Eastern Sea, Ancient Tribe's headquarters.
In the grand hall, an enormous banquet had been going on for several days.
At this moment, waiters carried in plate after plate of fragrant roast chicken.
The chickens were, of course, no ordinary chickens — they were Immortal Chickens, at least at the level of Desolate Beasts. And the ones the Ancient Tribe's patriarch and Fang Yuan's clone Wu Shuai enjoyed were Ancient Desolate Chickens.
Having spent so many days here, Wu Shuai had gained a thorough understanding of the beastmen's customs — eating meat in great gulps, drinking wine in hearty swills, bold to the point of arrogance, straightforward bordering on brainless. If you earned a beastman's approval, you would be treated as an honored guest, enjoying the finest of feasts. If you failed to earn their approval, you would be despised, loathed, and even hated by them for all eternity.
The beastman Gu Immortals seated at the banquet, upon seeing the Immortal Chickens, all felt their appetites surge, mouths watering.
These immortal ingredients were not something one could normally eat. On ordinary days, they would be used as ingredients for refining Gu, hardly consumed with such extravagance as today.
However, according to historical records, during the beastmen's golden age, these immortal ingredients were casual fare for the great beastman clans — eaten freely, eaten abundantly, with wasteful and profligate indulgence.
The Ancient Tribe's patriarch picked up the roast chicken, as large as a millstone, with both hands.
"Lord Wu Shuai, please observe," he said. He then activated a certain Food Path killer move.
The killer move took effect, and the patriarch opened his mouth wide, drawing in a light breath that sucked the enormous roast chicken directly into his mouth.
With a gulp, his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed the roast chicken down into his stomach.
His belly immediately bulged outward, like that of a pregnant woman.
The patriarch rubbed his paunch and chuckled: "This Ancient Desolate Chicken will take half a day to fully digest. During that time, my fortune will be enhanced. This is our tribe's Food Path killer move — Eating Chicken."
Wu Shuai nodded and praised: "Quite the Eating Chicken. Its effect is remarkable — using Food Path means to simulate Fortune Path benefits. From what I can see, the fortune you've boosted seems weighted toward survival and self-preservation."
The patriarch replied with admiration: "Senior's discerning eye misses nothing — that is exactly right. According to our records, when our tribe's Gu Immortals find themselves in peril or caught in the thick of battle, they often rely on this very move to ultimately survive."
Wu Shuai nodded, casually tearing off a piece of chicken meat and swallowing it: "Next, let me demonstrate a Slave Path killer move."
This banquet was, of course, no simple affair — it was an exchange of traditions between Fang Yuan's clone and the Ancient Tribe.
The Ancient Tribe possessed Transformation Path and Food Path traditions, and was willing to trade portions of them with Fang Yuan in exchange for Slave Path traditions.
The Ancient Tribe had already decided to develop in the direction of Dragonmen, and Dragonmen were innately endowed with Slave Path Dao Marks, so they had a clear need for Slave Path traditions.
Fang Yuan saw no reason to object.
Offering something from the Slave Path would allow him to obtain the traditions held by the Ancient Tribe.
Their traditions were quite distinctive — the Transformation Path traditions carried an ancient flavor, while the Food Path traditions were full of pleasant surprises even for Fang Yuan.
Speaking of which, the Food Path had originally been created by beastman Gu Immortals.
The Ancient Clan had been lurking on the floor of the Eastern Sea and had gradually developed a relatively complete set of Food Path traditions.
What the Ancient Clan leader had just demonstrated was one of their killer moves — Eat Chicken.
The beastmen's style meant their killer moves had names that were straightforward and unadorned, crude and rough, but each one was highly practical in effect.
Fang Yuan's exchanges and cooperation with the Ancient Clan were deepening with each passing day.
Previously, Fang Yuan had helped them modify the dragonmen; now they were swapping traditions with each other.
Fang Yuan's clone Wu Shuai demonstrated a Slavery Path killer move, and all the beastmen Gu Immortals present watched with fascination, cheering enthusiastically one after another.
The Ancient Clan leader clapped his hands and summoned a group of dragonwomen: "We humbly invite the honored Lord to enjoy a song and dance performance."
These dragonwomen were all beastmen who had recently undergone their identity transformation. They immediately began to sing and dance, their movements filled with wild abandon and seduction, carrying an ancient primordial charm.
Among them, one dragonwoman Gu Immortal swayed her figure with particular grace, her seductive aura flowing freely.
When the performance ended, these dragonwomen did not withdraw. Instead, they all gathered around Wu Shuai.
"Lord Wu Shuai," the Ancient Clan leader said with the utmost sincerity, "I notice that there are no handmaidens attending to the Lord's side. I would like to gift these women to the Lord, and I humbly ask the Lord to graciously accept them."
Wu Shuai laughed heartily and reached out, pulling the most seductive of the dragonwomen into his arms: "Such kindness — I would be rude to refuse. Our dragonmen are indeed few in number, and passing on our lineage is a solemn duty for our generation. I shall take this woman as my primary consort, and the rest shall all be concubines."
The Ancient Clan leader was overjoyed. He raised his wine cup high, and the entire hall followed suit with cheers, celebrating yet another deepening of the bond between the two factions.
After the banquet, Wu Shuai immediately took these dragonwomen into the Dragon Palace to carry out the grand affair.
Before long, far away at the eighth layer of the Mad Demon Cavern, Fang Yuan's main body received the intelligence relayed by Wu Shuai.
"A marriage alliance with the Ancient Clan? This is a good thing." A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
Wu Shuai taking a consort was naturally a marriage alliance. His favor toward the women would put the Ancient Clan at ease. If offspring were produced in the future, the bond between both sides would become even tighter.
"Once the time is ripe, I can use the children born from this to quietly absorb this branch of the Ancient Clan."
The Ancient Clan wanted to cling to Wu Shuai, never suspecting that all of this was entirely within Fang Yuan's expectations.
Fang Yuan's true intention was to bring the entire Ancient Clan under his fold.
Mature individuals understood that fighting and killing were merely one means of achieving one's goals — there were many other ways to handle matters.
Fang Yuan intended to employ gentle political maneuvering to absorb the Ancient Clan. Though it would take somewhat longer, the approach was subtle and could preserve the clan's vitality to the greatest extent, securing maximum benefit for Fang Yuan.
"The traditions held by the Ancient Clan are truly impressive. What they've kept for themselves must be even more outstanding. And the traditions they offered in exchange are quite impressive as well. Especially the Food Path traditions."
Fang Yuan already possessed the origin of the Food Path — the traditions left behind by the beastman Gu Immortal who had founded the Food Path were about as orthodox as it gets.
And the Food Path traditions that the Ancient Clan had developed over the vast passage of time were also remarkably excellent, with many innovations taking entirely unconventional approaches. For instance, the Eat Chicken killer move could simulate the effects of the Luck Path.
At first glance, this inheritance brought Fang Yuan considerable inspiration. He immediately gave the command, directing his Time Path clone to attempt calculations in this regard.
Meanwhile, his main body sat atop the large mottled fish, continuing to drift aimlessly through the void.