Chapter 55 - Indigenous People

Along the way, Leng Yan and his companion tried their best to avoid demonic beasts, though there were times it was unavoidable. Their skills were quite impressive, allowing them to kill even late-stage primordial qi realm demonic beasts within a minute. After all, demonic beasts lacked magical treasures and relied solely on their own abilities, which put them at a disadvantage.

“This mountain took an entire morning to traverse. It’s really slow,” Chu Jianfeng said, drenched in sweat.

“Come on! You’re cultivating dao, and this little trek is nothing. You haven’t said a word about yourself. This is how you’ve been for the past three days. Do you know why? It’s because you’re exhausted and haven’t recovered yet. This kind of fatigue isn’t like being injured in a magical combat. Popping some elixir won’t fix it,” Leng Yan said with a ‘you deserve it’ look on his face.

“Alright, alright, I get it. Let’s keep going!” Chu Jianfeng wiped the sweat from his brow and gasped for breath.

As they stepped on the thick layer of leaves, a soft rustling sound arose. Suddenly, Leng Yan felt the ground beneath him give way, and he quickly flipped in the Void to jump away from his spot.

Just then, Chu Jianfeng stepped on a stone, which seemed to press down. A rustling sound emanated from the jungle.

Looking closely, they saw hundreds of steel spears swiftly flying towards them. “Damn, it’s a trap! Is anyone living around here?” Leng Yan quickly waved his hand, conjuring walls of ice in front of them.

Chu Jianfeng, meanwhile, hid directly behind Leng Yan, reaping the benefits. He shouted, “How would I know? Maybe some indigenous people really do live here.”

“Bang! Bang…”

Hundreds of long spears pierced the ice walls and then exploded with a loud “bang,” scattering steel spears all over the ground.

“This trap is incredible; that attack could rival my magical techniques!” Leng Yan exclaimed, astonished by the steel spears and ice fragments on the ground.

“To survive here, the people must have special means of survival,” Chu Jianfeng said, holding a black long sword, his spiritual awareness probing the area.

“Any signs of people?” Leng Yan asked.

“Not yet. I haven’t detected anyone approaching,” Chu Jianfeng replied.

“No! They’re already here!” A faint sound reached Leng Yan’s ears-the sound of someone running swiftly and brushing against tree branches.

As soon as the words fell, dozens of strong men with pitch-black bodies suddenly emerged from the jungle. These men wore only tattered cloth strips for modesty and held black steel spears in their hands. Their dark eyes were fixed intently on Leng Yan and his companion, ready to attack at any moment.

“What? How is this possible? Their strength isn’t much greater than mine. How did they avoid my spiritual awareness?” Chu Jianfeng exclaimed in surprise.

“Did you see the patterns on their chests?” Leng Yan whispered.

“I did. Why? Could it be that these patterns allowed them to evade my spiritual awareness?” Chu Jianfeng asked, eyeing the indigenous people’s chest patterns with curiosity.

“Yes! It’s these patterns. They are a concealment seal! Whoever inscribed these seals on them is highly skilled, likely someone at the void profundity level,” Leng Yan explained quietly, frowning.

“That’s dangerous!” Chu Jianfeng said with a bitter smile.

Suddenly, an unintelligible shout came from behind the indigenous people, and they all lowered their steel spears, stepping aside to open a path.

“What does this mean? Are they letting us leave?” Chu Jianfeng asked, gripping his long sword tightly.

“Let’s wait and see.”

While Leng Yan and Chu Jianfeng were whispering, an elder emerged from behind the group of indigenous people. He wore clothes of coarse cloth, and his neck was covered with dense runes that Leng Yan recognized as defensive spell seals.

The elder approached them with a smile and said, “I am Mo Sang, an Elder of the Barbarian Tribe here. I apologize for startling you both.”

“Senior, there’s no need to be so polite. It was we who intruded upon your tribal territory. We should be the ones apologizing,” Leng Yan replied with a respectful bow.

“Haha, since it was just a misunderstanding, let’s leave it at that! Would you two be interested in visiting our tribe as guests?” Mo Sang stroked his white beard and smiled.

“With such a kind invitation from you, Senior, we would be honored,” Chu Jianfeng responded with a chuckle.

“Haha, please!” Mo Sang gestured invitingly.

Leng Yan and Chu Jianfeng smiled as they followed the members of the Barbarian Tribe toward their settlement. Along the way, the tribe members scattered some kind of powder that caused nearby demonic beasts to flee in a panic.

Through their conversations along the route, Leng Yan and his companion gained some understanding of the immense region known as the Ten Thousand Mountains. The area consists of over 9,900 mountain ranges, nearly reaching the number that gives it its name. Within these mountains, there are over 5,000 Barbarian Tribe settlements.

Mo Sang’s “Tiger Roar Tribe” boasts a population of over ten thousand, classifying it as a medium-sized tribe, while some smaller tribes have only a few hundred people.

Mo Sang himself, at the initial stage of the void profundity level, is the most powerful person in his tribe. In some larger tribes, there are even cultivators at the void calamity realm.

Yin Mountain has always been a Forbidden Realm for the Barbarian Tribe, also serving as a place to punish wrongdoers. Tribe members who violate tribal laws are exiled there, left to their fate.

“Boom! Boom!”

From a distance, they saw a mountain village where the sound of war drums resonated, and thousands of tribespeople were joyfully shouting something.

“Senior, what is this?” Leng Yan asked in confusion.

“Don’t be surprised. It’s a ceremony to welcome back our warriors and also to express our warm welcome to you both,” Mo Sang explained with a smile.

Upon entering the village, Mo Sang raised his hands to signal for silence. He spoke at length in a language that Leng Yan couldn’t understand, after which the tribespeople dispersed happily, some to cook and others to practice martial arts.

“Apologies, it’s our tribal custom that I arrange these activities,” Mo Sang said apologetically.

“No problem at all. On the way here, I felt the hospitality and friendliness of your tribe towards guests,” Chu Jianfeng said, sounding like a diplomatic envoy, praising the Barbarian Tribe.

“Haha, you’re too kind. Please come in,” Mo Sang replied, clearly pleased by the compliment.

Following Mo Sang, they entered a wooden house in the center of the village. At Mo Sang’s invitation, they sat down.

“In the forest just now, I heard you mention seals. It seems you have quite the knowledge in that area, and there’s a powerful seal on you that even I can’t see through,” Mo Sang remarked while seated in the main hall. He was eager to solve the mystery surrounding Leng Yan, which was part of why he had invited him back. Since the Barbarian Tribe’s cultivation revolves around seals, a deeper understanding would greatly enhance their progress.

“I only know a little. As for the seal on me, it was placed by my master,” Leng Yan replied with a smile.

“Who might your master be?” Mo Sang inquired further.

“Well, Senior, I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information. I promised my master I wouldn’t mention his name outside,” Leng Yan said cautiously. He wasn’t sure if the Dragon Tribe had any grievances with the Barbarian Tribe. If they were on friendly terms, it would be fine, but if there were any hostilities, he didn’t want to dig his own grave by revealing too much.

“In that case, I won’t press further. Tonight, our tribe is having a bonfire party. You’re welcome to join and enjoy yourselves. After the festivities, we can discuss the seals further,” Mo Sang said with a slight cough.

“Exchanging knowledge with you, Senior, would certainly be beneficial for me,” Leng Yan continued to smile politely.

“Then, you can rest for now. I’ll send for you when the party begins,” Mo Sang said, calling out to summon two bronze-skinned maidens to escort Leng Yan and Chu Jianfeng to their resting quarters.

Once inside the wooden house, Chu Jianfeng’s face turned serious. He was about to speak when Leng Yan motioned for him to hold his tongue, opting instead for a conversation through spiritual awareness.

“This old man’s up to something. Looks like he’s after your seal knowledge,” Chu Jianfeng said as he sat on the wooden bed, closing his eyes to feign cultivation.

“I noticed that too. But he won’t act against us for now,” Leng Yan replied, sorting through some herbs while keeping the mental exchange with Chu Jianfeng.

“Our realms are worlds apart. If it comes to conflict, we’re in serious trouble,” Chu Jianfeng remarked.

“Then let’s avoid a battle. We need him to see us not as enemies but as allies. We want him to help guide us to Yin Mountain,” Leng Yan’s eyes sparkled with a plan, and he chuckled.

“What do you mean? Explain it clearly,” Chu Jianfeng pressed.

“It’s a secret…”

“Damn!”