Perhaps This Is a Big Shot

"Is there still hope for him?"

"Young Master, please look. His internal energy is simply depleted. The small stone that supplies his energy has stopped functioning due to a lack of Spiritual Energy replenishment. If you observe closely, there's a small figure within him, existing between reality and illusion. Is that perhaps the Nascent Soul of a Human Domain cultivator?

These external wounds were left by sharp claws. Several are very close to vital points, but there's a medicinal force within him…"

"Grand Priestess, just tell me simply if he can be saved or not."

"He can be saved. I will pray to the Star God right now to save this child, who is covered in wounds."

"Wait a moment!"

Wu Wang turned his head and shouted, "Quickly issue an order! All unmarried women in the Royal Court are not to go out roaming for the next few days! This guest transforms into a yellow sand Fierce Beast when he sees young girls and is extremely ferocious!"

A group of guards outside the tent responded with a thunderous "Yes." The bloodied figure lying on the wooden board suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed the hilt of the sword in his hand, and with his last ounce of strength, threw it at Wu Wang.

If Wu Wang hadn't stopped him in time, General Xiong San's drawn saber would have nearly been stuck back in its sheath.

Beside him, the Grand Priestess's face was solemn. She raised her hands towards the sky and called out emotionally, as if snow-like Starlight spread over Ji Mo.

A moment later, Ji Mo suddenly gasped, sat straight up, took out a bottle of pills, and poured two into his mouth. He immediately sat cross-legged and began meditating.

It was clear that his injuries were no longer serious.

The Grand Priestess wiped the sweat from her forehead, bowed to Wu Wang, and left with several young girls who were learning the Star Invocation Technique.

Ji Mo, who was meditating, opened a slit in his eyelids, then let out a soft sigh and spoke his first words after regaining consciousness from his severe injuries:

"What a nice waist."

Wu Wang silently released his hand that was preventing General Xiong San from drawing his saber.

"What's wrong with Brother Ji?"

Ji Mo turned to look at Wu Wang, his eyes showing some anxiety. But after the anxiety, there was helplessness. His body trembled slightly, he took a breath, and then said in a deep voice:

"We've run into some trouble."

"Ah, I can see that."

Wu Wang sat down on a nearby beast-skin chair. Lin Suqing brought over a restorative soup and placed it aside, standing behind Wu Wang with a frown.

"Aren't you in a hurry, Brother Ji?" Wu Wang asked. "If you're not in a hurry, take your time. Did only you survive from your group?"

Ji Mo hesitated slightly and said in a low voice:

"Regarding this matter, it's best if the Northern Plains Clans do not get involved. It would only bring you trouble for no reason.

When I was severely injured, I fled here out of a desperate desire to survive. The shadowy hand behind me will not seek retribution from you; however, I cannot stay long. Once I recover some Magic Power, I will leave immediately."

Wu Wang nodded slowly, picked up a teacup from the side, and blew on the tea leaves floating on the surface.

"Suqing, set up a soundproof array."

"Okay," Lin Suqing skillfully drew a talisman and activated the soundproof array.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "Brother Ji, you don't know the Northern Plains very well, do you? Do you think the Northern Plains are directly controlled by the Zhongshan Heavenly Palace?"

Ji Mo was taken aback and retorted, "Aren't they?"

"Not entirely," Wu Wang smiled. "Not many in the Northern Plains know about these things, but it's not exactly a secret.

After the ancient divine war, the innate gods divided the Great Wilderness. Half of the innate gods submitted to the Heavenly Emperor of Zhong, and the other half partitioned their territories and sealed themselves off. The Northern Plains are protected by the great Star God. Where the Starlight shines, no one else can interfere.

You don't need to worry about implicating us. If the other party dared to come for you, they would have done so while you were unconscious.

I need to know what exactly happened on my Northern Plains territory."

Wu Wang paused, then smiled, "Praise the Star God, the Northern Plains do not tolerate others causing trouble as they please."

Prai…

Ji Mo shook his head with a wry smile, looking Wu Wang up and down strangely, and wondered, "Brother Xiong, are you really only seventeen or eighteen years old?"

"What? Don't believe me?"

General Xiong San glared, his head held high, "Our Young Master, at the age of three, could pose questions that would stump our entire Bear Hug Tribe!"

Ji Mo took a deep breath, recalling his previous encounter. A flicker of fear crossed his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

This was also the first time he had experienced such a life-or-death crisis.

"That was…"

"Hold on a moment, Brother Ji."

Wu Wang made a gesture, and several male musicians immediately began playing soothing string music.

The tent flap was opened, and guards brought in a brazier, fruit platters, fruit juice, a half-roasted spirit beast, and soft cushions for their feet.

Unfortunately, due to the strange illness, the service was lacking a few leg-massaging maids, which made it feel soulless.

Ji Mo: …

Wu Wang shifted into a comfortable reclining position. "Tell me your story."

Ji Mo chuckled, the previous tension and fear dissipating significantly. He said slowly, "They were likely after Fairy Ling. Fairy Ling has already been protected by that Granny Yin."

Wu Wang asked, "What is Granny Yin's cultivation level?"

"Ascension Realm, capable of fighting a Nascent Immortal who just achieved immortality, and possessing two immortal treasures."

Ji Mo gave a wry smile:

"When the Fierce Beast attacked, the situation was quite chaotic.

Granny Yin could only protect me or Fairy Ling. As a man, I naturally took a half-step back.

Moreover, Fairy Ling's talent is far superior to mine, and her pursuit of the Dao is even more resolute. Her future achievements will undoubtedly surpass mine."

Wu Wang gave him a thumbs-up and praised, "As expected of Brother Ji."

Ji Mo blushed slightly at the praise and quickly said, "Anyone else would have made the same decision. This is nothing, absolutely nothing."

Wu Wang asked curiously:

"But Brother Ji, I've had a question for a while.

If Fairy Ling is truly peerlessly beautiful, and you, Brother Ji, love beautiful women, why did you always keep your distance from her before, not even looking at her more than necessary?"

"This..."

Ji Mo pondered for a moment: "I've actually known her for many years. In the past, I was stunned by her beauty, but after getting to know her, I realized she...

It's not appropriate to speak ill of others behind their backs, but regarding Fairy Ling, Brother Xiong, it's best if you also keep your distance.

Uh, weren't we talking about the attack?"

Wu Wang chuckled, "Brother Ji, please continue, Brother Ji, please continue. I was just purely curious."

"Alas," Ji Mo sighed softly, "This matter began when we left the Great Wave Tribe's territory."

"Oh? Allow me to interrupt," Wu Wang asked, "You went to the Great Wave Tribe's territory to discuss mining matters? Was there any outcome?"

Ji Mo's gaze was somewhat complex as he asked in a low voice, "Aren't you asking a question you already know the answer to, Brother Xiong?"

"How do I know the answer?"

Ji Mo said, "The Young Master of the Great Wave Tribe saw us, but they had absolutely no interest in talking with us. They were only concerned with parading several women around, saying how the Bear Hug Tribe did things, and they would do the same."

He continued with a pained expression:

"Women are like water, how can they be treated as weights! That Young Master of the Great Wave Tribe truly knows nothing of tenderness!"

"That's Brother Xing Tian showing favor," Wu Wang laughed, "It wasn't my arrangement."

He then turned and instructed, "General Xiong San, send someone to bring the team of disco musicians I trained, along with a few seven-colored Starlight balls, to the Great Wave Tribe for a performance. Give Brother Xing Tian some entertainment."

"Yes!"

General Xiong San cupped his fists, accepted the order, and turned to leave.

Wu Wang gestured for Ji Mo to continue his story, and this time, Ji Mo's flashback skill activated without its usual preamble, and he was not interrupted again.

After Granny Yin appeared, these young cultivators became much more well-behaved. Some also breathed a sigh of relief, treating their journey to the Northern Plains as a leisurely tour.

However, Ling Xiaolan was unhappy for a long time and didn't speak for several days.

After leaving the Great Wave Tribe, they headed towards the center of the Northern Plains, a famous gathering place for Fierce Beasts not yet occupied by various clans – the [Blood Soil Forest]. The trials they needed to undergo still had to be done.

Granny Yin made a few conciliatory remarks and set up a trial for them to hunt Fierce Beasts together. She herself retreated hundreds of miles in front of them.

In reality, Granny Yin merely concealed her presence and quietly followed behind these young prodigies.

Speaking of Granny Yin, her strength was indeed not low.

Unlike the Northern Plains' Star Invocation Technique, which had broad categories like 'Star Priest', 'Moon Sacrifice', and 'Sun Sacrifice', the Human Domain's cultivation realms were... very detailed.

They were based on the realms of Spirit Cultivation. Below the Immortal Realm, there were nine major realms: [Spirit Absorption], [Gather Qi], [Return to Origin], [Condense Core], [Golden Core], [Spirit Stillness], [Nascent Soul], [Leap God], and [Ascend to Immortality].

After achieving immortality, there were three known realms: [Nascent Immortal], [True Immortal], and [Heavenly Immortal].

The names of realms above these were not circulated in the Human Domain, but it was certain that experts above the Heavenly Immortal Realm existed, such as the successive Human Emperors and the many generals by their side.

Since the Human Domain was established, Immortals have lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, awaiting crises in the Human Domain, and rarely appearing.

The path to immortality was treacherous and difficult to traverse, filled with many hardships. In a thousand-year cycle, it was rare for even two or three people to achieve immortality. Furthermore, with constant wars between the Human Domain and surrounding forces, the number of Immortals serving as pillars of strength was quite scarce.

Every Immortal was a crucial combat force for the Human Domain.

Granny Yin, being in the Ascension Realm and possessing two immortal treasures to protect these rising stars, was already showing them considerable importance.

However, they hadn't expected that the ones who plotted against them would value these rising stars even more, directly dispatching an Immortal-level combatant.

"It was a Fierce Beast about ten feet tall, roughly humanoid in shape, but with a toad's head."

Ji Mo said in a deep voice:

"We don't know how it found our tracks. It had been lying in ambush on our path for a long time. Yesterday, when we passed through a canyon, it suddenly attacked.

Its movements were extremely fast. In one exchange, three or four fellow disciples tragically died under its claws. Even Granny Yin couldn't withstand more than a few rounds. She barely managed to protect Fairy Ling with an immortal treasure.

I had intended to detonate my Nascent Soul to injure it, but it gave me no opportunity at all. The moment I vibrated my Nascent Soul, it had already killed its way to me...

If I hadn't brought several heavy treasures with me, I would have been torn to shreds by it.

But fellow Daoist Wang Lin was tragically killed by it while trying to save me."

Wu Wang asked, "Is that the Wang Lin who was blocked outside the Royal Court?"

"Mm."

Wu Wang nodded slowly, not saying much, after a moment of thought.

A short while later, Wu Wang looked at Ji Mo, his gaze quite sharp, "Brother Ji, could you show me those few treasures of yours?"

Ji Mo directly tossed the thumb ring on his hand to Lin Suqing, saying solemnly, "Brother Xiong, I can hardly repay your life-saving grace this time. These few treasures are all for you as thanks. If I can return to the Human Domain safely, I will definitely offer a generous gift!"

Lin Suqing meticulously undid the simple restrictions on it and took a few glances inside.

Suddenly, her pupils contracted sharply, and her expression became a bit dazed.

Wu Wang didn't notice Lin Suqing's expression, he just smiled:

"I'm just confirming the truthfulness of what you've told me. Although we share similar interests, we haven't known each other for long, so I have to be cautious."

With that, Wu Wang took the jade thumb ring and glanced inside. Instantly, he 'saw' treasures floating in the 'void,' along with several large wardrobes.

Two of the wardrobes were open, filled with all sorts of... uh, immortal dresses, bras, and underpants, made of light and thin materials, in bright colors, mainly in cyan, white, emerald green, and pink, with slightly different sizes.

It was truly a dazzling array, making one's eyes unable to take it all in.

"Apologies!"

Wu Wang held the thumb ring with both hands, stood up with a solemn expression, and handed it back to Ji Mo.

"Big brother, I believe you."

Ji Mo took back the thumb ring and looked at it. At first, he was a little confused, but then his face lit up with realization, and he quickly explained a few things.

"Brother Xiong, please don't misunderstand. These are all clothes I prepared for my ladies. I absolutely don't have any strange fetishes. I, this humble Daoist, am merely lustful, but I am still a proper person!"

"Ah..."

Wu Wang squinted and smiled, nodding continuously, and patted Ji Mo's shoulder a few times.

"It's a private matter, nothing to be ashamed of. As long as it doesn't offend others, no one can say anything about Brother Ji."

Ji Mo's face turned red with anxiety, "It's really not for me to wear!"

"Do you want a few of our Northern Plains' specialty leather skirts?"

"If you could, that would be excellent."

"I'll get Brother Ji a few more sets!"

Lin Suqing, standing nearby, turned and covered her mouth, her shoulders shaking. If she hadn't undergone professional training, she would have burst out laughing long ago.

Although Wu Wang and Ji Mo seemed to be bantering and deliberately avoiding the topic of the cultivators from the Human Domain, it was also a form of unspoken understanding.

If Ji Mo continued to talk, would they go to rescue Ling Xiaolan and the others who might still be alive, or not?

If they went, they might drag the Bear Hug Tribe into unnecessary trouble;

If they didn't go, they were all humans, and it would be easy to gain a reputation in the Human Domain for standing by and watching, or even aiding the wicked, which would also have negative implications for the Bear Hug Tribe.

Therefore, Ji Mo only spoke of his own experience and used his personal treasures and the traces of wear and tear on them to prove that what he said was true, and then he didn't continue further.

Ji Mo knew the survival situation of the Bear Hug Tribe in the Northern Plains very well. From beginning to end, he never asked for help. After recovering some of his Magic Power, he began to think about how to return to the Human Domain.

His Nascent Soul realm cultivation was quite impressive among the younger generation, but in the Human Domain, during clashes with enemy forces, no one would care about his age; they would only look at his strength.

Late at night.

Ji Mo stood up from his meditation, sighed softly, took out a message jade slip from his thumb ring, wrote a few words of thanks, took a few pills, and was about to leave without saying goodbye, departing the Bear Hug Tribe under the cover of night.

His spiritual sense scanned the surroundings. In the moonlight, the Royal Court still had a few bonfires, with some cheering and dancing crowds.

'Ah, I still haven't seen any of the Bear Hug Tribe's young women.'

Ji Mo sighed with regret, lowered his head, and left the tent. He glanced at the guards surrounding the tent in the distance, and his figure was about to turn into a wisp of smoke...

"Brother Ji, if you can't sleep late at night, why not go out for a stroll and enjoy the moonlight."

A familiar voice came from the side. Ji Mo turned his head and saw a familiar figure, wearing an open animal skin top, emitting a faint glow, and with a rather sturdy build.

Ji Mo was stunned for a moment and said in a low voice, "Brother Xiong, you... no, Brother Hou Di, what is this?"

Wu Wang curled his lips, made a shushing gesture, and the surrounding guards quickly retreated.

"Where is Brother Ji going?"

"Ultimately, I can't just abandon them," Ji Mo sighed. "I'm going to investigate there again. If I can save one or two people, that would be good."

Wu Wang said, "Let's go, I'll lend you a hand."

"Brother Xiong, you can't. This matter has nothing to do with the Northern Plains Clans."

Wu Wang showed a graceful smile.

Did he really have nothing better to do than go out and cause trouble?

If it weren't for the fact that his necklace had heated up a while ago, and his mother had inexplicably ordered him to personally rescue a female cultivator in the Human Domain, he wouldn't have bothered about the lives of those few cultivators in the Human Domain.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "The one helping you is Hou Di, what does it have to do with the Bear Hug Tribe?"

Ji Mo's words were disjointed and hesitant, "But... this, I absolutely don't mean to underestimate Brother Xiong... I mean, Brother Xiong, your strength, that Fierce Beast is no trivial matter, let's just forget it."

"Don't worry," Wu Wang pointed to the sky, "Under the gaze of the Star Gods, no one can harm the most sincere children of the Star Gods."

Ji Mo looked extremely conflicted, even considering abandoning the idea of going back to rescue them.