Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 148 Chen Ye's Acting Skills
Chen Ye looked at the enormous treasure ship, then at his spirit pet.

Black Whirlwind tilted its head and snorted fiercely at the treasure ship, as if it were cursing something very vulgar.

This guy is fat, and he refuses to compete internally, right? Asking him to learn a wind-blocking spell seems like it would kill him.

Chen Ye was too lazy to pay attention to this lazybones. After he descended from the sky, almost everyone turned their attention to Chen Ye, and even the tall Qiqi Gesang next to him was ignored.

On one side were hundreds of barbarians, and on the other side were cultivators from the Central Plains, all of whom had come ashore from this treasure ship.

Did the barbarians from the northern frontier bring in reinforcements, or are these cultivators from the Central Plains plotting something else?
Qiqigesang bent down and whispered in Chen Ye's ear, "Sect Master, that is Bile."

Following the direction Qiqigesang pointed, Bile had the typical features of a person from northern Xinjiang: high cheekbones, a long, narrow face, very rough skin, and a tall, robust physique. His hair was meticulously braided into many thin braids, adorned with colorful decorations. The person standing next to Bile, with a head full of red beads, was likely the priest of Bile's tribe; he looked quite old, with gray hair already.

The social status of people in the northern frontier can be judged by their hair ornaments. Generally, tribal leaders wear seven colors, while priests wear a solid color, making them easy to identify.

Did the people of the Bile tribe mix with the people of the Central Plains?

Something seemed amiss. Before Chen Ye could even ask, he heard someone from the Bile tribe shout loudly.

Qiqigesang clenched his fists in anger.

Chen Ye couldn't understand the Northern Frontier dialect, so he asked, "What did that person say?"

Qiqigesang suppressed his anger and said, "Sect Master, there's no need to take it to heart. It's just some vulgar provocation."

Chen Ye looked at the barbarian who had shouted, who had a smug smirk on his face and was cursing filthy words.

Chen Ye asked curiously, "Do you have a grudge against me?"

Qiqigesang explained, "The Bile and Suhe tribes are neighbors and often fight each other. When we participated in the deer hunting event, we always suppressed the Bile tribe so much that they couldn't hold their heads up. Naturally, they have a grudge against us."

Qiqigesang had a special physique since childhood, much taller than ordinary people, which naturally made him an easy target of criticism. However, the Suhe tribe had always been the most powerful tribe, and the people of the Bile tribe only dared to curse him in private, but dared not insult him in public like they did now.

What angered Qiqigesang even more was that this person's foul language also implicated Chen Ye.

However, the Bile tribe has a large number of people, while Chen Ye only has two people and a bird. They will be at a disadvantage if they fight.

Qiqigesang could only endure it to avoid causing trouble for Chen Ye.

Chen Ye then asked, "How would you have dealt with this kind of provocation if Su He were still alive?"

Qiqigesang didn't understand why Chen Ye asked this, but he still answered honestly: "Chief Suhe will order his men to drag him out and either break his arm or cut out his tongue."

"Why not just kill them outright?"

Qiqigesang explained, "If you want to kill someone, you can only wait until the three matches of the Deer Hunt begin; otherwise, it will be considered breaking the rules."

Having figured out the connection, Chen Ye smiled and said, "So, all we need to do is spare his life?"

Qiqi Gesang understood Chen Ye's meaning and quickly said, "Sect Master, we are currently outnumbered and outmatched."

In Qiqigesang's view, Chen Ye did indeed possess extremely powerful witchcraft, but wasn't there a large group of people from the Central Plains over there? In terms of numbers, they were at a disadvantage.

Chen Ye laughed and said, "It's alright. There's a saying in the Central Plains: 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do.' Ask him if he wants his hand cut off or his tongue cut off."

Qiqi Gesang felt that Chen Ye was acting impulsively, but seeing Chen Ye's serious expression, Qiqi Gesang understood that she had to obey orders.

She was the ox of the Yellow Springs Sect; as long as the sect leader pulled the rope, she had to obey.

Qiqigesang straightened up and roared at the person who had provoked him.

The barbarians of the Bile tribe seemed surprised that Qiqi Gesang dared to talk back when outnumbered, and they immediately started shouting. Those who had provoked them earlier pointed at Chen Ye and Qiqi Gesang and cursed them.

Qiqigesang translated, "Sect Master, he said if you have the guts, break his arms and tongue."

Chen Ye smiled slightly and said, "This is the first time I've heard of such a request. Let's grant his request."

Qiqigesang felt a warmth in her right hand. The small fire snake that had been wrapped around it, which had been dormant as if in hibernation, suddenly flew off her arm like a startled beast.

It grew larger as if it were being inflated while in mid-air, and by the time it landed, it had become a giant flaming python.

The sight of such a massive creature flying out startled the barbarians, who scattered in all directions, thus revealing the person who had spoken so rudely.

The fiery python opened its mouth and lunged at the man.

Seeing the giant python approaching, the barbarian remained calm, roared, and a red light appeared on his body.

Chen Ye thought he was about to transform; beast transformation seemed to be the most common witchcraft among the barbarians of the Northern Frontier.

But no, the red light on this person seemed to make him stronger and faster, and he looked fierce as he drew his long sword from his waist and slashed at the giant python.

With a clang, the longsword struck the giant python, but only managed to create a trail of sparks on its bone armor.

Although he managed to block the giant python's attack, the man's long knife was knocked away, and blood streamed from his tiger's mouth.

The giant flaming python was only momentarily stunned by the longsword before attacking again, binding the man tightly. The flames burned his skin and flesh, causing him to scream in agony. The immense force squeezed his bones, making them crack and creak, threatening to pulverize him at any moment.

When the other barbarians of the Bil tribe saw this, they were about to come to help, but Qiqigesang had already transformed into a minotaur and charged over. His huge body rampaged through the crowd, knocking the warriors of the Bil tribe to the ground.

Qiqigesang rushed to the giant python, drew his knife, and held it to the man's neck.

Chen Ye only saw Qiqigesang roar a few times before the Bile tribe man, whose face was red from being strangled by the giant python, let out a wail.

Qiqi Gesang reached out and crushed the man's shoulders, then pulled him out of the giant python and casually threw him to the ground. Chen Ye manipulated the flaming python to coil around Qiqi Gesang's hand again; to onlookers, this appeared to be nothing more than Qiqi Gesang's witchcraft.

The Minotaur with the fiery hand-held cicada strode back to Chen Ye's side. The hundreds of people from the Bile tribe wanted to surround her, but as soon as they made a move, they were spotted by the fire snakes on her arms.

Wherever the snake's eyes swept, everyone hesitated to move.

Looking at the victorious Qiqi Gesang, Chen Ye asked with a smile, "Didn't you say you'd cut out his tongue?"

Qiqi Gesang also laughed and said, "Sect Master, please forgive me, I didn't bring my knife. Anyway, he was crying so hard just now that he even called out for his parents. If he had any shame, he would never be able to use this tongue to curse people again."

Chen Ye didn't care about these details; the rules of the Northern Frontier were for the Northern Frontier people to decide for themselves.

He hadn't been paying attention to the barbarians of the Bile tribe, but rather to the Central Plains cultivators beside him.

When the fire serpent appeared, Chen Ye could see that many people looked surprised, but some of them, besides being surprised, seemed to recognize the fire serpent's appearance.

If Chen Ye's fire serpent extinguished its flames, it would look exactly like a red-banded snake, with its exposed bones being unique in the world. Chen Ye deliberately made Qi Qi Gesang appear to be the one controlling the fire serpent, just to see how this group of people would react.

These people inside must either be from Baihai Valley or know about Baihai Valley.

But what is the purpose of these cultivators traveling all this way here?
Chen Ye was still pondering whether to take the initiative to greet them when he saw Bile walk up to the group of cultivators with an angry expression and say something.

"Sect Master, Bile is questioning those Central Plains people about why they didn't offer any help."

Chen Ye was also quite curious about the relationship between this group of cultivators and Bi Le. People from the Central Plains had come all the way to the Northern Frontier to participate in this deer hunting event; perhaps they had ulterior motives, just like him.

Pang Wen listened to Bile's gibberish Northern Xinjiang dialect without paying any attention. He could roughly guess what Bile wanted to say without a translator; he guessed it was to blame them, the cultivators, for not offering any help.

But Pang Wen never took these barbarians seriously; from the moment Chen Ye appeared, he only focused on him.

Although he had never met Chen Ye, Pang Wen had heard a lot of information about him.

One of the things he possessed was his exceptionally handsome appearance; everyone who saw him praised him as otherworldly. Pang Wen initially thought it was just an exaggeration.

After all, cultivators absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and their physical bodies will naturally repair their defects and flaws, constantly changing towards their innate state.

The closer one is to nature, the more delightful it becomes.

Unless one is born with a disability, everyone will become ethereal and otherworldly after reaching the Qi Sea Realm.

But Chen Ye's otherworldly demeanor was too ethereal, like an ancient deity, making them, the cultivators, appear as mere mortals in comparison.

Pang Wen finally understood why the Incense Burning Sect had sent him to investigate; Chen Ye must possess a secret treasure.

This person is truly blessed with good fortune. Not only did he inherit the secret techniques of the Heavenly Book, but he also received the protection of the Qinghe Sword Sect and managed to find such rare and precious natural treasures. Given time, he will surely achieve great things.

Thinking of all this, Pang Wen immediately smiled, bypassed the incessantly chattering Bi Le, and came to Chen Ye.

"I am Pang Wen of the Burning Lamp Sect. It is truly an honor to meet Fellow Daoist Chen today."

One shouldn't hit a smiling face, so Chen Ye, seeing how polite the man was, also put on a smile and started exchanging pleasantries with Pang Wen.

After a few words, Chen Ye found out the purpose of Pang Wen and the others' visit.

They said they came to investigate the cause and effect of the Nirvana Sect's blood sacrifice, and also to find out if any demons were hiding.

It sounded reasonable, after all, everyone wanted to kill the Nirvana Sect, but after only a few words, Pang Wen asked indirectly, "I heard these barbarians mention that Fellow Daoist Chen built a city in this northern frontier, which must have been very hard work. I heard that Fellow Daoist Chen has been cultivating in the Hundred Seas Valley for a long time, so why does he suddenly want to establish a sect in this desolate place?"

Without hesitation, Chen Ye said, "My lifespan is coming to an end, so I plan to take on a few disciples."

Pang Wen was taken aback for a moment, then said awkwardly, "Fellow Daoist Chen is joking. I have long heard that you are a genius in cultivation, having already reached the level of Gang Sha Body Refinement at such a young age. How could your lifespan be nearing its end?"

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "There's nothing I can do. I've run into some trouble while practicing my martial arts, and I'm afraid my days are numbered."

Chen Ye did indeed run into trouble during his cultivation practice; otherwise, he would have already entered seclusion and reached the Profound Realm. As for lifespan, smelling the ginseng fruit only adds a little over three hundred years, which is practically negligible when rounded up. Cultivation is a time-sensitive and demanding endeavor, so his lifespan was likely nearing its end.

Chen Ye felt that he was telling the absolute truth, while Pang Wen was full of doubts. How could he say it so convincingly? This person's acting skills were truly amazing; he couldn't see the slightest flaw.

Although Pang Wen felt that Chen Ye was most likely lying, he insisted on saying so, and Pang Wen really didn't know how to respond for a while. He couldn't very well just say "please accept my condolences" to him.

The casual conversation couldn't continue, and Pang Wen could only make an excuse that he needed to appease Bi Le, and then left sheepishly.

Chen Ye smiled and watched them leave, then led Qiqi Gesang toward the foot of the Holy City Mountain. The twenty people he brought were still on their way, and they had probably only reached the halfway point of the mountain.

Qiqi Gesang followed closely behind Chen Ye, asking in confusion, "Sect Master, are those Central Plains people enemies?"

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but they definitely have ulterior motives. We should be cautious about this deer hunt."

Chen Ye originally just wanted to go through the motions, to make a casual display so that the various tribes of the Northern Frontier would know that he had the ability to protect Fengdu City, and then he could focus on developing his sect.

Chen Ye did not compete with others for territory; Fengdu City was built on ruins.

But with the appearance of Pang Wen and his group, the deer hunt is likely to become unpredictable. If they insist on competing with him, Chen Ye will be forced to fight.

Chen Ye didn't have the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, and he didn't know if he could solve the problem with just the Fire Serpent Divine Power and the Sword Box.

Chen Ye thought for a moment and asked Qiqi Gesang, "Now that we have arrived at the Holy City, when will the first gladiatorial contest begin?"

Qiqigesang turned to look at the city wall, counted the flags fluttering there, and said, "Including us and Bile, it seems that only one tribe is missing. They should all arrive today or tomorrow. Then the high priest will light a fire and pray before the ancestral spirit statue. When the fire is lit, it will be time for the gladiatorial battle."

(End of this chapter)