The young man's eyes were sharp and domineering, like those of a hawk, radiating an intensity of aggression that was almost palpable. Even the three great leaders of the Moon God Sect felt their hearts shudder when swept by his piercing gaze, as if in that instant he had seen through every inch of their bodies, leaving nothing hidden.
"Wami! Wami!" The barbarian tribesmen shouted in unison, their cries rising together in perfect, rhythmic chorus.
They were clearly paying tribute to this young man.
But the Moon God Sect could not understand a word they were shouting. Judging from the expressions of these barbarian warriors, however, it was unmistakably a title of reverence.
The young man smiled faintly, long accustomed to such adoration and exaltation.
He raised both hands slightly and pumped them twice in the air. The crowd of barbarian warriors erupted into even wilder roars, dancing and gesticulating with frenzied enthusiasm.
Some whistled, some let out strange whoops, some stomped their feet, some clapped, and others performed all manner of bizarre, inexplicable movements.
"The barbarian tribe — truly uncouth beyond measure." The thought flashed through the minds of everyone in the Moon God Sect as they watched the display.
The mere thought of being surrounded by such a rabble — of falling into their hands and being violated by such savages — was simply worse than death.
For many of the young female disciples, their resolve only hardened. If they were to be captured, they would sooner take their own lives.
Yet when they caught sight of this young barbarian noble, a few of those same female disciples felt their iron resolve waver ever so slightly.
"If it were only this noble young man…"
The moment this thought crossed their minds, the female disciples flushed with embarrassment. At a moment of life and death, to be harboring such unruly thoughts — they were truly ashamed of themselves.
The young noble strolled forward at a leisurely pace.
His features gradually became clearer.
Apart from the trademark large nose, this young noble's appearance was considerably more refined and pleasing to the eye than that of other barbarians.
Those sharp eyes of his, in particular, carried a faint hint of spirited boldness — brimming with the domineering aura of a powerful male.
If one were to set aside the matter of friend versus foe, such a commanding gaze would be devastatingly attractive to many a naive young girl.
"Who would have thought — after all these ages since antiquity, our barbarian tribe would finally set foot in human territory once more. Truly, this king is quite surprised."
The young man suddenly spoke. His voice was deep and resonant, and the words he uttered were in the human language — albeit with a distinctly foreign accent. It sounded somewhat stiff, yet possessed a peculiar charm of its own.
Most crucially, this young man's magnetically resonant voice caused many of the Moon God Sect's young female disciples to instantly lower their guard.
As if any man blessed with such a magnetic voice could not possibly be a villain.
His gaze was filled with aggressiveness as it swept over each of the Moon God Sect's female cultivators in turn, a faint smile playing on his lips.
That smile seemed to carry three parts frivolity and three parts admiration.
Clearly, this young man had been struck by the beauty of the Moon God Sect's women. He was considered absolute nobility among the barbarian tribe.
As a noble, he enjoyed the finest resources of his people and had access to the most beautiful women — all of which was taken for granted among the barbarians.
But upon seeing the female cultivators of the Moon God Sect, he realized that every woman he had enjoyed back among his own kind was nothing but garbage by comparison!
"This king finally understands why our barbarian ancestors, through life and death, never forgot the human lands. Fair ladies, may this king boldly ask — are all human women as beautiful as you, each one looking like a fairy descended from the heavens?"
The young man's tone was somewhat frivolous, and as he spoke these words, he struck an affected pose, cupping his fists in a mock display of refinement.
Saintess Xiyuan, seemingly captivated by this young noble's bearing, boldly declared: "Not at all! You're simply lucky to have encountered our Moon God Sect—"
"Xiyuan, shut your mouth this instant!" The Grand Priest could barely endure Saintess Xiyuan's nonsense. What a time to be acting love-struck!
This young man was clearly not here with good intentions!
The Grand Priest could only feel helpless. Though her disciples all possessed decent talent, the Moon God Sect had always kept to itself and seldom ventured into the secular world. As a result, they were sorely lacking in worldly wisdom. At a critical juncture like this, they remained blissfully ignorant and fearless, utterly blind to the mortal danger lurking behind this young man's courtesy.
Saintess Xiyuan had been scolded repeatedly by the Grand Priest, and she was none too happy about it. But how could she dare throw a tantrum in front of the Grand Priest?
She pouted but said nothing more.
But the young noble had keenly noticed this exchange. He smiled gently and said, "Little sister, don't worry — speak freely. This king promises that so long as you remain courteous, I shall be courteous as well. That has always been this king's way."
Saintess Xiyuan found herself torn. She instinctively felt a certain fondness for this young noble, yet she feared the Grand Priest's reprimand.