Chapter Seventy-Eight: Resplendent Vital Energy Soaring to the Heavens

“What is the Jiang family to us? Beat them up!”
A few warriors from the tribe prepared to teach them a harsh lesson, daring to swagger around the Yi clan as if they owned the place—clearly courting death.
“Stop!”
At that moment, the captain of the tribe’s guards arrived, having heard the commotion, and stopped his men from acting.
“Who are you, and what business brings you to the Yi clan?”
This captain, a late-stage seventh rank warrior, cast a surprised glance at these well-dressed servants.
“We are here on the orders of the second young master of the Jiang family from Jingmu County. We bring news of a great matter to announce to your chieftain—a fortune for your tribe. Hurry and report this!”
One of the servants, emboldened, spoke up again.
“Oh?”
The captain was somewhat surprised. The Jiang family from Jingmu County commanded considerable power; it would be unwise to act rashly.
“Wait here. I will report to the chieftain.”
He ascended the mountain at once to deliver the message.
“The Jiang family of Jingmu County?”
Chieftain Yi Du was startled.
He had heard of the Jiang family—a top power in Jingmu County. But why would their second young master send envoys to his tribe? He could not fathom the reason.
“Bring them up.”
The chieftain prepared to meet the servants.
Upon receiving word, the elders were puzzled and gathered, a vague sense of foreboding rising among them.
When the servants arrived at the ancestral shrine, arrogance was writ large upon their faces, emboldened by their purpose.
“Our second young master of the Jiang family says: If you present the treasure of the Sky Crow Band to him, he will do everything in his power to make your tribe an affiliate of the Jiang family. The whole Black Dragon City will be yours, and you’ll only need to pay fifty percent tribute each year.”
“What?”
The chieftain and all the elders’ expressions darkened.
The second young master of the Jiang family was indeed ill-intentioned, seeking to claim their tribe’s treasure for himself—a greed beyond measure, relying on the Jiang family’s backing.
This was utterly intolerable.
Moreover, the treasure rumored to be discovered was nothing but a myth, not something they could hand over.
“Get out!”

The hot-tempered Third Elder was the first to speak.
Though the chieftain refrained from harsh words, his face was stern. “See them out.”
Thus, the servants of the Jiang family’s second young master were driven from the tribe by the warriors, one after another, in disgrace.
“How dare a mere tribe show such disrespect to the Jiang family! You’ll regret this!”
Outside the tribe, the servants threatened revenge, then left in humiliation.
Soon, word spread throughout the tribe that forces from Jingmu County sought their treasure, inciting outrage and unity among the people.
Of course, only a handful—just over a dozen—knew that what the tribe had discovered was not a centuries-old treasure, but a vast primordial vein mine. The chieftain and others kept this secret, so most warriors and clansfolk were unaware of the truth.
Speculation ran rampant that the tribe had indeed found a treasure.
Some linked the supposed treasure to a secret mission undertaken by over a hundred warriors a year or two ago, sensing a connection.
Yi Tian, Yi Feng, Yi Shan and others heard the news but were unconcerned.
Even the chieftain, the elders, and the chief leaders were untroubled by the Jiang family’s second young master.
After all, he was merely a direct descendant of the Jiang family, not its representative. Besides, their tribe was at least a hundred thousand miles from the county capital; unless the legendary human-rank experts of the Jiang family intervened, there was no threat.
But was that likely?
Human-rank experts would not stir over such trivial matters.
More importantly, the tribe’s strength had soared—they now had confidence even against the Jiang family. Moreover, a creature called Little Black, who had devoured the human demon, guarded the tribe, ensuring its safety.
“What? A small tribe dares reject me?”
In the hall of the Chen family, the second young master of the Jiang family was furious, scarcely able to believe it.
A tribe of mere thousands had dared disregard him—an intolerable humiliation, stoking his wrath and resentment.
Yet, after venting his anger, he found himself powerless against the Yi tribe.
Had they been in Jingmu County, he could have used the Jiang family’s influence to suppress the tribe; but here, tens of thousands of miles from the county capital, his own forces were no match for the Yi tribe—a clash would be foolish.
He could not unite other powers against the tribe, either.
He knew that not long ago, the Yi tribe had defeated two joint attacks by various powers in one fell swoop.
Besides the Jiang family, many forces from Jingmu County and elsewhere coveted the tribe’s treasure.
But ultimately, they gave up the idea.
The distance to Black Dragon City was simply too vast—out of reach unless a human-rank expert intervened, which was impossible.
Human-rank experts would not come to such a remote place for a rumored treasure.

To them, such a treasure was a trifling sum, nothing they lacked.
What truly attracted human-rank experts were primordial crystals, magical artifacts, spirit herbs, and talismanic treasures.
This time, the emergence of the Dragon Pearl had shaken the entire Tianfeng Empire, and the appearance of the human demon drew the attention of all top powers, sects, great families, and nobles. Large numbers of high-ranking martial artists flocked to this land, but even a single purple crystal from a human-rank expert did not show itself.
Perhaps human-rank experts lurked unseen, but they would not reveal themselves openly.
They searched quietly, in the shadows.
Amid the swirling currents outside, Yi Tian and the others paid no heed, focusing solely on cultivation, striving to break through to human rank and truly step onto the martial path.
Only upon reaching human rank could one be considered a figure of some note; below that, all were mere ants.
This world, besides the human race, was home to thousands of other species. Though their populations were smaller, their bloodlines were strong—individuals reached human rank, earth rank, or even sky rank upon maturity, making them formidable.
With all the powers gathering in Black Dragon City, searching openly and secretly, months passed with nothing found.
They did not know that both the Dragon Pearl and the human demon would never appear again—the Dragon Pearl had been devoured by Star Mud, and the human demon by Little Black. Even searching for years would yield the same result.
Over these months, with no gains, some powers grew restless and began to depart.
Others refused to give up.
Many speculated that the human demon had seized the Dragon Pearl and fled the region.
The commotion lasted six or seven months, after which the powers began to withdraw, and Black Dragon City was about to return to calm.
Yet, just as peace neared, a change occurred.
One night, the outskirts of the Fulong Mountains suddenly blazed with light, primordial energy rising in a pillar visible for hundreds of miles.
The immense surge of energy was felt by all martial artists nearby.
“What happened?”
Some martial artists were baffled by the upheaval.
Others guessed that some rare treasure had emerged, causing the violent energy fluctuations.
Thus, every power still present mobilized, rushing toward the source of the surge—but the energy fluctuation vanished swiftly, leaving them unable to pinpoint its location.