The Glory of the Tribe

"Cough… gurgle, gurgle…"
Shen Taiping could feel his life rapidly slipping away, a sensation that filled him with unprecedented terror. Originally, his plan was simply to defeat Jiang Xuan, and with his understanding of Shen Tian's Divine Might, he had become several times stronger. He thought he wouldn't even need any killer techniques—he was confident he could easily defeat Jiang Xuan.
But then, Feng Fu raised his hand and unleashed his ultimate move, Three Seas Merging Into One.

Shen Taiping had no choice but to use his own killer move, hoping to act before Feng Fu, to become the one who would defeat Jiang Xuan.
At the moment when he executed Return to the Past, Shen Taiping had already thought about how he would explain Jiang Xuan’s death to Lei Hong. He would claim that Jiang Xuan struck first, and no matter what, he would avoid the accusation of “disrupting the death match.” After all, offending the Shen family for a mere tribal member? Lei Hong, however fair, wouldn't be so rigid.
His thoughts were cut off.

A dazzling slash of sword light shattered his Return to the Past!
And with it, all his thoughts.
Shen Taiping didn’t know what Feng Fu felt when faced with the sword light, but for him… he didn’t have time to think!

That sword strike was too fast!
It was so fast that it surpassed Shen Taiping’s understanding of swordsmanship.
Had it not been for Xie Hanjie’s intervention at the critical moment, Shen Taiping knew he would have met the same fate as Feng Fu—a severed head!

The fleeting sword light left a terrifying brand in his mind!
"Robbery Realm Swordsmanship!"
Xie Hanjie was also shaken. "The unification of man and sword is to better understand swordsmanship; the Heavenly Force borrows a sliver of heaven and earth's power to strengthen the sword technique; Shen Tian’s Divine Might is the ultimate combination of skill and technique realms, borrowing more of the power of heaven and earth… but swordsmanship is the foundation! The triple realms of technique merely increase its power on this foundation!"

"The gap between Innate Swordsmanship and Robbery Realm Swordsmanship is immense!!!"
No matter how much the Innate Swordsmanship is enhanced by skill realms, it can never be stronger than Robbery Realm Swordsmanship!
Even the strongest Innate Swordsmanship, compared to the weakest Robbery Realm Swordsmanship, would have a difference in power of dozens of times! This was a difference of realms.

Xie Hanjie knew that Feng Fu and Shen Taiping had no unjust defeat.
But!
"He hasn’t even perfected the Innate level! He can’t practice skill realms! How could he directly surpass the level and comprehend Robbery Realm Swordsmanship?!" Xie Hanjie thought with horror.
How terrifying was this?

It wasn’t impossible to comprehend Robbery Realm Swordsmanship early. Chen Yuanxuan had been trying to grasp Robbery Realm Swordsmanship for years! She had even sought Lei Hong’s guidance on the first day she arrived at the Jiang Tribe’s Earth City.
Chen Yuanxuan was already twenty-six! She had already comprehended the triple realms of technique!
But Jiang Xuan was just a sixteen-year-old teenager in the late stages of Innate level!

"His swordsmanship talent far exceeds Yuanxuan’s swordsmanship talent! He might only appear once in a thousand years! Luckily, he only entered the Innate level at fifteen, and his realm and talent are far inferior to Yuanxuan’s, who entered at twelve! Even if he spent half a year forcing his way to the late Innate level through excessive resources, it would still be difficult for him to break into the Robbery Realm in the future. The breakthrough in the higher realm still depends on comprehension, not just resources. Perhaps his age for entering the Robbery Realm won’t be earlier than mine... but ultimately, he will be limited by his realm talent, and no matter how fast his skill realm cultivation is, the possibility of becoming a god or demon is slim."
Xie Hanjie knew the secret behind Jiang Xuan’s recent improvement in realms.
Lei Hong had not hidden it from him. Xie Hanjie, being the Inspector, was part of Lei Hong’s faction, and Lei Hong was transparent about the share of the mineral gains Jiang Xuan received.

Xie Hanjie maliciously speculated about Jiang Xuan's future.
He didn’t like Jiang Xuan—not only because of the deep prejudices city people had against the tribes but also because Chen Yuanxuan had been getting closer to Jiang Xuan recently.
And even with such malicious thoughts, Xie Hanjie had to admit two things.

First, Jiang Xuan’s swordsmanship talent was one in a thousand years.
Second, Jiang Xuan had the potential to become a god or demon!
"The possibility of becoming a god or demon is slim," could be reversed to mean, he has the potential to become a god or demon! As long as there’s a possibility, no matter how slim, it could be said that he has the potential to become a god or demon!

Having the potential to become a god or demon was the highest praise a cultivator could receive!
"The Robbery Realm Swordsmanship…" Chen Yuanzhou’s eyes were wide with shock as he stood on the rooftop, unable to comprehend the sword that had instantly broken two ultimate techniques, leaving Feng Fu, ranked fourth in Feixue City’s Innate Rankings, and Shen Taiping, at least in the top thirty, either dead or seriously injured.
Such swordsmanship could only be Robbery Realm Swordsmanship!

Chen Yuanzhou instinctively touched his neck.
He recalled what Jiang Xuan had once said, that the spar might accidentally end in his death, so they needed to sign a life-and-death agreement first. Chen Yuanzhou suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of dread!
The family was right!

It was right not to let him sign the life-and-death agreement! This rule to protect the family members should be strictly followed!
Damn, the family was so damn right!
"That’s Robbery Realm Swordsmanship! The potential to become a god or demon! He has the potential to become a god or demon!"

Chen Yuanxuan looked in shock at Jiang Xuan, standing in front of the headless corpse. She couldn’t believe it, but she had to admit it. "I’ve been practicing Robbery Realm Swordsmanship for years, only mastering a portion of the techniques, and I’ve never been able to use a complete strike. Of the top one hundred in Feixue City’s Innate Rankings, ninety-seven of them can’t master any of the difficult techniques of the Robbery Realm, only the top three... the top three are all from the government, specially trained by the imperial court with special resources as the strongest standards of the Innate realm!"
As the first-born of the Chen family, Chen Yuanxuan had dreamed of becoming the strongest in Feixue City! The first-born talent represented innate potential, while the first Innate master represented absolute strength at their current level!
To challenge the title of "strongest Innate in Feixue City," comprehending Robbery Realm Swordsmanship in advance was a prerequisite! Chen Yuanxuan had been striving for this!

But now, someone had beaten her to it!
"Too many people witnessed this scene. In no time, the news will spread back to Feixue City. In three days, Feixue City’s entire territory will be in an uproar! Jiang Xuan is the true first genius of Feixue City! And he already has the qualifications to challenge the strongest in the Innate realm!!"
To defeat the imperial court’s strongest, to become the "strongest in the Innate realm," was not only an honor but also brought immense practical benefits!

That was the reward given by the Lord of the God Demon City, personally bestowed!
Seeing the Lord of the God Demon City in person was already an immense benefit.
Chen Yuanxuan’s emotions, after being overtaken by Jiang Xuan, were not jealousy but an unprecedented impulse! She bit her lip and gazed at the sixteen-year-old boy, her eyes sparkling with emotion. Despite knowing it was shameless, she couldn’t help but think—she hoped to be thoroughly ravished by Jiang Xuan!

"He’s so strong, so strong! I just want…"
Around them, the yard was filled with people—on the roof, walls, and trees—several geniuses from the Feixue City Stars Pavilion had come. There were dozens of individuals who could be called geniuses, and among their hundreds of bodyguards, there were also people ranked in the top hundred of the Innate Rankings.
Everyone was shocked!

"Good thing I didn’t challenge Jiang Xuan…" A disciple named Lin Bin from the Stars Pavilion swallowed and felt fortunate. He was twenty-four years old, and his talent for Shen Tian’s Divine Might was no worse than Chen Yuanzhou’s or Shen Taiping’s.
But because he was a year older, he was never compared to them.
Lin Bin had never considered competing for the title of the number one genius. His family was just a middle-tier one, far inferior to the Chen or Shen families.

This time, he was here as a supporter of Chen Yuanzhou, accompanying him to the Jiang Tribe’s Earth City.
Lin Bin had immense respect for Chen Yuanzhou, calling him "Brother Lin," but he clearly understood the insurmountable gap between him and Chen Yuanzhou. He recognized his place, though it didn’t stop his competitive spirit!
He had entertained thoughts of challenging Jiang Xuan, but now, he was grateful he didn’t act on them!

Many disciples from the Stars Pavilion had similar thoughts, once tempted by the fame that could be gained from defeating Jiang Xuan.
"We even discussed privately before that Jiang Xuan couldn’t possibly kill the three Ge brothers. No matter how strong an Innate late-stage master’s trump card was, it wasn’t enough!"
"Without the triple realms of technique, no Innate Swordsmanship could kill those three demons! Looking back, we weren’t wrong. Jiang Xuan didn’t use Innate Swordsmanship—he used Robbery Realm Swordsmanship!"

Lin Bin was deeply shaken, unable to snap out of it for a long time.
"Little Xuan, how are you so strong?"
The Jiang family members, including Jiang Cuiyun, couldn’t fathom how Jiang Xuan had achieved such an unbelievable feat. They lacked the realm and experience to fully understand how Jiang Xuan had pulled off such an incredible victory.

With Feng Fu’s death, everyone’s attention turned toward Jiang Xuan.
Until—
“Cough, gurgle, gurgle, crack… help… gurgle, cough… I…” Shen Taiping, kneeling on the ground, clutching his neck and bowing his head, managed to make a muffled sound.

"Young Master!"
"Quick!"
The Shen family’s guests seemed to only realize the situation then and rushed frantically toward Shen Taiping.

"Get away!" Xie Hanjie growled, causing them to halt suddenly.
Xie Hanjie glanced at the kneeling Shen Taiping and, unhurriedly, took out a jade bottle from his robe. The moment he opened the lid, a fragrant aroma filled the air, wafting through half the Earth City. Just a whiff made one feel refreshed and full of energy.
Shen Taiping would not die; though a slit throat was a fatal wound for someone at the Innate stage, with someone from the Robbery Realm present, there were many ways to save him.

Using medicine was simply the easiest and most direct approach.
Xie Hanjie was in no rush. He scooped some green ointment from the small jade bottle and applied it to Shen Taiping's neck. After a gentle massage, Shen Taiping’s wound began healing visibly, the tissue rapidly regenerating.
In just five or six breaths, the wound had completely healed without a single scar.

"Ha... huff..." Shen Taiping gasped, his throat reconnecting, able to breathe again. But due to blood loss, his face was deathly pale. He immediately fumbled in his clothes and took out a blood-replenishing pill, swallowing it quickly.
Shen Taiping glanced at Jiang Xuan but didn’t say a word of anger.
It seemed like he hadn’t yet fully escaped the shadow of death.

It was Xie Hanjie, however, who stared at Jiang Xuan, his face growing darker, his eyes sharp.
He walked directly toward Jiang Xuan.
"Jiang Xuan! You have some nerve! Do you know who you’ve just killed? You, a mere tribal member, dare to kill a son of one of the four great families? If it weren’t for my intervention, do you know how grave your mistake would have been?" Xie Hanjie spoke as he walked, clearly looking for an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before Jiang Xuan could even open his mouth, several figures appeared next to him, all frowning and looking at Xie Hanjie. These were the Black Armored Guards.
Among them were Liu Feihu and Zhang Xiu, familiar faces to Jiang Xuan.

"Inspector, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to interfere in the tribe’s affairs?" Liu Feihu’s words were dripping with malice!
It was a serious accusation to say that an Inspector was overstepping their authority!
"As far as I know, the tribe has autonomous rights, and the clan leader's authority in Earth City is absolute!" Zhang Xiu said, looking at Xie Hanjie without emotion. "The clan leader can execute anyone in Earth City without reason! The only one who can intervene in the tribe’s management is the Inspector! The only one who can judge whether a tribe’s actions have gone too far is the Inspector! You, as a mere patrol official, have no right to manage the tribe!"

"Lord Xie! What do you think you’re doing?!" Zhang Xiu's last words were sharp, clearly meant to escalate the situation.
The Black Armored Guards showed no respect for Xie Hanjie!
They truly weren’t afraid of Xie Hanjie, despite the massive power gap between Innate and Robbery Realm!

Though both the Black Armored Guards and the Inspectors were from the imperial court, whether they feared someone wasn’t based on individual combat power.
It was based on their positions!
In Lei Hong’s jurisdiction, his personal guards, the Black Armored Guards, could even disregard other Inspectors! No other Inspectors dared to overstep their bounds in Lei Hong’s territory, and Xie Hanjie, a mere patrol official, was nothing compared to them!

That’s how things worked in the bureaucracy.
Xie Hanjie stopped in his tracks, his expression growing darker, but he didn’t say anything further. With a flick of his robes, he vanished, walking away! He couldn’t afford to clash with the Black Armored Guards; that would anger Lei Hong.
Xie Hanjie had initially planned to step in and teach Jiang Xuan a lesson, repay Shen Taiping’s life debt, and do Shen family a favor, but he ended up losing face.

Xie Hanjie wouldn’t hold a grudge against the Black Armored Guards, but everything he experienced would be blamed on Jiang Xuan.
As Xie Hanjie departed, Jiang Xuan glanced at Shen Taiping, then raised his hand and loudly declared:
"All Shen family members, you have one incense stick’s time to leave Earth City, and twelve hours to leave the Jiang Tribe’s territory! Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!"

The eviction order was given.
Shen Taiping turned and left, even forgetting to have someone collect Feng Fu’s body. It was left to two of Shen Taiping’s close associates to do so.
A large group of people began to withdraw.

"Liu Brother, Zhang Brother, thank you. And thank you to the rest of the brothers..." Jiang Xuan thanked the Black Armored Guards around him.
"Haha, little brother Jiang, you’ve been hiding your strength!"
"That must be Robbery Realm Swordsmanship!"

"With a talent like that, he must be the one with the potential to become a god or demon! Damn, if my little one could have just a fraction of the Jiang Clan leader’s talent, I’d die happy right now!" The Black Armored Guards laughed with Jiang Xuan.
"Little Xuan! Little Xuan, you’re not hurt, right?" The Jiang family members gathered around, Jiang Cuiyun both excited and worried.
"I’m fine." Jiang Xuan replied.

After some noise, Jiang Xuan added:
"Everyone! I just faced a life-and-death threat and have gained some insights. I must now go into seclusion in the back mountain. Please excuse me, I’ll take my leave."
After saying this, Jiang Xuan turned and left.

Chen Yuanxuan had been watching as the crowd surrounded Jiang Xuan, planning to wait her turn to approach, but she didn’t expect Jiang Xuan to head straight for the back mountain.
After thinking for a moment, she followed behind him.