Chapter 128: Hu Immortal Blessed Land (3)
Hu Immortal blessed land, southern district.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Yan Yong has been sleeping for 3 years.
Yeah. 3 years.
Rockmen do that. They curl into a ball, turn into an oval stone, and disappear for seven to eight years. Honestly? Vibe.
"Yan Yong! Yan Yong! Wake up! You've slept for THREE YEARS already!"
A lump of grey stone started vibrating. Dust scattered everywhere. Four limbs and a head popped out like a flower blooming, except instead of a flower, it was a grumpy rock man.
Yan Yong opened his eyes. "Grandpa? Why did you wake me up? I wanted to sleep another two or three years..."
His grandpa, the eight-hundred-year-old leader of the Hui Shi tribe, looked at him like he was stupid.
"You are already a hundred and eighty years old. Your father died early. I won't live much longer. In a few decades, YOU will be the new tribe leader."
Yan Yong pouted. "But Grandpa, I don't WANT to be tribe leader. Then I won't have time to sleep anymore."
Grandpa's eyes narrowed.
"Clean yo lil ass up! Bro get all that weed growing on you off! We have to go to the surface ASAP and meet the immortal. Do NOT be disrespectful!"
Yan Yong started plucking weeds off his body. Armpits. Groin. Back. Everywhere.
Especially the black thread grass in his groin area. Hard as steel. Curly as... well. Every time he plucked one, he felt great pain.
"Grandpa, ain't it still a year until we pay offerings to the immortal?"
The old clan leader sighed. "The immortal changed. This new one came not too long ago. He's calling for us now."
Yan Yong's eyes lit up. "New male immortal? Hopefully he chill unlike that old female one. Maybe we can negotiate. The offerings are killing us."
The old clan leader nodded. "The other tribe leaders and I have the same thought."
Twitch Chat:
Chatter1: "They're about to learn"
Chatter2: "Fang Yuan? Easy to talk to? 💀"
Chatter3: "Oh sweet summer child"
On a large altar made of green rocks, Fang Yuan sat at the main seat.
Black robe. Long black hair down. Deep dark pupils staring at the rockmen below like they were his next meal.
Dozens of rockmen knelt before him. Eight rockmen leaders. Grey rockmen. Granite rockmen. Iron rockman. Green rockman. White rockman.
And offerings. Lots of offerings.
Gold ore. Silver ore. Bronze. Iron. Gems. Jewels. Gu worms.
Most of the Gu were rank one rock skin Gu. Rank two monolith Gu. And one rank three Gu—stone aperture Gu.
Fang Yuan had used that one before. Back when Spring Autumn Cicada was being a menace to his aperture. Good times.
One of the rockmen leaders spoke up. The oldest one.
"Esteemed lord immortal, our tribes have contributed so much during these thirty years. But the north area has floods. The east area has fires. Life is difficult. Please, have mercy. Reduce the offerings by a bit."
The other leaders nodded.
"Yes, lord immortal, please reduce."
"Our numbers are decreasing."
"Please understand our suffering!"
Fang Yuan smiled.
Not a nice smile. A "I'm about to ruin your whole day" smile.
"Reduce the offerings? Hehehe. Of course you can! In fact, I can exempt you all from these offerings."
The rockmen's faces lit up.
"But I have a condition."
The faces dimmed.
"I need you all to dig a river. From the north. Transport the water toward the east. Stop the fire from spreading."
The rockmen went SILENT.
Then they erupted.
"Esteemed lord, you CANNOT do this!"
"Digging a river from scratch? That's a HUGE project!"
"We rockmen NEED sleep! Without sleep, we DIE!"
"And the great fire and huge water? You're asking us to go to our DEATHS!"
Young rockmen rushed over from the corners. They stared at Fang Yuan like they were ready to throw hands.
Little Hu Immortal stepped closer to Fang Yuan, worried.
"M-m-m-master," she sent her thoughts to him secretly. "These rockmen are stubborn. They don't reason with people. Hu Immortal barely managed to contain them. Asking them to offer things was already their limit..."
"Limit?" Fang Yuan scoffed.
He stood up. Walked down the stairs. Slowly. Deliberately.
"COURTING DEATH BASTARDS. You dare to bargain with ME?"
"The place you live? MINE. The dirt you eat? MINE. The spirit spring beside your tribe? ALSO MINE. You? ALL MINE. MINE. AND MINE."
"You live here. You are my SLAVES. I want to dig a new river. You dig a river. Good offer. ok?
The rockmen stood up. Furious.
"Immortal, YOU are courting death!"
"Back when we relocated here, it was because of a FEMALE immortal. Hear us? FEMALE. But we changed our mind. This environment is getting shitty!"
"You want us to dig a river? How about YOU dig it!"
"We rockmen are born from heaven and earth! We are the chosen ones! We will NOT be your slaves! Let's go! Relocate! I've had enough of this place!"
Fang Yuan threw his head back and laughed.
Hahahahahaha.
Like a villain in a movie. Like he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Then he stopped. His face went cold.
"Who do you think you are?"
"The old rules are no more. From today onwards, I am the greatest ruler. MY words are heaven's will."
"You WILL abide by my rules. Even if you don't want to."
A young rockman clenched his fists and howled in anger.
"Immortal, you might be strong, but we are NOT afraid!"
"We rockmen never lower our heads to brute force! We are natural warriors! We fear no death!"
"Only love can make us dig out our hearts. Only warmth can make us lower our backs."
Fang Yuan raised his hand.
A golden dragon flew out.
ROAR.
The loudest rockman? Dead. Turned into rock shards. Absolutely violated.
The rockmen lost their minds.
"He killed the granite rockmen's old tribe leader!"
"Old tribe leader is DEAD!"
"EVEN AN IMMORTAL HAS TO DIE UNDER OUR FURY!"
They charged. Dozens of rockmen. Every step cracked the ground. They looked like a living avalanche.
Gu worms activated on their bodies. Lights shone everywhere.
Then the lights vanished.
Little Hu Immortal struck. All the Gu worms? Sealed. No more powers for you.
Fang Yuan smiled. "Who do you inferior species think you are?"
The slaughter began.
Twitch Chat:
GoldenDragon: "Bro didn't even let them finish talking"
Chatter2: "Fang Yuan said 'no negotiation, only death'"
HuImmortal: "Land spirit with the clutch seal"
The rockmen were tough. But Fang Yuan was TOUGHER.
He broke them into shards. Pathetic, screaming shards.
But then the shards gathered back together. New rockmen formed. Smaller. Angrier.
"Kill!"
"Resist the tyranny! Take revenge for father!"
"We are born from heaven and earth! We die due to heaven and earth! We have NO FEAR!"
Tiny rockmen charged. Fang Yuan slaughtered them again.
They reformed into even SMALLER rockmen.
Again and again. Each wave smaller than the last. Each wave just as angry.
This was how rockmen reproduced. When they died, their souls and rocks split into new rockmen. They inherited fragments of memories. Fragments of grudges.
Generation after generation of hatred.
Fang Yuan killed the third wave.
Finally, silence.
Only one rockman remained. Lying on the ground. Shaking.
Twitch Chat:
YanYongLastStand: "He's the final one"
Chatter2: "Bro is SHAKING"
Chatter3: "Fang Yuan really said 'extinction event'"
Fang Yuan walked toward him. Slowly. Deliberately.
"What is your name?"
"Yan... Yan Yong..." The young rockman could barely speak.
"Do you know why I left only you alive?"
"No... I do not know..."
Fang Yuan stopped. Put his foot on Yan Yong's head.
"Because you are terrified."
"Because I LIKE your fear."
"Because I LIKE the horror in your eyes when you look at me."
He smiled warmly.
Twitch Chat:
SigmaFinalBoss: "That smile is TERRIFYING"
Chatter2: "Ayo that kinda sus"
Chatter3: "Yan Yong is NEVER sleeping again"
FangYuanGlazer: "This is peak villain energy right here"
The young rockman didn't move. Didn't speak. Just lay there. Trembling.
And somewhere in the distance, the blue charm lightning shadow sat cross-legged on the scorched prairie. Waiting.
But that was a problem for another day.
Right now? Fang Yuan had a river to dig. And he had just found his new foreman.
Three days later, Yan Yong crawled back to his tribe.
He looked half-dead. Limping. Groaning. Absolute cinema.
He woke up all the sleeping rockmen. Every single one. No more naps for anybody.
"My fellow rocks! Listen to me!" Yan Yong gasped, clutching his chest dramatically.
"A male immortal is here. He is a DEMON. He wanted to enslave all of us!"
The rockmen gasped.
"Not only this! He also wanted to take away the BEAUTIFUL MEN of our rockmen tribe! To become his... his PLAYTHINGS!"
The rockmen were horrified. Some covered their chests. Some covered their... lower regions.
"We rockmen are born of nature! Free and unfettered! How could we bow to such LECHEROUS authority?!"
"We resisted on the spot! The immortal was strong, but we rockmen feared no death! We fought him! We INJURED him! We beat him into retreat!"
The rockmen cheered.
"The other tribesmen... they were all sacrificed. Only I was able to return." Yan Yong's voice cracked. "I am dying. But that immortal is still alive. Before he ran away, he said he will lead his fox army and ANNIHILATE all our rockmen tribes!"
The cheering stopped.
Panic spread.
Some rockmen wanted war. Some wanted revenge. Some wanted to migrate. Some wanted to "discuss" (aka panic in a group).
They had no leader. Eight tribes. Eight dead leaders. All killed by Fang Yuan. Total chaos.
Some tried to ask Yan Yong for details. But Yan Yong's injuries were too severe. He passed out immediately after dropping the bombshell.
Perfect timing.
Then the foxes came.
Wave after wave. Red foxes. Golden foxes. Cloud foxes. Wind foxes. Autumn foxes. Flowing light foxes.
The rockmen fought hard. But there were SO MANY DAMN FOXES.
The eight tribes had no choice but to ally. They retreated underground. They thought they were safe.
The foxes followed them DOWN.
Every attack cost the foxes dearly. Many died. But they kept coming. Endless. Relentless.
The rockmen cursed Fang Yuan's name. Their hatred burned like fire. But despair spread faster than the flames.
Then Yan Yong woke up.
Rockmen heal through sleep. His injuries were mostly gone. He looked refreshed. Heroic. Ready.
He stood before the rockmen and raised his fist.
"We rockmen are a COURAGEOUS group! We fear NO DEATH!"
"EVEN AN IMMORTAL CANNOT HUMILIATE US!"
The rockmen's morale shot up.
"Don't think the immortal is strong! He is only a PAPER TIGER! He can only send fox groups to die! He is already INJURED!"
Hope. A tiny straw. The rockmen grabbed it like drowning men.
Then Yan Yong changed his tone. His voice softened. His eyes got misty.
"The old tribe leaders... they were our greatest grief."
He spoke about the old white rock tribe leader. The sage. The wisest rockman who ever lived.
"He died in my ARMS," Yan Yong choked. "Before he died, he entrusted the WHOLE TRIBE to me. I watched his soul disperse. I felt so ashamed. Why wasn't it ME who died? Why HIM?"
He beat his chest. Sorrow.
Twitch Chat:
YanYongOscar: "Bro deserves an award"
Chatter2: "He died in my ARMS"
Chatter3: "The rockmen are EATING THIS UP"
The rockmen comforted him.
"Lord Yan Yong, don't grieve!"
"You survived! You warned us! You led us to victory!"
"We iron rockmen admire you!"
"Since the old tribe leader entrusted the tribe to you... please lead us white rockmen!"
Rockmen weren't obsessed with power. They liked sleeping. Authority was a chore.
But at this moment of crisis? They BEGGED Yan Yong to lead them.
He inherited his own tribe first. Then the white rock tribe. Then, one by one, the other six tribes.
Over a month later, Yan Yong was the joint leader of all eight rockmen tribes.
Another half month passed. He led the rockmen. They drove out the fox groups. The tribes were safe.
But Yan Yong wasn't done.
"This is not enough," he announced. "As long as the immortal lives, we have no future. The fox groups will regroup. They will attack again."
"We can only attack. Attack the immortal mountain. Kill the immortal completely. Then we will have peace."
Some rockmen hesitated.
"We just fought a bitter battle..."
"We want to sleep now..."
"Our population is too low..."
"We have newborns to raise..."
Yan Yong's eyes got misty again.
"My tribesmen... would I lead you to your deaths?"
Silence.
"Attacking the immortal mountain was not my idea." He lowered his voice. "It was a secret the old white rock tribe leader told me before he died."
The rockmen leaned in.
"He said this mountain is Dang Hun mountain. LEGENDARY Dang Hun mountain. It has GUTSTONES. If we rockmen obtain these gutstones, our souls will strengthen. Our tribes will become STRONGER."
The old white rock tribe leader was the sage. Everyone knew him. Everyone trusted him.
His "last words" + Yan Yong's proven leadership = the rockmen were SOLD.
They formed an expedition. They marched toward Dang Hun mountain.
Fang Yuan had arranged a weak fox defense around Dang Hun mountain. On purpose.
Yan Yong pointed at the foxes. "SEE? The demonic immortal's fox army is ALMOST GONE! Victory is near!"
The rockmen sang victory songs. They marched with their heads high. Morale? MAXIMUM.
At Dang Hun mountain, Fang Yuan appeared with a group of foxes. A "great battle" began.
Fang Yuan showed terrifying strength. He killed many rockmen. The rockmen trembled in fear.
But Yan Yong stood up.
He pointed at Fang Yuan's "injuries." He pointed at his "paper tiger immortal essence." He shouted war cries.
They fought a "decisive battle."
The fox groups were "eliminated." Fang Yuan was "defeated." He "fled" from Yan Yong's assault.
"Wait till I come back after gathering immortal essence from the water and fire!" Fang Yuan shouted, face twisted with "rage." "That moment will be you INFERIOR SPECIES' END!"
Then he "escaped."
The rockmen couldn't chase him. They were slow. They didn't know the terrain. They let him "get away."
They worshipped Yan Yong. They cheered. They lifted him on their shoulders.
Yan Yong raised his hand. "My tribesmen! Now is not the time to cheer!"
The cheering stopped.
"We cannot stay on Dang Hun mountain for long. This is a DEMONIC land. The old white rock tribe leader told me that every year, only during these few days can we rockmen enter safely."
"We need to collect the gutstones NOW. Three days. Then we MUST leave."
The rockmen scrambled to collect gutstones.
Rockmen bodies were heavy. Their souls had to work hard to hold up all that rock. That's why they slept so much. To nurture their souls.
When their soul foundation was thick enough, it would leak out. The overflowing soul would fall on a rock and form a new little rockman. That's how they reproduced.
Guts Gu? It strengthened souls. Made them overflow faster. More babies.
Three days later, inside Dang Hun Palace.
Yan Yong knelt before Fang Yuan. Head down. Body trembling.
"R-r-r-r-reporting to the immortal," he said, voice shaking. "W-w-w-with t-t-t-three days of s-sssssoul s-s-sstrengthening, o-o-o-o-our rockmen tribes h-have increased by six thousand and seven hundred little rockmen. Including us old tribesmen... the population has tripled."
Fang Yuan sat on his fluffy bed. Looking down at Yan Yong like a king.
"Good boy. With this, your rockmen have enough manpower to start the river construction."
He paused. "You remember what to do next? Or do I need to tell you again?"
Yan Yong didn't hesitate. "Supreme immortal, I did not dare to forget your words. I have engraved them in my mind."
"Good. I will give you three months. Dig a great river. Cut across the eastern and northern areas."
Yan Yong's face went pale. "Three MONTHS? Mighty immortal... us rockmen need sleep to nurture our souls. If we move excessively, we will tire ourselves to DEATH. The great river is so LONG. With only three months... we would have no rest at all. Our rockmen tribes will probably die OUT."
Fang Yuan smiled.
Not a nice smile.
"Hehehe. You won't die completely. I have already calculated. There will be over TWO HUNDRED rockmen remaining."
Yan Yong felt ice in his veins.
Ten thousand rockmen now. Two hundred after the project.
Eighty percent casualty rate. Maybe more.
"Three months. I want to see a great river. If I don't see it..." Fang Yuan's tone went cold. "I will tell the truth to your tribesmen. Before I kill you."
"Now roll away."
Yan Yong's body trembled. He was TERRIFIED of Fang Yuan. He didn't dare argue.
He curled his body into a ball. And he literally rolled away.
Like a boulder. Down the hall. Out of the palace.
Twitch Chat:
YanYongRoll: "HE REALLY ROLLED AWAY"
Chatter2: "Bro said 'I'm out' and meant it LITERALLY"
Chatter3: "Ten thousand to two hundred? That's WILD"
FangYuanGlazer: "Sigma grindset. Results only."
Little Hu Immortal spoke up. "Master... we paid a huge price back then to bring in these rockmen. To see so many die..."
Fang Yuan leaned back in his chair. Eyes half closed.
"Don't worry. The rockmen still have great use to me. And isn't it easy to increase their population?"
He took out a Gu from his aperture.
Burial soul toad. Rank four. Grey. Covered in small warts. Large eyes glowing with weird green light.
It could only store souls. Its belly would inflate as it sucked them in.
Fang Yuan had used it to collect the souls of the rockmen who died in the battle with the fox groups.
Now, the toad's belly was deflated. He had placed all the souls on Dang Hun mountain. To breed new gutstones.
Fang Yuan had used some gutstones for himself. His soul was now SIX TIMES stronger than a normal person.
The rest? He gave to the rockmen.
The rockmen had no idea.
The strengthening of their souls? All thanks to the deaths of their own companions.