My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting

Li Yuan smiled, bowed to the chieftain of the Trueflame Tribe, and said with a sigh, "All I ever wanted was to roam the world with Snow and grow old together. Who would have thought fate would tie me to the Trueflame Tribe as well? I love this land and its people, and that's why I want to see our tribe thrive. If you're still willing, I'll accept the post of Grand Elder."

Suljagar hesitated for a heartbeat; something about that declaration felt oddly formal.

Away from the bonfire, Li Yuan's shadow blood was beginning to freeze again and his cultivation was slipping. The last strike had almost drained it dry.

"Shall we head back?" he said quietly.

"Of course, I'll arrange the ceremony at once so everyone knows you're our Grand Elder."

Outside, Li Yuan would have kept a low profile. After all, the tallest trees would catch the wind. But in this barbarian tribe at the far western extremes, modesty only invited contempt, especially if you were already strong. Here, wolves crowned the mightiest among them; hiding one's fangs earned only opportunistic bites.

"Thank you, Chieftain."

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A little later, Suljagar summoned the tribe's five strongest warriors. Each of them peaked at around 800 in combat power, making them standouts in the Trueflame Tribe. They sat, eyeing the young man to Suljagar's left with open displeasure.

A lanky man wearing bird-skull earrings suddenly stood. "Chieftain, I know this newcomer defeated Changar, but how does that give him the qualifications to become the Grand Elder?"

Ignoring him, Suljagar turned to Li Yuan. "Our tribe has three bloodlines and five great elders. The main surname is Jen'gal; the lesser lines are the Tsa'gar and Shen'dai. The Jen'gal holds the highest rank, while the Tsa'gar and Shen'dai handle flame-watching and funerary rites. The title of Grand Elder belongs to the strongest beneath me.

"The man who spoke just now is Shen'dai Urttai, the current Grand Elder."

Then, facing the man with the bird-skull earrings, he said, "Urttai, I called you and the others here for the Rite of Fire Veneration so Woody can take on the Jen'gal surname."

"He still shouldn't be sitting there!" another burly warrior draped in white wolf-skin barked.

Suljagar chuckled. "That's Tsa'gar Hur, the great elder in charge of watching over our flame."

His smile disappeared. "Urttai, how deep a hole can you punch in the ice beyond the walls?"

"About the size of my fist," Urttai answered.

"Woody here punched over a hundred feet straight through."

A fist-sized hole was maybe a handspan; a hundred feet was an abyss.

The tent fell silent.

"I don't believe it," Urttai muttered. "This outsider—"

"He's one of us now," Suljagar snapped. "Don't call him an outsider."

Hur crossed his arms. "Chieftain, even you can't do that. I'll believe it when I see it."

"Then let's go," Suljagar said, rising. "Woody will show you. And when he does, the tribe's strongest won't be me anymore. It'll be him."

Urttai still looked skeptical, but Suljagar's certainty shook him. "If he can really do it," he said at last, "I'll hand over the position of Grand Elder myself."

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Outside, Li Yuan warmed himself by the bonfire, then walked to the glacier.

One silent sweep of his Tranquil Sea Blade sent a shockwave ripping through more than a hundred feet of solid ice, turning it to powder.

Afterwards, the group returned to the tent.

Urttai remained silent, but Hur still voiced his objection.

"I admit he's formidable, but he came from who-knows-where. We should find out exactly who he is and why he's here. Why not lay everything out now? Have him prove he won't harm the tribe's interests. And if he checks out..."

Hur gazed at Li Yuan, then turned to Suljagar.

"Chieftain, I propose we let him join the tribe first, make him an elder after five years, and only consider giving him the position of Grand Elder after ten years."

Li Yuan glanced at the wolf-pelt warrior. So that was it, keep him working for the tribe while denying him real power.

Seems even in abarbarian tribe, once someone experienced the greater world, they would still learn the same old tricks.

Around the circle no one spoke. Only Hur kept talking.

Li Yuan flashed a friendly smile. "Elder Tsa'gar, my wife is Snow, and I'm genuinely fond of the Trueflame Tribe. So, how about an honor duel? Do you dare?"

"Uhhh..." Hur stared blankly, dumbfounded.

Li Yuan rose and strolled toward him. Firelight spilled through the tent‑flap; with every step his shadow stretched and shrank across the hide walls, tightening the air like a drawn bow.

"Let the Everflame witness our fight," he said, stopping a pace away. "The Trueflame Tribe honors strength above all. If a great elder like you won't even accept a duel, what right does he have to wear the title?"

Li Yuan raised both arms and roared like a hunting beast; the whole tent thrummed.

Hur's courage crumpled. Eyes down, he blurted, "C‑Chieftain, let's hold the Fire‑Veneration Rite at once. He already belongs to us. He should be the Grand Elder!"

The others fell silent.

Li Yuan dropped back into his seat, threw a mighty arm over Hur's shoulders, and laughed. "Good brother! From today on, we're family."

Hur felt as if a mammoth had clamped him in a hug; his face flushed crimson as every muscle fought the weight.

"Look, he's blushing!" Li Yuan boomed.

Suljagar barked a laugh. "Hur, what are you turning red for? You're not some shy maiden!"

Amid the raucous laughter, Li Yuan's place in the tribe was sealed. He was, after all, Snow's man; the tribe might shun outsiders, but it revered its own powerhouses. Had he come unattached, even his strength might have met steel instead of cheers.

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On the frostbound tundra, there was no day or night, only the Everflame that never died, mysterious and inexplicable.

Li Yuan noticed it had drifted a hair's breadth since his first arrival, too subtle for most eyes yet proof that the fire was always on the move.

Where was it heading, and why?

Suljagar stood before the flames, arms raised, knees bent, chanting an ancient, guttural tongue. The tribe knelt behind him; Li Yuan followed suit.

When the chanting ended, Suljagar clasped Li Yuan's hand. His voice rang out over the crackling fire, "From this day forward, Woody is the Grand Elder of the Trueflame Tribe. He shall be bestowed the name Jen'gal Yuan!"

Murmurs swept the camp.

Some young warriors gaped, but others had witnessed his earlier display and simply nodded.

"Rejoice for our strongest! Rejoice for the Grand Elder!" Suljagar proclaimed.

"WOOOH!

"HAH!"

"HOOO!"

The tribe erupted in triumphant howls.

Snow's cheeks burned rosy; her mind sputtered in delighted disbelief.My man...became the Grand Elder? How is that even possible?