Chapter 37: Mass Mobilization (2/2)

With Zhao Yun’s arrival, Li Hongshen appointed him as both the Warrior Instructor and the Captain of the Patrol Squad. These positions placed him on equal footing with Li Li and Ma Wu, yet he remained independent, his personal strength granting him a status in the tribe that was somewhat detached from the rest.

Since the tribe already had a sufficient number of first-rank warriors, Zhao Yun was not needed to hunt blood crystals for the hunting party. Instead, Li Hongshen tasked him primarily with teaching martial arts and demanded that he quickly unify the combat techniques of the tribe’s warriors and the village braves.

Beyond this, Li Hongshen established another rule: every subject was required to practice the village braves’ training regimen daily. He led by example, intensifying his own training, striving to realize a territory where all people were soldiers.

As the training intensified, Li Hongshen also increased the food rations. With the growing number of first-rank warriors, there were now enough hands to haul back the beasts hunted from the Savage Forest.

The flesh and blood of these beasts contained traces of energy. Consuming them over time strengthened the bodies of the tribe’s people, enhancing their chances for awakening. The bones could be boiled for soup, fed to the pregnant women of the tribe.

Indeed, after Li Hongshen implemented his population growth policy, there were finally women in the tribe who became pregnant—more than a dozen began to show at the same time, which delighted him immensely. It meant the cycle of life in the tribe had begun anew.

As for the remaining bone fragments, offal, and other scraps, they were fed to the battle pets. The animals did not mind these leftovers; to them, it was all a delicacy, and their stomachs could handle the lot without issue.

As time passed, nearly six months had gone by since Li Hongshen’s arrival in the Endless Wilds. The long summer was drawing to an end, and the tribe welcomed its third Awakening Festival.

This festival felt unusually solemn. The half-year in the wilderness had taught the tribe’s people the harshness of the world beyond their camp.

Several times, ferocious beasts had stumbled upon Phoenix Perch Valley. Sometimes they were driven off by the patrol squad; other times, they were slain right at the camp’s gates. There were casualties—some braves were left crippled—but it was a harsh lesson for the people inside, teaching them the true meaning of the Wilds.

Now, the people understood: each festival was a time for the tribe’s strength to rise anew. More warriors meant greater protection, and a better life for all.

This time, Li Hongshen gathered a team for a week of intensive training to form a flag guard. He wanted everyone to experience the sense of ceremony: to raise the tribal flag, to unite the people’s hearts, and to let them feel the dignity of the tribe.

The flag guard, ten strong, averaged nearly six feet three inches in height. Some were warriors, others village braves. They stood in a square formation: three in front, three in back, each holding a long spear, guarding the four in the center.

The middle four each grasped a corner of the tribal flag, stretching it taut across their waists.

The ten-man flag guard stood proud and tall, clad in uniforms that Li Hongshen had specially commissioned. These were made from a blend of wool and flax, starched and pressed to a crisp finish. On their feet were tall black boots, sewn from the hide of a first-rank beast that Li Li had hunted—a single shot through the skull, leaving the hide perfectly intact.

“Attention!”

A crisp snap.

“Forward, march!”

Step, step.

The hard soles of their boots struck the stone plaza with a resounding rhythm. The familiar sound stung Li Hongshen’s eyes with emotion—memories, nostalgia, and hope blending together.

Li Li, Li Zhong, and Li Tianhua stood at the head of the formation. They were the first awakened warriors of the tribe, and its heroes. For them, this flag-raising was not just a task or duty, but an honor.

“Play the tribal anthem—raise the flag!”

A desolate horn sounded, and the red-and-gold tribal banner slowly rose. Everyone watched as the flag rose, listening to the anthem, singing the tribal song.

Ma Wu and Zhao Yun stood behind Li Hongshen, taking in the scene. Ma Wu’s eyes reddened—this was the dream that had haunted him for years. Zhao Yun trembled slightly, his eyes ablaze with fervor. Such a territory, such warriors—he was filled with excitement, eager to grow with the tribe and expand its domain for the lord.

This Awakening Ceremony saw a total of twenty participants. Sixteen, including Ke, came from the hunting and patrol squads.

Two others, Li Liang and Cha, were apprentices to the shaman. Li Hongshen placed high hopes in them, wishing they might become spellcasters.

The final two spots were given to battle pets—two adult white-bellied sea eagles. Other battle pets, like the fighting wolves, already possessed ranks and could become combat-ready upon maturity, so they didn’t need to undergo awakening.

As for the bay crocodiles, they were not yet mature. Even with Li Hongshen’s lordly talents and the energy-rich environment of the Endless Wilds, they were growing fast, but their time to contribute had not yet come.

Therefore, Li Hongshen chose the sea eagles. Both were assigned to the hunting team, as no formidable birds of prey had been found in the outermost regions. For now, the ordinary white-bellied sea eagles sufficed to patrol Phoenix Perch Valley.

In truth, Li Hongshen still had a surplus of blood crystals—this awakening used less than half the stockpile. Ma Wu had originally donated thirty-five crystals at once, and with the steady hunting over these months, Li Hongshen now held nearly sixty crystals in total.

But the altar at zero-rank could only awaken twenty individuals at a time, and only those at the first rank. For advancement to the second rank, the consumption was far greater, and only up to four could advance at once—a problem that had troubled Li Hongshen for some time.

In the end, he decided to increase the number of first-rank warriors rather than pursue the might of a few high-ranking ones.

First, with the long summer ending and the rainy season approaching, hunting would become more difficult. Li Hongshen needed the tribe to stockpile more blood crystals and have enough beast meat to foster the growth of the village braves.

Second, a small number of high-ranking warriors would not be effective against the Lang tribe, as their actions would be restricted in the outer regions after ascending. Only in the Ten-Thousand-Mile Great Forest could they barely act, and even then, their power would need a long time to recharge after each use—making advancement less worthwhile for now.

As the tribal music played, the people sang, and the warriors pressed blood crystals to their chests, the familiar light of the altar rose once again, enveloping the warriors, the shaman’s apprentices, and the two sea eagles.

(End of chapter)