Third Senior Sister produced an Invisibility Talisman of extremely high grade that didn’t impose any level restrictions on the user. Lu Yang burned the talisman, becoming invisible, and moved through the Qiongqi side branch tribe as if nobody was around.

Although it was referred to as a side branch tribe, that was in relation to the Qiongqi Clan. These side branches were still entities that would receive the highest respect from the Demon Race if placed in the outside world. Just by traveling this short distance, Lu Yang encountered a patrolling team.

The captain of the patrol team was actually a Foundation Establishment cultivator, with members all being strong existences at the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refinement.

And this was only a small team leader; the captain of a larger team was likely to be a Golden Core ancestor, or at least a Half-Step Golden Core ancestor.

"The clan leader of this branch tribe is at the early stages of the Unification realm, a status which would secure a place among the Qiongqi Clan Elders, but he suffered an injury early in his years and can’t make a move lightly," Third Senior Sister reminded. This branch tribe had the strength of a First Class Sect, and although it was the weakest of its kind, it could not be taken lightly.

Both men nodded in unison, assuring Third Senior Sister not to worry; if the brothers lacked anything in their abilities, it was definitely not their caution and carefulness.

Lu Yang also saw juvenile mixed-blood Qiongqi huffing and puffing while practicing their skills, jumping around in small courtyards, drenched in sweat yet not stopping.

"I must evolve my bloodline into that of a pure-blood Qiongqi and bring glory to my family!"

The eyes of the juvenile mixed-blood Qiongqi shone brightly, filled with hope.

The Demon Race possesses unique cultivation techniques that can purify bloodlines, making the leap from carp to dragon a possibility, although those who could achieve this step were few and far between.

"The method of bloodline evolution has been handed down to this day, huh." Fairy Eternity, who had long dealt with Demon Beasts, recognized at a glance the origin of the juvenile mixed-blood Qiongqi’s actions; it was the bloodline evolution technique devised by the Qilin Immortal.

Before Qilin Immortal, there were methods of bloodline evolution, but they were too inefficient.

"Fairy, can he evolve into a pure-blood Qiongqi?"

"This Little Tiger’s blood is mixed enough, with ancestors of six or seven different Demon Beasts. His talent might be considered genius in a side branch tribe, and cultivating this way, he can indeed advance to pure-blood, but that’s as far as he’ll go. Once he reaches pure blood and enters the Qiongqi Clan, he’ll discover that there are plenty of geniuses just like him.

He won’t stand out in the Qiongqi Clan."

"Is it that bad?"

"It’s not bad; it’s reality. The disparity in talent is clear. This Little Tiger wouldn’t even qualify for the grand finals in Great Xia, let alone make it through."

"The Qiongqi Clan has many geniuses like him who are just as hardworking. Considering the resources these geniuses enjoyed previously were better than his, how can he stand out?"

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"To become the strongest, both talent and resources are indispensable. Even if your talent is strong, not to mention being placed in a Second or Third Class Sect, even in a First Class Sect, can they fully exploit your talent? They cannot."

Lu Yang nodded; not to boast, but his talent was definitely not something that could be fully exploited in a First Class Sect, perhaps not even in the Five Elements Sect.

"So you see, hard work can indeed lead to success, but no matter how hard you work, you can’t outpace those who work just as hard and are more talented than you are."

"Fairy, are you telling me all this to encourage me to practice more diligently?"

"No, what I mean is Miss Yun has great talent, is willing to endure hardship, and has cultivated for hundreds of years more than you. You probably won’t be able to catch up with her. When our Immortal Lineage fights with her, I’ll lead, and you’ll support."

Lu Yang: "..."

The three of them passed through the side branch tribe without incident and arrived at the Qiongqi Clan. Teams of five Qiongqi patrolled the skies and the ground, with another team taking over every ten minutes.

"Strange, why is the Qiongqi Clan on such high alert? Are they going to war with the Howling Moon Tian Lang Clan?" Third Senior Sister muttered.

"Should we change locations?"

"No need, it’s not like it’s targeted at us anyway."

"How do you know, Senior Sister?" Meng Jingzhou asked curiously.

"If it were aimed at us, it would have to be the Qiongqi Clan Elders out patrolling, not this bunch of small fries. Such stringent security is probably just for show."

"... Makes sense."

"Every noon, there’s a three-breath gap in the protective tribal array. We need to seize this opportunity to get in," Third Senior Sister said, familiar with the Qiongqi tribe’s array methods. She seemed to have come here countless times before.

A quarter of an hour later, Third Senior Sister gave a signal, and the three of them timed it perfectly, successfully entering the Qiongqi territory.

The Qiongqi were accustomed to living in jungles and caves, so the tribal area was filled with hollowed-out tree trunks and mountains from within.

While moving through the tribe, they occasionally encountered a few Qiongqi gathered together, talking. Lu Yang faintly heard words like "envoy visit," which made him wonder.

Was this the reason for the Qiongqi tribe’s strict vigilance?

An envoy visit?

What level of envoy would warrant such a grand reception by the Qiongqi tribe?

Lu Yang secretly asked Third Senior Sister.

"An envoy? A visit from an equal wouldn’t cause such a stir. I fear it’s a race even more powerful than the Qiongqi, perhaps of the Dragon and Phoenix caliber."

"Third Senior Sister, where are we going?"

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou followed Third Senior Sister deeper and deeper into seclusion. After walking for half a day without seeing a single Qiongqi, they felt an eerie chill.

"The tombs of the Qiongqi clan. If one wants to delve into archaeology, to excavate secrets hidden in history, one has to go to places like this. Whether it’s murals or burial artifacts, they’re all cultural relics worth researching."

"Didn’t I ask Eldest Senior Sister to send someone knowledgeable about ancient history? It was here, at the Qiongqi clan’s tomb, where I found something strange."

"Something strange?"

"It can’t be explained in a few words. You’ll understand once you see it."

The Qiongqi tribe took its ancestral tombs very seriously, with a Qiongqi of the Body Integration Realm stationed as the tomb guard. Unfortunately for the guard, he was virtually ineffective against Third Senior Sister, who even had the spare energy to bring the two juniors inside.

Seeing the Qiongqi clan’s tombs, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were thoroughly shocked.

There stood an imposing Qiongqi statue, so vast it filled their entire field of view, carved from three mountains and assembled with great magical power.

The Qiongqi statue was lifelike, with a fierce tiger bearing wings on its back, commanding eyes, and posed as if about to take flight, as though it could soar into the sky at any moment.

Even just looking at this statue felt intimidating.

The Qiongqi clan’s tomb was located right below this massive statue.

"It’s said that this is a tomb built in ancient times, a style popular among the Demon Race during that era," explained Third Senior Sister, indicating they need not be overly surprised.

Suddenly, Meng Jingzhou halted in his tracks, pointing at the Qiongqi statue above their heads without daring to look up.

"Why do I feel like this statue is alive, constantly watching us? Is it an illusion?"

Lu Yang was startled and his skin crawled. In fact, he had the same feeling. If two people felt this way, it couldn’t be just an illusion.

Third Senior Sister transmitted her voice to them, "I also feel like we are being watched."

"Inside the Qiongqi tribe, there’s a legend that the one above our heads isn’t a statue, but an ancient Qiongqi turned to stone, sleeping to this day, with the possibility of awakening at any moment!"

Both of them grew even more nervous.

Fairy Eternity, worldly and knowledgeable, offered an explanation, "You say it feels like someone is watching you—that’s an Array Method. The Yingtian Immortal developed it and encouraged everyone to set up such arrays when building their tombs. It can scare people and serves as a legend."