Ch. 156 - Hundred Beast Tribe

The ceremonial robe was pure white, with the words “True Martial” embroidered across the back, and a crescent moon symbol on the chest.

The entire robe was woven from the silk of the Eternal Spring Silkworm. It felt warm and smooth to the touch.

As the sun rose once again, a new day began.

With the assistance of his two maids, Chunxiao and Xiaqiu, Xu Zimo washed and got ready.

He picked up the Holy Son’s robe with one hand and draped it over himself. Then, accompanied by Little Gui, he walked toward the location of the investiture ceremony.

The morning breeze danced through the final days of autumn, and the weather had already begun to cool.

Along the way, everyone they passed, whether ordinary elders or core disciples, greeted Xu Zimo with respect.

The status of the Holy Son within the sect was exceptional, on par with the Seven Grand Elders.

When Xu Zimo arrived at the site of the investiture ceremony, it was already packed with people.

Almost every disciple of the True Martial Sacred Ground had gathered there.

…

“Our True Martial Sacred Ground has existed for over one hundred thousand years, since the founding by the First Patriarch, Zhen Wu the Great,” Xu Qingshan stood at the forefront, sweeping his gaze across the crowd as he spoke loudly, his voice imbued with spiritforce.

“In these one hundred thousand years, our sacred ground has produced many figures worthy of being remembered by the ages. What makes me proud is that despite countless trials and tribulations, time has not worn down this great force. Instead, it has made us stronger and more united. Yet we all understand that past glory belongs to yesterday. Together, we must move toward an even brighter future. Our disciple Xu Zimo achieved first place in the Six Holy Lands Gathering. After careful observation and discussion among myself and the Seven Grand Elders, we have decided to appoint Xu Zimo as the Holy Son of this generation. We hope he will bear the mission of the Holy Son…”

Xu Zimo, listening to the long-winded opening speech, found himself bored.

He only stepped forward once the speech was nearing its end.

He accepted the unique Holy Son identification token from Xu Qingshan’s hands, then turned to face the sea of disciples below.

His eyes were sharp, and the wind tousled his long hair while his white robe fluttered gently.

“This is the best of times,” Xu Zimo paused, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he slowly spoke, “because you will all bear witness to the rise of a truly dazzling era. You will become witnesses to history's brilliance. But this is also the worst of times, because you were born in the same era as me. In my era, if you’re a dragon, you’ll coil. If you’re a tiger, you’ll crouch. Whether geniuses or monsters, under my radiance, you will all fade into obscurity.”

As his voice fell, the once-noisy crowd fell completely silent.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the young man in front of them.

“You only need to understand one thing,” Xu Zimo said flatly as he looked at the crowd. “I will carry the Heaven’s Will. From now on, there will only be two Grand Emperors in this world. One is called Xu Zimo. The other is every other emperor.”

After speaking, Xu Zimo glanced around at the people surrounding him, then turned and walked away.

At that moment, he was the absolute center of attention. Everyone watched his retreating figure in silence.

Everyone understood clearly what Xu Zimo meant: this guy had ambition, he was setting himself apart from all other Grand Emperors.

…

Setting aside the stir his words caused in the sacred ground, Xu Zimo bid farewell to Xu Qingshan the day after the investiture ceremony, preparing to leave the Western Region.

This time, he brought Little Gui with him.

Even Sitou Goudan was considered “grown-up” now, and as Xu Zimo rode atop his black tiger mount, he and Little Gui set off at dawn, just as the sky began to brighten.

There were many routes from the Western Region to the central region of the Eastern Continent. Xu Zimo chose the path through the Grand Myriad Mountains. As long as he crossed them, he’d reach the Eastern Continent directly.

The morning mist was still asleep, not yet lifted. Two figures gradually disappeared into the haze.

…

The Grand Myriad Mountains lay to the east of the Western Region. The vast range twisted and turned across the land.

Because the range was so massive that no one could count its peaks, locals came to call it the Grand Myriad Mountains.

Deep within the mountains lived many tribes. These tribes treated demon beasts as sources of strength and sacred totems.

Each tribe worshiped its own chosen beast, and outsiders collectively referred to them as the Hundred Beast Tribe.

Of course, they were different from the half-beasts of the Myriad Beast Sect. The Hundred Beast Tribe members were pureblood humans.

Xu Zimo and Little Gui traveled in the dust for seven days before finally reaching the foot of the mountains just before nightfall.

“Holy Son, let’s find a nearby tribe to rest in for the night,” Little Gui suggested. “We can continue traveling tomorrow.”

Xu Zimo nodded and replied, “From now on, just call me senior brother.”

They entered the Grand Myriad Mountains. It was already November, and a northern wind blew cold air through the forest.

Xu Zimo rode his Darksky Tiger through the woods for a dozen minutes before spotting flickering firelight in the distance.

As they approached, they saw a small-scale tribe. At the entrance stood a large tiger statue.

In front of the tribe, a group of people was dancing and singing around a bonfire, seemingly celebrating something.

There were just over a hundred people, not many, but the atmosphere was festive.

“Their totem must be the tiger,” Xu Zimo said to Little Gui.

The two approached, and the tribe members quickly noticed the outsiders.

“Greetings!” Little Gui approached them with a smile. “We are travelers crossing the Grand Myriad Mountains. It’s getting late, may we stay here for the night?”

“Where are you from?” an elderly man with graying hair, who seemed highly respected, stepped forward and asked cautiously.

“We’re from the Western Region, heading to the heart of the Eastern Continent,” Little Gui replied.

The old man was silent for a moment before finally saying, “Alright, come on in.”

Once Xu Zimo and Little Gui entered, the elder glanced at the Darksky Tiger behind them. He gave a slight bow, three times. The rest of the tribe followed and also bowed three times.

“This is one of the branches of the Tiger Tribe. Outsiders rarely come here,” the elder said with a smile.

“Fewer visitors make for a more peaceful life,” Little Gui replied.

“It’s precisely because it’s so peaceful that many of our youth have gone out to explore the world in recent years,” the elder said, shaking his head.

The homes in the Tiger Tribe resembled tents. Their rooms were constructed from a very special kind of fabric.

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