Chapter 323 – Tribal Life, and Journey to the Deathless Tomb - Part 1
Li Yuan smiled, bowed to the chieftain of the Trueflame Tribe, and said with a sigh, “All I ever wanted was to roam the world with Snow and grow old together. Who would have thought fate would tie me to the Trueflame Tribe as well? I love this land and its people, and that’s why I want to see our tribe thrive. If you’re still willing, I’ll accept the post of Grand Elder.”
Suljagar hesitated for a heartbeat; something about that declaration felt oddly formal.
Away from the bonfire, Li Yuan’s shadow blood was beginning to freeze again and his cultivation was slipping. The last strike had almost drained it dry.
“Shall we head back?” he said quietly.
“Of course, I’ll arrange the ceremony at once so everyone knows you’re our Grand Elder.”
Outside, Li Yuan would have kept a low profile. After all, the tallest trees would catch the wind. But in this barbarian tribe at the far western extremes, modesty only invited contempt, especially if you were already strong. Here, wolves crowned the mightiest among them; hiding one’s fangs earned only opportunistic bites.
“Thank you, Chieftain.”
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A little later, Suljagar summoned the tribe’s five strongest warriors. Each of them peaked at around 800 in combat power, making them standouts in the Trueflame Tribe. They sat, eyeing the young man to Suljagar’s left with open displeasure.
A lanky man wearing bird-skull earrings suddenly stood. “Chieftain, I know this newcomer defeated Changar, but how does that give him the qualifications to become the Grand Elder?”
Ignoring him, Suljagar turned to Li Yuan. “Our tribe has three bloodlines and five great elders. The main surname is Jen’gal; the lesser lines are the Tsa’gar and Shen’dai. The Jen’gal holds the highest rank, while the Tsa'gar and Shen’dai handle flame-watching and funerary rites. The title of Grand Elder belongs to the strongest beneath me.
“The man who spoke just now is Shen’dai Urttai, the current Grand Elder.”