Central Wilderness Envoy

Great Wilderness Mountains, eastern fringe.

Tens of thousands of warriors formed an encirclement using the terrain.

For the past decade, the Wind-Fire Tribe had recruited workers every winter, then begun clearing land and spring planting the following spring.

The steadily increasing grain yields each year not only fed dozens of surrounding tribes, but also opened up trade over greater distances.

The tribes grew more closely connected. Whenever threatening demon beasts appeared, they often banded together to eliminate them.

With food and safety no longer being problems, the population grew rapidly. The four closest tribes had all become major tribes of over a thousand people.

The remaining tribes each had several hundred people as well, which was why they could organize such a massive encirclement.

Feng Xu rode Bai Hao through the battlefield.

He went wherever support was needed, but his main task was to clear the Baleful Qi behind the lines once the encirclement tightened.

Members of the Giant Eagle clan took turns patrolling high in the sky, reporting locations in real time and checking for any stragglers.

"Ah, I can't go on. Let me rest for a while."

Bai Hao collapsed limply onto the ground, panting heavily with his tongue hanging out.

Feng Xu poured water into Bai Hao's mouth, then splashed more over him to cool him down.

"On a cliff ten miles southeast, a large number of Baleful Corpses have gathered."

The Eagle King swooped lower and shouted as he passed above Feng Xu.

"I can't do it anymore. You take him there."

Bai Hao grumbled, not caring whether the Eagle King could hear him.

The Eagle King narrowed his eyes at Bai Hao, ignored him, and returned to the sky to continue patrolling.

Feng Xu shook his head with a wry smile, took out the Heaven-Hanging Ruler, and headed toward the canyon with Bai Hao.

Things were hardly peaceful at the moment, and he did not feel at ease leaving Bai Hao behind alone.

Inside the valley.

The corpses of dozens of gigantic beasts, each twenty or thirty zhang long, lay scattered about.

Feng Xu recalled his Dharma Treasure and absorbed the Baleful Qi from them one by one.

"As expected, heroes emerge in their youth. I never imagined you possessed a method for absorbing Baleful Qi, young friend. You have truly broadened my horizons."

A middle-aged man's voice suddenly came from beside him.

"Who is it?!"

Feng Xu abruptly retreated and looked around.

A man dressed in animal hides was smiling at him, standing only five or six steps from where he had just been.

This man had approached him without him noticing at all. He had only discovered him when the other man spoke!

Bai Hao reacted as well, instantly rising to his feet and standing beside Feng Xu as he warily stared at the man before them.

"You needn't be nervous, young friend. I am an envoy sent by the lord of the Great Wilderness. I came to inspect the condition of the tribes here and see whether you have encountered any difficulties."

Feng Xu probed him with his Primordial Spirit. Finding nothing unusual, he believed him somewhat.

Bai Hao exchanged a look with Feng Xu, then turned and left.

"This junior is Feng Xu. May I ask how I should address you, Senior?"

Unfamiliar with the customs of the Great Wilderness, Feng Xu could only bow.

"Oh, how interesting."

A flicker of surprise crossed the middle-aged man's face.

"I never expected that in just a few decades, this eastern fringe would produce not only a young genius at the Late Earth Immortal realm, but one who could speak so fluently and even possessed a name."

"I am Qu Shan. You may address me by name."

At this time, the Primordial World had neither etiquette nor laws.

There were no surnames, no clan hierarchies. Members of the Human Race generally addressed one another by name.

The Wind-Fire Tribe not only had names and surnames, but writing as well. However, it had existed only a short time and had yet to spread.

"You make us laugh, Envoy Qu. They are merely useless things."

"These are hardly useless things. Reaching such a point proves that your tribe is already quite strong."

Qu Shan looked at Feng Xu, finding him more pleasing the longer he watched.

A young genius had emerged in the northern Great Wilderness, yet unexpectedly, another had appeared on the eastern fringe.

Although Feng Xu's strength was somewhat lacking, he was still young.

Qu Shan casually found a place to sit and gestured for Feng Xu to continue.

Feng Xu nodded and continued absorbing the Baleful Qi.

Only after all the Baleful Qi in the valley had been absorbed did Qu Shan voice his question.

"You absorbed so much Baleful Qi at once, yet your body shows no abnormality? What kind of spell is this?"

"This is a method I devised to seal the Baleful Qi away. The process is extremely dangerous, however, and I have yet to find a way to deal with the Baleful Qi inside the body, so it has not been spread."

Feng Xu did not hide anything.

Other than the Eight-Nine Mystical Art and the Merit Mall, it would not matter much even if others learned of the rest.

"That is rather regrettable. If a way to resolve the Baleful Qi could truly be found, it would be a great Merit for the Great Wilderness."

Qu Shan sighed and did not press further.

Even the lord, a Late True Immortal, had no solution. How could a youth possibly have one?

An eagle's cry rang out from the sky as Lin Sen arrived first, riding the Eagle King.

Feng Sui, Jiang Ze, Lu Kun, and Iron Mountain arrived one after another as well.

"The envoy has come in person. May I ask what important matter brings you here?"

Feng Sui spoke first.

The several leaders had all once been members of the major core tribes of the Great Wilderness, so they naturally knew Qu Shan.

"Only a few decades have passed, yet all of you can speak now. I still remember when your group first left. Every one of you could only gesture with your hands."

Qu Shan walked over to them and nodded in satisfaction as he observed the auras of the leaders.

"Your strength has all improved as well. What method did you use?"

The group looked at one another, unsure how to answer.

"Reporting to the envoy, we discovered a secret art some years ago that can help people break through bottlenecks. If you require it, Envoy, I can explain it to you."

Feng Xu generously revealed the Bloodline Secret Art, though he mentioned only the Blood Pool secret art.

"Such a secret art exists? Can it allow a True Immortal to break through?"

The Sky Wolf Demon King was a Mysterious Immortal expert. Although he had not personally attacked the Human Race in recent years, the Demon Race under his command had repeatedly invaded Human Race territory.

The lord feared the Demon King and had suffered humiliation at every turn these past years.

"In theory, it can, but one must first reach True Immortal completion. And a more powerful ferocious beast or Demon Race bloodline is required to construct such a Blood Pool."

Feng Xu intended to take Qu Shan to inspect the Blood Pool, but Qu Shan waved him off.

"There is no rush. We can go after matters here are concluded. It appears you are clearing beasts afflicted by Baleful Qi?"

"That is correct."

Feng Sui looked toward the encirclement ahead, his eyes full of pride.

They had once numbered only several thousand, scattered across more than three hundred tribes. After several decades, only around a hundred tribes remained.

Over the past decade, the Wind-Fire Tribe had driven the development of the surrounding region, and their population had already reached more than a hundred thousand!

All of this was because of Feng Xu.

Perhaps someone like him should go to a broader world and display his talents.

"Such an impressive force is hardly inferior to the Central Wilderness Tribe. It seems you have lived quite well these years."

Qu Shan praised them repeatedly, but Feng Xu heard another meaning in his words.

This envoy isn't planning to make us pay tribute, is he?

"Envoy Qu, you may not know this, but these are the warriors of more than a hundred surrounding tribes, so naturally their numbers are greater."

Qu Shan nodded with a smile.

"If so, I shall lend you a hand and help bring this to an end sooner."

"Haha, then many thanks, Lord Qu Shan."

Iron Mountain laughed loudly.

Qu Shan was a Late Heavenly Immortal who could fly through the air and roam the four seas, already possessing the bearing of an immortal.

With a Heavenly Immortal expert helping them, the speed of the extermination campaign increased greatly.

It also became much easier for Feng Xu and Bai Hao to locate areas where Baleful Corpses had gathered.

By the time the operation ended, the Baleful Core inside Feng Xu's body had grown to the size of a soybean.

Everyone gathered around the valley, curiously examining the envoy sent by the lord of the Great Wilderness.

Qu Shan had provided support everywhere these past days, and most people had only caught fleeting glimpses of his back.

Yet after seeing him, they were somewhat disappointed.

Qu Shan dressed simply, and even his animal hides had not been stitched together.

Overall, he was not dressed as well as they were.

"Earlier, I assumed you leaders received better treatment. Now it seems that I am the crude one."

"You flatter us, Lord Qu Shan. How could we compare with you? We merely possess a few means of survival. Once we return to the tribe, we will naturally prepare a finer outfit for you."

Feng Xu stepped forward and said.

"I can tell that you carry the most weight here. Very well, I shall go take a look and see what makes your tribe different."