277: Chapter 276 White Deer Tribe

When Jiang Hanzhou woke up, the first thing he felt was warmth.

It wasn't the blazing heat of the Fire Cloud Cave, but a slow warmth flowing from all directions, like being soaked in warm water.

Thick furs were padded beneath him, and several layers of animal skin blankets covered his body; the edges of the blankets were embroidered with crude white patterns, some kind of tribal totem.

He opened his eyes to see the gray roof of a tent. The tent was sewn from the fur of some animal and coated with grease to make it waterproof and windproof. A campfire burned in the center of the tent; the flames weren't large, but they were enough to dispel the biting cold of the Northern Territory. An iron pot hung over the fire, cooking something that gave off a faint aroma of meat.

He struggled to sit up, feeling a faint pain in his left arm and back. Although his severed Meridians had been mostly repaired by the power of fate, they hadn't fully healed yet. His cultivation was still sealed by spatial power, leaving him with only the Foundation of the Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm, barely enough to keep his Physical Body functioning.

"You're awake."

An aged voice came from the entrance of the tent.

Jiang Hanzhou turned his head and saw an old man lifting the door curtain and walking in. The old man wore a thick fur robe, had white hair, a thin face, and skin etched with wrinkles from wind and frost. In his hand, he held a wooden staff topped with a fist-sized white bead, within which light faintly pulsed.

The old man's eyes were bright, as bright as two lanterns. Those eyes held an indescribable sense of vicissitude and wisdom.

"I am the Shaman of the White Deer Tribe, Tuerdan." The old man sat by the campfire, his gaze falling on Jiang Hanzhou. "You were found on an ice floe by our fishing party; you were unconscious at the time. They brought you back to the camp."

Jiang Hanzhou nodded, his voice hoarse. "Thank you for saving my life. My name is Jiang Hanzhou, and I am a Loose Cultivator. My ship encountered a storm at sea, and I was washed ashore here by the waves."

He didn't mention the Dragon Abyss Palace, Master Xue Mu, or the Dragon Slaying True Person. He didn't know the background of the White Deer Tribe, the relationship between the Northern Territory and the Eastern Sea, or if there were any of the Dragon Slaying True Person's spies here. Before figuring these things out, he could only hide his origins.

Tuerdan looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly spoke, "A Loose Cultivator? The injuries on your body don't seem like they were caused by a storm. There are remnants of spatial power in those wounds; you've experienced a spatial turbulence."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils constricted slightly.

He hadn't expected that a Shaman from a Northern Territory tribe could sense the remnants of spatial power. This indicated that Tuerdan's cultivation was not weak, at least not inferior to his own.

"That's right." He didn't deny it. "I encountered an enemy at sea and was forced into a spatial rift. I drifted in the turbulence for several days before finally falling into this sea area."

Tuerdan nodded and didn't press further. He simply took out a fist-sized white bone fragment from his robe and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou.

"This is the healing salve of the White Deer Tribe, refined from the marrow of Ice Sea Snow Bears and century-old snow lotuses. Applying it to your wounds will accelerate healing."

Jiang Hanzhou took the bone fragment and opened the lid; a faint fragrance wafted out. He scooped out some salve with his finger and applied it to the wound on his left arm. The moment the salve entered his body, a cool power seeped in from the wound, flowing slowly along his Meridians, gradually forcing out the residual blood stasis and cold Qi.

"Good medicine," he praised sincerely.

A faint smile touched the corner of Tuerdan's mouth. "The White Deer Tribe has lived in the Mystic Ice Vast Sea for generations, surviving by hunting Ice Sea exotic beasts. Healing is what we are best at."

He paused, his gaze falling on the tiger soul saber at Jiang Hanzhou's waist. "Your saber's spirituality is damaged. It needs nourishment."

Jiang Hanzhou nodded. "I know. It consumed too much power to protect me in the spatial turbulence."

Tuerdan stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and lifted the curtain. "Rest well. In three days, if you can walk, I will take you to see the tribe's leader. She has many questions for you."

He stepped out of the tent, and the curtain fell behind him.

Silence returned to the tent.

Jiang Hanzhou lay on the furs, staring at the gray tent roof, silent for a long time. Then, he closed his eyes and began to sense the condition of his body.

Deep within his Dantian, the inch-sized Dragon Fetus sat cross-legged, the four-colored radiance swirling around it still dim. Around the Dragon Fetus, the fine silver threads remained, sealing his cultivation layer by layer. He tried to circulate his Pure Yang True Intent; a faint pain shot through his Meridians, but the True Intent could indeed be moved, though he could only exert less than ten percent of its power.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the area of the lake of divine soul had recovered slightly, from a tenth to a fifth. A thin layer of Divine Soul Armor had re-condensed on the lake's surface; though far from its previous thickness, it could at least protect his mind. The Heart Blade hung above the Sea of Consciousness; the dark gold dragon patterns on its body were still dim, but the dark gold halo at the blade's edge began to flow slowly.

The Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu Mother was still sleeping, but its body was a size larger than before, and a hint of silver luster had appeared within the blood-red patterns on its surface. Those were remnants of spatial power, fragments it had devoured in the turbulence. It needed time to digest that power.

The tiger soul saber lay beside him; the four-colored radiance on its body had vanished, but the intelligence within the blade remained. It sent a faint message, as if saying, "Master, I am recovering."

He opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

He was still alive. Although his cultivation was sealed, his Foundation remained. The power of fate was slowly repairing his injuries, and the extreme cold environment was tempering his Physical Body. He needed time, patience, and to take it one step at a time.

For the next three days, Jiang Hanzhou did not leave the tent.

During the day, he applied the salve to his wounds, used the Spirit Concentration Art to nourish his Sea of Consciousness, and the Li Huo Golden Body Art to strengthen his Physical Body. At night, by the light of the campfire, he flipped through a thin booklet left by Tuerdan: the "Record of Northern Territory Exotic Beasts," passed down through generations in the White Deer Tribe, which detailed the habits and weaknesses of various exotic beasts in the Mystic Ice Vast Sea.

During these three days, he also gradually learned about the martial arts System of the Northern Territory from Tuerdan and the tribe members who came to visit.

The martial arts here were completely different from those of the Eastern Sea.

Eastern Sea Cultivators followed the Realm divisions of "Qi Accumulation, Iron Bone, Burning Viscera, Primal Elephant, Dragon Fetus, Dragon Elephant Mutual Harmony, and Divine Ability," with the cultivation of spiritual essence and the condensation of True Intent as the core. In contrast, Northern Territory Martial Artists followed a blood-qi shamanic martial path of "Blood Expansion, Soul Condensation, Spirit Attunement, and War Shaman."

The Blood Expansion Realm corresponded to the Eastern Sea's Qi Accumulation to Burning Viscera. Northern Territory Martial Artists lived by hunting Ice Sea exotic beasts, devouring and refining the exotic beasts' essence blood to temper their bodies with blood-qi, making it surge through them like a river. A Martial Artist at the Peak of the Blood Expansion Realm had a Physical Body strength comparable to a Viscera Burning Realm Cultivator of the Eastern Sea.

The Soul Condensation Realm corresponded to the Eastern Sea's Primal Elephant to Dragon Fetus. On the basis of a powerful Physical Body, Northern Territory Martial Artists began to condense Divine Soul power, fusing blood-qi with the Divine Soul to form a power called "Shamanic Power." Shamanic Power was not spiritual essence or True Intent, but a power between blood-qi and the Divine Soul that could communicate with heaven and earth, empower the Physical Body, and perform various eerie Divine Abilities.

The Spirit Attunement Realm corresponded to the Eastern Sea's Dragon Elephant Mutual Harmony. When a Northern Territory Martial Artist's Shamanic Power reached its Peak, they could communicate with a certain will between heaven and earth to obtain power beyond Mortals. Experts of the Spirit Attunement Realm were known as "War Shamans" in the Northern Territory and were the top combat forces of the major tribes.

It was said there were even higher Realms above War Shaman, but Tuerdan's booklet didn't record them, and the members of the White Deer Tribe didn't know either.

Jiang Hanzhou organized the information in his mind and came to a general conclusion.

The strongest member of the White Deer Tribe was Tuerdan, at the Peak of the Soul Condensation Realm. According to the Eastern Sea's Realm correspondences, this was equivalent to the Peak of the Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm. Although his own cultivation was mostly sealed, his Foundation was still at the Early Stage Dragon Fetus Realm, putting him on the same level as Tuerdan.

However, the Northern Territory's shamanic martial System was completely contrary to the Eastern Sea's internal martial arts. He had never cultivated Shamanic Power and didn't know if his True Intent and saber techniques could still exert their proper power against Northern Territory Martial Artists.

He needed time to adapt, time to understand, and time to find a way to fuse the two Systems.

Three days later, Jiang Hanzhou was able to walk.

The wounds on his left arm and back had mostly healed; though he couldn't engage in strenuous exercise yet, walking was no problem. He stepped out of the tent and saw the White Deer Tribe's camp clearly for the first time.

The camp was built on a high ground at the edge of the ice plains, surrounded by simple walls made of giant ice blocks and animal bones. Dozens of tents were scattered within the walls, with packed snow between them showing the footprints of people and livestock. In the center of the camp was an open space where a wooden pole about thirty feet high stood; a white flag hung from the top, embroidered with a running white deer.

That was the totem of the White Deer Tribe.

There weren't many people in the camp. Jiang Hanzhou did a rough count: there were about forty tents, and assuming four or five people per tent, the entire tribe's population was less than two hundred. Most were elderly, women, and children; there were only thirty or forty young and middle-aged men.

Seeing Jiang Hanzhou emerge from the tent, some people cast curious glances, some whispered among themselves, and some nodded to him in greeting. Jiang Hanzhou nodded back and walked toward the open space in the center of the camp.

In the open space, several young men were processing a massive sea beast. The beast was about twenty feet long and shaped like a Seal, but it was covered in thick white scales and had a three-foot-long ice-blue horn on its head. Its belly had been sliced open, its internal organs removed, and its flesh carved into pieces piled on the snow.

Tuerdan stood to the side, holding his wooden staff with the white bead, chanting something. Jiang Hanzhou couldn't quite understand the Northern Territory dialect, but he could sense a strange power surging within Tuerdan. That power was not spiritual essence or True Intent, but something between blood-qi and the Divine Soul.

Shamanic Power.

Tuerdan was performing a ritual, either to guide the sea beast's Soul or to fuse its essence blood with Shamanic Power to refine a medicine for the tribe's Martial Artists.

Jiang Hanzhou walked up to Tuerdan, looked at the sea beast, and asked, "What kind of exotic beast is this?"

Tuerdan opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then slowly said, "An Ice-Armored Narwhal, an exotic beast of the Early Stage Soul Condensation Realm. It was hunting in the waters thirty miles east of the camp when our fishing party found it and killed it together."

He paused, his gaze falling on Jiang Hanzhou. "Your injuries have healed faster than I expected. Your Physique is very strong; you are no ordinary Loose Cultivator."

Jiang Hanzhou didn't deny it, simply smiling. "I have practiced Body Refining techniques, so my Physical Body's recovery is a bit stronger than average."

Tuerdan nodded and didn't press. He took out a fist-sized piece of dark red meat from his robe and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou. "This is the heart of the Ice-Armored Narwhal, containing the purest blood-qi power. Eat it; it will benefit your injuries."

Jiang Hanzhou took the meat and didn't stand on ceremony, chewing it directly. The meat was tough and hard to chew, but after entering his stomach, a warm power surged out, flowing through his Meridians to his limbs and bones. That power was different from the spiritual essence of Eastern Sea Spirit Medicines; it was coarser and more violent, but equally effective.

His body heated up slightly, and his not-yet-fully-healed Meridians accelerated their repair under the nourishment of this power.

"Good stuff," he praised sincerely.

A smile touched Tuerdan's lips. "The Northern Territory has no Eastern Sea Spirit Medicines, only the flesh and blood of exotic beasts. Our White Deer Tribe has lived by hunting exotic beasts for generations; every beast is a gift from heaven."

His smile soon faded, and a look of gravity flashed in his eyes. "But in recent years, the exotic beasts in the Ice Sea have become stronger and more ferocious. Our White Deer Tribe is weak; every hunt comes at a heavy price. Last month, we lost three hunters at the Peak of the Blood Expansion Realm just to bring back one Early Stage Soul Condensation Realm Ice-Armored Narwhal."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Shaman Tuerdan, I know some medical arts. If anyone in the tribe is injured or sick, I can help."

Tuerdan looked at him, surprise flashing in his eyes. "You know medical arts?"

"I am a Third-Rank Apothecary." Jiang Hanzhou didn't hide it, as there was no need. "In the Eastern Sea, I made a living practicing medicine."

Tuerdan was silent for a long time, then slowly nodded. "Good. If you need any medicinal ingredients, just tell me. Though the White Deer Tribe is poor, we never lack herbs from the ice plains or the flesh and blood of exotic beasts."

From that day on, Jiang Hanzhou began practicing medicine in the White Deer Tribe.

During the day, he treated the tribe members' injuries and illnesses, and at night, he cultivated in his tent, using the extreme cold environment to re-polish his four types of True Intent.

The people of the White Deer Tribe hunted on the ice plains year-round, so frostbite was common. Those with severe frostbite had fingers and toes that turned black and necrotic; if not treated in time, it could lead to amputation or even death. Using formulas from the compendium of one hundred herbs, Jiang Hanzhou boiled salves using snow lotuses, Ice Ginseng, and exotic beast marrow from the ice plains, applying them to the frostbitten areas to promote blood circulation, remove stasis, dispel cold, and regenerate flesh.

He also treated the wounds of Martial Artists injured while hunting exotic beasts. The Northern Territory's healing methods were crude, mostly involving topical herbs and using Shamanic Power to forcibly Seal wounds, with very little systematic medical knowledge. Jiang Hanzhou combined Eastern Sea medical techniques with Northern Territory herbs to debride, suture, and dress the wounds of the injured, with remarkable results.

In just half a month, the attitude of the White Deer Tribe members toward him changed from initial wariness to trust, and from trust to closeness. The elderly would smile and greet him; children would surround him asking for sweets; and the Martial Artists would respectfully call him "Physician Jiang."