After taking the Antidote Pill, Ling Chen ford a True Qi shield around his body. The poisonous miasma, forming streams of airflow, swept past him but failed to harm him in the slightest.
The Qingfeng Jue was a Fourth Grade Exotic Beast. Its constitution was far beyond that of an ordinary person, so the re miasma naturally couldn't harm it.
The Qingfeng Jue was incredibly fast. In no ti, Ling Chen had left dozens of miles of treacherous hills and wretched waters behind him. Slowly, scenes of green mountains and clear waters began to appear in his sight; the miasma ahead had evidently grown much thinner.
Gazing into the distance, Ling Chen could discern, approximately a few kiloters ahead and nestled within a circle of mountains, a fertile, flat, and open expanse of land.
Buildings with a strong Barbarian Tribe flavor rose from the ground, so built against the mountains, others clustered closely together. A clear creek, originating from the deep mountains further ahead, andered through this paradise-like land. Many distinctively styled houses were built along both banks of the creek.
Ling Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. That must be the Barbarian Tribe's village, he thought. He patted the Qingfeng Jue's head, and it descended, preparing to find a place to land.
「Beneath the clouds, there was a small lake spanning several miles.」
"Damn it! Why is everyone else born with thousands of pounds of strength, while I, the Clan Leader's daughter, was born so weak?"
Beside the lake, a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in animal skins, punched a large tree. She had peculiar light purple hair and wide, round, grape-purple eyes. Her cute little face was etched with defiance.
"You bullies! You all look down on now, but soday, I'll make every single one of you look at with new eyes!"
The girl punched the tree trunk again, causing the massive tree to tremble and shed a flurry of leaves.
"Little miss, that's quite so strength you have there."
Just then, an unfamiliar voice suddenly reached her.
"Who's there?"
A hint of vigilance instantly appeared on the little girl's face.
"Relax, I'm not a bad person."
At that mont, a figure erged from behind the large tree. It was a young man in white, a Long Sword at his waist, possessing a carefree deanor. Who else could it be but Ling Chen?
He had just descended from the sky and landed nearby. He unintentionally overheard the girl's words and naturally approached her.
"My daddy said that bad people always say that."
Instead of relaxing her guard, the girl beca even more cautious.
"Er... well, your daddy's advice is sound, but I'm really not a bad person."
Ling Chen was sowhat exasperated. He had little experience dealing with young girls like this and, unexpectedly, found his attempts thwarted.
"Do I look like a bad person?"
Hearing this, the girl scrutinized Ling Chen, her small face adopting a serious expression. "Hmm... you don't really look like one."
But the next mont, she abruptly retreated, a look of shock flooding her face. "Wait a minute... you… you're an outsider?"
"Correct, I am indeed from the outside."
Ling Chen didn't hide this and nodded. Given his attire, he wouldn't have been able to conceal it anyway. Before setting out, Ling Chen had considered disguising himself. However, upon reflection, he realized it would likely be futile since he had never seen what a Barbarian Tribe mber looked like. Even if he tried, he'd probably end up looking ridiculous. So, why bother?
"My daddy said that outsiders are all insidious, cunning, and ill-intentioned villains. Don't co any closer!"
Seeing Ling Chen try to approach, the little girl quickly extended a small hand, simultaneously backing away.
"Your daddy is mistaken on this point," Ling Chen said, shaking his head. He patiently explained, "There are good and bad people everywhere. How can you paint everyone with the sa brush?"
Ling Chen was actually quite speechless. Trying to reason with a young Barbarian Tribe girl here felt rather absurd. But there was no way around it. Since he now wanted to infiltrate the Barbarian Tribe, he had to start with one of its mbers. A young girl should be easier to talk to than an adult, he reasoned. Moreover, he had clearly heard that this little girl was the Clan Leader's daughter, soone of considerable status—likely a noble within the Barbarian Tribe. She should at least have so knowledge of the Deer Reviving Grass.
Seeing that the Barbarian Tribe girl remained unmoved and hadn't lowered her guard, Ling Chen's eyes darted around for a mont before an idea struck him, and his eyes lit up. "Oh, right! Didn't you just say you wanted to beco stronger and make your companions look at you with new eyes? I can help you beco stronger."
"Really?"
At these words, the little girl's eyes instantly brightened, but then they quickly dimd again. "It's no use," she said. "I was born much weaker than others. No amount of training helps. My daddy has tried many thods on and given many precious dicinal herbs that enhance strength, but none of them had any effect."
"Why do you need so much strength? You can beco very strong even without it."
Ling Chen smiled faintly. It seems my approach is correct, he thought.
"Don't joke around! How can you possibly beat others without strength? Don't think I'm a child, so I'll be easily fooled by you," the little girl said, her face full of disbelief. She was now even more convinced that Ling Chen was a swindler.
"Then, do you think I'm strong?" Ling Chen asked.
"With that frail-looking build of yours? Never mind comparing you to our tribe's warriors, I bet you're not even as strong as ."
The little girl sized up Ling Chen, then shook her head, her expression clearly showing a hint of disdain.
The Barbarian Tribe had always revered those who were physically robust and strong. After all, great physical strength signified powerful capabilities. As for those who were frail, they were looked down upon within the Tribe and often abandoned at a young age. Even if they managed to survive, they would remain at the lowest rung of society, with no hope of ever improving their lot.
"Then take a look and see how this 'frail-looking person' compares to the warriors of your tribe."
The mont his voice fell, Ling Chen moved. The Thunder Shadow Sword at his waist was instantly unsheathed, and arcs of electricity flashed across its blade. With a swing from Ling Chen, a magnificent torrent of Sword Light surged out violently, crashing into the lake.
SPLASH!
When the Sword Light cut into the lake, it was as if it had been imprinted there, forcefully splitting the entire lake in two. The imnse volu of lake water surged to both sides, creating massive, turbulent waves that took a long ti to calm.
"That… that's so cool!"
The little girl, who had completely dismissed Ling Chen earlier, now wore an expression of utter disbelief. Her mouth hung open, and she couldn't seem to close it.
Within her large, crystal-like eyes, a fiery fervor suddenly ignited.
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