The Glory of the Tribe-Chapter 83

The two sides had already formed an unspoken understanding.

Jiang Xuan had a full month for this attempt.

For an Innate Full Stage cultivator, a month without eating or drinking wouldn’t have a significant impact.

Outside the cave, on the cliff.

"If my husband can break through this time, then perhaps I won’t have to leave," Chen Yuanxuan thought to herself. "Since marrying him, I’ve been using dual cultivation to restore my damaged innate foundation, and now, I have fully recovered. In less than a year, I will enter the Tribulation Realm. Though entering it at twenty-eight is a bit delayed, the God Demon Physique has been restored, and with my formidable heart power, I will rise rapidly! If I manage to reach the Middle Tribulation Realm before Lord Lei Hong leaves, perhaps I can go with him to the military city."

Chen Yuanxuan had been married to Jiang Xuan for more than half a year now.

At first, she simply wanted to complete her life, and Jiang Xuan was a good choice. But now, her feelings for him had deepened beyond what she had expected.

He was truly her lover.

So Jiang Xuan’s ability to break through this time was crucial for her!

If Jiang Xuan could break through successfully, it would mean that the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth was not a bottleneck for him, and there would be a real possibility of him surpassing the Innate Realm at eighteen. His trip to the military city would almost be a certainty. But if he failed to break through... If a bottleneck appeared, it could take him years to break through!

This was the special nature of the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth.

This realm was one that required time and accumulation to break through! Comprehending it had to be a continuous process! It couldn’t stop! It was more like a sudden breakthrough to a "higher realm"!

In fact, it was indeed the threshold for mastering the power of heaven and earth, a true beginning for a cultivator’s use of the power of heaven and earth!

And if the continuous attempt failed, the entire process would have to be repeated. This was very different from practicing sword techniques. When improving in swordsmanship, progress is progress; you can continue practicing the next time. Both the unity of man and sword and the momentum of heaven and man can be improved bit by bit until the final breakthrough is reached!

But to comprehend the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, it had to be an all-at-once realization!

Jiang Xuan needed to have the sword in his heart, fully, or not at all!

There was no middle ground.

For geniuses, comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth often took longer than surpassing the Innate Realm itself. For example, Chen Yuanxuan, who grasped the momentum of heaven and man at twenty, took three whole years before she could "have the sword in her heart," thus comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth. Her family predicted that she would surpass the Innate Realm at twenty-five, two years after comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth.

That’s how special the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth was!

Therefore, once Jiang Xuan faced a bottleneck in the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, even with his vast technical talent, whether he could eventually go to the military city would become uncertain, and Chen Yuanxuan would have to stick to the original plan to leave. Otherwise, the Chen family might pose a danger to Jiang Xuan.

Time passed day by day.

Chen Yuanxuan remained on the cliff, guarding Jiang Xuan as he meditated, never leaving for a moment. Though not eating or drinking didn’t bother her, the mental strain of worrying about Jiang Xuan took a toll.

"Hubby, you must succeed!" Chen Yuanxuan prayed for Jiang Xuan.

January 20th, Flying Snow City.

At the heart of the grand "Inspection Bureau" building complex with intricately carved beams and painted rafters.

"Han Jie, keep this letter safe." The elderly man in a green robe handed a wax-sealed letter to Xie Han Jie. "When you reach the military city, present this letter, and you will be exempt from the test and directly become a student of the military city."

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Old Master!" Xie Han Jie knelt on the ground, eagerly receiving the wax-sealed letter and kowtowing several times to the elderly man.

The elderly man was none other than the former Inspector-General of Flying Snow City, Zou Kang!

Zou Kang had officially stepped down from his post three months ago, but he didn’t leave Flying Snow City immediately because his retirement was permanent, and there were still many affairs to attend to before he left. Having spent ten years in Flying Snow City, he had made numerous connections and relationships with colleagues and old friends, and he needed to solidify some of those ties before leaving.

Additionally, he had been working on his disciple’s behalf, getting people to speak to the City Lord. Finally, with less than a month before the "Practice Feast," the City Lord relented and granted Xie Han Jie an exemption letter to bypass the entrance exam.

"Rise." Zou Kang was pleased with how grateful his disciple was.

"Master’s grace, I have no way to repay it, but I will..." Xie Han Jie was about to say something more as he stood.

Zou Kang raised his hand to interrupt him, signaling that there was no need for such polite words. "I understand your intentions."

Xie Han Jie nodded, still with an excited expression.

Looking at the wax-sealed letter, he already envisioned how he would rapidly advance after being trained in the military city. He even thought that, with the right connections, he could receive more resources and potentially become a god or demon himself. This would make his future limitless!

But suddenly, as he thought more about it, his expression turned sour, and hatred flickered in his eyes.

Originally, he had planned to marry into the Chen family, but Chen Yuanxuan had been dragging her feet, and the Chen family didn’t rush the matter, hoping she would make up her mind... Then news came out that Zou Kang intended to send Xie Han Jie to the military city. The Chen family, upon hearing this, had asked Xie Han Jie about it, and after that, they seemed less concerned about his marriage into the family.

They didn’t outright reject him, but they didn’t actively push for it either.

The main reason being that once Xie Han Jie became a student of the military city, he would gain many privileges! Even the Chen family, the leading family in Flying Snow City, would have to treat him with respect. With Xie Han Jie’s future status as an Inspector-General and potentially a future Commissioner, they wouldn’t be able to treat him as a mere son-in-law!

The elders of the Chen family were well aware that Xie Han Jie’s initial desire to marry into the family was not pure, so they were concerned about the potential for a loss of control.

Therefore...

Xie Han Jie had tried multiple times to approach the Chen family again, repeatedly assuring them that he would behave and not cause any trouble once married, but the elders merely smiled it off and said they needed to give Yuanxuan more time to think.

This delay had lasted until today!

Xie Han Jie understood the Chen family’s thoughts. He knew that unless Chen Yuanxuan took the initiative, the marriage would never happen! And he had long known about Chen Yuanxuan’s affair with Jiang Xuan. How could Chen Yuanxuan possibly take the initiative?

This made him more furious as he thought about it!

He wanted Chen Yuanxuan to regret it! When he became a god or demon, he would make her realize how blind she had been! He would make her kneel and beg for his forgiveness!

What made him angrier than making Chen Yuanxuan regret it was the fact that Jiang Xuan was still alive!

Xie Han Jie knew that once he went to the military city, he might not return for many years, and by then, Chen Yuanxuan might have had several children with Jiang Xuan! The thought of Chen Yuanxuan spending all her time with Jiang Xuan made him feel sick to his stomach!

"Jiang Xuan! Jiang Xuan!"

"Damn barbarian!"

"The grudge of taking my wife can never be forgiven!"

"Now I’ve got the letter! I can go to the military city, and you, ***... you should die!" Xie Han Jie was filled with murderous intent.

"Master! I have one more thing to ask."

Suddenly, Xie Han Jie knelt again, eyes red with fury, and looked up as he said, "I have an unfulfilled wish, and if I don’t resolve it, it might become a heart demon. I can’t..."

"I know."

Zou Kang interrupted Xie Han Jie, lightly saying, "If you want to kill him, then go ahead. You’ll have the chance. At next month's Practice Feast, all the Inspectors from Flying Snow City will be there, including Lei Hong. At that time, he’ll leave Jiang Xuan’s Earth City and will be gone for at least three days. You can take this opportunity to kill Jiang Xuan, and then you won’t have to return to Flying Snow City. You can directly head to the military city."

"If you do it cleanly, and anyone suspects you, I’ll testify for you, prove you were already on your way to the military city, and you couldn’t have killed him."

"If it’s not clean, and people see that you killed Jiang Xuan before leaving, then don’t worry. You can go straight to the military city. Lei Hong will be on your side. After I leave Flying Snow City, I’ll try to work things out for you, and hopefully, we can have you transferred to the military city in North Hongzhou as a Tribulation Realm instructor. Then, we can continue our master-disciple bond!"

"Good! Very good! Thank you, Master!" Xie Han Jie said, filled with joy.

If Zou Kang went there, it meant that Xie Han Jie would already have a backing in the military city! No need to start over from scratch! Even though Xie Han Jie was deeply opportunistic, at this moment, he was genuinely moved by Zou Kang’s support.

Thud!

Xie Han Jie kneeled again, this time with complete sincerity.

"Master! I swear that your family will be my family! I will protect your family with my life! I will repay your kindness in raising me with my life!" Xie Han Jie said, bowing deeply.

Zou Kang couldn’t help but feel his eyes well up, nearly moved to tears.

It was worth it!

This disciple had always been respectful, and now with this vow, all the efforts he had put into persuading people to speak to the City Lord were justified!

Everything was worth it!

"Good, good, good, my good disciple, get up!" Zou Kang helped Xie Han Jie up.

January 29th.

At the deepest part of the rear mountains of Jiang Clan’s Earth City.

Buzz—

The heavens and earth trembled, and an intense feeling of spatial stagnation suddenly spread. Chen Yuanxuan, sitting cross-legged on the cliff, immediately turned her head toward the cave, her face lighting up with joy.

The Divine Might of Heaven and Earth! Jiang Xuan had comprehended the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth!

Chen Yuanxuan stood up, instinctively using her own Divine Might to try and dispel the effects caused by Jiang Xuan’s breakthrough, otherwise, her body would feel heavy, and her movements would slow. But as soon as she moved her mind, her face changed.

She couldn’t dispel it?

Chen Yuanxuan tried again, intensifying her efforts, but her face turned even graver. She still couldn’t dispel it! Under normal circumstances, given their similar realms and her more extensive understanding of the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, she should have easily neutralized the effects Jiang Xuan’s breakthrough had on her!

But no, not only could she not neutralize it, even using thirty percent of her own Divine Might couldn’t dispel the lingering influence from Jiang Xuan at such a distance!

Chen Yuanxuan gritted her teeth and decided to fully activate her Divine Might. Then, her face completely changed!

The pressure of the opposing Divine Might made her stagger, almost losing her balance.

How could Jiang Xuan’s Divine Might be so terrifying?!

Before long, Chen Yuanxuan arrived at the cave entrance and tentatively called out, "Hubby?"

4o mini

"Three Realms of the Art of Unity."

"First, the unity of man and sword is the beginning of a cultivator's merging with an external object, and the weapon, the sword, is the object the cultivator is most familiar with. This 'unity' is a feeling, a state, a condition, where one merges with the external object, making it part of the body..."

"Second, the momentum of heaven and man is the use of the force of the heavens and earth, the unity between heaven and man. However, the power of the heavens and earth is vast and endless, and the power of man is minuscule, like dust. Even gods and demons cannot truly achieve the unity of heaven and man. It is always a crude borrowing of a tiny fraction of the heavenly power, and it requires the strength cultivated by the unity of man and sword, which is far more powerful than the cultivator's own strength..."

"Third, the divine might of heaven and earth!"

"In essence, it is still borrowing the momentum of heaven and earth, but unlike the second realm, the divine might of heaven and earth is derived from the technique itself. It can transcend the technique and no longer be confined to the form of a sword move. It is present all around the body, no matter where you are, even without a sword in hand, the mind alone can invoke the momentum..."

Jiang Xuan sat motionless, contemplating.

The method of understanding the "Divine Might of Heaven and Earth" was completely different from the "unity of man and sword" and the "momentum of heaven and man." The first two realms required practicing the sword and seeking breakthroughs in moves, which required "movement." However, the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth required stillness.

The key was to "have a sword in the heart"!

This was exceedingly difficult!

Jiang Xuan was unsure how long it would take to comprehend this—perhaps several hours, or even several days, maybe weeks, or even a month! And he wasn’t confident he would even succeed in comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth on his first attempt!

This was his first time attempting to comprehend it.

He chose to close himself off for contemplation on the eighth of the month because he had publicly appeared in the martial arts arena in Earth City the day before, watching a death battle, letting the Shentu Clan know he was there. With that, the Shentu Clan would have no intentions of testing him these next two days, only sending Acquired Realm cultivators to die, and Jiang Xuan wouldn't need to take action himself.

The two sides had already formed an unspoken understanding.

Jiang Xuan had a full month for this attempt.

For an Innate Full Stage cultivator, a month without eating or drinking wouldn’t have a significant impact.

Outside the cave, on the cliff.

"If my husband can break through this time, then perhaps I won’t have to leave," Chen Yuanxuan thought to herself. "Since marrying him, I’ve been using dual cultivation to restore my damaged innate foundation, and now, I have fully recovered. In less than a year, I will enter the Tribulation Realm. Though entering it at twenty-eight is a bit delayed, the God Demon Physique has been restored, and with my formidable heart power, I will rise rapidly! If I manage to reach the Middle Tribulation Realm before Lord Lei Hong leaves, perhaps I can go with him to the military city."

Chen Yuanxuan had been married to Jiang Xuan for more than half a year now.

At first, she simply wanted to complete her life, and Jiang Xuan was a good choice. But now, her feelings for him had deepened beyond what she had expected.

He was truly her lover.

So Jiang Xuan’s ability to break through this time was crucial for her!

If Jiang Xuan could break through successfully, it would mean that the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth was not a bottleneck for him, and there would be a real possibility of him surpassing the Innate Realm at eighteen. His trip to the military city would almost be a certainty. But if he failed to break through... If a bottleneck appeared, it could take him years to break through!

This was the special nature of the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth.

This realm was one that required time and accumulation to break through! Comprehending it had to be a continuous process! It couldn’t stop! It was more like a sudden breakthrough to a "higher realm"!

In fact, it was indeed the threshold for mastering the power of heaven and earth, a true beginning for a cultivator’s use of the power of heaven and earth!

And if the continuous attempt failed, the entire process would have to be repeated. This was very different from practicing sword techniques. When improving in swordsmanship, progress is progress; you can continue practicing the next time. Both the unity of man and sword and the momentum of heaven and man can be improved bit by bit until the final breakthrough is reached!

But to comprehend the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, it had to be an all-at-once realization!

Jiang Xuan needed to have the sword in his heart, fully, or not at all!

There was no middle ground.

For geniuses, comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth often took longer than surpassing the Innate Realm itself. For example, Chen Yuanxuan, who grasped the momentum of heaven and man at twenty, took three whole years before she could "have the sword in her heart," thus comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth. Her family predicted that she would surpass the Innate Realm at twenty-five, two years after comprehending the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth.

That’s how special the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth was!

Therefore, once Jiang Xuan faced a bottleneck in the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, even with his vast technical talent, whether he could eventually go to the military city would become uncertain, and Chen Yuanxuan would have to stick to the original plan to leave. Otherwise, the Chen family might pose a danger to Jiang Xuan.

Time passed day by day.

Chen Yuanxuan remained on the cliff, guarding Jiang Xuan as he meditated, never leaving for a moment. Though not eating or drinking didn’t bother her, the mental strain of worrying about Jiang Xuan took a toll.

"Hubby, you must succeed!" Chen Yuanxuan prayed for Jiang Xuan.

January 20th, Flying Snow City.

At the heart of the grand "Inspection Bureau" building complex with intricately carved beams and painted rafters.

"Han Jie, keep this letter safe." The elderly man in a green robe handed a wax-sealed letter to Xie Han Jie. "When you reach the military city, present this letter, and you will be exempt from the test and directly become a student of the military city."

"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Old Master!" Xie Han Jie knelt on the ground, eagerly receiving the wax-sealed letter and kowtowing several times to the elderly man.

The elderly man was none other than the former Inspector-General of Flying Snow City, Zou Kang!

Zou Kang had officially stepped down from his post three months ago, but he didn’t leave Flying Snow City immediately because his retirement was permanent, and there were still many affairs to attend to before he left. Having spent ten years in Flying Snow City, he had made numerous connections and relationships with colleagues and old friends, and he needed to solidify some of those ties before leaving.

Additionally, he had been working on his disciple’s behalf, getting people to speak to the City Lord. Finally, with less than a month before the "Practice Feast," the City Lord relented and granted Xie Han Jie an exemption letter to bypass the entrance exam.

"Rise." Zou Kang was pleased with how grateful his disciple was.

"Master’s grace, I have no way to repay it, but I will..." Xie Han Jie was about to say something more as he stood.

Zou Kang raised his hand to interrupt him, signaling that there was no need for such polite words. "I understand your intentions."

Xie Han Jie nodded, still with an excited expression.

Looking at the wax-sealed letter, he already envisioned how he would rapidly advance after being trained in the military city. He even thought that, with the right connections, he could receive more resources and potentially become a god or demon himself. This would make his future limitless!

But suddenly, as he thought more about it, his expression turned sour, and hatred flickered in his eyes.

Originally, he had planned to marry into the Chen family, but Chen Yuanxuan had been dragging her feet, and the Chen family didn’t rush the matter, hoping she would make up her mind... Then news came out that Zou Kang intended to send Xie Han Jie to the military city. The Chen family, upon hearing this, had asked Xie Han Jie about it, and after that, they seemed less concerned about his marriage into the family.

They didn’t outright reject him, but they didn’t actively push for it either.

The main reason being that once Xie Han Jie became a student of the military city, he would gain many privileges! Even the Chen family, the leading family in Flying Snow City, would have to treat him with respect. With Xie Han Jie’s future status as an Inspector-General and potentially a future Commissioner, they wouldn’t be able to treat him as a mere son-in-law!

The elders of the Chen family were well aware that Xie Han Jie’s initial desire to marry into the family was not pure, so they were concerned about the potential for a loss of control.

Therefore...

Xie Han Jie had tried multiple times to approach the Chen family again, repeatedly assuring them that he would behave and not cause any trouble once married, but the elders merely smiled it off and said they needed to give Yuanxuan more time to think.

This delay had lasted until today!

Xie Han Jie understood the Chen family’s thoughts. He knew that unless Chen Yuanxuan took the initiative, the marriage would never happen! And he had long known about Chen Yuanxuan’s affair with Jiang Xuan. How could Chen Yuanxuan possibly take the initiative?

This made him more furious as he thought about it!

He wanted Chen Yuanxuan to regret it! When he became a god or demon, he would make her realize how blind she had been! He would make her kneel and beg for his forgiveness!

What made him angrier than making Chen Yuanxuan regret it was the fact that Jiang Xuan was still alive!

Xie Han Jie knew that once he went to the military city, he might not return for many years, and by then, Chen Yuanxuan might have had several children with Jiang Xuan! The thought of Chen Yuanxuan spending all her time with Jiang Xuan made him feel sick to his stomach!

"Jiang Xuan! Jiang Xuan!"

"Damn barbarian!"

"The grudge of taking my wife can never be forgiven!"

"Now I’ve got the letter! I can go to the military city, and you, ***... you should die!" Xie Han Jie was filled with murderous intent.

"Master! I have one more thing to ask."

Suddenly, Xie Han Jie knelt again, eyes red with fury, and looked up as he said, "I have an unfulfilled wish, and if I don’t resolve it, it might become a heart demon. I can’t..."

"I know."

Zou Kang interrupted Xie Han Jie, lightly saying, "If you want to kill him, then go ahead. You’ll have the chance. At next month's Practice Feast, all the Inspectors from Flying Snow City will be there, including Lei Hong. At that time, he’ll leave Jiang Xuan’s Earth City and will be gone for at least three days. You can take this opportunity to kill Jiang Xuan, and then you won’t have to return to Flying Snow City. You can directly head to the military city."

"If you do it cleanly, and anyone suspects you, I’ll testify for you, prove you were already on your way to the military city, and you couldn’t have killed him."

"If it’s not clean, and people see that you killed Jiang Xuan before leaving, then don’t worry. You can go straight to the military city. Lei Hong will be on your side. After I leave Flying Snow City, I’ll try to work things out for you, and hopefully, we can have you transferred to the military city in North Hongzhou as a Tribulation Realm instructor. Then, we can continue our master-disciple bond!"

"Good! Very good! Thank you, Master!" Xie Han Jie said, filled with joy.

If Zou Kang went there, it meant that Xie Han Jie would already have a backing in the military city! No need to start over from scratch! Even though Xie Han Jie was deeply opportunistic, at this moment, he was genuinely moved by Zou Kang’s support.

Thud!

Xie Han Jie kneeled again, this time with complete sincerity.

"Master! I swear that your family will be my family! I will protect your family with my life! I will repay your kindness in raising me with my life!" Xie Han Jie said, bowing deeply.

Zou Kang couldn’t help but feel his eyes well up, nearly moved to tears.

It was worth it!

This disciple had always been respectful, and now with this vow, all the efforts he had put into persuading people to speak to the City Lord were justified!

Everything was worth it!

"Good, good, good, my good disciple, get up!" Zou Kang helped Xie Han Jie up.

January 29th.

At the deepest part of the rear mountains of Jiang Clan’s Earth City.

Buzz—

The heavens and earth trembled, and an intense feeling of spatial stagnation suddenly spread. Chen Yuanxuan, sitting cross-legged on the cliff, immediately turned her head toward the cave, her face lighting up with joy.

The Divine Might of Heaven and Earth! Jiang Xuan had comprehended the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth!

Chen Yuanxuan stood up, instinctively using her own Divine Might to try and dispel the effects caused by Jiang Xuan’s breakthrough, otherwise, her body would feel heavy, and her movements would slow. But as soon as she moved her mind, her face changed.

She couldn’t dispel it?

Chen Yuanxuan tried again, intensifying her efforts, but her face turned even graver. She still couldn’t dispel it! Under normal circumstances, given their similar realms and her more extensive understanding of the Divine Might of Heaven and Earth, she should have easily neutralized the effects Jiang Xuan’s breakthrough had on her!

But no, not only could she not neutralize it, even using thirty percent of her own Divine Might couldn’t dispel the lingering influence from Jiang Xuan at such a distance!

Chen Yuanxuan gritted her teeth and decided to fully activate her Divine Might. Then, her face completely changed!

The pressure of the opposing Divine Might made her stagger, almost losing her balance.

How could Jiang Xuan’s Divine Might be so terrifying?!

Before long, Chen Yuanxuan arrived at the cave entrance and tentatively called out, "Hubby?"