Moments later, the elder leading the group conferred with several robust men behind him, a smile on his face as he spoke.
“You have traveled far, and all are guests. Our Great Desert Tribe welcomes you wholeheartedly, however… may we be permitted to ask a few questions?”
Upon hearing this, Mu Changqing rose, his smile unchanged, appearing exceptionally gentle and refined. He said calmly,
“Certainly.”
The elder exchanged glances with the strong men behind him, then retrieved a beast bone, crystal clear like a mirror, from a beast hide bag. As he approached Mu Changqing, the elder gestured for him to relax.
Then, the elder bared his arm, runes flowing and shimmering with a faint light. The moment the power was infused into the beast bone mirror, a pale blue luminescence coursed through it. Mu Changqing gazed serenely at the beast bone mirror, understanding dawning within him. He could roughly guess its purpose. Even though he had now concealed his cultivation and appeared as a true mortal, his keen eyesight allowed him to easily discern that this was an artifact for sensing the cultivation realm of living beings.
Mu Changqing naturally did not refuse the elder’s approach, standing with his hands behind his back, calmly observing the elder draw near. When the elder was only a few meters away, a beam of light shot from the beast bone mirror and fell upon Mu Changqing’s form. The group stared intently at the mirror, only to be astonished to find that its light remained unchanged.
Bewildered, they murmured, “How is this possible? A mortal?”
The elder looked up at Mu Changqing, his eyes filled with confusion, and asked, “Your Excellency, are you a mortal? How were you able to traverse the perilous Great Desolation and reach our Great Desert Tribe’s territory?”
Mu Changqing’s brows lifted slightly, and he smiled, saying, “Perhaps my destiny is exceptional, and I am simply lucky.”
Mu Changqing’s explanation was perfunctory and naturally did not convince them. A strong man behind the elder stepped forward, holding a colossal axe crafted from the bone of a savage beast, exuding a potent aura. His gaze was sharp as he fixed on Mu Changqing, stating, “Your Excellency, if you are unwilling to speak the truth, then please depart our tribe. Allowing strangers into our tribal grounds is irresponsible to our people.” The pressure emanating from the strong man reached the Six Extremes realm, which was not considered powerful among mortals.
Mu Changqing heard him but paid no heed. Instead, he displayed a benevolent smile and patiently continued his explanation. For him, this was merely an opportunity to comprehend the true essence of the Gray Ancestral Plains and glimpse its origin. Therefore, he would naturally not stoop to bickering with these ants, let alone engage in arbitrary slaughter, which would be a shallow act of a demon.
After a moment of contemplation, Mu Changqing responded, “I am originally from beyond the domain. Due to my innate inability to cultivate, I had no choice but to journey far, wandering the Great Desolation. Wherever I go, there I make my home. As for how I traversed the perilous Great Desolation to arrive here, it is indeed due to my fate. If you do not believe me, you may test it, and you will know the truth.”
Mu Changqing spoke with confidence, his tone so sincere that it was impossible to harbor doubt. The group exchanged glances. While this explanation was still far-fetched, coupled with Mu Changqing’s genuine demeanor, it did lend some credibility.
“You don’t believe me? Very well, how about this: I can, with a single word, cause your tribe’s Spirit Guardian to erupt with seven-colored faith power, how does that sound?”
Upon hearing this, shock bloomed on their faces. The Spirit Guardian was the supreme and ultimate existence of their Great Desert Tribe, having protected them for over ten thousand years. How could such a supreme entity heed the words of this man before them, who possessed nothing but handsome looks and no cultivation?
Yet, after a moment of silence, the elder quickly agreed. From Mu Changqing’s few words, he understood that this action would bring nothing but benefit to the Great Desert Tribe. The Great Desolation deeply revered fate and faith. If Mu Changqing’s words were true, they could harness his destiny to make their tribe prosperous. If they were false… Mu Changqing was but a mortal, and they had nothing to fear; they could simply drive him away.
“Then please, Your Excellency, try. If it is as you say, we will permit you to reside in our Great Desert Tribe, and you may stay for as long as you wish.”
After conferring amongst themselves, the elder stepped forward, indicating for Mu Changqing to proceed. Mu Changqing smiled, unconcerned by their subtle calculations. He then slowly approached the ancient and mysterious altar. Though Mu Changqing had now transformed into a mortal, the terrifying gaze he possessed before his transformation had already instilled extreme dread in the Spirit Guardian within the altar. As Mu Changqing drew near, the altar radiated brilliant celestial light.
“With my destiny, I bestow upon you seven-colored faith power.” Mu Changqing spoke faintly.
Instantly, a seven-colored pillar of light shot into the heavens, piercing the sky. It was dazzling and resplendent, illuminating a radius of a hundred miles around the desolate mountain. The radiant glow caused the surrounding savage beasts to tremble in submission and fear.
The group’s expressions flickered, but they quickly reacted, hastily kneeling and kowtowing, crying out, “The Great Spirit Guardian has appeared! We implore the Great Spirit Guardian to bestow blessings upon our tribe.”
The Spirit Guardian, hearing this, paused for a moment in its seven-colored faith divine light, grumbling internally. “Damn it, these useless lumps. To fake the seven-colored faith radiance, I’ve already consumed a thousand years of faith power, and now they expect me to bestow blessings? Damnable…” As it muttered, the Spirit Guardian looked at Mu Changqing’s half-smiling eyes and couldn’t help but shiver. It hastily consumed another thousand years of faith power and descended a rain of divine blessings.
Instantly, a cascade of luminous rain, like falling specks of light, descended, and the entire Great Desert Tribe was bathed in its glow. One by one, their cultivations rapidly broke through their current constraints and entered new realms. They cheered in delight and surprise, unaware that the price for all this was a great sacrifice made by the Spirit Guardian. Mu Changqing smiled and remained silent.
A long while later, after the celestial rain had subsided, the elder and the others finally rose, looking at Mu Changqing with faces full of surprise and joy, as if regarding a peerless treasure.
“Young brother, please, come in quickly. No matter how long you wish to stay, it is entirely up to your heart’s desire.” The elder said with great delight. The men behind him were also exceptionally invigorated. After all, who wouldn’t welcome a bringer of good fortune who had no cultivation and posed no threat?
“Very well, then I shall impose upon you.” Mu Changqing, with extraordinary grace, hands behind his back, was formally led into the Great Desert Tribe by the group. Children passing by, their eyes filled with curiosity, gathered around the young man of exceptional bearing. Meanwhile, some robust young women in their prime looked upon Mu Changqing with a different kind of affection. Naturally, this behavior drew the displeasure of other adult men, who grumbled, “Who knows where this pretty boy came from? With his delicate arms and legs, what use does he have besides a good-looking face? He probably can’t even defeat a two-and-a-half-year-old savage beast like a striped chicken.”
Mu Changqing observed their various remarks, a faint smile always playing on his lips, unconcerned. The elder, who was the chief of the Great Desert Tribe, reprimanded everyone, telling them not to be rude and to treat Mu Changqing with the same respect as they treated him. Of course, he did not fully believe Mu Changqing was a person of great destiny. However, for now, the most important thing was to keep Mu Changqing here. As for everything else, as the saying goes, a long road reveals a horse’s strength; there was no rush.