Chapter 732: Soldier Of War, Returned
Marching along with the surviving soldiers, Wei Wuyin stood out from the giants that towered him by a few meters. However, with his eyes closed, his gait stable and calm, it didn't come off as strange or out of place at all. In fact, from his position at the forefront, it seemed that a human was the alpha of a pack of titans.
They moved together through the scorched lands, finding piles of burnt corpses and melted metal that didn't resemble a single living thing. There were a few corpses relatively intact, reaching or screaming out in pain or horror before being roasted black. They seemed like darkened statues.
"…" Tai Hao and the rest were silent when they saw these horrifically nightmarish figures. Their screams and clawing motions seemed as if they were shouting for mercy or clawing for life. It was eerie.
"These beings cultivated a fire-attributed physique. How unfortunate…" Zi Fu spoke out what everyone else was thinking. Refining one's physique with fire-attributed starforce or materials was extremely powerful, yet in this scenario, it allowed them to live just a little bit longer than the rest, suffer a little bit more.
Tai Hao softly sighed. The Battlefield was not merciful, kind, or forgiving. This was a phrase often said by those who survived to return home, bathing in their riches and acquired wealth, yet the glint in their eyes was never the same. Unfortunately, the Battlefield was the opportunity for many to strive to ascend. To grasp greater power, longer life, more riches, and higher fame.
To those who weren't beloved and cherished, born with a golden spoon or a powerful parental figure, talented and fortunate, they were left with taking what they could using their own hands and lives as the risk.
Wei Wuyin understood far more than he'd expected from Jing Jiu's memories. The Battlefield was an opportunity for the talented and prepared like Jing Jiu, blessed by the heavens, benefitting from conflict, yet it was a life-bet for others. A bet to grasp that opportunity.
However, he felt no pity for those who died. They fully understood the implications and fought for fortune and fame. Since they lost this bet, they could only accept the price. Every moment since he started cultivating, strove for more, he was ready to face death.
Even when he was just twenty-six years old, watching as he was beheaded, his thoughts towards death remained the absolute same. After facing the Second Calamity, he knew the dangers of regret and weakness. So no, he didn't pity those who died, but respected them for their willingness to try, not accepting fate and idling their lives away in agonizing regret.
As they marched onwards for half an hour, soon they saw other members of the Helix-Titan Battalion. They were of different companies, led by different Ascended titan's, and sent to a different region of the Battlefield. Their own company had 43 living soldiers out of the original 125, excluding Zun Torju.
However, when they soon all gathered, the squad leaders that survived, the Lieutenant Colonels that were Ascended, Wei Wuyin discovered that Zun Torju was nowhere to be seen. Since he wasn't here, then his life was claimed by the mercilessness of the Battlefield.
Wei Wuyin didn't know Zun Torju well, but he had given him the position as a Squad Leader. To only serve under him for a brief moment, it introduced complex feelings in his heart. It reminded him that while this was the Battlefield, those you meet could die at any moment in the cultivation world.
After another hour, more figures arrived. Wei Wuyin was given odd stares, but seeing his halo like theirs, there was no question that he was an ally. Unfortunately, only the members of Squad 40 to 50 knew of his status as a recently recruited soldier. As for his True Draconic Form, he was either too fast or far too different from that image.
Only the Ascended who watched as Cai Liuyang captured, interrogated, and then proceeded to kill his False God Avatar, was aware of his original human appearance. The Ascended were solemn, but glints in their eyes betrayed their excitement and elation.
Clearly, many of them experienced incredible windfalls of merits on the Battlefield. After Cai Liuyang left, with a free Demi-Mortal Lord for both titans and celestials, they instantly split themselves and slaughtered the humans. The Battlefield was incredibly balanced in deployment of Ascended, at least in regards to numbers, and it was extremely rare for Demi-Mortal Lords to fall, so this development was exceptionally rare.
There was no way any Demi-Mortal Lord wouldn't tie down their equivalent for fear of slaughtering their weaker soldiers. Furthermore, if one split off, the other would do so as well. The titan and celestial race's Demi-Mortal Lord formed a tacit agreement to assault only humans, because if they attacked the race's of the other, they'd have to tie down their opponent.
Thus, many of these Ascended had bountiful merits racked up, assisting or outright killing their equivalent in a cascading loss for the humans. As for those in the area where Cai Liuyang had experienced that deadly explosion, the Ascended of the titan race was even happier. They were outright smiling, even joking.
The scene was completely different than one would expect.
At the center of this was other than the seven meter tall, broad statured titan dressed in imposing armor befitting a Commander of a grand battalion—Battalion Commander of the Helix-Titan Battalion, Borus Yusang. While his aura was a little unsteady, with bloody air swarming around him, he still had exceptional presence.
When Wei Wuyin arrived, Borus, who was chatting with a few upper-ranking soldiers of his Battalion, froze almost instantly. He removed his helmet, revealing his bushy brows, a pair of sharply shaped eyes, dark complexion, and a confused expression. He couldn't be said to be ugly or handsome, yet he was certainly memorable.
"How are you alive?" Borus Yusang asked incredulously, his slightly gaping mouth and wide eyes were as if he just saw a ghost for the first time in his life. Seeing his disbelief, the other Ascended turned their attention to the human. A flash of hostility emerged in their eyes, but after seeing his halo matching theirs, that flash was replaced by noticeable bewilderment.
A human fought for them?
Some of the Ascended here fought in the same portion of the Battlefield as Borus Yusang, so they were similarly taken aback. They saw Wei Wuyin die; his neck viciously twisted and a burst of mystic power eradicated his Sea of Consciousness! While they didn't have their spiritual sense enveloping them, they could see all this happening!
Taking a step back, even if he survived that, how did he survive being at the epicenter of that explosive blast?!
"…" There was a moment of silence. Yet Wei Wuyin faced this with a faint smile, now knowing exactly how he was scammed by Borus Yusang, including why he felt there was something odd.
The tribute for entry into the Battlefield was not a Seed of War, it could be anything of a certain value, heavily dependent on a person's cultivation base and number of individuals. However, the key to activate the formation was to obtain a Mark of War and possess a Seed of War. According to Jing Jiu's memories, a Seed of War was the formative stage of an advanced level of Will/Intent, something called a Law.
The value of a Seed of Law was exceptionally high. According to Jing Jiu, a Seed of War can be used in many ways, or developed into an actual Law of a cultivator, something that required immense talent and incredible comprehension that couldn't even be described. If done, it was rumored, not verified, that one could become a Heavenly or Ascended Saint. He wasn't certain which.
There was no force in their right mind that would offer a Seed of Law of any kind as a tribute. This was especially so for its main function. If refined, a cultivator could temporarily elevate their state of perception and grasp Intent to a higher level. With the right opportunity, they could reach the state of an Awakened Mystic Intent or comprehend World Heart Intent. This was godsend for any Demi-Mortal Lord!
Furthermore, Borus Yusang wasn't aware of it, but this wasn't an artificial Seed of War gained through the War Spirit, but a naturally-formed, absolutely genuine Seed of War formed by an actual cultivator through comprehension. It was ten times more effective! Perhaps even more!!
Wei Wuyin didn't fault Borus Yusang for his greedy actions. He saw an opportunity and took it, but Wei Wuyin wasn't going to simply allow him to have his cake. He waltzed towards the giant and 'looked' at him.
Borus Yusang was startled inwardly, unable to grasp what was happening, but he had some fear towards Wei Wuyin. That explosion earlier killed Cai Liuyang, and he didn't think he could survive. If Wei Wuyin decided to join the human camp and targeted him with similar means…
"My tribute, I'd like to change it before its submitted." Wei Wuyin only said these words as he walked to Borus Yusang, just three meters between them before he stopped. His manner of speaking wasn't haughty or subservient, just succinct.
Borus Yusang had to calm himself. The others were confused because they weren't aware of his actions, but he wouldn't be able to hide this if Wei Wuyin brought it to the surface. As for acting against Wei Wuyin, a person that survived that explosion and killed a top-tier Demi-Mortal Lord? The thought never crossed his mind, yet he was still unwilling to sacrifice this chance.
Unfortunately, he had to abide by Mystical Oaths he'd swore to follow certain rules, such as not acting against a soldier without sufficient cause and following protocol. One of these protocols was the right of a soldier to reclaim their tribute and offer another if it hadn't been officially submitted yet.
He looked at Wei Wuyin and his fists clenched slightly, a tension in his mind was forming. In the end, he sighed in his heart. He earned enough in this Battlefield. From his self-calculated gains, he could exchange his own Seed of War from the War Spirit. He firmly nodded, "When we return from the War Spirit's Soul Bestowing Ceremony."
However, Wei Wuyin wasn't as ignorant as before in regards to the ways of the Battlefield thanks to Jing Jiu's memories. "I fear I won't get that chance. So I'll have to ask you to do so now," was his deadpan response.
Borus Yusang's expression changed slightly, his upper-lip twitching slightly. When did this person become so learned about the Battlefield? It seems his true purpose was to kill Cai Liuyang. How unfortunate for such a beauty to die by the machinations of her own race. He didn't even have Wei Wuyin swear any oaths…it was perfectly timed, perfectly executed.
'Was it a Heavenly Seer?'
A cold shiver was sent down Borus Yusang's long spine.
"Fine." He waved his hand and a barrier of mystic energy encapsulated them… That day, an illustrious Demi-Mortal Lord obediently handed Wei Wuyin back his possession, a mere mortal.