After a century of worship, I became the ancestor of the tribe.

Chapter 161 With the combined strength of the three departments, I will have a share in Ji!
The crimson flames surged, constantly tearing at Yan Wanyun's spirit and will. If he relaxed even for a moment, he would be completely swallowed up by the other two heads and turned into a puppet.

This situation has intensified since the advancement to the Divine Treasury.

The moment he ascended to the Divine Realm, he was like a ripe fruit on a tree, ready to be picked.

However, the guy behind the scenes is still a little short of being able to devour his soul.

A hundred years ago, Yanran was just a small tribe in the northwest of Ji, facing attacks from the Xiaoyang Mukang branch.

Finally, during one of Xiaoyang's southward advances, the Yanran tribe failed to stop them, and Yan Wanyun naturally did not escape. He was captured by Xiaoyang and his parents died tragically before his eyes.

Like many captured humans, he was taken to the territory of the Xiaoyang Mukang branch, to be used as a sacrifice during the grand ceremony.

As luck would have it, while he was imprisoned, unrest broke out in the territory of the Mukang branch clan.

The powerful warriors who clashed destroyed countless houses, and coincidentally, they also destroyed the place where human prisoners were being held.

In the chaos, many of the captured humans began to flee.

This is the territory of the Mukang branch. Even if a powerful figure suddenly appears and causes chaos, it will not be easy for the imprisoned humans to escape.

Unlike most people who run away, Yan Wanyun ran inward.

They traversed the Mukang tribe's territory, heading straight for the ancestral temple, then entered the cemetery to hide.

It was inside Mu Kang's ancestral tomb that he found a carving of a three-headed, solitary monster.

At that time, this thing was buried in the ancestral grave. In the middle of the night, it suddenly emerged from the grave, emitting a mysterious light.

Yan Wanyun, who was hiding, happened to see him. Before Xiao Yang of the Mu Kang branch could find him, he pulled him out.

The depiction was bizarre. After he obtained it, the three-headed, solitary monster in the painting possessed him and turned into a black tattoo.

From then on, Yan Wanyun's cultivation underwent a tremendous change, and his talent for cultivation suddenly soared.

Especially after advancing to the Heavenly Vein Realm, whenever his blood energy circulates throughout his body, the three-headed tattoo lights up, devouring his blood energy.

Devouring blood essence is a minor matter; what's truly terrifying is the bloodlust it triggers, along with the eerie whispers that often echo in one's ears.

Over the past century, as his cultivation level improved, Yan Wanyun had been constantly speculating about the origin of the tattoo, and his target was the master of the Xiaoyang Muyan lineage.

In the vast land of Ji, the most powerful creature in the past few hundred years has been none other than Mu Xiao, the master of the Mu Yan lineage.

Even though this guy is an enemy of the human race, his methods are indeed very powerful, otherwise he wouldn't be able to suppress the human race.

Before Mu Xiao became the leader of the Mu Yan lineage, the overall strength of the Mu Yan lineage was about the same as that of the Qiu Yin and Mu Kang branches.

The three major branches are located in the northeast of Ji, and are not closely connected with other Xiaoyang branches in the northwest of Ji.

Although the branches of Xiaoyang are scattered and even the royal bloodline of the Xiao clan has been mixed up by killing, there is still an ancestral temple of Xiaoyang above each branch.

It is true that Gufu Mountain was leveled eight thousand years ago, and the ancestral temple is gone, but the ancestral temple worship still exists, along with the traditional shamanic rituals and a group of old people.

These old folks moved the new ancestral temple to a place called Yue Shi Mountain. The various branches of the clan didn't pay much attention to it, and usually just offered some tributes to the ancestral temple.

As for the High Priest wanting to interfere in the affairs of the various branches, sorry, you might be an imposter.

Thus, the Grand Priest of the Ancestral Temple and the various branches reached a tacit understanding: as long as you pay tribute every year and don't let your ancestors go hungry, that's fine.

Whoever can conquer Gufu Mountain, we will move back.

Unfortunately, a problem arose a century after Mu Xiao became the leader of the Mu Yan lineage.

The old folks at the ancestral temple split up, and one of the elders led a group of priests eastward to the territory of the Muyan tribe.

After arriving at the Muyan branch, this elder built an ancestral temple, and the leading elder called himself the Great Shaman Priest, thus taking control of the sacrificial authority of the Muyan lineage.

In the days that followed, with the support of the Muyan lineage, this high priest also transferred elders from the Mukang and Qiuyin lineages to the ancestral temple in the name of ancestral worship, and took over the worship of the Mukang and Qiuyin lineages.

This is why the three tyrants of the northeastern region of Ji County joined forces to take action.

This is only the change within Xiaoyang. The most obvious change on the outside is the generational gap among the younger generation of the Jishanbo tribe.

Many human blood witches and blood warriors exist in Ji, all controlled by Mu Yan behind the scenes. By the time the Jishanbo tribe realizes what's happening, it's too late, through blood witch curses and blood warrior assassinations.

Considering the Muyan lineage leader's desire to unify the three Muyan lineages, and the opportunity he obtained in the Mukang ancestral tomb, Yan Wanyun couldn't help but suspect the Muyan lineage leader.

Of course, he also suspected that the three-headed tattoo ending up on him was just a coincidence.

The target of the three-headed tattoo mural might have been one of the owl-yangs of the Mu Kang branch, but it just so happened to fall on him.

Now that things have developed to this point, it's too late to say anything. Yan Ran has risen to power because of this, and regardless of whether it's Mu Yan's scheme or not, he will fight to the end.

Inside the tomb, Yan Wanyun's body was surging with blood energy, and the beads of sweat the size of soybeans that rolled out were quickly evaporated.

His face was contorted in a grotesque grimace, a result of the other two heads pulling at his soul.

If he relaxes his will even slightly, all resistance will be like a long river pouring down, leaving no room for retreat.

The three-headed tattoo flickered with black light, its brightness shifting intermittently, exuding an eerie aura that defied the scorching heat of flames.

Yan Wanyun's eyes were bloodshot, but he remained motionless as if rooted to the spot.

Fifteen minutes later, his expression gradually calmed down, and the tattoos on his body faded, appearing on his skin like ordinary paint marks.

"Clan leader."

The Grand Elder quickly walked in. He had just been severely affected by the blood energy and still felt the shockwaves emanating from it.

Yan Wanyun casually grabbed a piece of hemp clothing from the side, wiped himself with it, and then put it on.

"Lord Jishan noticed something was off about me long ago, so he both helped me and guarded against me. But I don't blame the old man; he's in a difficult position."

"Chieftain, why don't we move west or south? It's time to let those guys from Yu and Luo regions experience the power of Xiaoyang firsthand."

The Grand Elder was somewhat indignant. Ji had resisted Xiao Yang for so long, yet the guys from other parts of Yongyi had all turned a blind eye.

Don't they understand that the fate of Jishan and Yanran today will be their fate tomorrow?

"Where to go?"

Yan Wanyun sneered, "Do you think Yongyi still has a foothold? Xiaoyang is an external threat, and some guys are much more ruthless when it comes to dealing with their own people than Xiaoyang."

These words reminded Elder Yanran of Elder Aoshan, who had come before.

Damn old man.

If he had the cultivation of the Divine Realm, he would have already stormed into the territory of the Xiaoyang Clan, and the northern Ji region would not have become like this.

Those old guys in Yongyi who possess the Divine Treasure Realm, they all deserve to die!
The reason why the Yanran tribe sent warships across the Xiaoyang tribe's territory to the north was because of the three-headed tattoo on Yan Wanyun's body.

The reason why the Aoshan tribe went north was naturally unclear to ordinary tribes.

However, in order to suppress the changes in Yan Wanyun, the Yanran tribe had already sent people to various parts of Yongyi, hoping to find a solution from these tribes with stronger lineages.

Therefore, Yanran quickly received news that the Kui Niu war drums had been raised within the Aoshan tribe.

Subsequently, the Aoshanbo tribe went north for inspection.

Yan Wanyun, who was constantly suffering from the pain of having his 'souls' sucked away, naturally wanted to see if there were any treasures left behind by the Marquis of Yongshan, which is why the Red Fire Warships went north.

Later, the remaining spirit of Gufu Mountain was guided to a better place.

Throughout the entire Ji region, no tribe could bear the remains of the spirits used for sacrifices, and the other areas to the south of Ji were even less capable.

Yan Wanyun's gaze naturally fell on the northern wilderness surrounding the Juyue Mountains.

The sound of the Kui Niu war drums and the guidance of the remnants of the Xiao Yang clan's spirit gave him a glimmer of hope. Perhaps he could use the fighting spirit of the human race to suppress the mutation within him.

They never expected to fall into Xiao Yang's trap. The flying boat carrying the Ao Shan Bo tribe back south was destroyed, and it was done with a type of red fire witchcraft.

The flying boat of Aoshan was destroyed, and the Grand Elder of Aoshan went north. At that time, if he really had a big battle with him, Yan Wanyun felt that if he were injured, it would be equivalent to giving the three-headed tattooed man an opportunity to take advantage of him.

Fortunately, the Earl of Jishan intervened and sent the Grand Elder of Aoshan flying.

Furthermore, he declared that if Aoshan were to return, the entire Jishan clan would migrate south across the Luo River, causing Xiaoyang to launch a large-scale southward invasion, which would be attributed to Aoshan's actions.

Finally, Elder Aoshan left unwillingly.

In light of this, Yan Wanyun became even more convinced that the three-headed tattoo was a scheme by the Muyan Clan Leader.

At this moment, Elder Yanran also calmed his emotions and said, "Clan leader, I suddenly remembered that when the clan was investigating the northern mountains and forests before, we discovered that a superior tribe had risen up in the northern lands behind the Xiaoyang clan's territory."

According to reports from the tribe's warriors, the fighting style this rising tribe used when they clashed with Xiaoyang was the same as the style they used to infiltrate the Muyan branch—breaking up into smaller, scattered attacks.

Elder Yanran spoke quickly, "Do you think this tribe that rose up in the north is related to the Three Fire Tribe?"

"These three fire tribes, along with the Luoshui Earl's tribe, with their chariots, cavalry, and armor, have risen to prominence in such a short time. I really don't know how they did it."

Yan Wanyun pondered for a moment, then said, "Elder, I will secretly go to Sanhuo. You should prepare for defense."

The elder's words made him realize that there was no need to waste any more time.

Whether the rising tribes in the North have any connection to the Three Fires is not important.

The presence of soldiers, armor, and chariots from the Luo River within the Three Fire Department is not important.

How the Sanhuo tribe rose to power and what was involved behind the scenes are not important.

Results speak for themselves!
Sanhuo is now qualified to be ranked alongside Yanran!
I imagine that the Earl of Jishan thought the same thing.

As for the other superior tribes in Ji, those with the title of Bo, they were simply not worth their attention.

After handing over the defenses of the main camp to the Grand Elder, Yan Wanyun quietly left.

The rising tribes of the North, the guides to the remnants of the human race, and the bronze chariots were enough in his eyes to make his initial judgment.

All speculation is not as simple and clear as asking in person.

……

The Three Fire Departments.

Oh oh oh!
As the horn sounded, the blood energy emanating from the owl outside the ancestral temple surged, and streams of vow power poured into the ancestral temple.

The five thousand newly captured prisoners of war from Xiaoyang were sacrificed directly outside the ancestral temple.

In recent days, prisoners of war from Xiaoyang have been escorted back every few days, ranging from a few hundred to one or two thousand.

Every time he collected five thousand, Shen Can would initiate a sacrificial ceremony.

Inside the ancestral temple.

Shen Can sensed the seven majestic figures within the Nine Cauldrons and Eight Dishes. Through continuous sacrifices and the blessing of their vows, the seven figures became increasingly clear.

One of the figures, wielding a large spear and accompanied by a mount, was the clearest among the seven, radiating a vast fighting spirit.

Perhaps it is because these seven figures were powerful in their previous lives that they need to absorb more willpower.

After the sacrificial ceremony, the power of the vows began to wane, and the people dispersed to attend to their own affairs.

Now, Huotang led his army into a "nail-pulling" mode, and the army arrived at the hiding place of Xiaoyang with overwhelming strength. At each mountain range and forest, they began a thorough search, clearing out the hidden Xiaoyang one by one, and also capturing as many Xiaoyang prisoners as possible for sacrifices to the spirits.

The crushing defeat outside Heyang Market completely robbed the Xiaoyang tribes surrounding the market of their courage to attack.

Those who can hide should hide; those who can't should start running.

No longer could Xiaoyang organize any resistance against the human race's encirclement and annihilation.

After the Battle of Heyang, the Sanhuo tribe completely occupied the vast area on both sides of the Guimu River and is still expanding.

Today, a new landscape has been initially formed, consisting of Xiyanran, Zhongsanhuo, and Dongjishan.

The Three Fire Tribes, having gathered together remnants of the human race to form a fighting force, began to reclaim the lost territories of the human race, and their achievements speak for themselves.

Shen Can had already sent a message to Huo Tang through the Cang Luan soldiers, instructing them to divide their troops into several groups and launch separate attacks.

After the destruction of Heyang, Jinyang Mountain to the northeast was too far away, and Yinshan Market, west of Guimu River, was behind the army of the Qiuyin branch.

In the time that follows, eliminating the surrounding strongholds of Yangshan and Heyang will be enough for the army to wage war for a long time.

While driving out Xiaoyang, we also need to develop our tribe. After two consecutive great victories, it's time to properly digest the fruits of our victory.

The future direction of the Blazing Flame Tribe needs a new decision.

It's not about moving the Blazing Flame Tribe out of the depths of the Giant Mountain Range; whether the tribe moves or not has no impact on its subsequent development.

Even if the Bo tribe achieves its current status, it would still be beneficial for the Zhiyan tribe's people to remain deep within the mountains, allowing them to cultivate and conduct research in peace.

The issue to be discussed is to change the situation in Jizhou from the two parts of Jishan and Yanran to a new pattern of three parts of Jishan, Yanran and Sanhuo.

Having achieved results is important, but it must be done legitimately.

The Xiaoyang Muyan branch suffered heavy losses, with many tribes killed and the two major towns guarding the northern market breached. Not counting the tribes that migrated from Xiaoyang, nearly 100,000 elite troops were lost.

But so far, there has been no movement from the Muyan pulse master.

There's a lot to say about that.

Shen Can became increasingly suspicious that the Master of Muyan Pulse was plotting something big.

Logically, the Sanhuobo tribe should have already cut off their retreat, either by engaging in a decisive battle or by retreating. However, there has been no movement, which is quite puzzling.

The Sanhuo tribe's recapture of lost territory is an open secret; now it's time to uncover some of the 'truth' about Jidi.

At this moment, in the northern wilderness of the Sanhuo tribe, soldiers, like a long dragon, escorted a group of Xiaoyang prisoners of war.

Most of these owl yangs had their hands broken, and their upper bodies were tied with animal sinew ropes, and they were dragged along in groups.

They were divided into groups of one hundred, and if even one of them struggled to escape, the entire group would be killed.

Looking around, the number of the captured prisoners of Xiaoyang being escorted was about 50,000, and there were antelope-like cavalry patrolling and guarding them all around.

Huotang would also occasionally steer the chariot to keep an eye on both sides, in order to prevent any problems from arising.

He happened to receive a message from Shen Can, so he personally escorted the group of Xiaoyang prisoners back.

The evening of the second day.

When the groups of captured Xiaoyang were escorted outside the ancestral temple, a new round of blood sacrifice began.

When Shen Can stopped the selection process, he killed Xiao Yang when he had enough.

Screams and curses echoed outside the ancestral temple, and the clansmen gathered in layers, with many standing directly on the rooftops of their houses.

The blood quickly formed a river.

The clansmen took turns coming to the front of the ancestral temple to start their work.

The commotion continued into the early hours of the morning, with the bonfire blazing and illuminating the surroundings. The sweeping continued until dawn without stopping.

Inside the ancestral temple.

Shen Can stood quietly outside the sacrificial vessel.

Inside the sacrificial cauldron, the imposing figure wielding a long spear finally revealed its true form.

He was middle-aged, with sharp, piercing eyes, and his body seemed to be sitting cross-legged in blood and mud, letting the blood soak through his armor.

The person was clearly a remnant soul, yet at this moment he was like a real person, breathing as if he had a life of his own.

Shockingly, this middle-aged sacrificial spirit was wrapped in thick bone chains, covered with dense bone spikes that pierced through its armor and into its flesh.

"Who used such a vicious method to take the lives of our human ancestors?"

Huotang's divine consciousness also entered the sacrificial cauldron.

The chains on the middle-aged man's body still exuded a sinister, deathly aura, as if they were corroding his spirit.

At this moment, an indescribable aura erupted from the middle-aged man, his black hair flying wildly, like a sharp sword piercing the sky.

The pulse, which had been rising and falling like breathing, became increasingly rapid, and the released energy instantly repelled Huo Tang's consciousness.

The next moment, the middle-aged man slowly opened his eyes.

In an instant, Shen Canjiu's divine sense perceived a vast and magnificent battle map in the eyes of the middle-aged elder.

On the vast wasteland, the human race and Xiaoyang had gathered countless troops, the exact number of which was impossible to discern.

In short, the wilderness and mountains were covered with it.

Human warriors charged into battle, their blood and bones splattering, staining the plains crimson.

One after another, chariots transformed into Kui oxen, propelled by thunderous war drums, pierced through the battlefield and swept away countless owls.

In the void, a golden dragon spreads its wings, conjuring endless torrential rain; a gale sweeps across, turning the rain into sharp arrows that fall to the earth, causing widespread destruction.

At the far end, a figure stood atop a towering banner, overlooking the entire battlefield.

The middle-aged man rode his dragon horse in a fierce battle against a hawk, but was eventually pierced through by a streak of light that came from afar, along with his dragon horse.

This scene, the last glimpse of that year, was etched into my eyes like a brand.

Wow!
The battle map vanished from the middle-aged man's eyes, replaced by confusion. Then, with a slight movement, the white bone chains on his body rattled and began to pierce deeper into his body.

The seemingly cracked white bones were even more bizarre than those forged from high-grade minerals, firmly embedded in the body, constantly releasing a dark, cursed power.

At this moment, the middle-aged man looked at the skeleton on his body and looked puzzled again, seemingly surprised that he had such a thing on his body.

He tried to tear the bone chain apart, but when his hand landed on the bones, it made a sizzling, corrosive sound.

Wow!

The white bone chains binding his body were instantly torn to shreds, turning into a wisp of pale mist.

In the blink of an eye, the mist reformed and transformed back into chains of bones.

"The Owl Yang Bone is the curse."

The sound emanated from the sacrificial vessel, followed by a surge of immense killing intent from the middle-aged man.

"That wicked scoundrel, Xiaoyang, is still not completely dead!"

Then, the middle-aged elder sensed the malevolent aura permeating the ancestral temple.

Suddenly it opened its mouth, and the lingering bloody aura outside the ancestral temple instantly transformed into a massive vortex, spinning and plummeting down from the roof of the ancestral temple.

The massive airflow grew larger and larger, attracting the attention of the clansmen. The remaining blood and gore from the owl-like creatures that had not yet been cleaned up were also swept up by the vortex.

For a time, it attracted the attention of the people in the city.

Rumble!
After being swept into the ancestral temple, the enormous vortex was swallowed whole by the middle-aged elder.

After swallowing the blood of the owl, the middle-aged man's body surged with murderous aura, his eyes turned dark, and he was no longer so puzzled.

He looked at Shen Can through the sacrificial vessel.

"The tyrant Yang has not been destroyed?"

Shen Can nodded, "Zhiyan Temple greets Senior."

"We are of the same rank, there's no need for this."

A look of disappointment appeared on the middle-aged man's face. "It seems I've been dormant for too long. The remnants of the Xiaoyang faction have resurfaced."

After a few breaths, the middle-aged man composed himself and looked back at Shen Can and Huo Tang.

"Chief Blazing Flame greets Senior."

The middle-aged elder nodded and pondered, "A third-tier clan leader, a fourth-tier temple master, even the temple master has started practicing martial arts, how long have I been in seclusion?"

After saying that, the middle-aged man seemed to realize that the two people in front of him did not know who he was.

"Ji Tianlong, the garrison commander of Yongshanbo."

"After his death in battle, the Marquis ordered the suppression of the spirit worship ceremony at the Xiaoyang Ancestral Temple."

"Why was I brought here by your tribe?"

……

Shen Can hesitated for a moment before speaking: "Senior Ji, Yongshan was separated and collapsed eight thousand years ago, and the Marquis disappeared."

Even if they were of the same rank, a spirit that was still suppressing the Xiaoyang Ancestral Temple after dying in battle deserves to be called a senior.

Rumble!
An aura of killing intent burst forth from Ji Tianlong, and his surging battle spirit materialized like thunder.

Boom boom boom!
Inside the ancestral temple, the nine tripods and eight sacrificial vessels hummed and resonated, like the beating of war drums.

……

At this moment, outside the Sanhuo tribe, Yan Wanyun walked across the wasteland. His steps seemed unhurried, but each step he took covered a hundred feet.

The walls of the Three Fire Tribes had already come into view.

He didn't intend to force his way in, so he headed towards the main gate of the clan city and was almost at the gate.

But in an instant, he suddenly looked up at the center of the Three Fire Clan City, where a bloody aura stretched across the sky, and a vast sound of slaughter reverberated through the air.

Seeing this, Yan Wanyun's eyes showed astonishment.

Then, astonishment turned into ecstasy.

The fighting spirit, the boundless fighting spirit, it was definitely the right decision to come.

I knew that any tribe that dared to fight against Xiaoyang must have a lot of strength!
Then, Yan Wanyun stopped and spoke in a deep voice!
"Yan Wanyun of the Yanran tribe has come to pay a visit!"

　I'm still not feeling well today, here's a 10,000-word update.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)