On the Xuanwu continent, there is a very powerful mountain range - the Dragon Soul Mountain Range. Within it lies a humble town, XiEr (hill)Town. Although this town is nestled in the embrace of the Dragon Soul Mountain Range, it harbors the dreams of countless strong individuals. In this land where strong individuals abound, in the remote kingdom of "DiEr", XiEr Town is like a brilliant pearl, seemingly ordinary yet concealing astonishing power. The residents here, even children as young as seven or eight years old, all possess extraordinary abilities and have developed the tenacious habit of getting up early for morning exercises.
In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight pierces through the mist and gently brushes over XiEr Town, it brings a touch of coolness while awakening the vitality of the town. Residents all rise up and engage in the hustle and bustle of the new day, while children set off on their morning exercise journey under the light of the dawn.
In an open area of the town, the sunlight gradually spreads, shining upon the not overly lush but colorful flower clusters. Interacting with the light and shadow, it drapes a layer of warmth and hope over this open space. At this moment, a group of children, like a tide, rush in, with a rough estimate of over six hundred people. They are neatly divided into three teams, each about two hundred people, and further divided into groups of about twenty people each, arranged neatly.
These children have focused expressions and determined gazes, staring intently into the distance. Their innocent faces are filled with serious and earnest expressions. They are arranged in three circles according to their age, with the children at the outer circle being about seven years old, those in the middle area being around ten years old, and those at the inner circle being teenagers in their late teens or early twenties. Each layer represents their growth footprints and the accumulated power.
In front of the children, four imposing middle-aged male mentors stand like pines, and three graceful female mentors. Their eyes are sharp and profound, as if they can perceive every child's potential and future. These seven mentors are not only the teachers of the children's skills but also their spiritual guides, leading these future strong individuals step by step towards glory.
With the command of the mentors, the morning exercise officially begins. The children either wield swords with great speed or strike with powerful kicks and punches, each movement revealing their inner resilience and perseverance. On this land full of hope, the children of XiEr Town are writing their own legendary chapters with their sweat and efforts. Standing at the forefront of the group, TuEr, the commander of the powerful "Turu Family" of XiEr Town, each word he utters is like a heavy hammer, striking in the hearts of the children. His solemn expression, his head held high, his cold gaze sweeping over the children in front of him, he sternly says: "If you want to become a true warrior, persistent and unremitting hard training every day is an indispensable cornerstone." After speaking, his cold gaze turns towards the farthest team, as if it can penetrate everything and strike directly into the hearts of the children.
The children sense the authoritative aura emanating from TuEr and feel nervous. They widen their eyes, tightly gripping the corners of their clothes, looking at this stern middle-aged man with awe and trepidation, not daring to take a breath. TuEr's words stir waves in their hearts, making them realize that if they want to stand firm in this land full of strong individuals, they must put in more effort than others.
TuEr continued: "Your talents may not be outstanding, and you don't have abundant resources to support your cultivation. You can't be like those children of powerful families who have the most advanced cultivation methods and countless cultivation resources. But remember, if you want to achieve something in the future, not be bullied by others, and protect your families, then you must be strict with yourself. You must get up earlier than others, practice in the simplest yet most effective way. Focus on one cultivation method and perfect it to the extreme. Concentrate all your energy on this one. "Have you all understood?" TuEr's gaze slowly swept over this group of children. His eyes conveyed a sense of anticipation and determination. Inspired by his words, the children shouted loudly, "We have understood!" Their eyes shone with an overwhelming determination, looking straight at TuEr as if to engrave every word of his speech into their hearts.
Seeing the children's resolute eyes, TuEr's eyes involuntarily crinkled at the corners. He knew that although these children didn't have a high starting point, they had a heart that refused to give up. As long as they could persist and cultivate their dreams with sweat and effort, then in the future, they would surely write their own legendary chapters on this land. TuEr, the commander of the powerful "Turu Family" in XiEr Town, surveyed the children before him with a cold gaze and said solemnly, "You must wake up earlier than others and cultivate in the most simple yet most effective way. Focus on one cultivation method and perfect it to the utmost. Concentrate all your energy on this one. Have you all understood?" Each word of his was like a heavy hammer, striking deep into the children's hearts.
The children shouted loudly in response, "We have understood!" Their eyes shone with an overwhelming determination, looking straight at TuEr as if to engrave his every word in their minds. TuEr's gaze slowly swept over this group of children, and the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly. In these children, he seemed to see his own appearance back then, and also saw the future of DiEr Kingdom.
Throughout the entire XuanWu Continent, achieving cultivation success meant having the highest status and being a symbol of strength. Every man had to strive to cultivate from a young age, hoping to become a brave and great warrior, rise above others, win the favor of women, be favored by the royal family, and lead a glorious life. On the contrary, if a person spent all day doing nothing and wasting their life, they would surely be despised by the people on the continent.
TuEr knew this well. His words stirred waves of emotions in the children's hearts, making them realize that in order to stand firm on this land filled with powerful people and protect their families, they must be strict with themselves and put in more effort than others.
However, the children in XiEr Town were just ordinary people. They lacked abundant resources and rare cultivation secrets. Therefore, their only way out was to keep working hard, put in more time than others, explore training techniques, and make their bodies incredibly tough. Every scar on these children's bodies was a symbol of their manhood and their growth.
They deeply admired TuEr, this remarkable fourth-star warrior. TuEr had overcome numerous difficulties and narrowly escaped death many times. He was the undisputed hero of XiEr Town. In the town, almost everyone held TuEr in high regard. He truly was a person worthy of admiration.
TuEr looked at the shining light of admiration in the children's eyes, filled with satisfaction. He knew that only by stimulating their desire for power would the children have inexhaustible motivation, train diligently, and become increasingly powerful. In TuEr's heart, these children were not only future warriors but also the hope for XiEr Town's revival. He envisioned a day when they could carry XiEr Town's glory into DiEr Empire, and that would be the supreme glory of the Turu Family!
"Haha, give it your all!" TuEr secretly encouraged himself, then walked towards a towering ancient tree. This tree was five meters tall, with thick branches, as if containing endless vitality. TuEr concentrated his mind and channeled his energy into his fist, delivering a sudden blow. "Boom!" In the roar, the ancient tree instantly cracked, splinters flying everywhere, as if it were a small storm.
When the children witnessed this scene, they were dumbfounded and incredulously murmured to themselves: "Oh my God, could this be the power that humans can master?" TuEr's feat undoubtedly planted the seed of pursuing power in their hearts, and deepened their admiration for TuEr.
As the ground trembled slightly, TuEr took a deep breath, his muscles tensed and his veins bulging. With an extremely calm tone, he said: "This is the correct application of power." This sentence was like an electric current, instantly igniting the passion in the hearts of the children around them. Their eyes shone with unprecedented light, as if in this moment, they witnessed the miracle happening before their eyes. The children all exclaimed: "Is this power? How could it be so easy to move that legendary ancient tree weighing 40 tons and extremely hard! Can we do this too in the future?" Their words were filled with the desire for power and the longing for the future.
TuEr smiled at these children whose power had been stimulated, and his heart was filled with satisfaction and anticipation. He knew that this scene today not only planted the seed of pursuing power in their hearts, but also ignited the fire of their belief to strive for the revival of XiEr Town. He believed that as long as they trained diligently and honed themselves continuously, one day, they would carry XiEr Town's glory and step into DiEr Empire, making the name of the TuEr family resound through the clouds.
At this moment, the children couldn't wait to start the new training. They surrounded TuEr, their eyes shining with admiration and determination, as if they had already seen the moment when they would become powerful warriors. Under TuEr's guidance, they began a new round of training. Every punch and every kick was filled with the pursuit of power and the yearning for the future.
Commander TuEr still maintained that formidable strength. His outstanding performance won the heartfelt admiration of the other middle-aged men present. They all gathered around TuEr, and the man at the forefront, KuFei, with a smile on his face, said to TuEr: "Your display today has had a really significant impact on the children, Commander. Your strength is still breathtaking, and I can't help but recall our thrilling experience together when we ventured into the Death Valley."
JieRui and ManDuo heard this, their expressions slightly changed. Their minds involuntarily recalled the various dangers of the Death Valley expedition, and a deep sense of awe welled up in their hearts. XinYin and XinQin sisters, however, were full of admiration. They said in unison: "Yes, if it weren't for the heroic rescue of Commander TuEr, we sisters would have surely died in the Death Valley. We are so grateful to General TuEr." XinQin then frowned and added: "That expedition, our team started with 300 people and ended up with only 7 left. It's really a touching story."
AiLun, who had been silent all along, broke the silence with a voice: "Adventures and sacrifices are the inevitable path for warriors. Although that expedition in the Death Valley was terrifying, it was also full of challenges and excitement. We didn't obtain a lot of wealth and build XiEr Town more prosperous than other villages because of it? As warriors, being able to contribute to our hometown, even if it means sacrificing, what fear is there?"
KuFei also joked beside him: "We train hard every day in the army and fight bravely in the battlefield, not just to become stronger ourselves? I also got an advanced sword manual by accident in the Death Valley. I'm really satisfied." When TuEr heard this, he raised his lips slightly and said, "Compared to before, these training sessions now are just small-scale skirmishes. However, seeing all of you kids here, I'm still very relieved." He glanced over at the children present and continued, "Children, remember that even without the secret manual for cultivating qi power, relying solely on the strength of your bodies can still make you a four-star warrior. Once you become a four-star warrior, you can easily take on the position of a mid-level officer in the military, and there will be more opportunities for you to obtain the secret manual for cultivating qi power. With some luck, one of you might even go further and become the pride of our XiEr village, or even be renowned throughout the DiEr Empire!"
However, TuEr's tone changed abruptly and became stern. "But then again, if you can't even become a first-star warrior, it would be a disgrace for our XiEr town. Everyone in the military would look down upon you. Because those who can't even become a first-star warrior are not allowed to enter the military! So, even if you can't become a four-star warrior, being able to become an ordinary first-star warrior is also worthy of being admitted to the military. And those who can't even reach the first-star level...哼, they don't deserve to be called men!"
TuEr's words were filled with strength and authority. He continued, "Men should have the responsibility and courage of men. They should be as resilient as steel, hold their chests out, and raise their heads, not fearing any difficulties or challenges! Only in this way can you become true warriors and bring honor to our XiEr town!" Hearing TuEr's commander's words, the 7-year-old children on the outermost perimeter all showed determined smiles on their faces, and one child couldn't help but giggle. This sentence was not unfamiliar to them because it was TuEr's commander's motto and the words he often taught them.
"Stand still, all of you!" TuEr suddenly raised his voice and sternly scolded. His gaze was like a torch, sweeping over the wobbly and unsteady children on the outside, and then pointing at the brothers standing straight inside, "Look at how they stand!"
After being scolded like this, the children on the outside all tried to steady their bodies and began to train seriously there. However, since they were only 7-year-old children, after a while, they began to wobble, their legs were sore, and their hands were paralyzed and almost unable to move. Nevertheless, these children still persisted with gritted teeth.
After a while, finally, one child couldn't hold on anymore and fell to the ground. Immediately after, other children also collapsed one after another. Although TuEr's face was ashen, he was still relatively satisfied in his heart. After all, these 7-year-old children could show such perseverance was already quite remarkable.
After another two hours or so, the children in the middle group of 10-year-olds also began to lose their strength and collapse one after another. TuEr looked at them and said calmly, "Keep going as long as you can. I won't have a fixed standard for you. But if you can't keep up with others in the future, don't blame me."
After a while, even the team composed of teenagers aged 16 or 17 in the innermost part also began to have some people collapse. Just then, KuFei suddenly exclaimed, "Hey? How come the outermost team still has one person holding on?"
Because the people in the middle group were too many, blocking the view of the back group. Now as the number of teenagers in the middle group decreased, they could clearly see that the outermost team still had one child holding on!
"PanYu? Is this your first time training? How amazing!" KuFei exclaimed in surprise. ManDuo beside him also gave a thumbs-up. XinYin and XinQin, the two sisters, kept saying in their mouths: "This kid is really amazing!" Even AiLun, who was usually cold and distant, had a hint of admiration in her eyes. TuEr also noticed this child. He had short black hair, a straight nose, and his skin, a mixture of yellow and brown, appeared even tougher under the moistening effect of sweat. Sweat kept rolling down his forehead. He gritted his teeth and stared ahead with a determined look, his hands tightly grasping the sides of his thighs. The blood that flowed out dried in the sun, leaving mottled marks.
"Good kid!" TuEr shouted loudly. "He's even more ruthless than I was back then! He has perseverance and ambition!" His eyes shone with feverish excitement, as if he saw the hope for XiEr's city-state in the future.
"His posture and poise are on par with those of a 17-year-old youngster!" TuEr continued, "This talent is truly remarkable! It's hard to imagine that there could be such a child in our little city-state! He is truly the future and pride of our XiEr!"
JieRui nodded appreciatively and said, "Poor PanYu. I heard that he was originally a member of the Pan family. The Pan family is a very influential family in DiEr Empire. Unfortunately, his father sacrificed his life heroically to protect the people of XiEr Town seven years ago during a powerful invasion of monsters. The residents of the town don't know much about his father except that they are an outsider from the Pan family. His father was a powerful warrior and did many things for the residents. He didn't stay in XiEr Town for long. Seven years ago, PanYu's father fought against the monster tide together with the top strongman of the Empire. At that time, his mother, Xue Liang, was about to give birth and placed PanYu's mother at home to find a midwife. PanYu's mother hurriedly joined the Empire's strongmen and met them in a hurry, but she never returned and sacrificed her life on the battlefield. Alas, these big families are really powerful. Even though they are noble families, no one came to look for their mother and son. JieRui couldn't help sighing with emotion: Alas, this is such a pitiful child. Not only did he not receive the protection of the family but he was also marginalized. Only his surname remained. In this world where strength is supreme, only strength is the hard truth. Although it's cruel, it's also very realistic. Fortunately, this kid has a promising future. Such talent is quite rare in XiEr Town."
At this moment, PanYu's legs were trembling constantly, and with each last punch he threw. This strong-willed child couldn't hold back any longer. He became the last one to fall among the 7-year-old children at the outermost perimeter. Soon, the 16-17-year-old children at the innermost perimeter also exerted their last bit of strength and collapsed one after another.