Like most things in life, a stampede begins small, with a few skirmishes here and there, gradually building to the final clash that usually decides the victor.
This time was no different. In the weeks that followed, wave after wave of beasts emerged from the infinite basin, only to be swiftly defeated before they could pose any real threat to Mhlanga Village.
The slow start gave Mhlanga Village a chance to prepare for the final phase. Not all cultivators present were locals.
No collusion existed among the three groups stationed there: the villagers, defending against the Stampede; the loose cultivators, taking the opportunity to amass wealth; and the sect disciples, using the situation to train against formidable opponents.
As the Stampede began to build, it turned out to be a perfect moment for Mhlanga Village to address the clash between the three sides, where sparks once flew and tensions Over time, the cooperation between the different groups grew smoother, as people of all sizes learned to work together more naturally and fluidly.
Three months had passed, and as the Stampede's final phase drew near, everyone was busy with preparations.
Popular theory suggests a stampede happens in one of two ways: when the number of beasts in the Infinite Basin reaches an overwhelming level, triggering a reshuffling of territory this reshuffling forces many spirit beings out of their homes, with some even expelled from the basin entirely.
This type of Stampede is rare and worrisome, as the beasts that escape the Infinite Basin tend to be disorganized and lack any cohesion.
The second way happens when a stronger beast in the Infinite Basin takes action, forcing the weaker species to follow and charge out together, forming an army to attack anything beyond the basin.
This is usually done to claim more land and prove themselves in battle, often occurring when young beasts of noble bloodlines are sent out to train. They use the Stampede to train, build their powers, and recruit new subordinates.
As the day of truth drew closer, Mhlanga Village began to change. The atmosphere grew tense yet lively as activity picked up, with everyone getting ready for what lay ahead.
The ones preparing the most were the loose cultivators. Unlike sect disciples, they constantly struggle for resources.
Without a powerful faction to back them and supply what they need, they have to secure everything on their own. That's why many decided to remain and face the Stampede.
During the Stampede, the Mhlanga Village Chief had one rule: hunters could keep 70% of what they killed. For cultivators, it was a great deal.
If managed well, they could take down hundreds of beasts and earn millions of spirit stones enough to sustain their cultivation for a long time.
Even though they gave away 70% of the value of the spirit beasts, Mhlanga Village didn't lose out. They still received 30% of all the spirit beads harvested, which amounted to a hefty sum.
This also helped recover some of the expenses or losses they might face during the Stampede.
...
With the true Stampede drawing near, everyone was making preparations, including a certain someone who was in the middle of seclusion.
News of the Stampede reached Yanga as well, but knowing it usually built up to a showdown, he stayed in seclusion to prepare. This time, Yanga was determined to recover some of the losses he had suffered.
Yanga quickly realized how terrifyingly fast his boundless saint physique consumed resources during secluded cultivation.
In only a few weeks, he burned through all the spirit stones he'd gathered over 100,000 in total and even the spirit-gathering formation in the chamber couldn't meet his spiritual qi needs.
He had to rely on the liquid spirit qi his seedling world produced. After the most recent growth, it could now yield a single drop of liquid spirit qi each day
After a little over three months of secluded meditation, Yanga advanced four levels, climbing from the first to the fourth stage of spirit gathering. Normally, such rapid progress would be cause for celebration, especially in such a short time, but Yanga felt no joy.
These brief periods of isolation had revealed the demands of the Boundless Saint Physique; he estimated the immense resources needed to keep cultivating until reaching foundation establishment.
With each level gained, those resource requirements didn't just increase—they multiplied dramatically.
Though unsure of the exact rate, Yanga was certain it would take not just ten, but possibly hundreds or even thousands of times more resources to move forward.
He wouldn't be able to lay his foundation before hitting 40. That's why Yanga's next move, a crucial one, was to gather resources thousands, tens of thousands, or even more times greater than what he had before. It wasn't something that could be done easily.
Using the resources that Yanga previously gathered, Yanga remained in seclusion even as the Stampede gathered momentum.
His goal was to boost his cultivation enough to score big when the Stampede entered its final phase.
Seventy percent of the spoils might seem insignificant to others, but for Yanga, it was well worth claiming.
With his current strength, he was confident he could take down thousands maybe even up to 10,000 wild beasts, and that would be more than enough to get started.
With that, Yanga suited up in the new gear he'd just bought, strapped on his katana, Desert Rose, and stepped out of the activation chamber.
With only a few days left before the Stampede hit in full force, he needed to check out the situation around Mhlanga village first.
With many people helping, Yanga needed to talk to the people in charge of the defenses so he could understand his role.
Yanga was taken aback to find something entirely new in the village an enormous and costly artifact known as the "City Wall" that surrounded the whole place.
Due to its massive size, it couldn't be refined, but it worked perfectly with the defensive formations around the village. With it in place, the village's defenses were boosted many times over.
Towering about 2 km high and 0.5 km wide, the wall was broad enough for a large army to stand atop and guard the city. As Yanga gazed at it, he realized that with such a formidable barrier, he could fight without restraint.
After Yanga moved towards the wall, he gazed at the wall with bright, eager eyes, itching to fight his way up and around it.
Knowing this spot would be one of the safest when the Stampede began, Yanga stepped down from the wall and headed back to the village to find the person in charge.
The person overseeing Yanga was one of the village elders. Though Yanga didn't speak to him much or have a close relationship, he was a familiar face in the village.
Since everyone already knew who Yanga was, the process that followed wasn't too difficult. The elder presented many options, but the one that resonated most with Yanga was the Vanguard.
When the Stampede hit, the Vanguard rushed into the open field, leaping from the wall to engage the spirit beasts directly and break their momentum.
This tactic broke the beasts' momentum and exposed them to those atop the wall, making them easy targets for a volley of arrows. This was what resonated most with Yanga. With his speed, he could weave through a massive herd of beasts without being slowed down in the slightest.
In the days leading up to the Stampede, life was unusually calm, a rare peace in recent months.
The beast of noble blood and authority had finally appeared, gathering the other beasts just outside the basin, poised and ready for the perfect moment to strike.
And, like all things, the day finally arrived when the first wave of the beast stampede hit. From afar, Yanga watched as a surge of dust rolled closer and closer to Mhlanga Village.
The cloud grew so dense that he could hear the thunderous roar and feel the ground tremble beneath him. There were so many beasts hidden in the dust that even if he couldn't see them, he could guess there must be no fewer than 100,000. Standing ready with his trusty katana at his side, Yanga waited for what was to come.