The Glory of the Tribe

When Chen Yuanzhou received the news, he was surrounded by a group of disciples from the Starry Pavilion. They had originally planned to go with him when he first traveled to Heitan Mountain, but due to Chen Yuanxuan’s sudden appearance, they were too frightened to follow.
This time, however, because Shen Taiping brought a group of supporters with him, they could not retreat and had to go together!

On the ninth of March, at the Jiang Tribe's earthen city in Heitan Mountain.
Before dusk, Jiang Xuan had finished his ten life-and-death battles for the day. As usual, there were no surprises, and just like every month, this round of battles had come to an end.
However, unlike the previous two days, today's ten life-and-death matches had a large group of spectators, all from various families in Feixue City, ranging from small to large clans, including some top-tier families. Among them were both talented young heirs and their bodyguards.

All of them were brought here by a man named Shen Taiping.
However, Shen Taiping did not watch the battles. As soon as he arrived at the Jiang Tribe's earthen city, due to some unexpected circumstances, he immediately went into seclusion.
Nightfall, at the back mountain of the earthen city.

In front of the transmission stone.
"Senior, today, Chen Yuanxuan acted strangely. After the fifth match, since it was noon and we had half an hour more to rest, I went to eat. She came to join me, and when I said it was unnecessary to be so close, she replied that it would clear her conscience… But she clearly snuck in through the window. Then, while eating, she asked me if I had been having dreams lately."
"I said no, I haven't dreamt, why? Did you have a dream recently?"

"She nodded and said she dreamed every night."
"I asked her what kind of dreams she had, but she didn't say. Instead, she acted strangely, and when I pressed her further, she became angry and told me to shut up. I scolded her, saying that she was the one who intruded, and I told her she was crazy. She..."
Jiang Xuan suddenly stopped. It seemed like he couldn't find the right words to describe it.

"She… what happened?" the ethereal voice of the transmission stone asked.
"She... didn't refute me, didn't say anything, just ate from her bowl, no longer touching her vegetables. This was completely unlike her usual behavior. Today, I chatted with some of the young masters from Feixue City. They all told me to stay away from Chen Yuanxuan, saying her temper was very violent, that she had a fierce personality... Actually, I also felt she could be that kind of person, but today when I scolded her, she was very patient."
"And then I said, 'Why don't you eat your vegetables? It's as if I'm abusing you. Who are you putting on a show for? There's no one else here.' And then she started eating her vegetables."

"Afterward, I felt like I might have overdone it, so I apologized to her, but she seemed not to appreciate it. She coldly said, 'Jiang Dazuchang is really impressive,' mocking me… We didn't speak again until we finished eating."
"What did you feel?" the ethereal voice asked.
"I... I just feel that these days, sometimes she seems to be deliberately provoking me. I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but when I scold her, she doesn’t argue back..."

"Haha, interesting!"
"Senior, you...?" Jiang Xuan was surprised, "Senior, you laughed?"
"Can't I laugh?" the voice of Qianhuang retorted.
"No... It's the first time in nine years that I've heard you laugh like this," Jiang Xuan said.

"Yeah, nine years, huh?" Qianhuang's voice carried a sense of nostalgia. "When we first met, you were just a seven-year-old kid. I taught you a lot, but I never expected, or rather, never thought that one day I would have to teach you about matters of the heart."
"Matters of the heart?" Jiang Xuan was confused. "What kind of matters of the heart?"
"How is this not a matter of the heart? You don't seem very perceptive," the ethereal voice sounded unusually excited, as if it found this more interesting than teaching Jiang Xuan martial techniques. "Think about it—if it wasn’t for what happened in Heitan Mountain, how could you and she have met multiple times these past few days?"

Qianhuang knew everything about what happened in Heitan Mountain. On the evening of the seventh, Jiang Xuan had already come to the back mountain and shared everything.
"This..." Jiang Xuan was still thinking through the logic.
"Whether she dislikes you or fears you, as long as she interacts with you, she will inevitably have some strange emotions. You're the first man in her life, and currently the only one, so in her heart, there are two possibilities... Either she wants you dead, or, in reality, she cares about you. And she might not even realize it herself," Qianhuang explained.

"It’s not necessarily true though... For example, the women in our tribe..."
"Don’t compare the women of your tribe with those from the cities, especially those from noble families. They are different," Qianhuang interrupted.
"Alright..." Jiang Xuan agreed.

"What I just said is just the premise. Based on your description these past few days, Chen Yuanxuan is an extremely proud woman, and she wants to prove herself. Her lost talents only drive her to be more competitive! Actually, such strong women often end up lonely, even if they become gods or demons—they’ll remain alone, living freely."
Qianhuang continued, "And such women are more drawn to power. They say 'opposites attract,' but she would despise someone who is her equal. She doesn’t need pity, nor mutual reliance, and will hate flattery from admirers! What she needs is a stronger person to show interest in her, because she believes she deserves it! Only—"
The transmission stone suddenly fell silent. It didn’t sound like Qianhuang had finished, but as if the conversation had abruptly stopped.

In a palace, a woman wrapped in an ethereal aura gazed at the transmission stone, momentarily stunned.
Nothing had happened. She simply realized while speaking that she was just that kind of woman! And now, she was the only ruler of this world. She had never had a man before, and she probably wouldn’t in the future! This world would not allow such a strong man to exist!
"Senior? Senior?" Jiang Xuan hesitated and called twice.

"I had something come up, I'll continue."
Qianhuang resumed, "So, in reality, you had no chance—at least, not yet—but because of what happened in Heitan Mountain, you have since been in contact, and through this contact, you unknowingly discovered a unique preference she might not even realize she has."
"Preference?" Jiang Xuan blinked. "What preference?"

"S&M," Qianhuang said.
Jiang Xuan froze instantly. He was completely stunned! He didn’t dare ask about this "preference," because he understood well enough that his tribe was a place where everyone had their quirks, and they didn’t hide anything.
"No... no way..." Jiang Xuan said, dragging out the words in disbelief.

"The tougher someone seems on the outside, the more likely they are to have an extreme on the inside. It’s not always the case, but it’s true for some. Chen Yuanxuan grew up surrounded by admiration and praise, always held in a very high regard. Very few have dared to scold her without caring about her identity, looks, or talent. You’re the first," Qianhuang continued.
"No, no, Senior," Jiang Xuan said, starting to think, "If she really has that kind of preference, the Chen family must have rival families. Shen Taiping, who came last night, seems like one of them. The Shen family has likely offended Chen Yuanxuan and even verbally attacked her in public before. So, in the past..."
"Not the same! I’ve said, what happened in the mountains is just the premise," Qianhuang interrupted again, "Chen Yuanxuan is extremely proud. She cannot tolerate being insulted. If others offend her, she will kill them with her sword! But you’re different! You’ve already insulted her in the most extreme way—an entire night! With this layer of relationship between you two, if you insult her again, for example, criticizing her for doing something wrong... She will be much more accepting. She will still have a strong sense of pride in front of others, but not as much in front of you."

"Therefore, you're the one who discovered her preference, and you're the only one who can treat her this way!"
Jiang Xuan was truly stunned. Could it really be like this?
So magical?

But when he thought about it carefully, Chen Yuanxuan’s mood swings these days did seem to indicate that she was intentionally provoking him.
"Senior... Are you a woman?" Jiang Xuan suddenly asked.
There was a long pause before Qianhuang’s voice came through again, "Why do you ask that?"

"My mother used to say that women understand women better," Jiang Xuan said, realizing this might be the first time he had an inkling about Qianhuang's gender, "And only a woman would care so much about 'matters of the heart,' right?"
"Whether I’m a man or a woman doesn’t matter. Focus on you!" Qianhuang decisively steered the topic back.
Jiang Xuan, understanding his senior’s temperament, didn’t press further, but in his heart, he was starting to form an answer.

"Then, Senior, if Chen Yuanxuan really is the way you say, what should I...?" Jiang Xuan asked.
"Answer me one question first," Qianhuang’s voice asked. "Do you like Chen Yuanxuan? Do you want her?"
Jiang Xuan remained silent for five breaths before speaking, "She’s talented, and she’s beautiful. She could make a fine wife..."

"Your thoughts are so simple."
Qianhuang sighed and then said, "Then, be more proactive. Exactly how to do it, you’ll have to figure out, but I must remind you that there needs to be a gradual process. Her pride is strong, so don’t embarrass her in public. In private, do as you see fit."
"Okay..."

Jiang Xuan thought for a moment before asking one last question: "Senior, what if you’re wrong? What if I...?"
"Don’t you want to take any risks? You’re sixteen! Act like a man! Dare to act, and dare to take responsibility!"
Qianhuang continued, "If you can get her into your bed, a woman like her will be loyal to you. When that happens... I’ll allow you to teach her the Ruyi Breathing Technique. She’s already highly talented. The technique may not improve her talent much, but its side effects will help her injuries recover slowly, eventually restoring her original abilities!"

Jiang Xuan felt that his senior was truly looking out for him!
Late at night.
A large group of hundreds of people entered the Jiang Tribe's earthen city. The city gate guards let them in without asking for permission, as the leader of the group was a familiar face—Chen Yuanzhou, the genius of the Chen family!

He brought with him a group of prodigies from Feixue City, all accompanied by bodyguards, making the group quite large.
After asking familiar Jiang Tribe members to arrange housing for the hundreds of people, Chen Yuanzhou immediately found his sister, Chen Yuanxuan.
The moonlight was thick.

In the courtyard, under the shade of the trees, a gentle breeze blew.
"So, Shen Taiping had some realizations on his way here, and that’s why as soon as he entered the city, he went into seclusion? He didn’t even visit Lord Lei Hong?" Chen Yuanzhou said, exhaling. "It’s good he didn’t get ahead of me."
"Probably, he’s been away from the city for too long, and the view of the tribe’s lands inspired him," Chen Yuanxuan replied coldly. "He’s at a critical point in understanding the divine power of heaven and earth. Every little realization must be seized, and through this accumulation, he’ll break through soon."

Completely understanding the divine power of the Heavenly Emperor meant reaching the same realm as Chen Yuanxuan, only one step away from transcending the innate realm.
"As long as he hasn’t challenged Jiang Xuan yet, I’m fine," Chen Yuanzhou said, standing up. "It’s getting late, sis, you should stop practicing your sword, and...”
Buzz——

A strong fluctuation of energy suddenly came from a courtyard two streets away. The energy wave swept across half the earthen city, instantly causing the space to feel as if it were凝结.
This spatial compression was so strong that even Chen Yuanzhou couldn’t break free immediately.
Chen Yuanxuan, however, simply raised her finger, and the sensation was instantly shattered!

The two of them almost simultaneously flew to the roof and stared in shock at the courtyard where the energy was emanating from.
"Sis, that wouldn’t be...?"
"Yes, it’s Shen Taiping. He’s broken through! He’s the first to completely understand the divine power of heaven and earth."

Chen Yuanzhou’s face turned ashen. He hadn’t felt this urgency in a long time. Initially, their strengths were comparable. They could both have the same chances of defeating Jiang Xuan, depending on who fought first—whoever fought first would gain the reputation!
But now that Shen Taiping had broken through first, even if Chen Yuanzhou defeated Jiang Xuan, his realm would still be lower than Shen Taiping’s, and he wouldn’t be able to convince anyone that he was the number one genius of Feixue City!
On the contrary, if Shen Taiping fought Jiang Xuan first, he would win more easily, and with his first breakthrough, the title of number one genius would truly be his!

Their competition had lasted more than ten years, but at this crucial point, the situation had turned against Chen Yuanzhou!
Chen Yuanzhou closed his eyes and felt the spatial compression that kept intensifying.