A Test from the Clan

Shortly after Nine Lotos arrived at Serpentwing Lake, far away in the Crimson Dragon Mountains of Anchan Commandery, a large group of people was gathered beside a towering teleportation array.

Each of them possessed a formidable aura, clearly extraordinary figures.

Beishan Hu stood at the side of a tall, gaunt man, sending a mental transmission: “Father, who exactly have you dragged me here to see? You wouldn’t let me ask back in Anchan City; you insisted on waiting until we reached this Yinglong Guard outpost before telling me.”

The tall, gaunt man was dressed in black noble robes, wore a tall crown, and had deep, unfathomable eyes. When his eyes opened and closed, a chilling light flickered within them.

This man was Beishan Hu’s father—Beishan Yin.

Among the candidates for the next Marquis of Anchan, the most prominent were Beishan Yin and Beishan Heihu. Their personalities were completely different. Beishan Heihu was like an ancient primordial beast, possessing an innate, domineering presence that struck fear into all who saw him; he acted with overbearing force and had many followers. Beishan Yin, however, was a true, patient schemer. No one could ever truly fathom what Beishan Yin was thinking; he was an enigma.

“If I had told you in Anchan City, with your personality, you might have let it slip, and that would have been disastrous,” Beishan Yin said, shaking his head. “This matter is of great importance. Very few know about it. Look at the East Stone Immortal of this Yinglong Guard outpost, waiting over there with his men. Out of all of them, I suspect only the East Stone Immortal himself knows who we are waiting for.”

Beishan Hu’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

The East Stone Immortal and his own father had come personally to wait, and they were keeping it so secret, even from him, his own son. Who in the world was it?

“Who is it?” Beishan Hu asked, burning with desire to know.

“This person is Shenyong Nong of the Shenyong clan,” Beishan Yin transmitted.

Beishan Hu’s expression immediately changed, revealing a look of shock. He transmitted back, his voice a mental shout: “One of the Four Young Masters of the Grand Xia Imperial Capital, Young Master Shenyong Nong? Why would he come to our Anchan Commandery? How is this possible?”

“Now you understand why I kept it from you,” Beishan Yin said, glancing at his son.

Beishan Hu nodded frantically.

He understood.

Of course he understood.

Although the Beishan clan of Anchan was a marquis, ancient and powerful, when looking at the entire Grand Xia Dynasty… there were still more powerful factions. The most powerful was the Grand Xia imperial clan itself, as well as the other supremely powerful tribes that had helped the Grand Xia imperial clan, the Xiamang clan, unify the world.

The Shenyong clan was one of those pillars who had assisted the Grand Xia imperial clan!

According to legend, during the Primordial Fiendgod Era, the Shenyong clan was just as ancient and powerful as the Grand Xia imperial clan, the Xiamang clan. Their history could be traced all the way back to the most primordial, ancient era of this major world.

Later, the Shenyong clan swore fealty to the Xiamang clan! They followed the Xiamang clan in their campaigns to conquer the world and were one of the most powerful tribes under the Xiamang clan’s command. Clans like the Beishan clan joined much later, and their strength was far inferior to that of the Shenyong clan.

Now, the chieftain of the Shenyong clan was honored with the title of ‘Duke Yi’. At the same time, the Shenyong clan had three of its members enfeoffed as marquises! Their fiefdom of three commanderies was vast and incomparable, far larger than Anchan Commandery. After all, the Grand Xia Dynasty had three thousand six hundred commanderies, each of varying sizes. Anchan Commandery was merely average. Some super-sized commanderies could be equal to dozens of Anchan Commanderies.

The arriving ‘Shenyong Nong’ was the young leader of the Shenyong clan’s younger generation. Barring unforeseen circumstances, he was the one who would inherit the position of the next chieftain, Duke Yi!

Of course, the position of the leader of a tribe like the Shenyong clan could never be one hundred percent confirmed. It required a series of trials, but these trials were generally passed with ease.

One could say that Shenyong Nong’s status within the Shenyong clan was like Ji Ning’s status back when he was a baby in the Western Prefecture!

He was the almost-certain future chieftain, ‘Duke Yi’.

He was a figure of immense power who could one day influence the entire Grand Xia Dynasty. It was no wonder that Beishan Yin and the East Stone Immortal came personally to greet him and kept it so secret, fearing anyone else would find out.

“He’s here.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up as the teleportation array blazed with light. A group of people then appeared within the formation.

The leader was a young man in blue clothes that seemed simple. But if one looked closely… they would realize the threads of those blue clothes were refined from the whiskers of the ‘East Sea Divine Dragons’. A faint, perpetual smile hung on his face, but everyone who came to welcome him could sense the natural nobility of this blue-clad youth!

It was the true nobility of a leader cultivated by an ancient tribe like the Shenyong clan!

With status like Shenyong Nong’s, he was known as one of the Four Young Masters in the Grand Xia Imperial Capital. Even the princes and imperial grandsons of the Grand Xia imperial clan had to be of sufficiently high status to be considered his equals. Those with nothing but an empty imperial title had no right to associate with Shenyong Nong.

“Young Master Shenyong,” Beishan Yin said with a bow and a smile.

“Young Master Shenyong,” the East Stone Immortal also bowed.

Shenyong Nong looked at the two and nodded: “Beishan Yin, East Stone. It’s been a long time since I last saw you in the Imperial Capital. I’m truly ashamed to trouble you both during my visit to Anchan Commandery.”

“To be able to help Young Master Shenyong is our honor,” Beishan Yin and the East Stone Immortal said in succession.

Both of them couldn’t help but glance at the person standing beside Shenyong Nong. There stood a middle-aged man with dark, gaunt skin and long, narrow eyes. The aura emanating from this man secretly shocked both Beishan Yin and the East Stone Immortal.

“A Fiendgod.”

“A Fiendgod.”

Beishan Yin and the East Stone Immortal quickly confirmed it.

However, keeping Fiendgods was nothing to a clan as ancient as the Shenyong clan. After all, such ancient tribes had begun to flourish shortly after this major world was first formed. They had captured and tamed countless Fiendgod over the ages. Although Fiendgods were proud and unbending, many would submit when faced with death.

“Young Master Shenyong.” The East Stone Immortal pointed to the group behind him. “I have instructed these men. They can be absolutely trusted. There are two Wanxiang Adepts at perfection and a hundred Zifu Disciples. Please feel free to command them however you need. Ah, these two Wanxiang Adepts are also Second-Claw members of our Yinglong Guard.”

“Second-Claw Yinglong Guard?” Shenyong Nong nodded. To have become Second-Claw meant they were at least comparable to ordinary Primal Daoists, and thus useful. As for the hundred Zifu Disciples? They were nothing more than cannon fodder.

“Bu You pays respects to Young Master Shenyong,” a disheveled-haired youth said respectfully.

“Xue Hongyi pays respects to the young master,” a red-clad youth also said with a respectful bow.

Shenyong Nong nodded lightly. “I shall trouble you two this time.”

“To be able to work for Young Master Shenyong is our honor as well,” Xue Hongyi and Bu You both said humbly.

On the other side, Beishan Yin, who had been watching, also spoke up: “I have also arranged ten Wanxiang Adepts and a hundred Zifu Disciples. They are all death warriors, utterly loyal. The ten Wanxiang Adepts might not be a match for Xue Hongyi or Bu You individually, but if they join forces… even a Primal Daoist would have to retreat.”

“Death warriors?” Shenyong Nong’s eyes lit up, and he revealed a smile.

It was incredibly difficult to turn cultivators into death warriors. Normally, one would first train ordinary death warriors and then have them become cultivators. However, the mentality of a death warrior made it very hard for them to progress far on the path of cultivation. So, for Beishan Yin to gift ten Wanxiang Adept death warriors was an absolute grand gift.

After all, although the East Stone Immortal of the Yinglong Guard outpost had arranged for Xue Hongyi and Bu You to be assigned, it was clearly just to help him; they would never serve as death warriors.

“This is my son, Beishan Hu. He has never met Young Master Shenyong before, but has long heard of your great name. He begged me insistently to bring him here to see you,” Beishan Yin said with a smile.

“Beishan Hu pays respects to Young Master Shenyong!” Beishan Hu, trembling with excitement, said hastily.

Shenyong Nong nodded lightly: “Beishan Hu. Yes. I will remember you.”

That simple sentence sent Beishan Hu into raptures of joy.

“My visit to Anchan Commandery this time is a minor trial set by my clan,” Shenyong Nong said, looking at the East Stone Immortal and Beishan Yin. “Therefore, it is not appropriate to make a grand spectacle. With the men you two have provided me, my chances are much greater. I cannot afford to be lax in this trial, so I will not tarry here. There is no need to see me off.”

“Then we shall wish Young Master Shenyong a triumphant return, and we will hold a celebration feast for you then,” Beishan Yin and the East Stone Immortal said, watching as Shenyong Nong and his large group departed.

Only Beishan Yin, Beishan Hu, and the East Stone Immortal remained by the teleportation array.

There were also some old servants maintaining the formation. However, during the conversation, the East Stone Immortal had naturally channeled the power of heaven and earth to seal off the sound, so those old servants had no idea who had arrived.

“Father, we sent death warriors, and Young Master Shenyong just left like that?” Beishan Hu blinked.

Beishan Yin glanced at his son. “It’s your good fortune that he even accepted them. Right now, he is undergoing a trial and needs manpower, so he will accept them. Once he becomes ‘Duke Yi’ in the future, a figure of great importance in the entire Grand Xia Dynasty… the things we send then, he won’t even deign to look at. Gifts sent now are worth a hundred or a thousand times more than those sent in the future!”

Beishan Hu nodded thoughtfully.

“Come on, let’s go back,” Beishan Yin ordered.

An enormous, ancient blood-red war chariot flew high in the sky.

Inside the chariot were a total of six hundred Zifu Disciples and over ten Wanxiang Adepts. Shenyong Nong, along with the dark-skinned, narrow-eyed middle-aged man beside him, stood at the railing, gazing out at the vast lands for ten thousand li.

“Xue Hongyi, Bu You,” Shenyong Nong asked. “What notable figures are there in Anchan Commandery? Forget about Primal Daoists and Immortals.”

“Not counting Immortals and Primal Daoists…” Xue Hongyi said. “Among the Wanxiang Adepts in Anchan Commandery, the ones who are truly strong are, first and foremost, the top geniuses of the Black-White College. Of course, Liexian Sect, Mulberry clan, and Lielong clan all have some trained elites. However, these are the true seeds of these powers. Convincing them to take risks… would be difficult.”

Shenyong Nong nodded lightly.

Xue Hongyi was the best of the younger generation from Snowdragon Mountain. Since Snowdragon Mountain was a minor sect within the Grand Xia Dynasty, Xue Hongyi was willing to act as a vanguard.

But those who were even more exceptional… might not be so willing.

“Eh?” Bu You, who was beside him, suddenly brightened. “It looks like we are approaching the Yan Mountain region. There is a peerless genius in the Yan Mountains, one of the absolute top Wanxiang Adepts of the Black-White College. That is the Darknorth Adept, Ji Ning.”

Upon hearing Ji Ning’s name, Xue Hongyi’s brow instantly furrowed.

“Ji Ning?” Shenyong Nong also revealed a look of curiosity.