Chapter 30: Dragon Vanguard
Having broken into the Meridian realm, the world seemed different to Yi Yun.
He did not need to use the Purple Crystal Origins to perceive the ubiquitous Yuan Qi in this world. This Yuan Qi was like the air; it would enter his body with each breath and be exhausted from his pores. This subtly changed Yi Yun's physique.
Heaven Earth Yuan Qi had a higher grade of energy than food.
Normal people ate grains, but a cultivator could use the Heaven Earth Yuan Qi as their energy source. Upon reaching a certain level, they could avoid eating grains completely.
In ancient China, "Zhuang Zi–A Happy Excursion" contained records of people "not eating the five grains, but sucking the wind and drinking the dew".
It meant that a person could survive solely on the energies provided by the Heaven and Earth, losing the need to eat the five grains. Such a survival method allowed a person's body to be purer. With fewer impurities, they could also live longer.
The ancients held this state in high esteem, so there was plenty of documentation in the ancient books.
Of course, Yi Yun was still far from the state of avoiding grains. Yi Yun felt that even if he had reached the state where he could avoid grains, he felt that he would never succumb to that state.
On Earth, Yi Yun was a glutton, erm… that lacks sophistication. It should be said that Yi Yun was a food connoisseur — yes, a food connoisseur. The former was a symbol of laziness and gluttony, while the latter was for someone who could enjoy the beauties of life.
Yi Yun not only enjoyed eating, he was also a good cook. He had lived alone for a long time on Earth. Although his dishes were not comparable to a top chef, his home-cooking was absolutely delicious.
If Yi Yun had worked hard to build a career after two years, with his looks and culinary skills, he would be an extremely eligible bachelor in the eyes of women.
Unfortunately, having crossed worlds, he had to start from scratch. In the poor and sufferable Lian tribal clan, Yi Yun could not display his culinary skills.
Yi Yun could only hope that he would lead a good life in the future. He would set up a table of delicacies to reward himself. As for avoiding grain, sucking the wind, and drinking the dew, all of that could go to hell. Such a way of living was terrifying. If he could not satisfy his taste buds, wouldn't that be a great loss in the pleasures of life?
Having arrived in this strange world for a month, the only meat Yi Yun had seen was that piece of bacon. Although it tasted bad, it was still meat. With the bacon finished, there was only coarse grain porridge. Yi Yun's tastebuds were crying in dissatisfaction.
Of course, under his conditions, Yi Yun could only endure the gut-wrenching hunger, and replenish his energy using the desolate bone essence.
Thankfully, the desolate bone essence tasted great.
Since the Lian tribal clan has withheld the food, leaving no food for me, I'll eat their desolate bone essence!
After all, he had already decided to absorb the desolate bone essence clean. Yi Yun was not planning to stand on ceremony and decided to absorb as much essence as he wanted today with the aid of the Purple Crystal's capabilities.
It was what Yi Yun had always been doing, but there was a disruption in his plans today.
At dawn, Yi Yun realized that the tribe was extremely lively when he returned to the village.
The young and old from the tribe had come out of their houses. They had gathered in the square in front of the Patriarch's compound, causing the tiny square to be filled with people.
In the midst of the crowd, there was a massive object about the size of a hill.
Yi Yun focused on it and was surprised. That small hill like object was a huge beast!
This…
Yi Yun was stunned, how could such a huge beast appear in the Lian tribal clan? Looking at the head of the beast, it was absolutely mighty. One such beast could easily level the entire Lian tribal clan!
But with so many people crowding around it, the huge beast clearly was not on the offensive, cohabiting with the Lian tribe in that small space peacefully.
Oh?
Yi Yun's mind suddenly flashed, "This beast…"
He recalled the day he had crossed into this world. He had seen a huge beast running in the wilderness while returning home with Jiang Xiaorou!
That beast was about ten meters long, with sharp fangs and muscular limbs that resembled metal pillars. Its running speed was extremely fast.
And on the back of that monster was a man, who had a sword slung on his back. That man's aura was commanding and extremely terrifying.
That scene had left a deep impression on Yi Yun. After all, being an earthling, such a scene was extremely shocking.
And now, this huge beast in the square looked identical to that beast running through the fields. It might even be the same beast!
Yi Yun suddenly understood that someone important had arrived in the Lian tribal clan. This huge beast was the VIP's mount!
How could Yi Yun miss such an important matter? He flew quickly towards the square.
En route, Yi Yun saw the villagers celebrating, as if it were the new year.
Yi Yun also listened in on the conversations. These conversations made Yi Yun's heart race.
The owner of the huge beast was a member of the Dragon Vanguard!
The Dragon Vanguard was the elite military division of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom. The levels of the leading members were above the Purple Blood realm!
With the basic units composed of Purple Blood warriors, the Dragon Vanguard's battle prowess was unbeatable!
The person who founded the Dragon Vanguard was the founding emperor of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom. Back then, the Tai Ah Emperor led the Dragon Vanguard across the lands, laying the foundation of the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom.
This overwhelming division, the Dragon Vanguard carried on its legacy till now, for an unknown number of generations.
Chosen personnels at the Tai Ah Divine Kingdom warrior selection would enter the Dragon Vanguard reserves. They would first cultivate in the reserves, and after passing the evaluations, they could become an official member.
But it was extremely difficult to pass the evaluations. If they failed the final evaluation, they would be sent to the regular army. It will then end their journey towards being an elite member of the Dragon Vanguard.
"If he's a Dragon Vanguard member, then that is to say this person who came to our tribe must be at least a Purple Blood warrior."
A Purple Blood warrior from the Dragon Vanguard was totally different in battle prowess from a Purple Blood warrior born from the Cloud Wilderness.
In actual fact, the Dragon Vanguard member who came to the Lian tribal clan was an expert at the peak of the Purple Blood realm.
Having reached such a level, and having been well honed in the Dragon Vanguard, his battle prowess was unmatchable. He was an elite warrior of the Dragon Vanguard!
For such a person who came to the vast wilderness, even the Patriarch of a large tribe with a hundred-thousand-strong population would have to bow respectfully.
To the Lian tribal clan, such a status was terrifying.
As such, the upper echelon of the Lian Chengyu went all out. Lian Chengyu and the Patriarch put on their biggest smiles while leading the welcoming party.
Yi Yun had also seen it clearly. The man was the same man he had seen when he first arrived into this strange world. He had a commanding aura, and exerted a pressure even from afar.
"It's indeed him!" Yi Yun's mind began to light up. This was the second time meeting him.
Having met him just after tunneling into this world, it was definitely not a coincidence.
Thinking it through, ever since he came into this world, and from his understanding of the Cloud Wilderness, he knew that the Cloud Wilderness, and especially the Lian tribal clan, was a poor tribe that no expert would ever bother with.
That is to say, as an elite of the Dragon Vanguard, he must have had his reasons for staying around the Lian tribal clan for such a long period. But what could be the reason?
Chapter 31: Preliminaries
As Yi Yun was in deep thought, someone caught his glance.
Ever since breaking into the Meridians realm, his five senses were extremely keen. He spotted Jiang Xiaorou who was looking around while tip-toeing among the tumultuous masses.
"Sis Xiaorou!" Yi Yun let out a cry.
"Yun-er!" Having seen Yi Yun, Jiang Xiaorou was pleased. "Oh, Yun-er you…"
She felt a difference in Yi Yun today, but she couldn't quite put her thumb on it.
If one were to describe the Yi Yun of the past, it would be a submissive harmless child. The present Yi Yun was that of a smart-looking handsome young lad. Even his rag-like clothes could not suppress Yi Yun's aura of elegance.
A diamond in the rough…
Jiang Xiaorou suddenly recalled this phrase. Every good sword was hidden within a sheath, waiting for the day it would be unsheathed.
The present Yi Yun gave Jiang Xiaorou such a feeling.
However, only Jiang Xiaorou could feel that difference because she was extremely familiar with Yi Yun from their constant interaction. For people not familiar with Yi Yun, they would only find something different about him before brushing it off. After all, Yi Yun was an ill kid who was good for nothing.
"Sis Xiaorou, I'm fine," Yi Yun laughed. He knew that his aura had changed after breaking through into the Meridians realm. "Let's see what's going on."
He grabbed Jiang Xiaorou's hand naturally and pushed through the crowd. Having reached the Meridians realm, an invisible force would push the people apart with a stretch of his hand, allowing him easy passage. People who came round to figuring out what happened would only see a kid passing through.
By the time they had a response, they would think that Yi Yun's body was small, allowing him to squeeze through the masses.
…
At the center of the square, the Lian tribal clan's upper echelon were still carefully giving the sword bearer a proper reception.
"Chengyu, give the order. Kill the cows and set up a feast!" The Patriarch waved his hand, although his heart ached.
The tribe reared a few cattle, which comprised the entire fortune of the Lian tribal clan. Although the cattle looked similar to the cattle on Earth, their strength was much greater.
In the wilderness, rocks littered the ground. Some of the rocks were black ironstone. Opening up a piece of land for agriculture was extremely difficult. Without the cattle, the Lian tribal clan would not be able to produce any food. And when that happened, the Lian tribal clan would totally rely on the Tao tribal clan for food.
Hence, in the Lian tribal clan, each cow's value was worth more than ten lives. It sounded pathetic, but that was reality.
With the Dragon Vanguard arriving in the Lian tribal clan, the tribe had to entertain the guests. However, the tribe had been tightening the belt for the refinement of the desolate bone, so there was no food left. They could only resort to killing the cattle.
The sword bearer naturally knew that the small tribes in the wilderness led tough lives. He said coolly, "You don't have to kill the cattle. I met several fierce beasts, who attacked me on the way here. I killed them and stored the meat on the near-horned beast as rations. You just need to get people to take it down and cook it."
The man may have said it without any flair, but the people of the Lian tribal clan were shocked.
In the Cloud Wilderness, there were three types of beasts that would attack humans. They were the wild beasts, fierce beasts and the desolate beasts!
Wild beasts were the most common kind of beasts. They were similar to tigers and leopards on Earth. An experienced hunter, even if they lacked martial arts would be able to capture one using traps.
As for fierce beasts, they were a power unto itself. They were comparable in strength to a Purple Blood warrior!
There were many fierce beasts in the Cloud Wilderness. In fact, the greatest threat hunters of the tribe who went out to hunt, were these fierce beasts.
Although desolate beasts were strong, they would lay dormant in areas known as "Desolate Lands" that had dense Power of Desolates. As long as one avoided the "Desolate Lands", they would be safe.
However the proliferation of fierce beasts was too wide, it was unavoidable!
A Purple Blood realm warrior had the ability to hunt, not only because they had the ability to kill many fierce beasts, but because if they couldn't defeat one, they had no trouble escaping.
This sword bearer had crossed the wilderness and easily killed numerous fierce beasts. Such strength was very enviable!
Lian Chengyu took a deep breath and clenched his fists. The large bulging bag on the near-horned beast was clearly the meat hunted from the fierce beasts.
"One day, I would eventually have that strength, and would even far exceed that!" Lian Chengyu decided.
Hearing that they did not need to kill the cattle, the Patriarch was delighted. Still he politely said, "How can that do? We can't let a guest prepare the food. Our Lian tribal clan may be poor but…"
"Enough, you don't have to carry on. My trip here is on official business," said the sword bearer with an authoritative voice. He was not interested in the fake niceties the Lian tribal clan displayed.
"High Ambassador, please speak! Although my Lian tribal clan is nothing, it has a thousand people. If the High Ambassador has any requests that would need us, please speak your mind!" The Patriarch spoke humbly without any vexation from having his words cut off. He knew that a member of the Dragon Vanguard would not come to such a worthless place like the Lian tribal clan.
The man said, "Recently, the Cloud Wilderness had a huge event. And the location of the Lian tribal clan happens to be within the area of the event! The Dragon Vanguard is here for that reason."
As the man's voice tapered off, the Patriarch's expression changed. Something happened in the Cloud Wilderness?
Furthermore, from the tone of his words, he was just one of the many Dragon Vanguard members who had come.
An event that could be considered great by the Dragon Vanguard was something the Lian tribal clan could not even fathom. He did not know if it was a blessing or curse for the Lian tribal clan to be within the event's area of influence.
If they got engulfed by such a big matter, the ant-like existence of the Lian tribal clan would be extinguished without a sound.
Seeing the Patriarch's expression, the man said coolly, "This matter shouldn't involve you. However, there will be plenty of people passing the vicinity of your tribe. There may be many big shots among them. It's best not to offend them."
"Yes, I will keep what the High Ambassador said in mind," said the Patriarch with a nod.
The man carried on, "My visit to the Lian tribal clan was a matter of convenience. My superiors have ordered me to give you some pointers in preparation for the soon-to-be Kingdom's selection!"
Having said that, the man turned towards the tribe. His voice was loud and clear even five kilometers away.
Momentarily, the rambunctious crowd was silenced.
"My name is Zhang Yuxian. Remember well. My visit here to the Lian tribal clan is to choose thirty youngsters below the age of twenty-eight as my temporary disciples. I will give pointers on your stances and techniques!"
"I will only be here for about three to five days. You will need to work hard. If you understand the content I teach, you will definitely pass the Kingdom's selection!"
The Lian tribal clan held their breath the moment Zhang Yuxian said those words.
The Kingdom's selection!
It was tied to their future. The entire tribe had burnt their bridges to ensure that Lian Chengyu passed the warrior selection!
The members of the warrior preparation camp were especially excited. They were so excited that they had trouble breathing.
An expert from the Dragon Vanguard actually came to their Lian tribal clan to give them pointers on their skills and techniques. This was such a good opportunity!
They did not harbor any hope at passing the Kingdom's selection, but if they received Zhang Yuxian's pointers, and learned an advanced skill from the Dragon Vanguard, it would aid them in their future growth!
When Lian Chengyu eventually passed the Kingdom's selection and entered the city, those who were stronger could win themselves riches!
"The thirty people will be chosen by me. The participants of the Kingdom's selection will also be chosen from those thirty! In other words, those not chosen by me will not be qualified to participate in the Kingdom's selection!" After hearing Zhang Yuxian's words, Yi Yun suddenly understood. This Zhang Yuxian was the kingdom selection's first examiner.
The Kingdom's selection was rarely held in the Cloud Wilderness. There was a lack of resources in the Cloud Wilderness, so the warriors' average strength was low. Since the population distribution was sparse, it was difficult to hold an examination. To ensure that all the tribes could participate in an examination would involve large amounts of manpower and resources.
So having an experienced elite Dragon Vanguard member like Zhang Yuxian do a preliminary selection would save a lot of time!
"Now, all those who wish to become a temporary disciple of mine by participating in a three day training period, and wish to participate in the Kingdom's selection, step forward. I will choose thirty!" A commotion arose the moment Zhang Yuxian finished his sentence.
The members of the warrior preparation camp were the first to lunge forward with all their might.
Those who knew how to read the attitudes like Zhao Tiezhu first looked at Lian Chengyu for approval before they squeezed forward to be before Zhang Yuxian.
In a short moment, the entire warrior preparation camp's members had stood forward.
There were about sixty people in the warrior preparation camp, and those who matched the age requirement numbered about forty.
Zhang Yuxian was only going to choose thirty, which meant there would be about a dozen people who would be eliminated!
The weaker members of the warrior preparation camp became nervous, afraid they would be brushed off by Zhang Yuxian.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
104 Power
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