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墨書 Inktalez
As they traveled, Wei Chen and Eastern Hua Seven looked down at the gathering place of the Fire Tribe. The people of the Fire Tribe, whether serving or residing, were vastly different from those within the Endless Divine Realm. The Fire Tribe favored loose-fitting robes, most of which were red, creating a sea of red dots when viewed from above.
The residences of the Fire Tribe were also extremely well-ventilated wooden houses, surrounded by open space and lacking any rain protection. In this Fire Clan Secret Realm, it never rained anyway.
Fire Shadow seemed to deliberately slow their flight, allowing Wei Chen and Donghua to appreciate the scenery of the Fire Clan Secret Realm. After about half an hour, they finally arrived at the residence of Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow.
When they landed in a house covering less than three acres, Wei Chen and the other six felt somewhat puzzled. How could the residence of such a revered leader of a mysterious race, respected even by Ying Qin Supreme Deity, not be a grand palace but rather a modest house that could hardly be considered luxurious anywhere else?
Even in Wei Chen's early days in Soul World, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow's dwelling would not have been remarkable; it might have been comparable to that of a wealthy family in a town.
Wei Chen thought to himself, "I never expected this Fire Clan Leader to be so simple and low-key; it's quite rare."
In such a large Fire Tribe, which even Ying Qin Supreme Deity regarded as powerful and referred to as 'Lord,' it was surprising that Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow lived in such a "humble" place.
Compared to Wei Chen's residence in the Demon Realm, Ying Qin Supreme Deity's Sea Palace, and even the homes of Donghua and the other six, Fire Clan Leader's abode seemed far too simple.
Everything is relative; without comparison, there can be no harm—this was the essence of it.
Perhaps this Fire Clan Leader was very frugal, but as the leader of such a large and influential clan, no matter how frugal or exemplary he tried to be, this kind of dwelling was indeed somewhat exaggerated.
Was he intentionally trying to appear poor?
Ying Qin Supreme Deity did not think much of it; he had been here before and had some understanding of the situation within the Fire Clan Secret Realm. However, for Wei Chen, who was new to this place, it felt quite strange. Donghua and their seven also felt uncomfortable; hospitality wasn't practiced this way. No matter how much one wanted to portray hardship in life among the Fire Tribe, basic living conditions should at least be acceptable.
On this point, both Wei Chen and Donghua were dissatisfied; going too far in pretending to be poor lost its meaning.
In fact, for such a large Fire Tribe, the place where Fire Clan Leader resided could not possibly compare unfavorably with Southern Ming Divine Palace or even ordinary Major Forces.
It seemed that Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow noticed the doubts of Wei Chen and Donghua. With a hint of embarrassment, he explained, "Brother Wei Chen, my humble abode is quite simple; I hope you can forgive me."
Wei Chen nodded slightly, not making a fuss about it. In truth, neither he nor Donghua were picky about their surroundings. With such formidable strength, they could easily create a barrier to isolate any presence. It was not uncommon for them to remain motionless in the depths of the mountains for hundreds of years during their secluded training.
However, what troubled them was the implication behind receiving them in such a modest dwelling. Did it suggest that they were being looked down upon?
The discomfort felt by Wei Chen and Donghua's group of seven stemmed from this very thought. They believed that Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow should not reside in such a place, nor should he host them here. It wasn't that they were being critical; rather, they felt a lack of respect.
The feeling of respect is something everyone needs—Wei Chen needed it, and so did the seven from Donghua. It seemed that only Ying Qin Supreme Deity did not require it.
Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow awkwardly forced a smile and continued, "Brother Wei Chen, our Fire Clan Secret Realm is quite lacking in resources. We couldn't build anything decent; even this house took tremendous effort to construct. Within the Fire Clan Secret Realm, my residence is the most luxurious."
In reality, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow's house hardly qualified as luxurious, but it was indeed the best within the Fire Clan Secret Realm.
Wei Chen didn't want to dwell on this issue, yet he still had some questions lingering in his mind. If resources were scarce, couldn't they be brought in from outside?
Wasn't the excuse of lacking resources rather simplistic?
Seemingly understanding Wei Chen's doubts, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow sighed and said, "Brother Wei Chen, you may not know this, but within the Fire Clan Secret Realm, the Fire Element Energy is incredibly strong. Any building requires formations to shield against some of this energy; otherwise, it wouldn't take long before the structure would be destroyed. Our residences cannot be built large because transporting materials from outside is quite troublesome. Additionally, our Formation Assignments are nonexistent; there are no Formation Masters among the Fire Tribe. Setting up formations within the Fire Clan Secret Realm is also a very complicated matter."
"All these reasons prevent us from constructing luxurious buildings. I hope you can understand any shortcomings in our hospitality!"
Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow looked at Wei Chen and Donghua's group with sincerity and regret in his eyes. Hearing this eased the mood for Wei Chen and Eastern Hua Seven somewhat; as long as it wasn't a deliberate disrespect, it was understandable that there were difficulties within the Fire Clan Secret Realm.
"Patriarch," Wei Chen asked lightly, "is the environment in the Fire Clan Secret Realm really that harsh?"
"Yes, we have no choice. Who wouldn't want to live in a mansion? But we, the Fire Tribe, cannot do so. The Fire Divine Power in the Fire Clan Secret Realm is too strong; it greatly benefits our cultivation, but it makes the living environment quite poor," said the Fire Clan Leader, Fire Shadow, with a bitter smile.
With the Fire Clan Leader feeling this way, Wei Chen had little to say. As long as it wasn't intentional, everything else was not a problem.
Donghua and the other six nodded in understanding.
Ying Qin Supreme Deity secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Fire Shadow had a very volatile temper; under normal circumstances, if someone questioned or looked down on him like that, he would have exploded. Fortunately, the target was not an ordinary person but Wei Chen. Fire Shadow likely refrained from losing his temper out of respect for Wei Chen's strength.
Perhaps Fire Shadow had something to ask of him and naturally could not afford to offend Wei Chen in any way.
Ying Qin Supreme Deity could roughly guess why Fire Shadow had invited Wei Chen here.
Wei Chen, Donghua, and the other six, along with Ying Qin Supreme Deity, followed Fire Shadow into his residence. After taking their seats, Wei Chen began to carefully sense his surroundings and soon realized that Fire Shadow's mansion was covered by at least a hundred large Formation Arrays. All those formations were designed to isolate the Fire Element Energy. Moreover, the quality of those formations was not low; they were all at least Fifth-Rank to Sixth-Rank level.
"It seems that Fire Shadow is not trying to put on an act. In the Fire Clan Secret Realm, where the Fire Element Energy is so strong, ordinary buildings would be destroyed. Every house requires formations, which is quite difficult. He managed to set up so many formations just to create this mansion; that's quite impressive," Wei Chen thought.
"In such a cursed place, it's hard for ordinary people to stay for long. Only those with special bloodlines like the Fire Tribe can endure for extended periods."
"It must be tough for them. Although they are powerful, maintaining such a formidable force means they have to stay in the Fire Clan Secret Realm constantly. The competition within the Endless Divine Realm has nothing to do with the Fire Tribe."
Wei Chen's mind raced as many thoughts swirled through his head.
After everyone was seated, Fire Shadow ordered fresh hot tea to be served. Everyone sipped their tea while waiting for Fire Shadow to speak first since it was he who had invited them to the Fire Clan Secret Realm.
After a moment of silence, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow turned to Wei Chen and asked with a smile, "Brother Wei Chen, may I ask who these friends are?"
He gestured towards Donghua and the other six.
Wei Chen replied lightly, "They are all my companions."
Upon hearing Wei Chen's words, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow was taken aback. He discreetly scanned Donghua and the others, secretly amazed at Wei Chen's formidable influence, which was indeed rare. Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow was no weakling himself; he could clearly see that each of Donghua's seven companions was a remarkable powerhouse, each one strong in their own right.
With this realization, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow's attitude toward Wei Chen grew increasingly respectful.
In truth, Wei Chen felt a bit like he was putting on airs. Were Donghua and the others really his subordinates? To some extent, that was true; however, in front of them, Wei Chen typically wouldn’t present it that way. After all, they were all fierce individuals, leaders in their own right. Even if there was a fact of having companions, it wouldn’t be appropriate to flaunt it in front of others; he needed to give Donghua and the others some face.
As the saying goes, one must take care of appearances. Even if Donghua and the others internally acknowledged Wei Chen as their leader, the term "subordinate" still sounded somewhat harsh.
Of course, Donghua and the others were not fools; they understood Wei Chen's intentions. In such situations, it was necessary to play along; that was Wei Chen’s bargaining chip in negotiations. It was clear that Fire Clan Leader had invited Wei Chen to the Fire Clan Secret Realm for more than just tea; there was definitely something at stake.
Since there was something at stake, it would inevitably involve negotiations and bargaining. By labeling Donghua and the others as his companions, it elevated his status and prevented Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow from taking the initiative.
Donghua and the others were all intelligent individuals; they understood this matter well enough and wouldn’t take it to heart.
After scanning Donghua and the others for a moment, Fire Clan Leader Fire Shadow looked deeply at Wei Chen and respectfully remarked, "Brother Wei Chen, with so many helpers by your side, your influence in the Endless Divine Realm is comparable to that of the Supreme God Palace."
Wei Chen chuckled lightly and said, "Those things don’t matter much to me. My ambition isn’t to dominate the Endless Divine Realm. As long as others don’t come looking for trouble with me, I’m indifferent."
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