"Seeing the young master traveling with Luyin, I presume you are a distinguished guest of the Rain Clan?"
A member of the foreign race blocked their path, their gaze sweeping over the human youth before settling on the little creature perched on his shoulder. The youth, with only a late-stage first realm aura, received little attention. Luyin, with a mid-stage second realm cultivation, seemed to pose a greater threat in their eyes.
"Does it concern you whether I am a distinguished guest or not?"
Ji Yuan's expression suddenly turned cold, his tone becoming quite unfriendly. He could sense the figures around them gradually moving away, both human cultivators and other beings, all instinctively avoiding his vicinity. Even some members of the Rain Clan turned a blind eye to the situation, leaving with laughter and chatter.
Witnessing this, Ji Yuan immediately realized that the foreign race before him had likely employed some method to subtly influence the consciousness of everyone nearby. What troubled him most was their unconcerned demeanor, as if they weren't worried about being discovered by the Rain Clan at all.
"The elders of our tribe wish to invite the young master and Luyin for a discussion."
The foreign race member smiled, but the wrinkles on his face made his smile appear somewhat sinister and chilling. His eyes suddenly darted, and he warned meaningfully, "Young master, please harbor fewer ideas. I can guarantee that unless you possess third realm cultivation, whatever happens here will not alert the valley guards."
Hearing this, a glint flashed in Ji Yuan's eyes. He was certain the other party was exaggerating, yet after careful consideration, he quietly abandoned the idea of taking action. One reason was that he was currently disguised as a divine cultivator, his divine power only at the late-stage first realm, and it was unstable, unable to last. Any confrontation would undoubtedly expose his identity. The other reason was his burgeoning interest in these individuals and the elders behind them. A third realm elder, even from a subordinate race of the Rain Clan, should have access to many secrets inaccessible to outsiders. Perhaps he could glean even a tiny clue from them.
"In that case, lead the way then."
Feigning a touch of anger, Ji Yuan finally spoke after a pause, sounding somewhat 'unwilling.' A hint of joy appeared on the foreign race member's face. After making a gesture of invitation, he boldly strode towards a certain direction.
Simultaneously, several foreign race members emerged from all directions, positioning themselves about ten feet away from Ji Yuan, observing his every move. On the surface, Ji Yuan maintained his anger, but in his heart, he paid little heed. These were merely four early-stage second realm foreign races, their auras even weaker than those of inner disciples of the Nine Xuan Sect. If not for concerns about his identity being exposed, he could have easily subdued such opponents by deploying the Xuan Tian Soul Devouring Pagoda.
Now, most of his attention was focused on contemplating what kind of situation he would face next. Judging by their appearance, these foreign races likely belonged to one of the four subordinate tribes. Although they lacked formidable killing power in the same realm, they were adept at peculiar sorceries, their methods inexhaustible and difficult to anticipate.
While his mind raced, Ji Yuan's palm, hidden in his sleeve, quietly produced a wooden token. With a wisp of soul light infused into it, he soon established contact with Jiang Yunzhou. The methods of these foreign races, though wondrous, were only at the early to mid-stage second realm cultivation. They were incapable of blocking a wooden token refined by a peak third realm expert.
After receiving Jiang Yunzhou's reply, Ji Yuan's heart was greatly reassured, gaining a sudden surge of confidence.
Approximately half an incense stick's time later, he was led by several foreign races to a treehouse, with no sign of anyone else around. Yet, he felt no panic, but rather a sense of eagerness to meet the elder they mentioned, hoping to obtain some clues from them.
"Please wait a moment, young master. Once the elder has finished with their current affairs, they will come out to welcome you."
The leading foreign race member spoke with a smile, then withdrew with their companions. Though their figures were out of sight, Ji Yuan could sense the several foreign races guarding about thirty feet away, keeping a close watch on the area.
"They mean no harm."
Luyin, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke. However, it had clearly employed some method, allowing its voice to resonate directly in his mind. Hearing this, Ji Yuan's mind immediately stirred. He was aware of Luyin's abilities, its capacity to sense the thoughts of others and discern their good or ill intentions. It was precisely because of this that they had been able to move freely through the Immortal Severing Valley and enter the Rain Clan village without obstruction or questioning. If even Luyin felt that these foreign races meant no harm, then he might have to reconsider their true intentions.
As Ji Yuan pondered, the door of the treehouse before him slowly creaked open, and an elder nearing the end of their life, leaning on a cane, emerged. Without even needing to sense him, Ji Yuan could feel an aura of approaching death emanating from the old man. He appeared to be nearing the end of his lifespan. Upon seeing the elder, Ji Yuan felt a pang of disappointment, for the elder's aura was not strong, even somewhat frail, likely only around the mid-stage second realm.
"Our clan is not powerful. Even if we reach the second realm early, it remains difficult to advance further."
The elder sat down on a wooden chair, gesturing invitingly as they spoke slowly. Their race, due to innate reasons, could easily cultivate to the second realm as long as their talent wasn't too poor. However, thereafter, every small increase in realm was an arduous task, often taking decades or even a century to succeed, let alone break through to the third realm. This was both a blessing and a limitation, or perhaps even a punishment.
"May I ask, senior, what is your intention in sending your tribesmen to stop this humble one?"
Ji Yuan sat down across from him frankly, but his tone lacked much deference. His face still held a look of anger, as if deeply resentful of their actions. However, the elder merely smiled. A hint of wisdom flickered in their cloudy eyes.
"Young friend, there is no need for testing. Let us be frank with each other to avoid unnecessary trouble."
The elder gazed into the distance and then spoke, "Why not invite your two friends to join us in the upcoming matters?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's gaze instantly sharpened, and the disguise on his face melted away. Suspicion flickered in his eyes. He hadn't expected that someone with only mid-stage second realm cultivation could detect a third realm cultivator hidden nearby.