Two shichen later.
Mu Jinyu found the various tribes of the Barbarians gathered on a plain.
"Young Master, you have returned. Then I will take my leave first."
The Heavenly Palace Elder, who had previously stayed behind to guard against the Blood Witch Ancestor's attack on the Barbarian tribes, bid farewell upon seeing Mu Jinyu's return.
"Hmm, thank you." Mu Jinyu nodded to him, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
The black-robed elder then departed.
"Brother Mu, how did things go?"
Once the elder left, the Barbarian King couldn't suppress his urgent emotions any longer and asked Mu Jinyu, visibly tense.
Mu Jinyu shook his head slightly and sighed, "The remnants of the ordinary Blood Witch Clan have been eradicated, but that Blood Witch Ancestor... She inherited the soul of the First Generation Witch Ancestor of the Blood Witch Clan, making her much stronger. I couldn't keep her and she escaped..."
"Escaped?"
The chieftains of the various Barbarian tribes frowned tightly upon hearing Mu Jinyu's words.
They had already learned from the Hanchi Tribe's Chieftain, the Barbarian King, that the current Blood Witch Ancestor was at the Eighth Level of the Hedao Realm. Now that she had escaped, weren't they in grave danger?
It wasn't just the chieftains who looked worried; even the ordinary Barbarians were full of anxiety, deeply concerned that this escaped Blood Witch Ancestor might cause a disaster in the future!
Mu Jinyu then said, "By the way, Barbarian King, I remember you mentioned that after the First Generation Witch Ancestor of the Blood Witch Clan was besieged and killed by your Barbarian tribe and the Witch Tribe's ancestors, in despair, she once took a Witch Oath. Their descendants, the Blood Witch Clan, must kill all of the Witch Tribe and Barbarian Tribe before they can leave the Northern Plains? Is that correct?"
"Yes, there is indeed such a record!"
The Barbarian King nodded in response to Mu Jinyu's inquiry.
The other chieftains also agreed, saying that their tribes had this record too.
Mu Jinyu then said, "If that's the case, then why don't you Barbarians just leave the Northern Plains and let the Blood Witch Clan be trapped there forever?"
He found it baffling. Clearly, they knew that the Witch Tribe had already been wiped out by the Blood Witch Clan, and they could all sense a mortal crisis, so why did the Barbarians persist in staying in the Northern Plains and not leave?
Was it possible that both the Witch Tribe and the Barbarians had been cursed by the First Generation Witch Ancestor of the Blood Witch Clan, unable to leave the Northern Plains, forever in a deadlock unless only one species remained?
Hearing Mu Jinyu's question, the Barbarian King and the other chieftains looked up at Mu Jinyu in confusion and asked back, "The Northern Plains is our homeland. Before the current Witch Ancestor appeared, we had firmly suppressed the Blood Witch Clan. Why should we just give our homeland away to them?"
Mu Jinyu was rendered speechless.
He truly hadn't considered this.
Previously, he only thought that the Northern Plains were too barren. If there was an opportunity, the Barbarians could actually migrate out and develop better in the outside world.
But he hadn't carefully considered that this was also their ancestral land, their homeland.
No matter how bad it is, it's hard to leave one's homeland.
Who would willingly uproot themselves unless forced?
Just like how the environment of the Kunlun Ruins is far better than outside Huaxia, but he still has to go back...
While Mu Jinyu was speechless, the chieftains of various Barbarian tribes continued:
"Moreover, the sages and ancestors of our Barbarian tribe throughout generations have been buried here. If we retreat just because of a Blood Witch Clan, wouldn't that mean we, the Barbarians, have no backbone? Shall we let them unearth our ancestors' graves, expose their bones to the wild, and then refine their souls and spirits?"
"If we did that, we would truly be unworthy descendants!"
"Indeed, even if we die in battle, even if we shed our last drop of blood, we will not let the Blood Witch Clan run rampant!"
"The Witch Tribe has been wiped out by the Blood Witch Clan. If it weren't for us taking care of their ancestral tombs over these years, preventing the Blood Witch Clan from desecrating them, their ancestors would have suffered terribly by now!"
"..."
Listening to their passionate words, Mu Jinyu nodded and said, "Okay, I understand your point..."
"But now, that current Blood Witch Ancestor, who is already beyond the Eighth Level of the Hedao Realm, has escaped and might still be lurking in the Northern Plains. It's very dangerous for you to continue staying here. Are you still willing to stay in the Northern Plains?"
Hearing Mu Jinyu's words, most Barbarians declared that even if they shed their last drop of blood, they would not leave.
Yet some remained silent.
After all, the Blood Witch Clan before was not worth worrying about, and the Barbarians indeed had no reason to leave the Northern Plains.
But now, even though only one person is left from the Blood Witch Clan, her power is terrifying. Not even Mu Jinyu and six peak Ninth Layer Hedao Realm experts could handle her. If they stay in the Northern Plains, it is truly a dead end.
Mu Jinyu still tried to persuade them, saying, "Actually, I think given the current situation, leaving the Northern Plains might be a better choice for you. It's not disgraceful—it's just a strategic retreat. Once that last member of the Blood Witch Clan dies, you can come back to the Northern Plains."
The cultivation resources in the Northern Plains are too scarce, and the living environment is harsh, which is why there are so few people living there. Previously, there were both the Barbarians and the Witch Tribe, but with the Witch Tribe wiped out, now only the Blood Witch Clan and the Barbarians remain.
And now there's only Jing Wang left in the Blood Witch Clan. If the Barbarians leave the Northern Plains, and Jing Wang cannot leave due to the Witch Oath, she would be alone in the Northern Plains, unable to grow the Blood Witch Clan. No matter how strong she is, with time's relentless passage, this evil species will eventually be worn down...
"You don't have to worry that the Witch Ancestor will desecrate your ancestors' graves after you leave. You can take your ancestors' remains with you," Mu Jinyu tried his best to persuade them.
He still hoped the Barbarians would not continue staying in the Northern Plains, leading to unexpected incidents.
This was not just an issue concerning the Barbarians alone but the entire Kunlun Ruins.
If the Barbarians were wiped out by Jing Wang, she would be totally free. Her freedom would be a huge disaster for the entire Kunlun Ruins.
Unfortunately, Mu Jinyu's persuasion couldn't shake the stubborn beliefs of the Barbarians, who still refused to leave the Northern Plains.
Finally, the Barbarian King shook his head and said, "Brother Mu, we appreciate your kindness, but we will not leave our homeland. Besides, didn't you say the Master of the Heavenly Palace is still searching for the Witch Ancestor's whereabouts? Once found, the Blood Witch disaster will be completely ended! Considering the Master's immense power, it shouldn't be a problem to eradicate that Witch Ancestor."
Then, the Barbarian King pushed a young barbarian forward and said, "Brother Mu, I understand your concern. You're worried that if the Barbarians are completely wiped out, the Blood Witch Clan will be entirely free and bring disaster, right? So you take Nai Mucha with you. As long as he lives, even if all the Barbarians remaining in the Northern Plains die, the Witch Ancestor shouldn't be able to leave."
Nai Mucha was the young barbarian Mu Jinyu had given a Hedao Fruit to after the Barbarian King accompanied him to explore the Extremely Cold Hell. After a struggle, he won the Hedao Fruit with a seventh-layer Fanxu Realm cultivation level, defeating many ninth-layer Fanxu Realm opponents.
He was also the outstanding descendant of the Hanchi Tribe being cultivated by the Barbarian King as the future chieftain.
"Barbarian King... I..."
Nai Mucha was taken aback by the Barbarian King's words, then shook his head vehemently and said hurriedly, "I don't want to leave the tribe! I don't want to be a deserter!"