The martial world is vast and boundless.
Various races reside within it.
Countless astonishing events have occurred throughout history.
But this particular event is different.
It's not about some rare heavenly phenomenon, nor is it about divine or sacred bodies. Instead, it revolves around a group of utterly insignificant "ordinary mortals."
They possess nothing remarkable; they are humble yet tenacious. Without any profound talent for martial arts, no exceptional physical constitution, and no suitable weapons or techniques, they rely on only one thing: a "fool's skill."
That skill is incredibly crude.
Even martial artists at the nascent or later stages of cultivation shake their heads upon seeing it.
Everyone agrees that its side effects are far too severe.
It pales in comparison to conventional martial techniques.
Yet, it was this very skill that became the key to the Survival Army breaking through the encirclement of the demon tribe.
People marveled at the tenacity of the Survival Army, but that was all. The army quickly faded from the public's attention.
When they reappeared, the Survival Army had gone completely mad.
Led by the young girl named Wu Yingxue.
They launched savage attacks on the demon hordes.
There are many powerful races in the martial world, and humanity, being one of the stronger ones, is constantly dealing with invasions from various races. Retaliation and counter-invasion are mere moments apart.
But strangely, the Survival Army under Wu Yingxue's command showed no interest in other races—only the demons.
Was it because they had suffered too much torment while living in the Ten Thousand Mountains?
Some speculated, but quickly dismissed the thought. The fury of the Survival Army and Wu Yingxue was beyond comprehension—it was as if they were locked in a never-ending cycle of vengeance.
Such hatred.
Such rage.
It could not be explained by mere emotions.
Some predicted that the Survival Army would soon perish, but the opposite turned out to be true.
Year by year, the army grew stronger. Each year, they would raid the demon territories, saving countless mortals who had been captured as food, and incorporating them into their ranks.
At the same time, within the human population of the martial world, those who bore their own grudges against the demons began to join the Survival Army.
The army's numbers swelled, and eventually, a "nation" began to take shape.
However, Wu Yingxue had no such ambitions. She was consumed by one purpose: to avenge the fallen, to slay as many demons as possible.
...
"Teacher, soon..."
"I will become stronger..."
"And truly avenge you."
Several years later.
The Survival Army once again wiped out a demon "farm."
Compared to the Ten Thousand Mountains, this "farm" was much smaller in scale, which was why Wu Yingxue and her army were able to crush it.
More importantly, the young girl now possessed the cultivation of a Martial Immortal.
Her power burned like a blazing flame or the rising sun, destruction intertwined with new beginnings.
It was a fusion of life and death, akin to a phoenix reborn.
In silence, Wu Yingxue extracted a piece of azure scale.
The scale was broad and thick, appearing quite massive. Its shape and color closely resembled that of the Emperor of Great Qian.
Why?
The answer was obvious.
"Azure... Dragon..."
The girl's voice trembled with barely contained rage as she uttered those words, her fingers clutching the edge of the scale so tightly that blood began to trickle.
I will never forgive you. Absolutely never!
No matter the cost, even if I lose everything, even if this body perishes.
I will make you.
Pay! For! It! All!
"Huuu..." A gentle breeze blew past, cooling her face. It reminded her of the night she left the Ten Thousand Mountains.
She looked up at the sky, gripping a new spear tightly.
The flames of fury surged, drying her tears.
...
Wu Yingxue continued her battles, and the Survival Army, born from the Ten Thousand Mountains, continued to fight.
Their objective was clear, their resolve unwavering.
All for the sake of annihilating the demons.
Those who followed were no different. They, too, joined the Survival Army for the sole purpose of slaying demons.
The Fool's Skill allowed mortals to cultivate, but this power had its limits. It merely provided a chance, not instantaneous strength.
Naturally, over the years of constant warfare, many in the Survival Army who practiced the Fool's Skill perished.
They died by the claws and fangs of demons.
Occasionally, they were also ambushed by other races.
As the Survival Army grew in size, besides retaliation from the demons, more and more other races began to covet this abundant "food supply."
Fortunately, humanity was strong.
Throughout this process, other human experts also intervened, allowing the Survival Army to persist.
...
Year after year, battles raged. Year after year, they invaded.
Gradually, the Survival Army became a thorn in the side of the demons, with Demon Gods and Demon Saints foaming at the mouth, desperate to tear Wu Yingxue to pieces.
Wu Yingxue was extremely cautious.
Every time a powerful demon made a move, she always managed to lead the Survival Army to safety.
After a few such cycles, the demons gave up on ambushes.
They simply treated the Survival Army as a pesky mosquito—after all, their attacks were limited to small "farms" and couldn't truly affect anything significant. So, they just pretended not to see them.
"Small fries."
This was the general consensus among both demon and human factions in the martial world.
After all, this world respects strength above all else. Even if the Survival Army harbored hatred for the demons, with only a Martial Immortal like Wu Yingxue, and the far weaker others, what real impact could they have?
If only they were at the higher realm of the Shore,
Or had shattered the void, gaining the ability to stand amidst chaos,
Then perhaps they could pose a real threat to the demons.
Yes, that's how it was supposed to be.
A century later.
The demons had grown so accustomed to the existence of the Survival Army that, aside from the weaker lower-ranked demons who lived in fear, the lofty Demon Gods and Demon Saints completely disregarded them.
Some even boldly stated that if the Survival Army weren't so quick to flee, it could be squashed with a single claw.
Such demonic jokes persisted for a long time.
Until an earth-shattering news spread across the entire martial world, leaving both demons and humans in utter disbelief.
The Azure Dragon Demon God,
An existence equivalent to a Martial Immortal above the Shore,
Was ambushed and slain by the Survival Army.
It wasn't that the Survival Army had been defeated, nor was it a case of mistaken identity. A genuine Demon God had been killed.
No, more accurately, it had been "drowned."
The leader of the Survival Army, the one named Wu Yingxue, bore some deep-seated grudge against the Azure Dragon Demon God. She had used multiple self-harming forbidden techniques to temporarily attain Shore-level strength.
She engaged in a brutal duel with the Azure Dragon.
Meanwhile, the members of the Survival Army assisted her, delivering wave after wave of seemingly feeble strikes.
Endlessly, tirelessly.
The Azure Dragon, far too arrogant, had never considered the possibility of defeat. By the time it realized something was wrong, its body had already grown lethargic.
"Teacher, I finally... I finally..."
"Hahahaha!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
After the Azure Dragon fell, its body was riddled with wounds.
Wu Yingxue collapsed on top of it, gnawing at its flesh and gulping down its bitter blood, completely dyed red by the dragon's blood. Her appearance was horrifying and desperate.
But she laughed—her voice filled with both tears and madness.
Alongside her, the people who had once escaped from the Ten Thousand Mountains also joined in.