Ye Qin steered the Dark Cloud Barrier, circling the vast Qianjia Island once. His divine sense carefully scanned the perimeter, discovering only the Earth Clan tribe living within the mountains, engaged in quarrying and stone extraction. There were no signs of other cultivators or high-level demonic beasts lurking about. As for the exact number of Earth Clan members on the island, that was difficult to ascertain without venturing into the mountain’s depths. “Bing’er, this island is excellent. The spiritual energy is rich, greatly benefiting cultivation! Moreover, with the Earth Clan activity here, even if cultivators pass through this area occasionally, they might never suspect that true cultivators reside on this isle. Why don’t we prepare for the tribulation right here on this island!” Ye Qin chuckled. ‘Hmm, while we are in seclusion, Xiuer might get lonely by herself. These strongmen from the Earth Clan tribes can keep her entertained,’ Huangfu Bing’er nodded lightly, finding the arrangement quite suitable. “Thank you, Sister Bing’er!” Bai Xiuer was overjoyed.

While scouting from the sky, Ye Qin had not deliberately concealed the presence of the Dark Cloud Barrier. Under the clear sky, as the three observed the island, their dark cloud had already been spotted by the Earth Clan sentries posted at their lookouts. However, they were perplexed as to why that single cloud was drifting aimlessly here and there. “Let’s go down and take a look! We should pay a visit to the Earth Clan tribe inhabiting the island first!” Ye Qin piloted the Dark Cloud Barrier, descending towards the mountainside of the island's peak. “Whoosh!” “%*%$.”!”, Following the sharp whistle of a signal arrow slicing through the sky, the Earth Clan guards on the giant wooden sentry posts finally realized something was amiss. They began shouting loudly in their strange dialect, raining arrows down upon the Dark Cloud Barrier in a furious volley.

‘These sentries think we’re a hostile attack! They’re shouting 'enemy invasion' and calling for reinforcements! Big Brother Ye, are we going to conquer this tribe and seize this island? Let me take them down and subdue all their strongmen!” Bai Xiuer exclaimed, her face alight with excitement, gripping her azure ancient halberd. “What nonsense are you spouting! We aren't staying long. We just need a peak to stay for a few decades before leaving. Why conquer this tribe and steal the island? The spiritual energy here is abundant, the ley lines are rich, and having these Earth Clan members as cover is far safer than cultivating on an island alone. When we land, we will speak reasonably. Besides, for this tribe to survive in this perilous Sea of Blood, fearless of the demonic beasts frequenting the surrounding waters, they must surely have many high-level Earth Clan strongmen!” Ye Qin chided her.

‘What good is just speaking reasonably? Earth Clan tribes only respect overwhelming strength; the weak are simply ignored. A fight is inevitable. Once I beat them into submission, they'll be perfectly compliant,’ Bai Xiuer was unconvinced. Back in the Bai Clan tribe, and later in Xianque City and Baifu City, this was precisely how she operated. Otherwise, she wouldn't have accumulated so many Earth Clan strongmen forced to become her followers. Trying to reason things out was never effective.

Ye Qin frowned slightly. ‘Forget it. We don't know much about this Earth Clan tribe. If Xiuer wants a fight, let her go down and spar a bit. It’ll be a good way to gauge this tribe’s strength,” Huangfu Bing’er interjected with a slight smile. Ye Qin considered it, ultimately choosing not to stop her again.

“Wooo—!” As the three on the Dark Cloud Barrier were speaking, Earth Clan strongmen carrying spears several yards long—forged from unknown materials—great axes, and massive hammers, emerged from the wooden sentry posts and the entrance to the mountain caverns, roaring as they charged out. The nearest Earth Clan strongman, rushing out from a sentry post, roared and hurled the spear in his hand toward the sky. “Swoosh”—! The sharp spear streaked through the air, aimed directly at the Dark Cloud Barrier.

“Hah!” Given tacit permission, Bai Xiuer let out an excited cry. Clutching her colossal azure ancient halberd, she stamped down hard on the Dark Cloud Barrier, launching herself like an arrow loosed from a bow, soaring toward the giant wooden sentry post about ten zhang below. Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er merely watched calmly from the Dark Cloud Barrier, making no move. Their current level of strength would be overkill against the Earth Clan on this island.

In mid-air, Bai Xiuer swung her azure ancient halberd sharply. A hazy blue light flashed out, accurately striking the tip of the incoming spear. “Clang!” With a deafening explosion, the spear was struck violently aside, shooting backward until it plunged deep into a massive boulder, shaft and all. However, the spear wasn't shattered by the halberd’s impact, suggesting its material quality was quite superior.

Only then did Bai Xiuer lightly and steadily land atop the giant wooden sentry post, fearlessly facing the surging crowd of Earth Clan strongmen clad in animal hides and wielding various weapons. The Earth Clan strongmen, seeing this, recoiled in alarm, hesitant to advance. They hadn't expected that a very powerful Earth Clan woman, a high-level strongman at that, would descend from the cloud overhead.

“Why are you all just mid-level strongmen?! Does this tribe have no high-level strongmen?” Bai Xiuer asked, a smile playing on her lips as she swept her gaze over the assembled strongmen with her azure halberd, failing to spot any truly formidable figures. She spoke in the Earth Clan dialect. “Who are you? Which tribe’s strongman are you, and why have you come to our tribe’s island?” “Is that cloud in the sky holding Immortals from the East Sea? What is your purpose in bringing them here?” The leader of the guard strongmen, a towering Earth Clan warrior, pointed toward the Dark Cloud Barrier in the sky, shouting his questions with intense vigilance and astonishment.

“You aren't qualified to ask me such things! Summon your tribe’s Chief and the managing Elders to come see me!” Upon hearing this, the smile vanished from Bai Xiuer’s face, her eyebrows knitting in annoyance as she spoke sternly. The tribe revered strength above all else; being a late-stage high-level strongman, she commanded immense respect even among the great Earth Clan tribes of the East Sea. These petty low-ranking warriors were beneath her notice.

At this moment, Ye Qin and Huangfu Bing’er also landed on the wooden sentry post via the Dark Cloud Barrier. He motioned for Bai Xiuer to stop and stated calmly, “Xiuer, relay a message for me. Tell this tribe that East Sea cultivators intend to temporarily reside on this island. We mean no harm, and we hope this tribe does not initiate conflict!” “Understood!” Bai Xiuer nodded, quickly relaying the message in the Earth Clan language.

The guards exchanged glances, and soon one of them hurried into the mountain cavern to report. Not long after, a group of twenty to thirty Earth Clan strongmen emerged from the cavern, surrounding a black-robed elder wielding a staff. They strode out and quickly approached the vicinity of the giant wooden sentry post where Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing’er, and Bai Xiuer stood.

“This tribe actually has so many high-level strongmen.” Ye Qin scanned the approaching group rapidly, a slight shock registering on his face. This contingent of twenty to thirty Earth Clan strongmen were all imposing and tall, their sinews and blood energy robust, their skin taut and tough like bronze or iron. All of them glared fiercely, radiating potent menace; they were uniformly high-level strongmen. It was known that the ground combat power of a high-level strongman nearly equaled that of a Golden Core cultivator. The sheer number of them emerging already suggested considerable strength, and Ye Qin presumed there must be more high-level strongmen still inside the mountain cavern. This realization caused him private astonishment, leading to a deeper inference regarding the tribe’s scale and might. This island tribe was definitely a major power, otherwise, they could not nurture so many high-level strongmen.

Ye Qin immediately recognized the black-robed elder, shielded by the high-level strongmen, as an Earth Clan Shaman. Judging by the tense expressions of the surrounding warriors and the solemn, commanding demeanor of the Shaman, this elder clearly held a high position within the tribe.

“So, it is two Immortals from the East Sea gracing us with their presence. Old Man has failed to greet you properly! I am Wutu, an Elder of this tribe. Immortal esteemed, please forgive my lack of foresight. Very few Immortals visit this island. My warriors, dwelling deep within the Sea of Blood, rarely interact with cultivators, leading to this unintentional offense. I beg the Immortal esteemed to pardon us!” The black-robed Shaman, having recognized Ye Qin and Bing’er’s attire as that of Immortals from the East Sea, adopted a respectful tone and smiled. He was speaking in the common language of the East Sea cultivators.

“Elder Wutu! Are you from the Wu Clan tribe, one of the Ten Great Tribes of the East Sea? Why are you deep within this Sea of Blood?” Ye Qin inquired.

“Immortal esteemed possesses vast knowledge. Yes, our tribe is indeed affiliated with the Wu Clan branch! As for why our tribe is here, that is a long story. It dates back to the last Immortal-Demon War. Several ancestors of our clan followed the East Sea Immortals to the Sea of Blood to battle the Demon Race.”

“You fought the Demon Race too?” Ye Qin looked surprised. He had never heard that Earth Clan tribes participated in the Immortal-Demon War. None of the established immortal records mentioned such involvement, only the great battles between East Sea cultivators and Demon Cultivators.

“Ah, the battlefield consisted only of Immortals and Demons. Naturally, our tribal strongmen were not sent onto the main front lines, but our clan's strongmen were perfectly capable of heavy engineering tasks like city construction! Back then, several of our ancestors followed the Immortals here to the Sea of Blood to build fortifications. However, the Immortals later retreated to the East Sea Islands for certain reasons, and our ancestors were unable to retreat in time, becoming scattered throughout this sea region. Several ancestors settled down in these waters, and over ten thousand years, fortunately avoiding any catastrophic event that would wipe out the clan, we gradually grew into a large tribe,” Shaman Wutu explained with a somewhat embarrassed smile.

Ye Qin nodded slightly, understanding the situation. Most likely, when the Immortals retreated, they paid no mind to the Earth Clan members left scattered on the islands, effectively abandoning them in the Sea of Blood. Given the low status of the Earth Clan, losing a few was likely considered insignificant.

“In that case, even if your ancestors didn't contribute mightily during the last Immortal-Demon War, they certainly endured hardship. We East Sea cultivators and your tribe are allies. Passing through this region on my way to the Sea of Blood, I noticed the rich spiritual energy on this island and the vast tracts of unoccupied mountain ranges. I intend to find an uninhabited peak here to open a cave-dwelling and stay for a few years!” Ye Qin stated calmly.

“Ah—that is acceptable. This island spans a thousand li, with many deserted mountains. Immortal esteemed may select any location to construct your cave-dwelling and reside for a time,” Shaman Wutu’s expression shifted several times; he clearly wished to refuse, but found it difficult to voice his objection. Immortals from the East Sea possessed great powers, capable of flying through the skies and diving into the seas; they could come and go as they pleased, wielding immense influence. If these two Immortals insisted on building a dwelling here, Wutu could not stop them, nor did he dare try.

“Then, we shall be neighbors with your tribe from now on. We hope we won't cause too much disturbance!” Huangfu Bing’er smiled lightly, offering a slight bow.

“Very well, the matter is settled. Big Brother Ye, Sister Bing’er, why don't we go as guests to the Wuluo? I’ve never seen what a Wu tribe looks like! Since we’ve finally encountered one, we must go take a look,” Bai Xiuer's eyes sparkled as she conceived the idea, smiling as she started walking toward the mountain cavern.

“Halt!” “Our tribe’s sacred ground cannot be entered by outsiders!” The high-level Earth Clan strongmen immediately changed their expressions, growing tense. They raised their blades and spears, pointing them directly at Ye Qin, Huangfu Bing’er, and Bai Xiuer, rigidly guarding the trio against entering the caverns they had excavated within the mountain. Their postures indicated they were prepared to fight to the death if the three insisted on forcing entry.

“Ahem, the facilities of our tribe are crude; we dare not stain the eyes of the esteemed Immortals. Once the Immortals have chosen a dwelling on the island, I shall personally pay a visit!” Shaman Wutu’s face also paled. He coughed dryly and hurriedly waved his hands, forcing a smile.

Ye Qin looked at the nervous high-level strongmen and the forced smile of Shaman Wutu with puzzlement. What could possibly be inside this Wu Clan cavern that they couldn't allow the three of them to see? The strongmen's cultivation levels and their weapons were all remarkably refined. With a quick sweep of his divine sense, he perceived that the cavern system was winding and rugged, seemingly without end—its sheer scale was staggering. This Wu Clan tribe was certainly very powerful. However, since he was here to refine pills and face his tribulation, he had no intention of prying into the secrets of this remnant Wu Clan lineage in the sea.

“Let’s go!” The Dark Cloud Barrier soared into the air, flying toward the far reaches of the thousand-li spiritual island to search for a suitable peak upon which to establish their cave-dwelling.