Longzang

Chapter 900 Only Attitude
Ding ding ding! The evening bell rang, and although the shamans were still reluctant to part, they had no choice but to disperse.

There is no night in the desolate realm, but all living beings need rest, so the Sharp Edge Fortress has set up two bells, one for day and one for night. When the bell rings, the power sorcerers will change shifts accordingly. Now that the evening bell has rung, it's time for Wei Yuan to finish his shift.

The shamans were all reluctant to leave. Wei Yuan could call out the name of almost every shaman present, and his advice, though simple, was to the point. Many shamans pondered it for a moment and found it to be true. Dogs and cats, whether hooves or not, all bowed in submission.

Although these power sorcerers were all seasoned veterans, they had previously fought primarily on instinct, and many of their long-established habits could be improved. From Wei Yuan's perspective as someone from the outer world, the power sorcerers' fighting methods and power generation were quite crude and lacked any skill. Many power sorcerers later added numerous organs, but their fighting style remained the same, failing to fully utilize their new organs and thus unable to unleash their full potential.

Wei Yuan didn't even need to analyze it in depth; the problems he could see on the surface were enough to make these power-wielding sorcerers worship him.

After the group of powerful shamans dispersed, Wei Yuan began to ponder the differences between the human and shaman races.

The outer world that Wei Yuan experienced was the human realm, and Xu Wenwu also came from the human realm. Compared with the Wu, Liao, Hai, and Shanmin races, the human race itself was quite weak, so they had to strive for excellence in battle.

Although the humans of the outer world do not possess great power, they have studied martial arts to an extremely high degree, honing various methods of exerting force to the limit, thus bringing mortal combat power to its extreme.

The power-wielding sorcerers may be born with strong bodies and have countless powerful organs to replace them, so they are not lacking in supernatural abilities. They only lack the final leap to the top. Therefore, their fighting style is quite rough, barbaric, violent and direct, and there is actually a lot of room for improvement.

The environment of the Desolate Realm also puzzled Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan locked himself in his room, using his divine sense to probe his surroundings and set the environmental parameters. He then took out a small iron ball, reshaped it with his Dao power, and made it a perfect sphere. Next, Wei Yuan found a flat surface, placed it parallel to the ground, and then placed the small iron ball on the surface. As a result, the small iron ball began to slowly roll on its own, falling off one end of the surface.

The terrain surrounding Fenghuang Fortress, though somewhat undulating, is generally a vast plain and desert. Wei Yuan used many methods to verify and test this, ultimately arriving at the absurd conclusion that the entire desolate realm is tilted!
As Wei Yuan was pondering what this conclusion meant, Yan Hu's voice rang out from outside the courtyard: "Groundhog, the boss has approved your access. Come with me to the library!"

Wei Yuan got up and went out of the house, where he saw Yan Hu standing in the courtyard, examining the equipment. During the day, Wei Yuan not only preached and explained the Dharma, but also repaired minor damage that could be fixed on the spot. The equipment had not yet been taken back.

Yan Hu pointed to the equipment and said, "These things can't be left outside when not in use. When the Flame Demon attacks, there's less than an incense stick's time to react. With so much equipment, there definitely won't be enough time to put it in the basement. How about this, I'll assign Hamster's servants to you as your assistants, and in a few days I'll pick a few smart ones to follow you. Then I'll see where there's a big house I can vacate for you, so you won't have to move everything into the yard every time."

Wei Yuan knew that this was mostly due to his hard work throughout the day. In times of crisis, there are life-or-death battles, and everyone is extremely pragmatic. Whoever can fight, whoever can improve the fortress's combat strength, will receive better treatment.

Of all the places in the fortress, the place Wei Yuan most wanted to go right now was the Library Hall. The Desolate Realm held too many unsolved mysteries, even more bizarre than the Netherworld. And the Power Witch wasn't as weak as she had appeared in this realm.

Judging from the few Netherworld Witches Wei Yuan had encountered in the Netherworld Realm, the combat power of the Wild Witches here was basically enough to easily defeat them. Only Hongye stood out from the crowd, making her an exception.

Yan Hu didn't say much. On the way, he only praised Wei Yuan once, and then asked if he needed anything. Wei Yuan repeated his usual request: he needed the data and sacrificial power, nothing else.

From the outside, the Library Hall appears as an unassuming flat-roofed stone building, its stones stacked tightly together, rugged and primitive. Only the central stone doorway is exceptionally smooth, showcasing superb cutting technique. The doorway isn't high; even Yan Hu has to bend slightly to enter. Of course, for an ordinary person like Wei Yuan, even jumping wouldn't be enough to reach its top.

Upon entering the library, one is greeted by rows of jade-paper books displayed in stone boxes. However, the true library is not on the ground, but underground. Three levels of space have been excavated underground, filled with books.

Yan Hu said, "This section contains the most information on fortress history, followed by the history of the Wilderness. Over there is information on various wild insects and fire demons. The next level contains information on all city defense facilities, defensive tactics, and the production and use of weapons and equipment. The next level should be of interest to you."

The lowest level isn't open to you yet. The boss said you'll be allowed into the third level once you've accumulated a thousand merit points.

This piqued Wei Yuan's curiosity: "What exactly is on the third floor?"

Yanhu said mysteriously, "The third level is the cultivation path of the Desolate Realm Power Witch, including body tempering methods, the cultivation of the mental world, and various Desolate Roar combat techniques. This level was opened after Boss Molten Dragon came, and all the cultivation methods inside were personally reviewed and revised by Boss Molten Dragon. Let me tell you, there are also many of Boss Molten Dragon's unique mental techniques inside, so don't go around telling others about them."

Wei Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this the path of the Molten Dragon? Moreover, it sounded like the Molten Dragon had enormous ambitions and had prepared more than one path. If that was the case, then requiring a thousand military merits was definitely not too much.

The military merit system at the Sharp Edge Fortress is very simple: as a basic soldier, you earn one point of merit for surviving a day in the fortress. Killing an ordinary Flame Demon earns one point, a Wild Insect ten points, a Bird Dragon one hundred points, and fifty small war beasts count as one point.

Military merits are earned solely through service and killing enemies; there are no other sources. Wei Yuan, as a low-level rat, receives one basic military merit point per day. If he advances to the canine or cat level, he receives two. Mad Bull, at level three, receives three military merit points daily. However, the fourth level doubles these points, the fifth level doubles them again, and the sixth level awards no military merits. Currently, there are only two Desolate Witches at the sixth level.

Wei Yuan calculated his military merits and said, "I should have two military merits now, and it seems it won't be long."

If he could access a Dao path at the level of the Molten Dragon, Wei Yuan felt that a thousand military merits were not expensive at all. Learning from others can be beneficial; studying more Dao path materials, even those of the Witch Clan, wouldn't be a bad thing.

Yan Hu smiled and said, "You now have 342 military merits."

Wei Yuan was taken aback: "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"That's right, the boss confirmed it himself. You forged a rare, high-grade sword for Little Bull. To be honest, I was drooling over that Yin Tiger. It's a pity that its spirit has already formed a deep karmic bond with Little Bull, and it can't be separated. Otherwise, I would have definitely tried to buy it. He's just a bull, and he's using a Yin Tiger as a weapon spirit. Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Yan Hu, quick to speak, only realized his outburst after a roar, and quickly chuckled to cover his embarrassment, continuing, "With this knife, Xiao Niu might become the sixth Desolate Witch here. So the boss has already given him three hundred military merits for this knife alone. Your repair of those weapons and your guidance to everyone were also very valuable, so the boss has given you forty military merits in total. So your current military merits are three hundred and forty."

Wei Yuan hurriedly said, "Thank you, boss!"

Yan Hu laughed and said, "We call you 'boss,' you guys have to call me 'city lord.' But I think it won't be long before you're calling us 'boss' too. Keep it up! I think becoming a Wild Witch isn't a problem for you, it's just a matter of time."

He seemed to remember something and said, "Actually, the hamster isn't bad at all; he didn't eat so many precious medicines for nothing. It's just that this kid is still too young and hasn't matured enough. He'll be fine after a few years of training on the battlefield. You don't need to worry about him; with me here, he won't die."

Wei Yuan bowed and said, "Thank you, Boss Yan Hu!"

Yan Hu was taken aback, then burst into laughter, patted Wei Yuan's shoulder forcefully, and said, "Once you get to the third level, I'll tell you where the boss's treasures are hidden..."

Yan Hu suddenly stopped speaking. Wei Yuan had a bad feeling and quickly took a big step back, swaying and almost falling.

A glint of light flashed in Yan Hu's eyes, and a look of wisdom appeared on his face as he began to think deeply!
Wei Yuan's heart sank!
But at this point, there was no other way but to wait and see. If the outcome was unfavorable, he would likely have no choice but to kill Yan Hu and escape the fortress. Although their time together had been short, Wei Yuan could tell that Yan Hu was straightforward, honest, and had a clear sense of right and wrong; he was a good shaman. Unless absolutely necessary, Wei Yuan didn't really want to kill him.

Another reason is that the ferocity of the Flame Demon's attack during the day far exceeded Wei Yuan's expectations. The entire force of the Flame Demon had to use at least nine-tenths of its power to barely block the attack. If one of the Flame Tigers were to suddenly disappear, it would likely have far-reaching consequences, and the fortress's casualties would rise sharply before a new Wild Witch was added.

At this moment, Wei Yuan possessed the fortune of a hundred Power Witches and two Desolate Witches, reaping enormous gains. Seeing the casualties among the Power Witches, he honestly found it hard to accept. There's a saying: "He who eats the king's bread must serve the king." And another: "He who eats the witch's food is bound to him; he who takes the witch's money is bound to him." Wei Yuan was hesitant to run away after receiving the benefits unless absolutely necessary.

As Yan Hu pondered for a moment, Wei Yuan felt an unprecedented torment for the first time since arriving in the Desolate Realm.

Finally, Yan Hu's eyes became exceptionally clear, his face revealing a profound understanding of the world. He said in a deep voice, "I know you must be of humble origin, which is why you dare not use the language of the barbarians so casually, and you are particularly adept at hiding it to avoid getting into trouble. If I'm not mistaken, you must have offended some great noble, right?"

Wei Yuan was taken aback, then his face turned serious, and he said, "I have offended... the Heavenly Witch."

Yan Hu, with an "I knew it!" expression, slapped Wei Yuan hard and shouted, "I knew it! The Heavenly Witch is nothing special. Even Lord Nine Eyes can't reach the Battle Domain! Look, I've eaten the tail of a Heavenly Witch's grandson before, but to be honest, he was too fat and not worth chewing. Don't be afraid, which Heavenly Witch descendant isn't tens of thousands? Offending one to death is nothing. Anyway, when the enemy comes, it's no big deal!!"

Wei Yuan repeatedly agreed, and it was only with great difficulty that Yan Hu was finally sent away.

Yan Hu's serious contemplation was truly terrifying, startling Wei Yuan so much that he broke out in a cold sweat.

Fortunately, Yan Hu only had a serious attitude towards thinking things through.

(End of this chapter)