Chapter Fifty-Three: Triumph Without Further Debate

“Who are you people? How dare you trespass upon our Youqiong tribe?” the lead military guard barked, his tone steeped in arrogance.

Tai Yi, a robust middle-aged man, cast an impassive glance at Qingxu before stepping forward. He clasped his hands respectfully and declared in a resonant voice, “We are the people of Wanqiu, sent by order to discuss the unification of the human tribes with Youqiong. Go and report this at once; do not delay matters of great importance.”

“Unification of the tribes? Do you even have the qualifications? I advise you to leave while you can. Either join our Youqiong, or deal with the Four Great Beasts and the witch-demons on your own! Hmph!” The Youqiong guard captain sneered incessantly, casting a disdainful sidelong glance at these humans before him. Even the strongest among them, Tai Yi, was no match for him, so he paid them no heed—after all, he was a formidable cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage.

“You lack the authority to decide this. Let the Youqiong elders come forth for discussion,” Tai Yi retorted boldly. Though his cultivation was inferior, with an immortal present, what was there to fear from these tribesmen?

“Are you deaf, boy? Didn’t you hear what I said? Best get lost now, or I’ll break your arms and legs. Believe me?” The Youqiong captain’s voice was domineering and abusive.

“Why bother with such people, sir? Allow us to teach them a lesson,” one sycophantic guard stepped forward, and the dozens behind him cracked their knuckles, all ready to rush forward at a command to give Tai Yi and his group a taste of their power.

“Hmm? Battle blades? You lot possess such treasures?” Suddenly noticing the dark-gold war blade in Tai Yi’s hand, the captain’s eyes lit up with greed and excitement, his desire undisguised. “Excellent, just what I need—a weapon that suits me. And now you’ve brought it right to my doorstep!”

His words drew the attention of the guards behind him, who saw not just one, but many such blades. Excitement surged among them; so many war blades meant each of them might receive one!

“How dare you! This is an immortal blade bestowed by the Celestial Immortal. Such a thing is not for your coveting. Kneel and apologize at once!” Tai Yi shouted angrily, retreating behind Qingxu to show his deference.

“Celestial Immortal?” The dozens of Youqiong guards paused, their eyes now fixed on Qingxu, sizing him up.

“Hahaha…!” Their derisive laughter echoed across the land, drawing the attention of other tribesmen in the valley, who began to run over for the spectacle.

“Celestial Immortal? Him? Just a wandering priest trying to fool us? Don’t make me laugh. Even if the Ancestral Witch came, it wouldn’t matter. These blades are mine today.” Sensing no trace of cultivation in Qingxu, the Youqiong guards saw him only as a powerless ant, nothing to be feared.

Yet, blinded by their desire for the war blades, they failed to consider how a man without cultivation could have crossed over a dozen layers of poisonous mountain mists.

“Alas! Born of the same root, why must we harm each other so urgently? You have incurred vast karmic debts through heedless actions and blind greed. Retribution will come, unfailingly,” Qingxu sighed, unmoved in spirit. He had cultivated for many years; to be angered by a few words would make him no different from a common man.

“You dare curse me, you wild priest? Kill him!” the Youqiong captain roared, charging forward with fists aimed at Qingxu’s face. Even at the early Nascent Soul stage, though ignorant of true energy usage, his physical prowess was formidable—his strikes could easily pulverize a boulder ten yards wide.

Seeing their captain attack, the guards surged forward as one, their fists and feet flying, all at least at the Golden Core stage.

“These Youqiong tribesmen have trained in a crude witchcraft method, but lack the bloodline and techniques of the true witches. They possess only the bodies of Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators,” Qingxu discerned their nature at a glance.

Unlike the path of cultivation, the witch tribe relied on bloodline inheritance, focusing on tempering the body and developing innate potential. At advanced stages, one’s three souls and seven spirits would fuse with the body’s hundred bones—a feat only the great and ancestral witches could achieve.

Witnessing the guards’ aggression, Tai Yi and his group were shocked and furious. Despite the disparity in strength, tens of thousands surged forward like a tidal wave.

The Youqiong captain, though confident in the superiority of his side’s cultivation, felt a moment’s anxiety. They numbered only a few dozen, while Tai Yi’s side boasted thousands. Their powers could not disregard such numerical difference; thus, both sides halted, wary of provoking a disastrous conflict.

“Who dares cause trouble in Youqiong? Tired of living, are you?” A thunderous voice boomed from the depths of the valley, rattling the clouds and stirring the blood of all who heard.

“The Second Elder? You fools have angered the Second Elder—prepare to die!” The guards and onlookers gazed at Qingxu and his companions with the eyes of the doomed.

Tai Yi’s expression changed suddenly as he whispered to Qingxu, “Immortal, that is Youqiong’s second leader, Youxin. His cultivation is said to be profound, an early Earth Immortal, and he knows several witchcraft secrets—he is formidable!”

Qingxu waved dismissively. “An early Earth Immortal is of little concern. I am curious to see which witchcraft secrets he possesses.”

With an incarnation at the early True Immortal stage, Qingxu hardly cared for an early Earth Immortal. Moreover, he was accompanied by innate spiritual treasures—the difference between them was vast.

Seeing Qingxu’s indifference toward the Earth Immortal, and recalling his earlier display of divine powers against the three beasts, Tai Yi’s confidence soared.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

The ground trembled as if in a minor earthquake, the intensity growing until the entire valley shook. The Second Elder Youxin emerged from the depths, his figure towering four yards tall. His bare chest rippled with muscle, his lower body clad in the hide of a giant tiger—the Tiger King Beast. His visage was fierce and savage, a mane of tangled hair framing his face, his aura radiating brutality and making hearts quail.

“Is this even a human? He is almost like a witch. His mastery of the witchcraft methods must be profound, and to slay a Tiger King Beast with his bare hands—he is not to be underestimated!” Just as it was hard for witches to sense a cultivator’s power, so too was it difficult for cultivators to gauge the depth of a witch’s strength.

The Tiger King Beast was the monarch of prehistoric tigers, a rare and mighty creature. Even a typical early Earth Immortal would struggle to defeat it, let alone kill it—such a feat would challenge even a mid-stage Earth Immortal.

“What is the meaning of this uproar? You disturb my cultivation—what punishment do you deserve?” Youxin’s voice thundered, hurting the ears and stirring the blood of those present.

“Second Elder, these reckless fools are from Wanqiu. They…” The Youqiong captain hurried forward and explained the situation.

“Discussing unification? Prove yourselves by defeating me first—then we will speak,” Youxin sneered, a cold, cruel smile twisting his lips.