Teng Qingshan frowned, killing about half the men? Insulting the women? For a tribe, this was indeed a terrible disaster. However, because of the command from the Heavenly God Mountain, no one dared to kill the children. At least the tribe would not be completely wiped out.

Therefore, the children of the northern steppes, generation after generation, would desperately practice their internal strength and blade techniques!

"Lord Huhe." Zhabu said guiltily, "The reason we distanced ourselves just now is because... if we dared to defy the Gale Tribe, the Gale Tribe would slaughter all the adults in our tribe. Then, they would capture the children and sell them off to various tribes to become slaves!"

Teng Qingshan sighed inwardly as he listened.

The Heavenly God Mountain did not allow the killing of children, but it never said that they could not be captured and sold into slavery. Having traveled the steppes for so long, Teng Qingshan also knew—

In the steppes, the powerful figures of some large tribes kept slaves in their households. The children born to those slaves would also be slaves, with no hope of rising up for generations!

So—

The consequence of daring to defy the Gale Tribe could truly be called extermination!

"Lord Huhe, hurry and leave." Zhabu pleaded again. "Those who fled know that you are an outsider. They will act according to the rules and will not hold a grudge against us. But you—if you dare to defy the Gale Tribe, they absolutely will not let you go easily. Lord Huhe, hurry and go!"

Teng Qingshan's gaze swept over the surrounding crowd of tribesmen: "Brother Zhabu, you don't need to worry about me! What I heard from you just now... suggests you will temporarily escape this calamity. I suspect the people from the Gale Tribe will still come to collect silver, won't they?"

Immediately, a trace of sorrow appeared on the faces of Silan, Zhabu, and the Chief who stood around Teng Qingshan.

At the bottom rung of the steppes.

A small tribe with fewer than a thousand people. It was almost impossible to earn enough silver purely through legitimate means. They could only rely on raiding! Raiding other weaker tribes.

Teng Qingshan suddenly felt someone tugging at his trousers. He looked down to see little Jilan, whose eyes were filled with tears.

"Uncle Huhe, can you help us?" Little Jilan looked up at Teng Qingshan expectantly, tears welling up.

Teng Qingshan's heart stirred: "I will soon be boarding a ship to the distant continent of the North Sea! The North Sea Continent is tens of thousands of miles away from the Nine Provinces Land, with no contact between them. The currency used on that continent might not even be gold or silver. Even if they use gold and silver as currency, they won't recognize banknotes or silver certificates!"

These silver certificates and gold certificates could be exchanged at banks or financial houses.

But if taken to the North Sea Continent, silver and gold certificates would be nothing but waste paper!

"Forget it, they are useless to me, I'll help them out." Teng Qingshan made his decision.

Glancing at the large number of Qilian tribesmen watching him with awe in the distance, Teng Qingshan said to Silan, Zhabu, and the Chief, "You three, follow me."

Saying this, Teng Qingshan walked toward the nearest felt tent. Silan, Zhabu, and the Chief exchanged confused glances and followed him.

...

The other tribesmen of the Qilian Tribe were somewhat puzzled when they saw Teng Qingshan and the Chief walking toward a felt tent not far away. They wondered what they were doing.

"What business do Lord Huhe and the Chief have?"

"If that Huhe doesn't leave now, he won't be able to once the Gale Tribe arrives," Zhabu's younger brother sneered. Immediately, many surrounding tribesmen glared at the young man, looking ready to attack him.

The young man jumped in fright and then forced a laugh, "I, I meant well for Lord Huhe. I was worried about him. Lord Huhe has shown us great kindness; how could I disrespect him?"

Those tribesmen clearly knew what kind of person Zhabu's brother was.

...

Inside the felt tent.

Zhabu, Silan, and the old Chief watched Teng Qingshan. Teng Qingshan looked at the three of them: "Collecting twenty-four hundred taels of silver every year. How can your Qilian Tribe afford that?"

Saying this, Teng Qingshan took out a stack of silver certificates from his (bosom/pocket).

Zhabu and the other two were stunned as they looked at the stack of silver certificates. As high-ranking members of the tribe, the three of them had seen silver certificates before. Silver certificates came from the distant and prosperous Nine Provinces Land.

Of course, they were also universally accepted on the steppes.

"Here are notes with a denomination of one hundred taels, some with one thousand taels... totaling around eleven thousand taels." Teng Qingshan casually placed them on the table inside the tent. "This will be enough for you to pay the Gale Tribe for four or five years! Consider it a friendship forged with your Qilian Tribe."

"Eleven thousand taels?" Zhabu and the other two showed expressions of wild joy in their eyes.

"Thank you, Lord Huhe."

The old Chief was the first to move to kneel, and Zhabu and Silan also moved to kneel gratefully. However, Teng Qingshan stopped all three of them.

"No need to thank me," Teng Qingshan said with a light smile.

"Lord Huhe, you have saved the lives of our tribesmen," the old Chief said, his eyes moist with emotion.

"With these eleven thousand taels of silver certificates, even if our tribesmen work themselves to death, we will have enough silver for at least ten years," Silan said excitedly. Paying twenty-four hundred taels annually was indeed difficult. But if they only needed to scrape together thirteen or fourteen hundred taels, they could manage by economizing.

With eleven thousand taels as a buffer, they could indeed last ten years.

Ten years—that was a long time! In these ten years, if the tribe produced another extraordinary warrior, perhaps their destiny could change.

"Lord Huhe," Zhabu said emotionally, "The greatest fortune of my life, Zhabu, is having been able to host you, Lord Huhe."

"My Lord, the Gale Tribe will absolutely not give up. On the northern steppes, they have never bowed to anyone. Lord Huhe, hurry and leave," Zhabu worried.

Teng Qingshan waved his hand: "Don't worry about me. However, I think it would be best for your tribe to migrate. If the Gale Tribe people come looking for me and don't find me, they might interrogate you, and in a fit of anger, kill some of you."

When the old Chief heard this, he immediately said, "Right, we must migrate at once."

"Everyone, I will take my leave now."

Teng Qingshan left the felt tent directly and quickly departed the Qilian Tribe. For the Qilian people, the story of encountering a super expert named 'Huhe' would be passed down through generations within the tribe.

As evening approached, the sunset filled the western sky.

Range upon range of continuous snow-capped mountains stood tall. Teng Qingshan was currently standing on the summit of one of these snowy peaks. The cold wind blew against his face like a knife, and Teng Qingshan gazed out at the vast steppes.

Standing high allowed one to see far!

Standing on the mountaintop made one feel broad-minded. Teng Qingshan was very happy to cultivate on the peaks of snow-capped mountains. The steppe region was cold, and there were many mountain ranges.

His baggage was placed on the ground, having been unwrapped, revealing a rectangular wooden box inside.

"Click!" He opened the wooden box.

In the lower layer of the box lay a pitch-black axe, and stacked on top of the axe were two spear shafts. Teng Qingshan grasped the Reincarnation Spear and quickly spun it to connect the shafts.

"Old friend!" Teng Qingshan stroked the shaft of the spear, revealing a faint smile.

"Let's begin!"

Teng Qingshan held the Reincarnation Spear and began practicing the 'Primal Chaos Unity' spear technique from the Xingyi Five Elements Spear Arts atop the snow mountain. Among the four major spear techniques Teng Qingshan created,

This one, as the foundation and the only defensive spear technique, was the one Teng Qingshan had spent the most effort researching from the beginning.

The 'Primal Chaos Unity' Spear Technique!

It was derived from the Earth Attribute 'Horizontal Fist'. In the past, once Teng Qingshan employed it, even incoming arrows would be completely blocked by him.

"Hoo, hoo!" The Reincarnation Spear in Teng Qingshan's hand transformed into streaks of hazy phantom images.

For a moment, it seemed very slow.

But in the next instant, it moved as fast as lightning.

Currently, among Teng Qingshan's four major spear techniques—Primal Chaos Unity, Like Shadow Following Form, Poison Dragon Drill, and Crimson Tiger Roar—if one were to ask which was the strongest, it was undoubtedly the current 'Primal Chaos Unity' Spear Technique!

"Having created the first stage of the Earth Element Fist, in the Heaven and Earth Five Elements, I have achieved the highest attainment in the 'Earth Element'." Teng Qingshan clearly understood his current strength.

Just today, being able to kill a horse with a palm strike, leaving no visible injury on the surface of the horse while vibrating the rider to death—he couldn't do that before!

A palm strike that didn't injure the surface but vibrated someone to death—Teng Qingshan could do that in the past.

But transmitting the vibration to kill someone—he couldn't do that before.

It was precisely because of his current higher comprehension of the 'Earth Element' that he could achieve this step! Most importantly—Teng Qingshan's comprehension of the 'Earth Element' was higher now, which made the 'Primal Chaos Unity' Spear Technique even stronger!

It appeared very slow, but it was terrifyingly fast in reality.

Being able to reach this stage absolutely meant that his comprehension on the 'Dao' had improved, allowing him to achieve this.

Hoo! Hoo!

The spear shadows danced. Teng Qingshan's current achievements were attributed to the battle where he earned the title of 'Demon'. In that battle, he killed over sixteen thousand people.

However, the number of people killed in the last half hour of the fight was nearly equal to the sum of soldiers killed in the first three hours!

Why was it six times faster?

It was because, in the final phase, Teng Qingshan created the third move, and his artistic conception improved, increasing his speed.

"Now, among my four major spear techniques, the 'Primal Chaos Unity' Spear Technique is the strongest! In the past, facing a Xiantian Golden Core expert, I wouldn't have time to defend. But now, with the creation of the 'Earth Element Fist,' the power of the 'Primal Chaos Unity' Spear Technique has increased severalfold. I can definitely block it."

Now, even against a Xiantian Golden Core expert, Teng Qingshan was confident he could fight!

"My internal Gang Jin (Martial Aura) and my body cooperate perfectly, making the explosive power even more astonishing!" Teng Qingshan knew clearly that his physical strength was now nearly eight hundred thousand Jin.

And reaching the middle stage of Gang Jin, the power of the Gang Jin itself had nearly four hundred thousand Jin of explosive force. The cooperation between the two—at least in terms of explosive power—surpassed his opponent's.

If he reached the late stage of Gang Jin, the Gang Jin and his body cooperating would yield nearly one million six hundred thousand Jin of strength, double that of a Xiantian Golden Core! This was why Teng Qingshan was confident in saying that an internal martial artist who cultivated to the late stage of Grandmaster would absolutely suppress a Xiantian Golden Core!

"It's a pity that internal Gang Jin and Xiantian True Essence are incompatible. The body is filled with Gang Jin, and once the two touch, they begin to fight each other."

This heterogeneous energy also left Teng Qingshan helpless.

...

The snow mountain was bitterly cold, yet Teng Qingshan held the Reincarnation Spear, practicing his spear techniques. In every move and stance, Teng Qingshan did not infuse much strength.

He was experiencing a kind of artistic conception.

"Hmm?" Teng Qingshan's ear twitched, and he looked into the distance. Chī chī~~ The surrounding snow vibrated with an extremely slight tremor.