# Chapter 27: Bukìji and The Blood Stone Magic Tower
The tribal drums had fallen silent, replaced by something far more ominous: the methodical sound of organized force moving through the wetlands with military precision. But as Xìng Huáng used his enhanced Azure Bronze perception to analyze the approaching threats, he detected something that transformed his understanding of the entire situation.
The spiritual signatures converging on his position weren't just tribal warriors responding to territorial intrusion—they carried the distinctive energy patterns of Blood Stone Magic Tower cultivation techniques.
INTELLIGENCE REVELATION: BLOOD STONE MAGIC TOWER OPERATION
Frogman Ridge: TOWER-CONTROLLED TERRITORY *(Not independent tribal land)*
Shaman Bukìji: WIZARD APPRENTICE *(Operating under tower authority)*
Mission Status: EVOLVED TO INTER-FACTIONAL CONFLICT
The realization that he had stumbled into a Blood Stone Magic Tower operation rather than simple tribal territory changed everything. One of the six major regional powers was actively managing the Miasma Wetlands' resources through subordinate native populations, creating a situation where his Azure Mountain Sect mission had inadvertently triggered conflict between major cultivation factions.
But understanding the political implications became secondary when the assault force finally emerged from the poisonous fog.
Leading the formation was a nightmare fusion of frogman anatomy and magical enhancement that could only have been created through sophisticated alchemical experimentation. The Dark Poison Mutant Frogman moved with fluid grace that belonged to its original species while radiating toxic power that spoke to extensive cultivation modification.
DARK POISON MUTANT FROGMAN *(Blood Stone Creation)*
Cultivation: AZURE BRONZE - PEAK
Enhancement Type: MAGICAL MUTATION *(Alchemical modification)*
Combat Specialization: POISON MASTERY
Threat Assessment: EXTREME *(Peer-level cultivation, environmental advantage)*
ABILITIES DETECTED:
- Great Poison Leap Strike: *Mobility-enhanced assassination technique*
- Dark Poison Orb: *Ranged spiritual attack with area denial*
- Poison Skin: *Defensive toxin aura, contact damage*
- Corrosive Shadow Tendrils: *Multi-target binding and damage*
- Poison Spear Mastery: *Weapons expertise with toxin enhancement*
Flanking the mutant was something that defied conventional frogman anatomy entirely. The Blood Rage Berserker Giant Frogman stood nearly three meters tall, its original species' characteristics warped by alchemical processes that had prioritized raw physical power over tactical sophistication.
BLOOD RAGE BERSERKER GIANT FROGMAN *(Blood Stone Creation)*
Cultivation: AZURE BRONZE - PEAK
Enhancement Type: BERSERKER MUTATION *(Strength/size modification)*
Combat Specialization: OVERWHELMING PHYSICAL FORCE
Threat Assessment: EXTREME *(Pure destruction potential)*
ABILITIES DETECTED:
- Primal Croak: *Area effect intimidation and spiritual disruption*
- Great Axe Sweep: *Wide-area devastation attack*
- Size Increase: *Temporary gigantification beyond base enhancement*
- Great Strength Burst: *Multiplicative power enhancement*
- Bloodlust: *Pain-triggered rage escalation*
Between the two enhanced creatures marched a formation of regular Frogman warriors whose discipline and equipment marked them as professional military units rather than tribal defenders. But Xìng Huáng's attention was focused on the figure observing from the rear of the formation—a goblin whose spiritual signature radiated the controlled power of formal magical training.
SHAMAN BUKÌJI *(Wizard Apprentice)*
Cultivation: SILVER - LOW *(Blood Stone Magic Tower methods)*
Specialization: ALCHEMIST AND SPIRITUALIST *(Dual-path advancement)*
Authority: TOWER REPRESENTATIVE *(Managing wetlands resources)*
Assessment: TACTICALLY CAUTIOUS, MAGICALLY SOPHISTICATED
"Intruder," Bukìji called out, his voice carrying magical enhancement that made it audible despite the distance and environmental interference. "You have violated Blood Stone Magic Tower territory and destroyed valuable research subjects. Surrender now, and your death will be swift."
"I operate under Azure Mountain Sect authority," Xìng Huáng replied, allowing his cultivation aura to project confidence he wasn't entirely certain he felt. "My mission involves legitimate resource gathering for purification research."
Bukìji's laugh was genuinely amused rather than mocking. "Azure Mountain Sect has no jurisdiction in tower-controlled regions. Your sect operates through formal diplomatic channels, not territorial trespass and resource theft."
The goblin's analysis was unfortunately accurate. His mission parameters had included standard warnings about respecting factional boundaries, but the intelligence briefings had identified the Miasma Wetlands as contested territory rather than active tower operations.
"However," Bukìji continued, "your combat capabilities suggest value beyond simple elimination. Defeat my creations, and I will consider negotiation rather than immediate termination."
The offer was clearly a trap—facing two Azure Bronze - Peak opponents simultaneously should have been impossible for someone at his cultivation level, regardless of hidden advantages. But his Lord of Greed heritage was responding to the challenge with hungry anticipation.
LORD OF GREED ASSESSMENT: WORTHY OPPOSITION DETECTED**
DUAL PEAK-LEVEL OPPONENTS: MAXIMUM ADVANCEMENT POTENTIAL**
MAGICAL ENHANCEMENT: ADDITIONAL COMPLEXITY BONUS
SUCCESS PROBABILITY: MODERATE *(With divine authority application)*
"I accept your terms," he announced, drawing his weapon and settling into combat stance.
The assault began with coordinated precision that spoke to extensive tactical training between the two enhanced creatures. The Dark Poison Mutant executed a Great Poison Leap Strike that should have ended the encounter immediately, while the Berserker Giant activated Primal Croak to disrupt his defensive preparations.
But Xìng Huáng's Lord of Greed heritage had been analyzing both opponents since their first appearance, and his divine authority operated by principles that magical enhancement couldn't anticipate or counter.
Instead of dodging the poison strike, he moved directly into its trajectory while channeling purification principles that turned the mutant's toxic enhancement into a vulnerability. His blade met poisoned claws in a shower of sparks that revealed the creature's enhanced durability, but also demonstrated that divine authority could penetrate magical protections through philosophical superiority rather than raw power.
COMBAT INITIATION: DUAL AZURE BRONZE - PEAK OPPONENTS
LORD OF GREED MANIFESTATION: CONTROLLED ACTIVATION
PURIFICATION AUTHORITY: ACTIVE AGAINST POISON ENHANCEMENT
TACTICAL ADVANTAGE: PHILOSOPHICAL SUPERIORITY OVER ARTIFICIAL ENHANCEMENT
The Giant Berserker's **Great Axe Sweep** carved through the air where he had been standing, its massive weapon creating a crater in the wetland soil that demonstrated the devastating power of magically enhanced strength. But the attack's sheer size made it predictable, and Xìng Huáng's enhanced agility allowed him to use the weapon's momentum against its wielder.
His counter-strike found the gap between the berserker's enlarged anatomy and its original frogman proportions—a weakness created by the very enhancement that made it so dangerous.
CRITICAL HIT: ANATOMICAL WEAKNESS EXPLOITATION
DIVINE PRECISION: TARGETING ENHANCEMENT VULNERABILITIES
BERSERKER RAGE TRIGGERED: OPPONENT POWER INCREASE WITH TACTICAL DEGRADATION
The wounded berserker's Bloodlust activation transformed it into an even more dangerous but significantly more predictable opponent. Its enhanced rage provided devastating attack power at the cost of tactical intelligence, creating opportunities for someone skilled enough to exploit the trade-off.
Meanwhile, the Dark Poison Mutant had activated Corrosive Shadow Tendrils that emerged from the wetland itself, turning the environment into an extension of its combat capabilities. The technique was sophisticated, demonstrating the kind of advanced magical training that Blood Stone Magic Tower was renowned for providing.
But Xìng Huáng's divine heritage had been designed to confront exactly this kind of artificial authority over natural forces.
DIVINE AUTHORITY: ENVIRONMENTAL DOMINION
EFFECT: SHADOW TENDRILS RESIST CORRUPTION COMMAND
LORD OF GREED MANIFESTATION: CLAIMING MAGICAL TERRITORY
RESULT: OPPONENT TECHNIQUES WEAKENED, OWN ABILITIES ENHANCED
The battle reached its climax when both enhanced creatures activated their ultimate techniques simultaneously. The mutant's Dark Poison Orb combined with the berserker's Size Increase and Great Strength Burst to create a devastating combination attack that should have overwhelmed any single opponent.
Instead, Xìng Huáng's Lord of Greed heritage asserted its fundamental principle: power earned through worthy struggle surpasses power granted through artificial enhancement.
His blade work became a flowing dance of divine precision, each strike guided by authority that recognized magical modification as a corruption of natural advancement. When both creatures finally fell, the essence absorption was immediate and transformative.
DUAL PEAK OPPONENTS DEFEATED
MASSIVE ESSENCE ABSORPTION: 1,247 *(Each opponent)*
CULTIVATION ADVANCEMENT: AZURE BRONZE - LOW → AZURE BRONZE - MID
MAGICAL TECHNIQUE INTEGRATION: POISON RESISTANCE, BERSERKER TECHNIQUES
LORD OF GREED AUTHORITY: SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED
Bukìji's expression had shifted from confident superiority to genuine concern as he witnessed the systematic destruction of his master's most valuable creations.
"Impossible," he whispered. "Those were peak-level artificial beings enhanced by tower alchemical processes. No Azure Bronze cultivator should possess the authority to overcome such advantages."
"Authority isn't granted," Xìng Huáng replied, allowing his enhanced cultivation aura to fill the space between them. "It's earned through proving worthiness against all challenges."
The goblin apprentice was already retreating, his tactical intelligence recognizing that whatever enhancement had allowed the destruction of his forces would likely prove equally effective against his own capabilities.
But as Bukìji disappeared into the wetland fog, his parting words carried ominous implications: "The Blood Stone Magic Tower will want to understand your capabilities in detail. My master will be very interested in scheduling a more... comprehensive... evaluation."
The tribal drums that had started this encounter were replaced by the distant sound of magical communication—tower methods for reporting significant developments to superiors who possessed power that made regional politics seem like children's games.