As a result, the Fusang Tribe encountered little resistance during its expansion.
But even this vast territory had its limits.
The smaller tribes fled, which meant that after the Fusang Tribe’s frenzied expansion, its lands soon bordered those of several mid-sized tribes.
In the past, when their populations were smaller, the tribes had maintained a fair degree of restraint. But as their numbers gradually grew, friction along the borders intensified.
The conflict was most severe with the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe to the east.
The Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe was a well-known mid-sized tribe in the region. With the backing of the powerful Sunlight Tribe, they too had developed at a remarkable pace in recent years.
And because Li Chang’an had once killed a tiger belonging to the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe, an old grudge already existed between them.
Now, the territorial disputes had sparked new conflicts between them.
It was a case of new grievances piling on top of old hatreds.
The Fusang Tribe had fought the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe several times, mostly ending in defeat.
After all, the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe was a true mid-sized tribe. Every inch of land they commanded had been dyed red with the blood of their warriors.
The Fusang Tribe may have had a glorious past, but their current vast territory had been conquered with Li Chang’an’s help. While their soldiers had shed blood, the disparity in combat prowess between them and the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe was as vast as the heavens and the earth.
It was only natural that they couldn’t win.
Winning would have been the real surprise.
Li Chang’an wasn’t overly concerned about this.
He was still waiting for news from Man Yu.
Yet this time, he didn’t receive any word. He didn’t know if an accident had befallen her or if she was simply too preoccupied.
He was a little worried, but he knew worrying was pointless. He could only hope she was still safe.
...
In the 17,024th year of the Fusang Calendar, Li Chang’an turned 1,550 years old.
Twenty years had passed without any news from Man Yu.
In his heart, he had already pronounced her dead.
After all, if she were still alive, it was impossible for her to have remained completely silent for so many years.
It was more likely that she had died long ago.
This was the most reasonable and believable explanation.
After all, by all logic, this was the expected fate of a woman who had lost the protection of her tribe.
Li Chang’an sighed. A wave of listlessness washed over him.
The conflict between the Fusang and Nine-Tower Mountain Tribes had grown severe over the years.
The Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe had brought tens of thousands of people to seize nearly a hundred li of the Fusang Tribe’s land. Having suffered such a great loss, the Fusang Tribe certainly couldn’t let the matter rest.
The two sides became locked in a tug-of-war over that hundred-li stretch of land, drenching the earth in blood.
However, both sides exercised enough restraint to not deploy their Guardian Gods.
Clearly, it wasn’t just the Fusang Tribe that was wary of the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe’s Guardian God; the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe was equally wary of the unfathomable Li Chang’an.
After all, right after achieving his Transformed Form, Li Chang’an had been able to vanquish the Guardian Gods of several smaller tribes simultaneously.
The Guardian God of the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe had long surpassed the Transformation Realm, but it remained wary of Li Chang’an’s uncanny combat prowess. It was unwilling to make a move unless absolutely necessary.
Li Chang’an, for his part, had no objections.
After all, the Fusang Tribe needed to be tempered by the baptism of blood and war, and he, too, needed more time to complete the next stage of his cultivation.
After the Transformation Realm came the Dao Realm.
A Guardian God at this Realm had already transcended the bounds of mortal creatures, beginning to evolve toward what humans would define as a ’Divine Spirit’.
Thanks to the Fusang Tribe’s gradual expansion over the years and the massive amount of Incense and sacrifices it generated, Li Chang’an was now only a single step away from Attaining the Dao.
Just as Li Chang’an cast aside his distracting thoughts and prepared to cultivate in peace, a commotion erupted outside the tribe’s encampment.
At first, Li Chang’an didn’t pay it much mind.
But a moment later, his senses keenly picked out a strange yet familiar aura from within the crowd.
’That’s... Man Yu!’
Upon this realization, Li Chang’an’s form flickered, and in an instant, he appeared in the sky above the tribe.
The person surrounded by the crowd was indeed Man Yu. However, she was completely different from the Man Yu who had left thirty years ago.
She was still beautiful.
But beneath that stunning beauty lurked a ferocious air of blood and fire.
She led a dozen or so soldiers in tattered armor. Though she appeared somewhat battered, few dared to meet her gaze as she glanced around.
Man Yu had returned to the tribe.
Yet at this moment, she was completely surrounded by the tribe’s soldiers. Her voice was cool and clear. "I am one of you. Have the chieftain come out to see me, or..."
She trailed off, pausing for a long moment before mustering her courage. "Or take me to see the Guardian God!"
Li Chang’an had been watching the entire time.
However, he had concealed his form, hidden from mortal sight.
Thus, Man Yu could not see him.
At first, the soldiers had assumed Man Yu was an enemy from the Nine-Tower Mountain Tribe, but now that they heard her speak in the Fusang Tribe’s dialect, their hostility lessened slightly.
A quick-witted soldier ran back to deliver the message.
Soon, the chieftain, his temples now streaked with gray, appeared with several Elders in tow.
Upon seeing the tall, imposing figure of Man Yu, the chieftain’s cloudy eyes widened in astonishment. He stared for a long moment before calling out uncertainly, "You’re... Man Yu?"
Hearing his voice, the murderous aura on Man Yu’s face finally softened. She nodded. "Chieftain, it’s me, Man Yu. I’m back!"
The chieftain was clearly pleased as well. "It’s good that you’re back," he praised, "It’s so good that you’re back!"
...