The person who brought Gongyi Tianheng to make his selection was his eldest senior sect brother. That scholarly young man, He Zizhang.
This person’s qi emissions were fair, honest, and gentle. It seemed that his temperament was pretty good. At this moment, he was wearing a genial smile as he used a gigantic wild bird to carry Tianheng to an enormous valley, which was similar to an army barracks.
Tianheng lowered his head to take a look. The people inside the valley were as numerous as ants, but it wasn’t chaotic or disorderly. The sounds of their battle cries shook the heavens, and even the area above the valley was brimming with a type of red-hot fighting spirit. It was very formidable.
Within the barracks were countless powerhouses. Each individual possessed an astonishing amount of resentful energy like that of ferocious beasts. Clearly, they had gone through harsh training as veterans of a hundred battles.
— It was no wonder they were called battle slaves.
He Zizhang pressed his foot, and that wild bird flew straight down. It fell towards a lofty and expansive stone platform that was inside the valley. When both wings spread out, it hid the sky and covered the earth. At the same time, the battle slaves who where in the middle of training were ordered to stop by their leader. They swiftly formed ranks, and quietly stood at the ready on the wide and open space in front of the stone platform. A single glance couldn’t hope to see the edge of it.
Tianheng also looked over.
Soon after, his gaze slightly flickered, and a trace of surprise streaked across his heart.
The appearances of these battle slaves were…very strange.
Although they were born with one head and four limbs like the human race, there were big differences in the details. For example, some had grown animal ears, some had horns on their heads, and some had tails behind their backs. A few only had a single eye, and others had three eyes. There were those who had bird claws instead of hands and beast hooves for feet. In addition, there were bird beaks and alligator jaws. Their bodies had fish scales and all sorts of decorative designs.
There were many who simply weren’t normal humans!
He Zizhang inquired considerately: “Little junior came from the Peripheral Continents. Perhaps, you haven’t seen the people of other races before?”
Tianheng faintly revealed a smiling expression: “It’s a remote place, and I’m like a frog at the bottom of a well. I ask that senior sect brother is generous with his teachings so this foolish junior can learn a few things.”
“Junior sect brother doesn’t have to say it like that. This is all part of the job.”
Then, He Zizhang politely and amiably gave him an explanation: “As junior sect brother knows, we’re situated on the Central Continent. But besides pure humans like you and me, there are the myriad primordial races that likewise exist on this slice of land.
“According to legend, when it was the primordial age, the world was replete with numerous racial groups. The human race was the smallest and weakest among them, and struggled to survive amid countless ancient and fierce races. During that age, the human race was the favorite food of every race, and it had an exceptionally hard time developing. However, the human race was also a gathering of the ingenious and the refined. Although humanity’s lifespans were short and their physical bodies were frail, their reproductive capabilities and comprehensions were strong. Gradually, emerging in large numbers were humans who understood the supreme paths of martial arts and spirituality. Moreover, under their guidance, the human race changed from small and weak to great and powerful. Finally, the human race laid claim to its own space to exist.”
In a split second, it was like a long picture scroll was gently unfurled in front of Tianheng. Countless races either fought one another or lived in coexistence. Time flowed and surged like a river, and an endless stream of living things underwent change.
When He Zizhang mentioned this period of history, his eyes flashed with fascination, but he also didn’t forget that he was currently giving his little junior an explanation. He continued to speak: “Originally, in times immemorial, each race was in a mess, and there weren’t many systems of communication. But after the human race rose abruptly, they established their own set of language and culture, and many things were differentiated. Cultivation realms and all kinds of resources were partitioned &#k2014; Everything was codified.
“After the human race became strong, no longer did they exist to become food. They were capable of dividing the world with the other races. For many years, the races collided, mixed, and developed diplomatic relations. Numerous races intermarried with each other, and this included the human race. Later on, even more descendants with unusual abilities and appearances were born. Over the course of development, they all formed their own respective racial groups. It was to the point that no one could find any resemblance to their mother races anymore.
“Reaching the age of antiquity, humanity had already stabilized, and the other races also had been differentiated. For example, during the primordial age, there were the races like the human race that emerged naturally. If they weren’t destroyed across the span of history, then they were collectively known as the Primordial Ancestor Races. Among them, many were incomparably mighty. Even if they weren’t incredibly strong, they also passed down extraordinary abilities.
“At the same time, since the ancestor races are extremely powerful, they usually rest upon the purity and richness of their bloodlines and call themselves the True Spirit Ancestor Races. And as for those racial groups that developed after intermarrying, they are called descendant races. Unless they’re powerful, these descendant races usually need to rely on other ancestor races. More often than not, such descendant races are no different from servile races.”
— Consequently, the human race was likewise an ancestor race.
Meanwhile, these individuals in the valley with unusual appearances were members of the servile races that were adept in battle. Thus, they were specifically trained to become battle slaves.
Speaking up to here, the basic explanation was more or less over. He Zizhang smiled as he pointed down below: “These battle slaves are chosen from among these battle-adept races. Compared to other servile races, their positions are higher. As for the servile races that have contributed their own powerhouses, they receive even more protection. Little junior, you’re able to advance to the Immortal Realm at any time. Thus, you can select three hundred battle slaves. At most, you can have one Ascendant Realm, ten Atomic Realms, and two hundred eighty-nine Immortal Realms.”
When Tianheng heard this, he raised an eyebrow.
One Ascendant Realm and ten Atomic Realms… Wasn’t this basically equivalent to the high-end combat power of Qingyun Sect? Unexpectedly, they could only become his battle slaves over in this place?
Pondering up to this point, he suddenly asked: “Eldest senior sect brother, if my realm advances once more, what’ll happen concerning the realms of the battle slaves?”
He Zizhang nodded his head and smiled: “As for a day, so too for a lifetime. Unless a Cosmic Realm powerhouse emerges from a racial group, they’ll still be a servile race within our Ten Ultimates Sect. For that same reason, if a bronze-ranked organization has a servile race, that race can also be emancipated when a powerhouse of that race reaches the Royal Realm. Little junior, you’re an all-star prodigy of our Ten Ultimates Sect. Every time your realm advances, you can obtain the corresponding battle slaves. The sect regards you very importantly, so it absolutely won’t leave you disappointed!”
Tianheng understood clearly.
In fact, within the organizations of a sect or clan, when the strengths of their servile races’ powerhouses reached the same footing of the organization’s highest combatants, the racial groups of those powerhouses were qualified to stand as equals and remove themselves from the “slave record”. This was because they themselves had experts who could protect them. Otherwise, they were better off obediently lodging under someone else’s roof, and exerting themselves with restricted freedoms.
As expected, power was respected on this continent. If a racial group’s strongest powerhouse didn’t have sufficient martial strength, then the entire group would suffer a calamity. Conversely, if the racial group was strong enough, then the ones to suffer would be other people.
When it came to fairness… It wasn’t very fair at all.
Soon after, Tianheng smiled at He Zizhang: “Many thanks for the explanation, eldest senior sect brother. This junior already understands.”
He Zizhang also said: “Since it’s like this, then little junior can choose his battle slaves.”
Then, He Zizhang ordered this region’s manger to come over. He was carrying a thickly-bound registry book, which provided a detailed accounting of the strong aspects for each of the battle-slave racial groups within these barracks.
Tianheng’s memory was excellent. At this time, he listened to each one, and carefully differentiated them in his mind.
A long while later, Tianheng made his decision. He immediately stated: “Thirty members of the sighthound race, one hundred ninety-two members of the mastiff race, and seventy-eight members of the wild dog race. Among them, the Ascendant Realm will be selected from the mastiff race. As for the Atomic Realms, I’ll pick six from the mastiff race, one from the sighthound race, and three from the wild dog race.”
He Zizhang was slightly surprised: “Little junior, you don’t want to select from the other races? You only want to utilize the war hound races?”
Tianheng nodded his head: “There are many racial groups, and it isn’t easy to manage them. The sighthounds are flexible and adaptable, the wild dogs have berserk battle spirits, and the mastiffs haven’t lost their ferocity amid their steady natures. All of them are useful. Moreover, the war hound races are good at obeying orders. They’re loyal, reliable, and don’t overthink things. This junior has settled on them.”
He Zizhang thought about it, and understood Tianheng’s meaning.
Although the war hound races weren’t the most powerful of the battle slaves, they really were one of the most loyal races. This little junior was a newcomer, so the selected battle slaves would all be stronger than him. It would be inappropriate if they were hard to quell — This wasn’t saying that the battle slaves would dare to disobey their master’s orders. Rather, there would be different temperaments between the servile races, and the less troublesome ones were naturally more suitable.
These kinds of thoughts flashed through his mind, and He Zizhang spoke a few more words of praise for this new, little junior: “Since it’s like this, little junior can pick the specific battle slaves. At that time, the names will be recorded in the book, and they’ll be delivered.”
Tianheng naturally didn’t object.
Among the three branches of the sighthounds, mastiffs, and wild dogs from the war hound races, the battle slaves who had reached a set standard all advanced a step forward, and walked in front of Tianheng.
With a cursory glance, there weren’t considered too many battle slaves from each branch. There were only a little more than a thousand. Because Tianheng had been listening carefully, there were enough Atomic Realm powerhouses among these groups.
Tianheng faced these individuals, and looked at them one at a time. Not long after, he selected three hundred people who had vigorous qi and blood. And these three hundred people, including that Ascendant Realm powerhouse, stepped forwards once again, and kowtowed facing Tianheng.
Immediately following which, the registry book and three hundred slave brands were put away by Tianheng. From this point on, the three hundred battle slaves belonged in Tianheng’s hands.
He Zizhang asked: “Little junior, what do you want to select next?”
Tianheng pondered for a moment: “Let’s go pick an ore vein.”
He Zizhang’s expression shifted.
Tianheng smiled and said: “After picking this, it won’t be too late to choose the mountain peak and the servile races.”
He Zizhang instructed the manager to find arrangements for the three hundred battle slaves. Then, he directly and efficiently led Tianheng to the location of those ore veins.
These bustling activities lasted the entire day.
It wasn’t until evening approached that everything that should’ve been given to Tianheng was slowly picked out by him.
Tianheng sat inside the palace hall that Ten Ultimates Sect had constructed for him. Crowded together on both sides up ahead were the servile races he had just chosen. Meanwhile, standing guard outside were his battle slaves.
Following this, he didn’t have much to say. He only ordered someone to fetch some paper and a brush. In front of everyone, he brandished his brush.
The palace hall, which was filled to capacity, was silent.
The servile races didn’t know what to do. For lack of a better option, they quietly waited, lest they disturbed their prodigy of a master.
Before long, the sounds of rustling turned quiet.
Tianheng shook his wrist and flipped open the bamboo paper, which was the height of a person. The image of the aforementioned person was revealed.
This was a slim-figured teenager with delicate and pretty facial features. At first glance, there didn’t seem to be anything special about him, but his pair of eyes beheld a sharp contrast and the edge of his lips wore the hint of a smiling expression. On the contrary, he was rather spirited.
“Right now, what you all need to do is to find this person for me.”
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