Chapter 4: Clash of the Tribes

One afternoon, a sudden piece of dreadful news spread through the tribe: Xiao Li’s father was dying.

Counting from the time he fell ill, Xiao Li’s father had lived for nearly forty or fifty days—making him one of the longest-lived elder male mosquitoes.

After delivering his final words to Xiao Li, he insisted on calling Yun Yi over, dismissing the other relatives so that only the two of them remained.

“Yun Yi, have you ever practiced any cultivation techniques?” the weak voice of Xiao Li’s father suddenly asked.

Yun Yi was taken aback. He had initially intended to keep it a secret, but seeing that Xiao Li’s father was on the brink of death, he couldn’t bear to hide the truth. He nodded honestly. “Yes.”

“Haha!” Xiao Li’s father chuckled a few times before saying, “Do you know why I was able to live twice as long as an ordinary male mosquito?”

Hearing this, Yun Yi hesitated briefly, vaguely sensing something beneath the words.

But he said nothing, waiting for the elder to continue.

As Yun Yi expected, Xiao Li’s father did not stop but carried on with the topic. “You know, thousands of years ago, our ancestors... never mind, to put it simply, mosquitoes originally could not cultivate.”

“Could not?”

Yun Yi was shocked. All the tribes could cultivate, so why couldn’t the mosquito tribe?

“Don’t be so agitated. It’s not just us mosquitoes; flies and others couldn’t either,” Xiao Li’s father said, coughing lightly before continuing, “But later, someone broke through, and this cultivation method was passed down. However, by our generation, only fragments remain. I have a relic—the ‘Great Qi and Blood Technique.’ I want to give it to you now. Please take good care of Xiao Li.”

“What? Give it to me?” Yun Yi was puzzled.

After all, Yun Yi and Xiao Li’s father were only acquaintances who had met a few times. Yun Yi had been mostly focused on stealing glances at Lady Ye’s cultivation techniques.

The “Great Qi and Blood Technique” was such an important method—why would it be entrusted to him?

Xiao Li’s father nodded silently.

Later, he set a condition: “I hope you will serve as the new chief of our tribe and, if fate allows, recover the cultivation method of our ancestors.”

“Also, lead the cloud-invading mountain mosquito tribe to survive well. Beware of the neighboring mountain mosquitoes—they have been eyeing the cultivation method I gave you.”

After a brief hesitation, Yun Yi nodded in agreement.

Seeing Yun Yi’s consent, Xiao Li’s father closed his eyes peacefully, smiling as he passed away.

Outside, sensing the father was gone, Xiao Li burst through the door into the room.

...

Later, Yun Yi held a funeral for Xiao Li’s father—the first of its kind in the mosquito world.

Days passed swiftly.

The “Great Qi and Blood Technique” is a method focused on cultivating the essence, qi, and spirit. It absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, gathering it within oneself, or drawing the essence of all things—that is, absorbing the cultivation of others.

With his human soul, Yun Yi was naturally more sensitive to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, so practicing the Great Qi and Blood Technique went smoothly. Quickly, he broke through, reaching a realm even Xiao Li’s father had not attained—the first tier of demonic aura—and his lifespan extended.

Yun Yi’s form also changed, becoming a little over a foot tall in a spirit-like mosquito shape.

He became the first mosquito with cultivation in a hundred-mile radius.

During his practice, he vaguely sensed that once he succeeded in forming a golden core, he could transform into a human. This thought excited him greatly.

If successful, Yun Yi could truly be called a human.

“Haha, I can become a human!”

With this hope, Yun Yi’s passion for cultivation only grew stronger.

Of course, he couldn’t cultivate nonstop and needed rest. During these breaks, to ensure his tribe had some means of self-protection in his absence, Yun Yi taught some of the mosquito youths—including Xiao Li—to practice.

However, their talents were poor, and since they were not human, their cultivation speed was far slower than Yun Yi’s.

Time passed—half a month slipped by.

Beneath the peaceful surface, danger crept silently.

Nearby tribes, having heard of Xiao Li’s father’s death and the rise of an unknown little mosquito as leader, decided to invade and seize their territory.

Over a thousand mosquitoes gathered, shouting at the entrance.

Upon hearing this, the Yunjin Mountain mosquito tribe collectively emerged from their lair.

“Xiao Feng, what are you doing here?”

“Dare to come to our Yunjin Mountain?”

Several bold male mosquitoes spoke up.

“Hmph!” Leading them was Xiao Feng, a white mosquito who had reached the cultivation realm. She snorted coldly, ignoring their words, then sneered, “Who is the new chief of Yunjin Mountain? Come out and show yourself!”

Her arrogance was palpable.

Upon hearing this, the Yunjin Mountain mosquitoes were enraged. If they took no action, others would continue to bully them. Moreover, the strength of the male mosquitoes had surged over the past half month, far surpassing even the bigger female mosquitoes.

They were confident and shouted, “Xiao Feng, want to fight?”

Xiao Feng’s tribe was equally fearless, moving forward to confront.

Just as the two sides were about to clash, a figure slowly emerged from the Yunjin Mountain lair.

A mosquito spirit over a foot tall, with silver-white markings and two wings—this was Yun Yi.

Xiao Feng’s eyes trembled in fear, overwhelmed by the aura of strength only she could perceive.

But after a moment, she glanced around and saw her tribe had not backed down. If she fled now, she would lose her position as chief.

Suppressing her fear, Xiao Feng said slowly, “So you’re the newly appointed steward of Yunjin Mountain?”

She hoped to persuade Yun Yi to submit to her.

Yun Yi gave her a cold glance in response.

Then he said bluntly, “Get lost!”

Xiao Feng was furious—no respect at all. Strength meant little when numbers were overwhelming. “Attack!”

After a brief silence, she gave the order.

The mosquitoes charged forward, with Xiao Feng hiding behind dozens of guards.

Soon, cries of battle filled the air.

Yun Yi waved his hand, and a dozen mosquitoes instantly turned to ash. But dozens more rushed at him, making it clear he could not wipe them out so easily.

His eyes gleamed with ferocity.

He devised a plan.

Strike at the leader first.

With a sudden rush, Yun Yi ignored all others and charged straight at Xiao Feng. With one hand, he absorbed her blood essence, and Xiao Feng instantly became a withered corpse.

The Great Qi and Blood Technique recorded that absorbing the blood essence of those on the same path accelerated cultivation by twice the usual speed.

Yun Yi did not resist this. For one, absorbing the technique’s power was not cruel—it was common in martial arts stories, like the methods of the Invincible East or others who increased their strength this way. Two, eager to transform into a human, Yun Yi could not resist such temptation.

Indeed, the Great Qi and Blood Technique had not deceived him—his cultivation truly advanced to the bottleneck of the first tier of demonic aura.

Seeing their leader defeated, Xiao Feng’s tribe panicked and fled in all directions.

Yun Yi ordered them not to pursue and then retreated for seclusion.

Though they deserved death, Yun Yi, as a human, understood that innocent bloodshed would harm his future cultivation, so he refrained from extermination.

The peaceful days lasted less than three days.

Three days later, in the afternoon.

Recently escaped survivor Xiaomi of the Xiao Feng tribe summoned ten magnificent giant mosquitoes.

This force was enough to destroy Yun Yi’s tribe.

Moreover, the leader of these giant mosquitoes was a demonic cultivator at the second tier of demonic aura, calling himself the Heaven-Swallowing Taoist.

Without Xiao Li’s father and Yun Yi, Xiao Li’s tribe was defenseless.

Even without the Heaven-Swallowing Taoist’s intervention, the other giant mosquitoes could have destroyed Yun Yi’s stronghold.

In the end, the Heaven-Swallowing Taoist ordered a total massacre.

Xiao Li fought desperately until her last breath.

Just as the Heaven-Swallowing Taoist was absorbing her essence, Yun Yi descended like a divine general.

His unleashed power sent several giant mosquitoes flying back a dozen feet.

The Heaven-Swallowing Taoist laughed. Finally, he had come—not to avenge Xiao Feng’s tribe, but to take Yun Yi’s essence and help him advance further.

To break through to the third tier of demonic aura.

“You’re the mosquito chief of Yunjin Mountain?”

“Heh.” Yun Yi ignored him, cradling Xiao Li. She urged him to flee, saying Yun Yi couldn’t handle this foe. But as soon as she said this, she died in his arms.

The Heaven-Swallowing Taoist, after a long silence, wasted no words and struck out with a claw that tore the air itself.

Yun Yi caught it with one hand effortlessly.

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