Chapter 399: Section 186: First Fist Ring
“This guy…”
Tuck looked at Sha Ji, a flash of peculiar color crossing his face.
Not until this moment did he truly size up the male giant in front of him.
Sha Ji, at this moment, looked serious, yearning, and fervent, radiating his unique personal charm.
Thinking back to his words, Tuck also felt a great resonance in his heart.
Yes, just like Sha Ji, both were seen as geniuses, favored by destiny.
However, their Bloodline Concentration had made them but also limited them.
When they reached the state they were in today, they both had touched the ceiling of their bloodline’s potential.
The cultivation that had once advanced by leaps and bounds suddenly seemed to die on the spot, moving at all felt like moving mountains.
Frustration.
Despair.
Reluctance.
Ordinary people looking up to the Transcendents would develop these sorts of negative emotions.
Low-level Transcendents looking up to higher levels would feel the same.
And when high-level Transcendents reached the limits of their lives, and their path of cultivation suddenly came to an end, they too would harbor such feelings.
Moreover, these emotions, because of their previous exhilaration and prominence, and due to the contrast before and after, became even more intense.
Tuck immersed himself fully into the field of alchemy to release these negative emotions.
While Sha Ji carried ambitious aspirations, wanting to brave the storms of the era.
The noise from outside the window picked up.
The main city gate opened wide, and a welcoming band began to play.
This commotion drew the attention of Tuck and Sha Ji.
Both gazed into the distance, and saw the Legendary Level City Lord of Fire City leading the absolutely striking Tuck into Fire City.
Besides the ceremonial procession, the streets were lined with elite guards and the onlooking, cheering citizens.
Seeing Tuck, perfectly blending the demeanor of nobles and mages, both Sha Ji and Tuck frowned.
Tuck felt indignant for the City Lord of Fire City.
The City Lord, whom he deeply respected and admired, was now welcoming a Holy Domain as a legend—what qualifications did Tuck have?
Thus, he naturally disliked Tuck.
Sha Ji was cautious and vigilant.
“Not of our race, their hearts must be different.”
This saying was not only popular among the Human Race but also circulated in similar forms among dragons, giants, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and others.
The Human Race was the most dominant group, the biggest threat to other races.
The Holy Emperor’s formidable power and resounding battle achievements profoundly shocked everyone.
At this moment, Tuck rarely felt from the bottom of his heart his own insignificance and weakness.
From a very young age, he had been discovered. Raised by the City Lord of Fire City who had tirelessly mentored him and led him to the doors of the Alchemy field.
Tuck did not have much impression of the Red Earth Plateau, but he did have deep attachment towards Fire Island and his homeland.
Because he was protected by a Legendary strong figure and constantly received the trust and support of his race, Tuck’s growing environment was very secure, even comfortable, and always went smoothly.
Since childhood, he practiced magic, diligently meditating.
After encountering alchemy, he spent every day in a structured routine, striving to absorb every bit of knowledge.
Cultivating, then more cultivating.
Learning, then more learning.
Perhaps reaching the Holy Domain and then experiencing stagnation in cultivation was the greatest setback he had suffered in his life.
To dispel those negative emotions, he plunged even deeper into the exploration of the alchemy field.
What young girl doesn’t harbor dreams of spring?
As a giant, Tuck was still a young girl; in her spare time, she read many novels, harboring expectations and yearnings for love.
“Why can’t it always remain peaceful?”
“Why must there be war? Why must the Empire embark on distant expeditions?”
“Why can’t we just live peacefully?”
“Why must our lives be disturbed? We dwell on Fire Island, never oppress the weak, never committing heinous acts.”
Amid a turmoil of thoughts, Qiya gazed at the towering city gates, the bustling city dwellers, and Tuck, whose physique and Life Breath clearly weaker than that of the Fire City Lord, yet interacting with him on equal footing at the moment.
Qiya also sensed a great momentum.
Sha Ji saw a hurricane that covered the skies, ready to sweep across Cang Qiong.
Qiya could smell the terrible tide; a surging tsunami was imminent.
Under the pressure of the great momentum, the tiny Fire Island was as precarious as a pile of eggs.
Her conversation with Sha Ji today was like a key that had opened the window to her soul.
Before, she had felt various signs but had never truly looked at them closely.
“So, I’ve been running away all along.”
“Just like how I exiled myself into the domain of alchemy, avoiding the pain and despair from my stagnant cultivation.”
“In this regard, Sha Ji is much stronger than me.”
Qiya had mixed feelings about Sha Ji.
She was a giant girl, harboring pure and swan-like yearnings for love, but now she felt like a toad, clearly disappointing and repulsive.
But at this moment, the transformed mindset of Qiya was no longer resistant.
She opened her mouth and finally, with a hesitant expression, looked at Sha Ji, “You really are different.”
“I wonder how well you fight?”
“Sometime, come to the arena.”
Sha Ji paused.
As he understood, this was a custom among the giants of the Red Earth Plateau.
For male and female giants to gain recognition and make a breakthrough in their relationship, they must first engage in a personal match.
If the pursuer lost, there would naturally be no face or opportunity to approach further.
“This is my honor! In a battle with Miss Qiya, I will certainly give my best effort!” Sha Ji could not hide the joy in his heart and stood up to bow.
“Hmph, that settles it then.” Qiya also stood up to leave.
“Please wait a moment.” Suddenly, Sha Ji spoke and took out an object from his chest, offering it with both hands, “This is my gift, a personal gift.”
A ring.
More precisely, a knuckle ring.
But Qiya, with her unique insight, immediately recognized it: “This is the First Fist Ring.”
“It is the first of the Five Fist Rings.”
“When the five major Fist Rings are collected, they can be combined into the Legendary Fist Guards Zuo Tu.”
“Of course, even one can be used alone, but the transformed fist guard’s Grade reduces to Holy Domain Level.”
The First Fist Ring—one of the components of the Legendary Fist Guards.
Qiya did not get that Holy Domain-level Alchemy Puppet, but Sha Ji ultimately offered another treasure!
As a cultivator of Fighting energy, Sha Ji could have used this Fist Ring himself. Being part of a Legendary Weapon, it was valuable. Yet he offered it as a gift to Qiya, showing his full sincerity.
“As I know, the current owner of the First Fist Ring was Vice Admiral Gongdu,” Qiya looked meaningfully at Sha Ji.
Sha Ji smiled, “Gongdu is dead. I killed him.”
Qiya couldn’t help but raise her eyebrows.
Sha Ji spread his hands and continued, “He intercepted our fleet, wasn’t satisfied with the fees we paid, and wanted to search the ship.”
“If he had found those Treasure Boxes, he would never have let it go.”
“So, I struck first.”
Qiya pondered in silence.
Vice Admiral Gongdu was very strong, yet Sha Ji had slain him. Most crucially, the news had been concealed.
The Sha Huang faction had been stationed on Fire Island for so many days, and the Imperial Navy had not shown any signs of approaching, showing Sha Ji’s considerable methods.
“So, your trade fleet attacked the Empire’s Navy first?” Qiya broke the silence.
Sha Ji laughed, “Well, isn’t that what trade fleets do? They trade when possible and turn to robbers when the opportunity arises.”
“To be honest, I don’t think becoming a bandit is something shameful.”
“A popular story among the Human Race goes somewhat like this: A young man accidentally obtained a way of cultivation and became a Heroic Knight, frequently robbing the rich to aid the poor, eventually forced into the mountains to form a gang, causing the nobles of the Kingdom great misery and fear.”
“Later, when the Kingdom was invaded by foreigners, the nobles betrayed their own, but the young man and his gang saved the Royal Capital. An accident revealed he possessed a branch of the royal Bloodline, and the King acknowledged him, believing the young man’s virtue shone like the sunlight over the Kingdom. He was thereby granted a domain and became the Sun Knight.”
With that, Sha Ji raised his thumb towards himself, “I’m not Human Race, but a giant. I too wish to become a sun for my kind.”
Qiya nodded, her expression complex as she took the First Fist Ring, “Let me study it for a few days.”