Listening to her older brother and her master talk, the kind-hearted Ye Qingyi felt a pang of sympathy.
She sighed and interrupted, "Master, nearly four hundred thousand cultivators – that's more than half the cultivators in the entire Chu domain! Can you truly bear to send them to their deaths?"
Wu Tao, hearing this, coldly snorted and replied,
"Trust is a blade!"
"When you place it in someone else's hands, it is destined to be stained with blood!"
"What is not yours is others'."
"It is not my fault. If anyone is to blame, it is their own foolishness for placing their lives and fortunes on an unrealistic lie."
"Qingyi, kindness is a noble virtue, but too much kindness can sometimes harm oneself."
...
In the early morning, the sun slowly rose, and a faint ray of sunlight pierced through the sky in the distance, casting a unique glow upon Cloud Continent, which stood alone in the heavens.
To ensure safety and secrecy, Wu Tao had hidden these thirty-nine warships somewhere deep within Cloud Continent.
...
Under the sunlight, a luxurious carriage, built to a giant's height, sped along the road.
Driving the carriage was a puppet with a vacant gaze, its body constructed entirely from ore.
After driving all the way to the Giant Rock Tribe, a "tiny" figure leaped out from the tall carriage. This person was none other than Wu Tao.
At this moment, he looked at the pavilion before him and walked forward without hesitation.
The giants of the Giant Rock Tribe seemed to have already received orders. Upon seeing Wu Tao arrive, they respectfully parted to make way, not daring to block his path.
Walking and stopping, he eventually reached the outside of the Giant Rock Tribe's dwellings.
The chieftain of the Giant Rock Tribe, Wu Fei, had already been waiting for Wu Tao outside the house.
"Little brother, you've arrived."
Seeing Wu Tao, Wu Fei forced a smile onto his face.
...
Standing in place, looking at Wu Tao, Wu Fei said politely, "In a while, it will be time for the Bloodline Trial. A grand sacrificial ceremony will be held in the royal capital, and everyone who is chosen can attend."
"Bloodline Sacrifice? Chieftain, you've told me about this before, but you never went into the specifics. Now you can tell me."
"Hahaha, this is a grand event that the kingdom holds every few years. It was originally scheduled for a few more years from now, but due to various reasons, it has been moved to this year."
"In the royal capital, there lies the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow, left behind by the Ancestor of the Giants, imbued with the Ancestor's bloodline imprint."
Standing in place, Wu Fei explained, "According to ancient legends, whoever can wield this legacy bow of the giant race will be qualified to inherit the glory and legacy of the Ancestor of the Giants."
"And this Bloodline Sacrifice revolves around this Sun-Shooting Divine Bow."
...
"This Bloodline Sacrifice, are you saying everyone will go and pull the string of this Sun-Shooting Divine Bow together?"
Listening to Wu Fei's words and recalling certain legends, Wu Tao stroked his chin and guessed with interest.
...
"Of course not."
Wu Fei shook his head upon hearing this, a wry smile appearing on his face.
"The Sun-Shooting Divine Bow carries too powerful a bloodline pressure. Ordinary giants cannot even approach it, let alone draw its string."
"The process of the Bloodline Sacrifice is for the trial-takers to feel the bloodline of the Ancestor of the Giants as much as possible and to withstand the divine pressure of the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow, thereby making their own bloodline purer and stronger."
As he spoke, a look of envy involuntarily appeared in Wu Fei's eyes.
"Even in historical records of the past, if a trial-taker's bloodline was pure enough, they could even receive a portion of the legacy left by the Ancestor of the Giants from the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow."
...
"So that's how it is. This Bloodline Sacrifice is quite interesting!"
Listening to Wu Fei's words, Wu Tao's heart stirred, and he spoke.
...
Looking at Wu Tao before him, Wu Fei smiled and said, "Little brother, although you are not tall, the purity of your bloodline is exceptionally high."
"This situation is extremely rare. I believe you will gain a great deal."
Wu Fei paused here before continuing, "Of course, even if I didn't invite you, as long as you wish to go, little brother, you can still participate."
"There are no restrictions on participating in the Bloodline Sacrifice. As long as you can afford the corpses of a few divine beasts to partake in the ceremony, you can directly participate."
"However, if one does not possess a powerful giant bloodline, even if they participate in the sacrifice, they may not gain much."
"Indeed, without a pure giant bloodline, it's better not to attend the Bloodline Sacrifice."
Hearing Wu Fei's words, Wu Tao nodded gently without saying much.
...
Noon.
Perhaps it was due to its location in the world, but Cloud Continent received abundant sunlight every day.
On a vast training ground, the sound of clashing weapons continuously echoed.
In front, the battle between two "colossi" grew increasingly fierce, leaving the surroundings in disarray.
Sparks flew as giant weapons collided, and powerful aftershocks swept through the area.
...
First, the giant "Wu Zhe" used his massive shield to deflect the giant sword in his son Wu Ming's hand, then his other hand, gripping an axe, swung around to attack from behind.
If it were just this, it would be understandable; even martial artists among mortals could achieve this.
However, what happened next was astonishing.
Facing his son Wu Ming's fearless attack, which aimed for a mutual destruction, the giant Wu Zhe moved his body, his hands, and his legs, narrowly dodging the tip of the giant sword. In the next second, he completed a wide arc, instantly disarming his son.
Such immense power contained within such a massive physique! It was truly worthy of a race that could tear apart dragon and phoenix divine beasts, a race of warriors.
"Hahahaha, Ming'er, you're still too young! If you want to challenge your old man, you'll need to train for another few thousand years. Just surrender now!"
Giant Wu Zhe put away his axe, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and laughed triumphantly.
Wu Ming, unconvinced, looked at his father, grabbed the giant sword from the ground, and charged at him again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
After a few more exchanges between Wu Zhe and Wu Ming, the outcome was the same: Wu Ming's giant sword was once again sent flying.
...
"The Bloodline Sacrifice is about to begin. I plan to take Ming'er with me."
"What are your thoughts, Ming'er?"
Looking at the father and son giants, drenched in sweat after their spar, Wu Tao asked.
Hearing Wu Tao's question, Wu Zhe hesitated. He scratched his head and bashfully said, "With my son's bloodline purity, he probably won't meet the requirements to participate in the Bloodline Sacrifice."
Although both Wu Zhe and Wu Ming were members of the giant race, their bloodline purity was not particularly strong; it was only at a normal level.
And normal giants were not eligible to participate in the Bloodline Sacrifice.
...
"It's alright."
Wu Tao said calmly, "I've already asked your chieftain. Although only giants with pure bloodlines are qualified to participate in the Bloodline Sacrifice, even those without pure bloodlines can attend by paying their own way."
"Paying their own way?"
Hearing Wu Tao's words, Wu Zhe was stunned at first, then asked tentatively, "So, the cost for paying one's own way should be very high, right?"
...
"The corpses of thirty divine beasts per person."
Wu Tao nodded upon hearing this and replied.
...
"So many! Even if you sold me, I couldn't afford it!"
Hearing the figure Wu Tao stated, Wu Zhe was startled and couldn't believe his ears.
The corpses of thirty divine beasts were an astronomical sum.
...
Each divine beast possessed its own innate abilities, and none of them, whether young or adult, were easy to deal with.
A grown giant, armed with a weapon, could handle a single ordinary divine beast in a one-on-one confrontation.
However, one could not always be on guard. Even the mighty giant race had to rely on domesticated giant yaks and sheep for their daily sustenance.
While the giants were not overly fearful of divine beasts, they did not actively seek them out.
The corpses of thirty divine beasts were an impossible sum for a normal giant family to afford.
Of course, if it were someone like the five great shamans of the Giant Rock Tribe, they could easily afford it.
But why would they help someone they were not related to?
"Don't worry, I will pay for the corpses of these divine beasts for Ming'er. Ming'er just needs to go with me."
...
Looking at the simple and hospitable Wu Zhe and his son, Wu Tao shrugged and said indifferently.
"Ming'er's aptitude is not particularly strong. Even with specially refined elixirs from me, the possibility of him ascending to the rank of Great Shaman in the future is not high."
"Although the cost of the Bloodline Sacrifice is a bit steep, it can raise Ming'er's potential and smooth his future path."
...
"But I cannot accept such a gift without earning it, little brother. I cannot..."
Hearing Wu Tao's words, Wu Zhe fell silent for a long time, and finally refused.
At this moment, he truly felt the vast difference between himself and Wu Tao.
Thirty divine beast corpses were a sum that was almost impossible for him to gather, even if he sold his entire family of three.
Yet, for Wu Tao, it was spoken so casually, as if it were nothing significant.
...
Hearing Wu Zhe's words, Wu Tao's brow twitched slightly, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
He hadn't expected Wu Zhe to be so honest; he actually refused such a windfall.
...
Next, Wu Tao let out a casual laugh and said in a tone that was half-joking, half-serious, "Don't worry, I'm not paying for these thirty divine beast corpses for nothing."
"If I get into trouble someday, and I call out to you, you three will have to come and help me."
...
Faced with the step down Wu Tao offered, Wu Zhe looked at his son's expectant face, sighed, and then agreed.