Chapter 247: Totem Tribe

All Novels || Martial God
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Several days later, the festive atmosphere finally gradually faded.

Everything in Taicang County, including He Family Village, seemed to have returned to peace. However, the prosperity of He Family Village was already etched in everyone's minds, especially the fireworks display that night, which was still a topic of conversation.

On this day, He Yiming, as usual, sought guidance from Yu Jinglei in the study about martial arts.

After advancing to the Single-Line Sky Realm, he should have gone into seclusion to cultivate and thoroughly integrate the Meridians in his body, so as to truly stabilize this realm.

However, He Yiming's physique was unique. His Meridians were already unobstructed, and once the Innate True Qi in his three hundred and sixty Acupoints was full, he naturally advanced to the Single-Line Sky Realm. Since this was the case, he naturally bypassed the stage of consolidating Meridians.

That's why He Yiming directly asked Yu Jinglei how to condense invisible True Qi into visible flowers.

However, Yu Jinglei's answer was extremely simple: one must constantly comprehend and try to condense and compress the True Qi one possesses, until at a certain point, it will naturally condense into a tangible form.

Upon hearing this answer, even He Yiming couldn't help but roll his eyes. Wasn't that equivalent to saying nothing at all?

According to his words, it meant cultivating diligently every day, and one day, it would happen naturally.

He Yiming had long known this principle, and he practiced diligently every day, never missing a single day of practice.

Although he couldn't learn any quick advancement methods from Yu Jinglei, by spending time with this veteran Single-Line Sky Realm expert, He Yiming could more or less gain some cultivation insights. Although these insights were Yu Jinglei's personal experiences and couldn't be generalized, when combined with He Yiming's own cultivation experience, they were still a valuable gain.

Of course, He Yiming's ability to gain these insights was also due to Yu Jinglei's unreserved teaching. Yu Jinglei held nothing back from He Yiming.

The two were conversing when, suddenly, they almost simultaneously stopped speaking and looked in a certain direction.

That direction was the main gate of He Family Village. At this moment, a powerful aura emanated from there.

Although this aura had not yet reached the Single-Line Sky Realm, it was definitely one of the best within the Hundred Scattered Heavens Realm.

He Yiming compared it in his mind and suddenly realized that this person's cultivation was definitely second only to Mu Jintian of Tufan Kingdom.

Not long after, this person entered He Family Village, and someone quickly ran towards their room.

He Yiming and the other looked at each other, knowing that this Innate expert must have come to visit He Yiming.

Indeed, a moment later, Third Uncle He Quanyi strode in. His gaze swept across the room, and he was startled, then quickly bowed and said, "Disciple pays respects to Supreme Elder."

Although he was not a true disciple of the Hengshan Mountain lineage, he was the son of He Wude and practiced the cultivation methods passed down from Hengshan Mountain. Therefore, it was natural for him to salute Yu Jinglei as a disciple.

Yu Jinglei waved his sleeve and said, "Enough, who is that person outside?"

He Quanyi was startled, a look of admiration appearing on his face. This Supreme Elder was indeed far beyond ordinary people. He was clearly sitting in the room, yet he knew everything that was happening outside.

His gaze suddenly fell upon Yiming, who, in front of Yu Jinglei, was not inferior in aura, and seemed capable of rivaling him. He Quanyi sighed in his heart, "It's truly an anomaly for the family to have produced a He Yiming!"

"Supreme Elder, that person outside claims to be a disciple of Heavenly Lake Mountain and wishes to see you and Yiming." He Quanyi paused, "Disciple observes his demeanor and it seems quite dignified, he should not be here to extort anything."

He Yiming laughed sheepishly, "Third Uncle, that person is an Innate master, so he wouldn't cause trouble for no reason. You're overthinking it."

He Quanyi was instantly startled. Although he had a vague feeling that this person must be of noble birth when he saw his demeanor, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to disturb He Yiming without hesitation.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, he never guessed that this person was actually an Innate expert.

Yu Jinglei stood up and said, "Elder He, let's go and see." He was also suspicious. Heavenly Lake Mountain was one of the most powerful sects in the Northwest Countries, and also the main branch of Hengshan Mountain. For them to send someone to find him and He Yiming, there must be something important.

He Yiming naturally had no objection. They walked alongside He Quanyi towards the main hall.

Along the way, He Yiming and Yu Jinglei walked side by side, while He Quanyi deliberately lagged a step behind.

Although he was He Yiming's uncle, in this situation, he dared not truly walk shoulder to shoulder with the two of them.

A moment later, they had arrived in the main hall. As they entered the hall, the Innate expert had already stood up.

This person looked honest and simple on the outside, especially his broad shoulders with two raised, bun-like muscles. His eyes were bright and burning, looking from afar like two small light bulbs.

His gaze first swept over He Yiming, with a hint of appraisal, but in an instant, he withdrew his gaze and bowed deeply to Yu Jinglei, saying, "Junior Xu Chengchang greets Martial Uncle Yu."

Yu Jinglei's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, then he nodded and said, "So it's Nephew Xu. I never expected Nephew Xu to break through to the Innate Realm so quickly and even make such progress. Congratulations."

Xu Chengchang, upon receiving his praise, did not show off, but still said steadily, "Thank you for the compliment, Martial Uncle. My advancement to Innate was also a stroke of luck."

Yu Jinglei sighed lightly, "Heavenly Lake Mountain truly has many talents. Disciples like you, who reach the Innate stage in their forties, are abundant throughout history, far beyond what our branch sects can compare to."

Xu Chengchang's gaze once again fell upon He Yiming. A wry smile finally appeared on his calm face. He said, "Martial Uncle, you're joking." With that, he cupped his hands towards He Yiming and said, "Junior Xu Chengchang greets Martial Uncle He."

His address of "Martial Uncle" was a bit forced, far from as natural as when he addressed Yu Jinglei. Clearly, although he accepted the fact that He Yiming, at such a young age, had already advanced to the Single-Line Sky Realm, his inner feelings were quite thought-provoking.

A faint smile flickered across Yu Jinglei's eyes, and the feeling of satisfaction in his heart was far beyond what outsiders could comprehend.

Although the Hengshan Mountain lineage was also a branch of Heavenly Lake Mountain, and the various branches and main lineage in the Northwest were connected, they would absolutely advance and retreat together when facing outsiders. However, there was also an unspoken competition between the main lineage and the branches. In the past, when seeing the main lineage produce so many talents, with Innate experts in their forties and fifties being abundant, they would verbally congratulate them, but inwardly they were quite jealous.

Now, the situation was completely reversed, which naturally made Yu Jinglei more proud than ever before.

He Yiming naturally saw the defiance in his heart. He raised his hand in a void, and a dark current immediately surged out. At the same time, he said, "Brother Xu, there's no need to be so polite. We belong to different branches, so why be so particular?"

Xu Chengchang's body, which was half-bent, suddenly steadied. He took a deep breath, and True Qi circulated throughout his body, as if he wanted to press down out of thin air.

Although he had heard that He Yiming had broken through to the Single-Line Sky Realm, according to legend, his breakthrough had not been long ago, and he hadn't even gone into seclusion to consolidate it.

In such a situation, even a Single-Line Sky Realm master might not be able to silently help him up when competing with a Hundred Scattered Heavens Realm master from a distance.

This was due to his curiosity, and this move even concentrated more than eighty percent of the True Qi power in his body.

However, as soon as his body bent down a little, he felt a mountain-like force beneath him, and at the same time, his blood and qi surged within him, as if they would boil at any moment.

Xu Chengchang's face changed slightly, and he was even more horrified. Was this really a newly advanced Single-Line Sky Realm expert? Could it be an old Single-Line Sky Realm expert who had advanced decades ago and completely consolidated his single Meridian?

This time, he dared not disobey, and obediently straightened his body, his expression becoming respectful.

Yu Jinglei coldly snorted in disdain. "Giving face and not taking it." However, he turned to look at He Yiming, still greatly puzzled. "How did Junior Brother He cultivate such astonishing and worldly cultivation?"

"Martial Uncle Yu, Brother He, I am here today on behalf of my master to invite Martial Uncle Yu to a meeting at the Boundary of Life and Death."

Yu Jinglei gasped. He was stunned for a moment before saying, "Why go to the Boundary of Life and Death? Is it related to that tribe?"

Xu Chengchang hesitated for a moment and said, "My master said that this matter is indeed related to the Deep Mountain Totem Clan."

Yu Jinglei's expression immediately turned solemn, and his eyes even showed a faint hint of fear.

He Yiming watched from the side with great curiosity. Yu Jinglei was a Single-Line Sky Realm expert, so why would he be so apprehensive of the Totem Tribe?

"Nephew Xu, what exactly happened? Please explain in detail."

Xu Chengchang smiled wryly, "Martial Uncle Yu, the specifics are probably unknown to anyone. But as you know, in the area leading to the Totem Tribe, we have secretly arranged personnel. Just a few days ago, someone sent word that the Wolf Totem Clan is sending people to inquire about Brother He, and implicitly pointing their spear towards the Hengshan Mountain lineage."

Yu Jinglei snorted angrily, his eyes flashing with anger. "How did our Hengshan Mountain lineage provoke the Wolf Totem Clan to make them so concerned?"

Upon hearing this news, in addition to fear, Yu Jinglei also felt an unconcealed anger.

He Yiming was the hope for the future rise of the Hengshan Mountain lineage, and the Wolf Totem was secretly inquiring about him. No matter how one looked at it, it was not a good thing.

He Yiming's gaze shifted, and he asked, "Elder Yu, what is the Deep Mountain Totem Clan...?"

Yu Jinglei sighed lightly and said, "It's normal for Elder He to be young and not know this story."

The corners of He Yiming's and Xu Chengchang's mouths twitched slightly. Hearing Yu Jinglei casually mention He Yiming's youth, they each had different thoughts.

"At the end of the mountain range that spans the entire Northwest, it is said that there live some powerful tribes who worship various divine beasts." Yu Jinglei seemed to be immersed in his memories. His voice was low and powerful, making not only He Yiming and He Quanyi inexplicably nervous, but even Xu Chengchang, who already knew this story, became unconsciously serious.

"Although these tribes worship different divine beasts, they all live in that hundred-thousand-strong mountain range. They are divided into tribes, and although there are internal conflicts among them, they will unite when facing external matters." Yu Jinglei sighed, "In this regard, they are not much different from our entire Heavenly Lake Mountain lineage."

A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xu Chengchang's face. Although this matter was already well-known, only a few people could openly speak about it.

Yu Jinglei continued, "Although the people of those tribes have lived in the deep mountains for generations, they will come out of the mountains and roam every once in a while. Once they leave the mountain range and enter the Northwest, it marks the beginning of the greatest catastrophe in the history of our Northwest."

He Yiming was surprised. If those Totem tribes always lived deep in the mountains, it naturally had nothing to do with them.

After all, the mountain range that spans the Northwest stretches for tens of thousands of miles, and no one knows where its end is. If the two sides did not interact, then no matter how strong the Totem Tribe was, it would not cause Yu Jinglei to show a fearful expression.

However, since this tribe invaded the Northwest Countries every once in a while, it was indeed a great concern for everyone.

"Elder Yu, what divine beasts do they worship?"

"Many," Yu Jinglei said with a wry smile. "I only know that those who worship the Wolf God are Wolf Totems, and those who worship the Tiger God are Tiger Totems. There, those who can advance to the Innate Realm are called Totem Emissaries."

"Are they really very strong?" He Yiming asked somewhat hesitantly.

"Indeed, very strong," Yu Jinglei's face was extremely solemn. "The last time the Totem Tribe came out of the deep mountains was one hundred and fifty years ago. At that time, I had just stepped into the Innate Realm, and I also went to the Boundary of Life and Death with my master to participate in that blocking battle."

At this point, his facial muscles twitched slightly. For this Single-Line Sky Realm expert to lose composure like this, it showed how deeply the experience had affected him.

"Martial Uncle Yu, I remember we won that blocking battle." Xu Chengchang interjected suddenly.

Yu Jinglei glared at him impatiently, but then sighed and shook his head.

Those who had not experienced that battle would never be able to imagine the brutality of the conflict.

"Nephew Xu, we indeed won that great battle, and it was precisely because we won that battle that our entire Northwest has had this one hundred and fifty years of peace. But now it seems..." He shook his head, "This peace seems to be about to be broken again."

Xu Chengchang's eyes narrowed, and he said clearly, "Martial Uncle Yu, the Totem Tribe sends people out of the mountains every hundred or two to three hundred years to fight us at the Boundary of Life and Death. Since we have always won in the past, this time will be the same."

Yu Jinglei snorted coldly, "Nephew Xu, your master probably didn't tell you, did he? It wasn't our Northwest Countries that repelled the Totem Tribe when they came out of the mountains in previous generations."

Xu Chengchang was instantly astonished. He looked at Yu Jinglei with a suspicious expression, clearly not understanding the meaning of this sentence.

Yu Jinglei slowly said, "In all generations, as long as there is a sign of the Totem Tribe coming out in full force, whether it's masters from the Northern Frontier Ice Plains or powerful individuals from the Eastern Great Shen Empire, they will travel thousands of miles to participate in the battle. Otherwise, with our Northwest's strength alone, we would have been annihilated hundreds of times over."

He Yiming and Xu Chengchang's faces changed simultaneously. If Yu Jinglei wasn't exaggerating the enemy's strength, then wouldn't the Totem Tribe be far more powerful than the Northwest?

At this point, they vaguely understood why Yu Jinglei was so agitated when he heard about the Totem Tribe inquiring about He Yiming.

"Elder Yu, is the Totem tribe's strength truly that powerful?"

Yu Jinglei nodded solemnly and said, "If it were just the strength of the Totem Tribe, it wouldn't be that powerful, but the Spirit Beasts they worship are truly far superior to human masters of the same rank. And what's most terrifying is that when Innate experts and Spirit Beasts cooperate, they can unleash even more powerful combined strength." He paused, still with lingering fear, "Those who have gained the recognition of Spirit Beasts, accompanied by Totem Emissaries, are absolutely nightmarish existences."

He Yiming nodded slightly. Just by looking at his senior brother's expression, one could tell that he must have suffered greatly from such combinations, so even after so many years, the memory was still vivid when mentioned.

"Senior Brother, are their Spirit Beasts the same Spirit Beasts we hunt for pills?" He Yiming asked slowly.

"That's right, they are Spirit Beasts. However, to become Spirit Beasts they worship, they must at least be over a thousand years old and be super powerful individuals far exceeding ordinary Innate Spirit Beasts." Yu Jinglei said with a wry smile, "We go to great lengths to hunt Spirit Beasts over five hundred years old, but if we encounter Spirit Beasts over a thousand years old, even I would obediently take a detour."

He Yiming was then surprised and said, "Senior Brother, even you can't defeat them?"

Yu Jinglei said seriously, "Ordinary thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts are one thing, but if they are accompanied by a Totem Emissary, and have undergone some means to stimulate their potential, becoming Thousand-Year Mutated Spirit Beasts, then they are absolutely invincible among their peers. If I encounter such Spirit Beasts, even I dare not say I can defeat them." He paused, hesitating, "Perhaps, only true Three Flowers Gather at the Summit experts can eliminate them."

He Yiming and Xu Chengchang exchanged wry smiles. Among their peers, no one would dare provoke these terrifying fellows.

Yu Jinglei took a deep breath and said, "Junior Brother He, I will go to the Boundary of Life and Death now to investigate what happened, to find out what caused such a change. As for you..." He paused, "You had best return to Hengshan Mountain. With the protection of the several elders on the mountain, you should be able to protect yourself without worry."

He Yiming was slightly startled, "But what about He Family Village?"

"Junior Brother, rest assured. We have a several-thousand-year contract with the Totem Tribe. Unless they can defeat us at the Boundary of Life and Death, they will absolutely not launch a large-scale invasion of human settlements."

Only then did He Yiming relax. "Since that's the case, everything will be as Senior Brother says."

All Novels || Martial God

Chapter 248: Dark Clouds