Nan Huaiyuan's arrival threw the wedding into an uproar, especially among the guests from Ironwood Village and several other tribes. It was the first time they had heard of the Rock Peace Tribe sending people to attend a wedding held by a low-ranking tribe.
Everyone gained a new appreciation of Chen Village's strength. The people of Ironwood Village were especially excited, all feeling that they had backed the right horse this time.
The wedding lasted for more than two hours, and the ceremony finally ended at noon.
Chen Hongjie showed Nan Huaiyuan around Chen Village. In the end, Nan Huaiyuan did not stay for lunch and left with his people.
"Hmph, Nan Huaiyuan couldn't have come today with good intentions."
After seeing Nan Huaiyuan off, Chen Shanxiong could not help muttering.
"It's fine. He only wanted to sound out our strength. We're not what we used to be, and there's no need to fear him now!"
Chen Hongjie's tone was calm.
Then, as if he had remembered something, a trace of worry appeared in his eyes.
"A Mu, Nan Huaiyuan's attainments in arrays are no small matter. Your rune array also falls within the scope of arrays, so you must be careful, lest he find a flaw in it."
"Third Uncle! Do you have so little confidence in me?"
Chen Mu pouted in displeasure, then smiled confidently, looking somewhat mysterious.
"Don't worry! If he really thinks he's found a weakness and leads people in to attack us, he might even save me some trouble!"
The path of arrays, much like artifact refinement, medicinal pills, Demonic Patterns, and the like, was inextricably linked to the Dao of Talismans.
Runes were like mathematics in modern science: they were the foundation. If a person was good at mathematics, he could achieve twice the result with half the effort in every field of scientific research.
The inheritance Chen Mu had obtained from the Rune Ancestor touched on arrays, artifact refinement, pill refinement, and more, though its main focus was the Dao of Talismans.
Arrays built using runes were more complex and had more variations than ordinary arrays. Chen Mu was quite confident in himself.
"That's good. Still, Chen Village has attracted too many monsters and demons lately. Dealing with them is a real headache.
"It looks like, given the chance, we'll have to pick a tribe and give them a proper fight to intimidate those people with ulterior motives."
A cold glint flashed through Chen Hongjie's eyes.
Hearing this, Chen Mu nodded as if in complete agreement.
Chen Village had already attracted the covetous gazes of many tribes. Allowing those forces to keep probing them was a sign of weakness, and intimidating those villains was a good approach at a time like this.
"If I remember correctly, of the low-ranking tribes that helped the Wumeng Tribe attack Chen Village half a year ago, two were fairly strong and are still standing. Why don't we start with them?"
Chen Shanxiong made the suggestion.
Chen Hongjie pondered for a long moment, then nodded.
"Zihu has just had his wedding, so let him rest for two days!
"In three days, I'll have Zihu lead people to wipe them out!"
With a few casual words, Chen Hongjie had decided the fate of two tribes. That was the confidence strength brought.
Ever since the Five Elements Chaos Array was completed, many people in Chen Village had begun making rapid advances in strength. Although no one had become a Martial Master yet, Ninth-Duan Martial Artists were no longer a rarity.
The younger generation had been particularly outstanding. Chen Zihu's talent had always been exceptionally high, and with the help of the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array, he had been the quickest to reach the ninth duan of the Body Tempering Realm.
But advancing from the ninth duan of the Body Tempering Realm to the Qi Nourishing Realm meant breaking through to a major realm. A suitable cultivation environment alone was not enough for that step; a cultivation technique, temperament, comprehension, and more were all indispensable.
Many geniuses from small tribes reached the ninth duan of the Body Tempering Realm at a young age, only to remain stuck there for life because they could not meet certain requirements.
Chen Mu's Five Elements Body Tempering Art drew on the cultivation principles of the Acala Heart Sutra, so there was absolutely no problem breaking through to the Qi Nourishing Realm with it. As for the rest, they would have to work at it themselves.
In a training room of the Tuoba Lineage, in the Flame Blessing Tribe.
A young man in splendid brocade robes was practicing a fist technique. His movements were agile and ingenious, containing numerous variations and displaying profound skill.
Once a light sweat appeared on his forehead, he stopped and sat down on a nearby chair to rest.
He stood seven chi tall, his face fair as polished jade and his eyes bright as shooting stars. A confident smile played at the corner of his mouth, and he carried the noble bearing of a young master from a prestigious family.
"A Ruo, tell me what's been happening in the tribe lately."
He took a sip of tea and asked the woman beside him.
The woman called A Ruo bowed slightly, her voice gentle and pleasant.
"Young Master, the news causing the greatest stir in the tribe lately is that Lord Haoran led an army to a crushing victory over the Mystic Heaven Tribe's Darksteel Cavalry, seizing the territories of two mid-ranking tribes in succession for our tribe.
"Everyone in the tribe is saying that Lord Haoran is a matchless warrior and should be granted the title of Tribal Warrior."
As Tuoba Ziying listened, the knuckles of the hand holding his teacup turned slightly white. Then he set the cup heavily on the table.
"A bunch of idiots. Tribal Warrior?
"He's a slave. What right does he have to be a Tribal Warrior?"
He took a deep breath and calmed himself.
"A Ruo, you may leave. I want some quiet time alone."
"Yes!"
Once Tuoba Ziying saw that the woman had gone far away, his expression immediately darkened.
"Mingye, come out and see me!"
A slender figure stepped out of the shadows: a woman dressed in close-fitting black clothes.
"What happened to the tribe Chen Haoran came from, the one I told you to keep an eye on? Has it been wiped out?"
He remembered that Chen Haoran's village was extremely weak. Back then, he had merely sent people to spread a few rumors, and Chen Village had already found it difficult to take a single step. Surely it had been destroyed by now.
"No. I hear that tribe received help from a Rune Master and developed very quickly. It even managed to fend off an attack by a mid-ranking tribe."
Smack! Tuoba Ziying slammed his palm on the table, knocking over the teacup beside him.
"A Rune Master? Which Rune Master? How dare he offend even our Flame Blessing Tribe!"
"We don't know. That Rune Master took a young child from Chen Village as his disciple. His disciple usually handles all matters, while he himself never shows his face."
"Hmph! Hiding his head and showing his tail!"
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice turned cold.
"Find the Rune Master behind them and kill him!"
The woman in black hesitated at his words.
"Master said that we must not lay a hand on Chen Haoran's clansmen."
"Don't worry! Strictly speaking, this Rune Master isn't one of his clansmen. Just do it cleanly and leave nothing he can use against us."
Tuoba Ziying wore a look of disdain.
"However formidable Chen Haoran may be, he's nothing but a dog of our Flame Blessing Tribe! Without proof, I doubt he can stir up any waves."
"Yes!"
The woman in black flashed away and vanished into the shadows in the corner.