"But what makes me even happier is capturing over two hundred thousand Claw-Horses. In Uncle's hands, these horses will greatly expand the herd, adding boundless prestige to our Ma Clan for the upcoming Hero Assembly!"
His uncle was none other than Ma Zun, one of the three great taming masters of the Northern Plains!
At the mention of Ma Zun, the faces of the Ma clan Gu Masters all showed reverence.
"Before I left, Uncle told me, 'Our Ma Clan did not become a large tribe easily. It took generations, a hundred years of accumulation, effort, and great luck to get where we are today. But a large clan is much harder to hold together. Even taking Warm Swamp Valley is just securing a foundation to preserve our spark. To truly protect the entire clan, and even take a step further, we must occupy the Imperial Court!'"
Ma Yingjie swept his gaze across everyone and continued, "The Imperial Court Blessed Land is a blessing left by Giant Sun Immortal Venerable for his descendants. The Eighty-Eight True Yang Building especially holds the Venerable's inheritance! Uncle said my bloodline has met the standard to enter the building. If I can obtain the Venerable's inheritance and become a Gu Immortal in the future, then our Ma Clan will become the new super clan of the Northern Plains!"
"Super clan..."
This name instantly filled the faces of the Ma clan members with longing.
"Young Clan Leader, you are a genius our clan hasn't seen in a hundred years. The future of our clan rests on your shoulders."
"Lord Ma Zun may be a man of few words, but he truly cares about the clan and has great foresight..."
"To witness all this and fight alongside you, Young Clan Leader, is the greatest honor of my life!"
"Young Clan Leader, lead us to glory!"
The Ma clan Gu Masters shouted excitedly.
Ma Yingjie smiled.
In truth, Ma Zun had never said such a thing. This speech was something Ma Yingjie made up on the spot.
By using Ma Zun's prestige, Ma Yingjie successfully enhanced his own image. If even Ma Zun thought so highly of him, wouldn't anyone who didn't be blind?
Ma Yingjie wasn't worried that Ma Zun would expose his lie upon finding out.
Ma Zun was an odd person. As a child he rarely spoke, and was so silent that his parents almost thought he was mute.
He was obsessively fond of horses. As a youth, his tribesmen mockingly called him "horse maniac" and "horse idiot."
He was eccentric, never married, loved only horses, and lived with the herd year-round. He had no interest in worldly power or mundane affairs.
Ma Yingjie's eyes sparkled like stars. "All of you are the pillars and supports of our Ma Clan. You have many strengths that I, Ma Yingjie, must learn from. I am still too young. The Ma Clan cannot be supported by me alone. I will need everyone's help in the future."
"Young Clan Leader, what are you saying!"
"Your words make us feel ashamed."
"Over the years, your actions have touched us deeply. We will surely follow you!"
The Ma clan members quickly replied.
Ma Yingjie continued, "Although Uncle Ma Zun places his hopes on me, obtaining the Venerable's inheritance in the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building still depends on fate. But even if I fail to live up to expectations, besides the building, the Imperial Court Blessed Land is filled with inheritances left by Gu Masters of the past. Thus, any clan that takes the Imperial Court will experience a comprehensive leap in strength. Every time I think of this, my heart races."
Everyone laughed heartily.
"My heart doesn't just race, it drools!"
"Haha, don't put too much pressure on yourself, Young Clan Leader. If you fail once, just start over. Our Ma Clan are men who never yield!"
The Imperial Court Blessed Land was somewhat similar to Heavenly Ladder Mountain, where Gu Masters often left their inheritances.
The environment of the Northern Plains was harsh. Every ten years, a blizzard would sweep across the entire plains. The wind, sharp as knives, scoured everything. Many inheritances buried in the wild were destroyed because of this.
Therefore, setting up inheritances within the Imperial Court Blessed Land had gradually become a tradition of the Northern Plains.
Aside from the Venerable's inheritance in the Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, there were many other inheritances in the Imperial Court Blessed Land, waiting for the right people.
Of course, these people first had to enter the Imperial Court Blessed Land to have a chance at obtaining the opportunities.
The ability to avoid the blizzard and live safely in a blessed land, along with the numerous inheritances scattered throughout, was why every struggle for the Imperial Court sparked fierce competition among the grassland tribes.
This struggle affected the entire Northern Plains on an enormous scale. Small tribes needed to survive, medium tribes needed to advance, and large tribes needed to preserve their foundations. Not only righteous path, but demonic path Gu Masters also wanted to enter the blessed land to seize inheritances.
To form alliances and counter-alliances, the Hero Assembly was born. It took shape a long time ago, and by now it is a tradition that the people of the Northern Plains cannot abandon.
Every time the decade's blizzard approached, Hero Assemblies would be held at famous locations across the Northern Plains at the same time.
"Our defeat of the Fei Clan this time greatly benefits our trip to the Tianchuan Hero Assembly. As long as we subdue the Cheng Clan, our Ma Clan will dominate!"
"Exactly. Only by winning the Hero Assembly can we recruit more experts and get more tribes to submit. This is the first step in the great war of the Northern Plains, and a very important one."
"We must aim to take the Imperial Court Blessed Land, but we must also keep an eye on other places. The Hero Assemblies of Yutian, Mengqiu, and Caofu all need close attention."
Just as the upper echelons of the Ma Clan were discussing heatedly, a Gu Master messenger rushed over to bring Ma Yingjie the latest intelligence.
Ma Yingjie unfolded it, his expression turning slightly grim. He then passed the message to those around him.
Everyone read it in turn, occasionally letting out small gasps, sighs, or guesses.
"The Eastern Clan has subdued the Zhao Clan ahead of schedule. This way, they will be the overlords of the Caofu Hero Assembly."
"As for the Mengqiu side, the Nu'er Clan has actually sent Nu'ertu. They are coming fiercely, and the Lü Clan probably won't be able to hold out."
"As for the Yutian Hero Assembly, it is also turbulent. The former Wolf King, Chang Shanyin, has actually appeared!"