Limitless Ascension: Strength Amid Adversity – Chapter 586

West Ze Immortal Domain.

Under the guidance of the Gou Ziqing siblings, Ye Junlin and his group arrived at an extremely remote and underdeveloped barren land.

In a radius of a hundred thousand miles, not even a blade of grass could be found; the ground was parched and cracked, truly desolate.

Who would have thought that, despite such harsh conditions, a tribe was secretly living here?

The Tengu Tribe, once a glorious race, now lived in such a dilapidated state after so many years.

Anyone who knew their background would feel a pang of sorrow.

Inside the tribal area, there were no decent buildings; the tribespeople lived directly in makeshift tents.

Around them, fish and beast meat were drying, giving off a faint aroma.

As night fell, piles of bonfires blazed, illuminating this fallen tribe.

The adults returned from hunting, bringing back food.

Some children were chasing each other, playing and having fun.

Though life in the tribe was frugal and tough, as long as they were not disturbed by outside cultivators, they felt very secure, content with their peaceful and simple life.

After all, for years, the Tengu Tribe had been forced to migrate, living in constant instability; compared to that, their current state was already the best.

“Aunt, please don’t go out! Ziqing and Qianyi will definitely come back safely!”

“Don’t stop me! I only have these two kids left! It’s been so many days, and not even a shadow of them; how can you expect me to stay calm?”

In a place at the foot of the mountain, a plainly dressed woman sobbed, holding a basket of food and trying to leave. Several tribespeople stopped her, constantly persuading her.

Now and then, some tribespeople cast sympathetic glances, filled with pity.

Everyone knew that the woman’s two children had gotten lost during one of the tribe’s migrations and had not returned for so many days; they feared the worst.

Indeed, this was the mother of Gou Ziqing and Gou Qianyi, Gou Cuihua.

“My life is so hard~”

Gou Cuihua, stopped and persuaded, was nearly at her breaking point. She tossed aside her basket and knelt on the ground, wailing.

Everyone felt for her, but they were helpless.

These days, the Tengu Tribe survived in the cracks, and every tribesperson was extremely low-key and cautious when going out, fearing being captured by human cultivators and used as food.

You see, the current Young Master of the Tian Shui Han Family, part of the imperial family, had a particular fondness for Tengu meat and was salivating over it.

So, so many major forces were eager to capture them, just to present them to that Young Master!

And those two kids, with their low cultivation level, what chance did they have of returning safely from a territory fraught with danger?

The odds were clearly extremely slim!

Who knows, they might have already been skinned, cleaned up, chopped up neatly, and made into a hot pot!

Of course, these thoughts were all kept to themselves; if spoken aloud, as a mother, Gou Cuihua would undoubtedly think about ending it all…

“Aunt, please try to be a bit more optimistic. Maybe the kids are already on their way back? If you go out now, what if you miss them?”

One tribesperson kindly advised.

“Yeah, those two kids have always been clever, especially that Ziqing. Since he was young, he was always full of tricks; if his mind gets going, he surely has a ton of ideas. With his brains, he can definitely bring his sister back.”

“Right, right! I think so too!”

…

The tribespeople comforted Gou Cuihua one after another.

Her cries gradually lessened, and she still sobbed softly, her heart feeling a bit more at ease.

But deep down, she knew that the tribespeople were just trying to comfort her. She also understood that even if she went out to look, hope was slim, and she might even lose her own life in the process, but she just couldn’t let go of her kids.

However, a youth rushed up, his anxious voice tinged with fear, “Aunt, your two kids are back!”

“What?!”

Everyone was surprised, their eyes wide with disbelief.

No way, they really came back?!

“I told you, Ziqing has always been clever since he was little!” said one tribesperson.

Gou Cuihua snapped back to reality from her shock, her voice filled with excitement, “Good, as long as they’re back, it’s truly a blessing!”

“No, no, it’s not good at all!” The youth who brought the news said anxiously.

“???” The crowd was bewildered, confused by the boy’s words.

“What do you mean? Do you think it’s easy to mess with Aunt?!” Gou Cuihua’s eyes turned red, grabbing the youth’s collar, baring her teeth in anger.

The fact that her two kids returned safely was her greatest joy, yet this kid spoke like that, making her furious.

“Aunt, something big has happened! Your kids came back, but they brought back a few outsiders! Even the tribe leader is alarmed!” the youth rushed out.

“What, what did you say?”

Gou Cuihua felt as if she had been struck by lightning, disbelief in her eyes.

“Those kids actually brought outsiders back to the tribe!” Everyone gasped, their looks at Gou Cuihua shifting.

Once, the Tengu Tribe almost faced extinction because a tribesman, believing the words of human cultivators, let down their guard and brought them back to the tribe, resulting in a calamity.

After that event, the Tengu Tribe suffered severe losses, and it became a tradition passed down through generations: never bring outside cultivators back to the tribe, or face severe punishment!

For years now, the tribespeople had adhered strictly to this rule, fearful of becoming the culprits behind their tribe’s destruction.

And now…

Someone actually defied this iron rule, secretly leading outsiders back, exposing the tribe’s location!

The consequences of this were extremely serious!

“Quick, take me to see…” The more Gou Cuihua thought about it, the more afraid she became.

At the same time,

Ye Junlin and the others arrived at the Tengu Tribe’s territory, looking at the chaotic scene, with howls of dogs filling the air, and fell silent.

“Master, it seems they aren’t very welcoming of us?” The Great Mushroom King scratched his head.

“Little Black, you don’t understand. Only when a distinguished guest arrives will the Tengu Tribe’s people bark frantically to show their enthusiasm,” Canglang Jun said with a knowing expression, gently stroking his beard with a smile.

Ye Junlin shot him a sideways glance, “You think I’ve never raised a dog? Is this how dogs welcome guests?”

“Uh,” Canglang Jun was suddenly at a loss for words.

“Brother…” The sister Gou Qianyi was worried, knowing this act would bring panic to the tribespeople.

“Don’t worry; I’ll explain,” Gou Ziqing steadied himself, stepping forward and shouting to the tribe:

“Everyone, I’ve brought a few esteemed guests who are here to help the Tengu Tribe!”

The next second,

An old, furious voice filled with exasperation shouted,

“Child, you’re being foolish!!!”

An old man, bent over with age and leaning on a cane, hair white as snow and wearing a silver dog-head token at his waist, filled with an aura accumulated over the years, stepped out leading the tribespeople.

The tribespeople all held weapons, glaring at Ye Junlin and his group with hostility!