Chapter 24

The girl turned and followed Yang Ye as he walked away. After a few steps, she looked back at the old man in black with a meaningful glance, her eyes sharp and filled with the wildness of a child raised in the mountains.

The tension from the confrontation dissipated, but Bai Xu was left with a mix of emotions. The old man in black had been guarding the ancestral hall of the Bai Ling tribe for countless years, seemingly since the tribe's inception, as if he would continue to do so forever. He was quiet and had little presence in the Bai Ling tribe. Yet, this very person was praised by the opponent, as if he were the only one in the entire Bai Ling tribe worth a glance.

"Bu Li should be arriving soon," the old man in black said, seemingly oblivious to the recent conflict. He raised his head, looking in the direction of the Bai Ling tribe, his eyes slightly squinting, and muttered to himself.

The crowd around them gradually dispersed, and Bai Xu and the old man in black walked in silence. Bai Xu didn't know what to say, and the old man in black rarely spoke to anyone in the tribe. Normally, everyone was used to this, but today, Bai Xu felt uncomfortable, as if needles were pricking his back.

The night passed in silence, the atmosphere somewhat awkward. Bai Xu began to feel a vague sense of anticipation for Bu Li, finding it amusing that he was looking forward to a former genius who was now a failure.

The next morning, Bai Xu woke up early and wandered around the tent, his mind restless, looking into the distance but unable to see Bu Li's figure. At this point, Bai Xu had doubts. It was said that Bu Li was severely injured; could he really come?

Some of the tribal leaders passing by had met before, and they exchanged greetings. Bai Xu could vaguely see disdain and pity in their eyes. A weak tribe, with no hope of ever leaving the mountains, was not something anyone would pay attention to or respect. Although Bai Xu had long known this and accepted his fate, he still felt uncomfortable when faced with those looks.

Bu Li still hadn't appeared. The surrounding tribes had finished preparing and began to gather around the Tian Ci Platform, waiting for the five-yearly "Yi Zu Da Shi" (Great Trial of the Remnant Tribes) to begin.

Disciples of the Hen Shan Sect stood on the Tian Ci Platform, drawing a bamboo slip from a pile and loudly announcing the names of the two tribes to compete. This was the preliminary match. As the names of the tribes were called out, two young men from the Xi Shan Yi Zu (Remnant Tribes of the Western Mountains) stepped onto the Tian Ci Platform, engaging in a bloody fight for their future and the prosperity of their tribe.

Due to the large number of tribes in the Xi Shan Yi Zu, the first round of matches took place simultaneously. Only the winners could enter the true "Yi Zu Da Shi," venturing into a mountain filled with poisonous mists, wild beasts, and death. At the heart of the mountain was a platform called the Duan Long Platform. Only the top three young men who reached the Duan Long Platform would qualify to win and enter the Hen Shan Sect, learning the true soul techniques and leading their tribes out of the mountains filled with wild beasts, mists, and death.

All the tribal leaders and priests gathered around the Tian Ci Platform, the atmosphere solemn and tense. The disciples of the Hen Shan Sect read out the names of the tribes with indifferent expressions, and the hopeful disciples of the Xi Shan Yi Zu entered the soul array, preparing for another bloody battle.

Bai Xu was not in the mood to watch, pacing around like an ant on a hot pan, wondering when Bu Li would arrive. Some matches were evenly matched and lasted a long time, while others were quick and decisive, finishing in a few breaths. The losers were either dead or injured, rarely escaping unscathed.

"Bai Ling Tribe!" The sun was already setting, and it seemed to be the last match of the day. At this moment, a disciple of the Hen Shan Sect drew a bamboo slip and announced loudly.

Bai Xu looked around, extremely nervous. Where was Bu Li? Seeing that Bu Li still hadn't appeared, he approached the old man in black and asked in a low voice, "When will Bu Li arrive?"

"I don't know."

"Will he come at all?"

"I don't know."

Feeling a surge of anger, Bai Xu heard the disciple of the Hen Shan Sect on the Tian Ci Platform say impatiently, "Where are the disciples of the Bai Ling Tribe?"

Bai Xu stood there, at a loss, not knowing what to say or do. The crowd around him burst into laughter. The "Yi Zu Da Shi," which the Xi Shan Yi Zu considered extremely sacred, how could a tribe not send anyone? In the past, if a tribe didn't send anyone, they would have already informed the Hen Shan Sect and not been on the list. Registering but not sending anyone was a blatant challenge to the Hen Shan Sect.

"Bai Ling Tribe? Are they afraid of the Di Shi Tribe?"

"Really cowardly. They should have not sent anyone in the first place. How could they back out at the last minute? The Bai Ling Tribe is really unique."

"Look at their priest, so thin, are they all starving in the Bai Ling Tribe? Did they starve their contestant to death?"

"Look at that Bai Ling Tribe leader, still wearing a simple cloth robe, acting like he's someone important."

Mocking and disdainful words rained down on Bai Xu, making his face flush with embarrassment and anger, wishing he could find a hole to hide in.

A disciple of the Hen Shan Sect cleared his throat and said impatiently, "According to the rules of the sect, if the disciples of the Bai Ling Tribe do not enter the arena within ten breaths, the Bai Ling Tribe will be disqualified from the next 'Yi Zu Da Shi.'"

"Ten."

"Nine."

Each count felt like a knife stabbing Bai Xu's heart. When he heard that the Bai Ling Tribe would not even have the chance to participate in the next "Yi Zu Da Shi," Bai Xu was stunned. No one had known such a rule existed before, as no one had ever been absent from the "Yi Zu Da Shi."

His face turned pale, and Bai Xu, unable to bear the weight, was drenched in sweat, soaking his simple cloth robe in an instant.

"Eight." The disciple of the Hen Shan Sect continued to count down expressionlessly, growing impatient, as if it was a frustrating and boring waste of his precious cultivation time.

"Seven."

The noise from the crowd below grew louder. This unprecedented scene was something the tribal leaders had never even imagined. Some frivolous young men began to cheer, as if their opponent not showing up meant they had already led their tribe out of the Western Mountains.

The old man in black remained motionless, standing like a stone statue, silently watching the disciple of the Hen Shan Sect on the Tian Ci Platform without a word.

Bai Xu's mind was blank, not knowing what to say or do. The tribal leader and the priest stood there, allowing the crowd to mock them without any reaction.

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