Meeting an Immortal

"Yun Potian." Shi Yi stood tall with his head held high.

"A fine name—the clouds of the nine heavens, shattering the firmament." The middle-aged man from the Golden Wolf Tribe praised him.

"A mere junior who has yet to grow up, yet he already knows how to conceal his strength." The Purple Mountain Clan old man sighed.

"Hmph, little brat, always hiding your head and tail."

The Thunder Clan old man spoke with great disdain. He seemed unwilling to admit that he had misjudged Shi Yi, but he did not make too much of it or target Shi Yi over such a trivial matter.

"One must watch one's words and actions. That is the way to survive. Our clan started out the same way." The Flood Dragon Clan old man nodded.

"The Great Wilderness is not the domain of us humans, but of the four great ferocious beasts. There is nothing wrong with what he did." The middle-aged man from Luofu Great Marsh also voiced his approval.

"Countless years have passed, and only one human from the Great Wilderness has successfully made it out and founded the Stone Kingdom in the distant east." The Snow Clan old man stroked his beard, his aged and clouded eyes filled with emotion.

Next.

By all reason, the contests held between the Tribal Clans of this town for their own Young Talents would somehow always end up involving Shi Yi, an outsider.

Unfortunately, this was not some storybook novel, and Shi Yi was not the sort of person who loved courting trouble.

What did the contests between the Young Talents of those Tribal Clans have to do with him?

Would it make him look impressive if he jumped out now and gave those Young Talents a beating?

True.

With Ten Celestial Passages, Shi Yi's true combat strength was astonishing. Other than the few old men present, there was basically no one he feared.

But what would winning the contest accomplish? He would take the Precious Blood they had prepared for their own juniors and somehow make more enemies.

As a normal person.

Shi Yi felt there was no need for his path of growth to turn the whole world against him, leaving enemies everywhere. Even if he disliked someone, he did not necessarily have to offend them to the death.

Of course.

Since humans were born inherently evil, anyone would inevitably form grudges and resentments.

If a grudge truly had to be formed, there was no need to overthink it. Just finish the other party off for good.

But no matter how a grudge was formed, if one ended up with the whole world as one's enemy, then one had to consider whether one was too extreme in conduct, whether something was wrong with one's mind.

A day passed.

The contests between the six Tribal Clans—the Golden Wolf Tribe, Luofu Great Marsh, Purple Mountain Clan, Flood Dragon Clan, Thunder Clan, and Snow Clan—came to an end. The Thunder Clan won decisively, the Snow Clan won narrowly, and the rest were defeated.

"Brother Tian, that woman from the Thunder Clan hit me so hard. You did not even stand up for me." A little Snow Clan girl tugged at Shi Yi's sleeve, looking aggrieved.

"That was a contest between the six Tribal Clans. I am not from your Snow Clan. I am only an outsider in your contest, so it would not be appropriate for me to get involved." Shi Yi explained.

"If you marry me, then you will not be an outsider."

The little Snow Clan girl pouted unhappily, her tone carrying an indescribable trace of grievance.

"I..."

Shi Yi was truly speechless. Why would these Snow Clan girls not give up on him?

Could they not consider the actual situation?

Did they think he had that kind of ability right now?

And besides...

Every one of them was several years older than him.

Were they not embarrassed to shamelessly call him Brother Tian?

Women!

They were truly hard to understand.

"Brother Tian, my chest hurts so much. Could you rub it for me?" The little Snow Clan girl looked at Shi Yi pitifully, her delicate, lovable gaze stirring the urge to protect her.

After seeing this.

A passing Snow Clan youth could no longer hold it in and complained, "You women cannot endure even a little hardship. We fought the Thunder Clan Young Talents until our heads were bloody, and none of us cried out in pain. You women, when all is said and done, just pull each other's hair. What could possibly hurt?"

The moment he finished speaking.

The little Snow Clan girl, who had been looking pitiful just moments ago, put her hands on her hips and snapped fiercely, "What is it to you? Get lost! If you ruin my good—"

She stopped halfway through.

Seemingly realizing that her ladylike demeanor had slipped, the little Snow Clan girl coughed awkwardly a few times and returned to her previous pitiful appearance.

"Brother Tian, my blood was not flowing properly just now, so I got upset and irritated. I am not usually like that." The little Snow Clan girl pinched the hem of her skirt, looking meek and dependent.

"I do not mind."

Shi Yi's brows twitched slightly, but he said nothing more.

This small town, standing deep within the Great Wilderness, had always been tranquil and peaceful under the protection of its sacrificial spirit.

But ever since the Tribal Clans from outside arrived, this nameless town had lost its former calm.

All the Native Residents of the town were filled with dread. So many powerful people had suddenly arrived, making them deeply uneasy. But the weak had no right to refuse the strong, so they could only submit and endure.

Fortunately, the six Tribal Clans in the town were only staying here temporarily. They had no interest in the town's possessions, not even its food, and they would soon be leaving.

At the entrance to the town.

"This town is called Lonely Mountain. Could its sacrificial spirit be a mountain?" A Thunder Clan youth asked curiously.

With nothing to do.

He wandered idly around the town entrance and saw a bluish stone stele carved with two large characters.

Lonely Mountain.

Following the direction of the stele, the Thunder Clan youth looked into the town and discovered that the entire town sat halfway up a mountain. This mountain was the sacrificial spirit of Lonely Mountain Town.

Within the town.

"Grandfather, this is a sentient stone mountain. It must have been worshipped for a long time and offered many ferocious beast sacrifices. Its interior may have produced True Blood comparable to that of an Ancient Descendant. Grandfather, quickly kill this sacrificial spirit. I will use its True Blood to temper my body afterward. It will surely be greatly beneficial!"

A Flood Dragon Clan youth who could not accept defeat paid no heed to the fact that he was standing atop the sacrificial spirit, nor did he care about the Native Residents nearby, as he voiced his vicious idea to the Flood Dragon Clan old man beside him.

The moment those words came out.

The Native Residents of the town were horrified. Killing their sacrificial spirit was no different from killing everyone here. Without the protection of their sacrificial spirit, these Native Residents would have long since died in the jaws of ferocious beasts.

Fortunately.

The Flood Dragon Clan old man did not do so. Instead, he sternly rebuked him, "Jiao Peng, if you dare spout nonsense again, I will send you straight back! Let your father discipline you."

"It is not as though we have never killed one before. Back then, the True Blood inside a sacrificial spirit that had been worshipped by a village for years was quite effective." The Flood Dragon Clan youth named Jiao Peng said indifferently.

The instant he finished speaking.

An invisible pressure descended from the sky. The crushing pressure made Jiao Peng vomit blood. He had already been injured from losing the contest, and this terrifying pressure nearly took his life in one blow.

"Shut up!"

The Flood Dragon Clan old man's eyes shone brilliantly, like twin bolts of lightning. He glared at him and said, "Stone-type sacrificial spirits must not be touched. True deities stand behind them."

After speaking.

He pressed Jiao Peng's head down and made him knock it hard against the ground again and again, then had them both kneel on the cold earth.

"Lord Sacrificial Spirit, this child of our clan is young and ignorant. I beg that you do not take offense."

Half an hour later.

Only when the Flood Dragon Clan old man felt the invisible pressure slowly fade did he allow the blood-covered Jiao Peng to stand.

"Remember this: in this Great Wilderness, do not judge things by their surface. In some villages and some tribes, the people living there may not be strong, but that does not mean their sacrificial spirits are someone you can afford to provoke."

At the same time.

At a quiet little courtyard in the center of town.

"This humble old man, the sacrificial spirit of Lonely Mountain Town, pays respects to the immortal!"

An old man in green robes with white hair knelt before Shi Yi. More accurately, he knelt before the glowing slender willow branch in Shi Yi's hand. He was kneeling to the Willow Deity behind Shi Yi.