced for ten years and reached the Fifth Layer of the Mortal Blood Realm.

But after careful thought, Yi Yun realized that he and Lian Chengyu didn't have any deep-seated grudges. Lian Chengyu's attempt to kill him was probably a casual act, like someone killing a rat in their house. If they couldn't kill it, they wouldn't tear down the walls to finish it off.

Yi Yun turned around, and before meeting Lian Chengyu's gaze, his expression had already calmed down.

But upon seeing Lian Chengyu, he immediately showed a look of panic and helplessness.

"Lian... Lian Young Master?"

Yi Yun took a step back, as if startled by Lian Chengyu's sudden appearance.

Lian Chengyu frowned. This kid, he's still alive?

Originally, Lian Chengyu's attempt to kill Yi Yun was a casual act, mainly because he felt Yi Yun harbored resentment towards him. Lian Chengyu was concerned that during the critical stage of refining the Wasteland Bone, the lack of food and the deaths would cause public outrage. He feared that Yi Yun, who was good at inciting the masses and harbored resentment, could become a catalyst for unrest.

Lian Chengyu pursued the highest martial path, a glory that would surpass all others. With this goal, his mindset was like that of an emperor or a noble. To him, someone like Yi Yun was insignificant. To eliminate potential threats, he had killed many people, and the deaths during the Wasteland Bone refinement were countless.

Killing Yi Yun was a minor matter, and Lian Chengyu hadn't paid much attention to it. He hadn't even confirmed whether Yi Yun was dead. When he came out of seclusion and found Yi Yun still alive, he was puzzled.

He couldn't kill a lowly peasant, how could this be? Was his power not enough?

"What are you doing here?" Lian Chengyu asked.

"Reporting to Young Master, I heard from Lord Zhao that they are recruiting able-bodied men to refine the Wasteland Bone. I heard that I could get salted meat, so I wanted to try."

"Hmm?" Hearing Yi Yun's words, a hint of disdain flashed in Lian Chengyu's eyes. Originally, Yi Yun was only twelve years old, but on the day of the food distribution, his words and actions were not those of a twelve-year-old. He had the ability to incite the masses and cause trouble, making Lian Chengyu see him as a potential troublemaker.

But now, it seemed that Yi Yun was just a child, a person who only saw salted meat. How much could he achieve?

Lian Chengyu didn't bother with Yi Yun anymore, except for the mystery of why he couldn't kill him.

"Since you want to refine the Wasteland Bone, why don't you go sign up? Why are you just standing here watching?"

"Well... to be honest with Young Master, Lord Zhao requires at least a second-class able-bodied man to sign up, and I... I..."

Yi Yun's voice trailed off, seemingly ashamed of his lack of strength and hesitant to speak.

The disdain in Lian Chengyu's eyes became more evident. This fool, he had overestimated him. After all, he was just a twelve-year-old child. What could he possibly have in mind?

Actually, Lian Chengyu forgot that he himself was not much older, only seventeen. Among seventeen-year-olds, he was quite knowledgeable, but he was still somewhat naive. He could never have imagined that the twelve-year-old Yi Yun had an adult's soul.

"Since you have the heart to contribute to the Lian Clan, I can't refuse you. I see that you have some ambition and potential, so I'll give you this opportunity as an exception."

Lian Chengyu "encouraged" Yi Yun a few times.

This fool could勉强 contribute a bit. Although he was a weakling, using him to absorb the cold poison was not a bad idea, regardless of his physical condition. ...