Revealing the Art, a Tribal Council!

Qingyang Huan climbed up from the ground, unbothered. At this moment, he felt that this was the father he knew, as rough and direct as ever.

Wait!

"Why do you have the scent of another race on you? You fought someone from another race!"

Just then, by the light of the beastfire, the burly figure came back to Qingyang Huan's side and examined him closely. He even reached out a large hand and felt him over for a moment, only relaxing once he saw that no arms or legs were missing.

"I ran into the Wood Race, and I also..."

"There's no rush. Go see your mother first, then come find me at the clan hall!"

Qingyang Huan did not mind his father cutting him off. He was back in the tribe, after all; telling them about the Wood Race a little later would do no harm.

Besides, the stone spear had already told him that there seemed to be some treasure in that swamp, which had drawn the Wood Race together. Had he not stumbled upon them today, he would never have discovered their tracks.

This was also why, when he encountered the Qingyang Guard earlier, he had not asked him to gather the other Qingyang Guard warriors nearby. The Qingyang Guard he met was not a member of the Qingyang Tribe, but had been selected from another tribe.

Since it was treasure, naturally, the fewer people who knew, the better!

Although the warriors of the Qingyang Guard were under the Qingyang Clan's command, Qingyang placed no restrictions on them.

Besides that, he also wanted to tell his family about the Skin Wrinkling, as well as the Five Body Forging Methods improved by the stone spear. The Qingyang Clan was his home. Only by growing stronger could Qingyang better carry on its legacy and thrive.

In truth, aside from wanting to see the outside world, his reason for cultivating martial arts was to protect his family and tribe. He did not know when this thought had appeared in his heart. There had been no sign of it coming; it was a conviction that had arisen naturally as he grew up in the Qingyang Mountain Range.

There were two valleys and a lake in the Qingyang Mountain Range. His family lived in one valley, while the other housed the Qingyang Tribe's ancestral hall, where clan elders stood watch year-round. It was the foundation of Qingyang.

As for the Qingyang Clan's clan hall, it stood atop a fractured ancient mountain a hundred zhang tall at the very center of the range. It was also the most imposing building in the Qingyang Mountain Range.

Entering the valley, Qingyang Huan returned to his stone house and washed away the blood covering him, then headed toward another stone house not far from his own.

Inside the stone house, a woman in a beast-hide robe and leather skirt was looking toward the doorway, a trace of anger in her eyes. Qingyang Huan entered, and upon seeing his mother like this, thought, This is bad. Mother's angry.

He immediately walked over to her with a grin and hugged one of her arms. Yet she would not even look at him, ignoring him no matter what he said.

"Mother, I was wrong. I promise, I promise I won't go out again!"

"Ever since you began your martial Foundation Establishment three years ago, your promises have been tossed into the back hills to feed the wolves."

At last, seeing Qingyang Huan's pitiful expression, her heart could not help softening. But a flicker of worry passed through her eyes, and she reached out and grabbed his ear, pretending to be hardhearted.

"Ah... Mother, that hurts, hurts, hurts!" Seeing Qingyang Huan flail and shout, the woman released him, even though she knew he was pretending.

Qingyang Huan stayed with his mother for nearly half an hour before leaving, but he understood what was on her mind.

His eldest brother, Qingyang Luan, helped their father handle tribal affairs. His second brother, Qingyang Hao, served in the Qingyang Guard and was often away from the tribe. His third sister had married into the Yuehe Tribe three hundred li away two years ago.

As the youngest, he had naturally become the flesh of his mother's heart. Now that he, too, had begun venturing beyond Qingyang to battle in the Great Wilderness, his mother was worried, all the more because he was growing up and would leave her.

He left the valley and headed toward the clan hall. Beastfire flickered inside, illuminating three figures.

"Little brother, come in."

Seeing Qingyang Huan appear at the top of the steps, the burly figure inside called out.

Stepping into the hall, Qingyang Huan greeted them. "Father, Grand Elder, eldest brother."

There were few rules or formalities between members of the same clan. Despite the Qingyang Clan's thirty thousand people, very few truly counted as its upper ranks. Aside from his father and the Grand Elder, there was the commander of the Qingyang Guard, his own uncle, Qingyang Lie.

They were also the three strongest people in the clan at present. Grand Elder Qingyang Rong was already a hundred and twenty years old and entering his twilight years, but his strength was second only to Qingyang Huan's father. He was at the peak of the Divine Treasure Realm, having opened three Divine Repositories. Had he not suffered grievous injuries back then, Qingyang might well have had two Spirit Seizing Realm experts.

A warrior's lifespan would exceed a hundred years upon entering Body Casting, reach a hundred and fifty upon entering Divine Repository, and soar to three hundred upon stepping into the Spirit Seizing Realm!

Where in the Great Wilderness could there be peace? Besides sheltering the lands within ten thousand li, the Qingyang Clan also had to contend with tribes beyond those ten thousand li.

To the west of the Qingyang Clan lay the Wandering Cloud Tribe, to the north the Yanshan Clan, and to the east the Fire Dragon Tribe. To the south, beyond an endless ancient forest, stood the Ancient City of La Mountain, the center of the entire Ancient Land of La Mountain.

Although the Qingyang Clan claimed to shelter ten thousand li, that was only an approximate range. The Great Wilderness was simply too vast.

Nor was Qingyang situated in the middle of those ten thousand li. The Yanshan Clan, for instance, lay only a thousand li to Qingyang's north, and friction between the two clans had continued for a thousand years.

He had not told that Qingyang Guard about the Wood Race earlier, not because he distrusted the man, but because some things were leaked entirely by accident. Perhaps it would be no more than a casual remark, one the speaker thought nothing of, yet someone with intentions would hear it.

He recounted his encounter with the Wood Race, saying only that he had seen identical pieces of withered wood from afar, standing in the swamp as though searching for something.

"The Wood Race, at least several hundred of them! Such gall, daring to venture deep into Qingyang's heartland. Kill them!"

The Grand Elder spoke, killing intent fierce and chilling. Though his temples had grayed and his once-burly frame had grown thin, one could still glimpse the boiling blood of his youth.

"Grand Elder, the Wood Race's blood essence is gentle and nourishing. Perhaps it could nurture your Divine Repositories anew," Qingyang Jue said next.

At those words, Qingyang Huan could not help feeling a chill. His father had not uttered a single word about killing, yet those calm words brought a torrential rain of blood.

What did he mean, gentle and nourishing? Why not just say he had his eye on their blood essence!

No, the Wood Race's blood essence really was gentle and nourishing. I've already experienced it myself.

"Um, Father, Grand Elder, I have something else to say." After a moment, Qingyang Huan spoke again. The Grand Elder answered with a smile, "Jue, this child of yours is much better than those other two. Luan is far too honest and kind. This is the Great Wilderness. How can anyone survive without being a little ruthless?"

"Speak, Huan. What else is there? It seems sneaking out this time wasn't for nothing. Once the Wood Race matter is settled, you'll go into the ancient forest and hunt blood food for Qingyang for a year. The clan has given you the best resources for cultivation all these years. It's time you gave something back. We men of Qingyang should weather storms and slaughter!" Qingyang Jue said.

Qingyang Huan did not argue. Even if he were forbidden to go out, he would sneak away anyway. Otherwise, he could forget about reaching the Body Casting Extreme Realm within two years. Hunting blood food for the clan was nothing.

Without hesitation, when he spoke again, he recited a passage of a cultivation art.

Boom!

In an instant, Qingyang Jue rose inside the hall, a domineering presence flashing and vanishing. He was not the only one; the Grand Elder and Qingyang Huan's eldest brother also sprang straight up from their stone seats, shock in their eyes!

"Huan, this...!"

Qingyang Jue cried out. Even hearing that the Wood Race had appeared had not shocked him this much!

The Qingyang Clan's Five Body Forging Methods!

The foundation upon which Qingyang had established its clan!

Now they were being recited by his youngest son, and they had even been improved!

"This...!"

At last, Qingyang Huan finished reciting the complete art of the Five Body Forging Methods. A long time passed before heavy breathing sounded in the hall.

Faced with the searching gazes of his father, the Grand Elder, and his eldest brother, Qingyang Huan firmly shook his head and said nothing!

The Grand Elder was the first to recover. They were all experts at the Divine Treasure Realm, so naturally, memorizing an art of a few thousand words was easy for them.

"To think Qingyang's Five Methods could be improved like this! Twenty years-no, it won't take twenty years. Once this generation of the tribe's children grows up, Qingyang's strength will surely increase!"

"Good, good, good!" the Grand Elder exclaimed, excitement in his eyes. To him, nothing mattered more than seeing the tribe grow strong!

At this moment, they asked no more about where the art had come from. Of course, what guesses they might have made was unknown!

"No, those little children in the clan who have only just entered the first and second steps of Body Casting must all cultivate anew. Though it will delay them a little, their chances of advancing to the Divine Treasure Realm in the future will surely increase!"

"Cultivating anew will require more blood essence. Luan, starting tomorrow, take the hunting teams into the ancient forest in shifts to hunt fierce beasts!"

"And get those old fellows in the clan hall out here to teach these little brats personally..."

"Heaven blesses Qingyang! Hahaha..."

Watching the Grand Elder stumble over his words, Qingyang Huan instead felt a deep warmth. Danger lurked on every side in the Great Wilderness; only unity within the clan would let them keep moving forward. Qingyang was like this, and that was good.

"Huan, all these days you've been sneaking out of the clan!"

Meeting Qingyang Jue's gaze, he nodded emphatically. Then blood Qi welled over his entire body, and faint wrinkles appeared on the arms exposed beyond his beast-hide robe.

"Skin Wrinkling—the Body Casting Extreme Realm!"

Yet that was not the end. Next, an illusory crescent moon appeared in the center of his palm, radiating slaughter!

"The presence of slaughter-this is the Dao of Slaughter!"

The shock in Qingyang Jue's eyes deepened. This was the Dao of heaven and earth! He had only begun coming into contact with Dao arts after entering the Spirit Seizing Realm, yet his child was still in the Body Forging Realm!

The next moment, Qingyang Jue burst out laughing, shaking the entire clan hall until it hummed. "Grand Elder, do you see? This is my seed, Qingyang Jue's!"

"Hahaha..."

Seeing his father laugh and his eldest brother chuckle foolishly, he laughed as well. The weariness of mind and spirit from all his days of fighting in the ancient forest was swept away entirely!